Kim Yo Jong, 32, is the North Korean leader's only close relative with a public role in politics and recently led a new, tougher campaign to put pressure on Seoul.
The stress of managing state affairs prompted Mr Kim to delegate some of his powers to a select group of officials, including his sister, the South's spy agency reported.
She is now said to be chiefly involved in shaping policies towards Washington and Seoul.
Ms Kim is currently serving as the first vice director of her brother's political party, United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, and has been considered as his possible successor.
Reports of her new responsibilities come as Mr Kim, 36, announced his first five-year development plan with goals of improving North Korea's power supply and agricultural and manufacturing production, amid the country's economic struggles.
Speaking at a meeting of the party's decision-making central committee, the leader acknowledged economic "shortcomings" caused by "unexpected and inevitable challenges in various aspects and the situation in the region surrounding the Korean peninsula".
Experts claim the coronavirus pandemic derailed some of Mr Kim's major economic goals after North Korea imposed a lockdown that significantly reduced trade with China and hampered the country's workforce.
South Korean politician Ha Tae Keung said officials from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) insisted that Mr Kim's rule over North Korea remains absolute.
There are no signs that Mr Kim is experiencing health problems or is grooming his sister as his successor, Mr Ha paraphrased NIS officials as saying.
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Last week, Mr Kim sacked his premier after an evaluation of the cabinet's performance in economic policies, and also said the country was facing a dual challenge of fending off COVID-19 and repairing damage from torrential rain that lashed the country over the past few weeks.
Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said that due to coronavirus and flooding, North Korea may struggle to fully revive cross-border trade, especially if its weak healthcare system continues to raise concerns.
Some experts claim the North is likely to avoid serious negotiations with the US over sanctions and denuclearisation steps before November's election, since US leadership could change.
"By January, (Mr Kim) will know the result of the US presidential election so may update North Korea's position on denuclearisation talks," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
He added that as the world focuses on grappling with the pandemic and contentious elections, the "Kim regime is advancing its nuclear, missile and cyber programmes for coercion, not just deterrence".
Rohingya crisis needs lasting solutions, renewed commitment amid COVID-19 pandemic, UN refugee agency 21 August 2020 - Three years after violence in Myanmar forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to seek refuge in Bangladesh, the international community must adapt its assistance to the critical needs of those displaced and the host communities supporting them, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday. "The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional complexities," UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told journalists the regular news briefing in Geneva. Bangladesh hosts 9 of 10 Rohingya refugees Mr. Mahecic said UNHCR and the Government of Bangladesh have individually registered over 860,000 Rohingya refugees in the Cox's Bazar settlements. The country now hosts nine out of 10 Rohingya refugees registered in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring their protection and offering life-saving support. "This generosity must be acknowledged through continued investment in both Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities," Mr. Mahecic said. Holistic approach to safe return Creating conditions that are conducive to the Rohingya people's safe and sustainable return to Myanmar will require whole-of-society engagement, he said, as well as resumed dialogue between Myanmar authorities and Rohingya refugees. It will also require measures to build trust, Mr. Mahecic said, such as lifting restrictions on freedom of movement, reconfirming that internally displaced Rohingya can return to their villages and providing a clear pathway towards citizenship. Outside Myanmar, UNHCR said collective efforts must aim to both ensure dignity and improve long-term prospects. Advancing lasting solutions in Myanmar will be pivotal. Mr. Mahecic also called for providing study and work opportunities outside of asylum countries, and third-country pathways for the most vulnerable. Solution lies in Myanmar Ultimately, the agency said,the solution to the plight of Rohingyas lies in Myanmar - and fully implementing recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state, to which the Government has committed. The strength of the Rohingya in exile in Bangladesh and elsewhere have formed the backbone of UNHCR's humanitarian response,Mr. Mahecic said. Recognizing their courage means ensuring they are not forgotten as the crisis enters a fourth year. COVID-19 pushes Rohingya towards Malaysia Since the global health crisis began, the agency has reported an increase in the number of Rohingyas moving from Bangladesh and Myanmar, towards Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia. "No solution, great poverty and lack of opportunities in the camps in Bangladesh, now maybe also couple with the lockdown that was made necessary by COVID that has added to the hardship," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said in comments coinciding with World Refugee Day, commemorated annually on 20 June. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A former California police officer who lived a double life as the Golden State Killer was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for a string of 1970s and 80s murders and rapes that were solved through the use of public genealogy websites. A Sacramento County judge granted prosecutors request that Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, serve life in prison without the possibility of parole following emotional statements from victims or their family members in open court. A seemingly frail DeAngelo showed no emotion during the nearly two-hour sentencing, held in a makeshift courtroom inside a ballroom at Sacramento State University so that victims and family members could spread out amid the coronavirus pandemic. When given the opportunity to speak, DeAngelo rose from a wheelchair, took off a mask, looked around at surviving victims and relatives of those he murdered and said: Ive listened to all your statements. Each one of them. And Im really sorry to everyone Ive hurt. Prosecutors afterward said they did not think DeAngelos apology was sincere. They also showed video of him in his jail cell, climbing on a desk and standing on one leg while cleaning, which they said proved he did not need to use a wheelchair. In June, DeAngelo confessed to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges for crimes carried out between 1975 and 1986 as part of a plea deal with prosecutors sparing him from a potential death sentence. DeAngelo, whom a prosecutor on Friday called a bogeyman who haunted California for decades, also publicly admitted to dozens more rapes for which the statute of limitations had expired. Prosecutors said he invaded 120 homes across 11 counties during his crime spree, initially identified with a series of rapes and murders around the state capital of Sacramento. The identity of the Golden State Killer remained a mystery, his crimes unsolved, for decades until DeAngelos arrest in Sacramento County on April 24, 2018. Investigators tied DeAngelo to the crimes using a then-novel technique of tracing him through family DNA from commercial genealogy websites. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert pushed for decades to find a way to solve the cold case that shook the state and region. DeAngelos crimes, she said, had traumatized generations in the capital region. For folks in Sacramento that lived through this, I hope you open the windows tonight and feel the breeze, she said. NO MERCY Prosecutors from counties where he carried out his crimes told Judge Michael Bowman that he deserved no mercy. Over four decades - thats a long time to wait for justice, said Diana Becton, the Contra Costa County District Attorney, where some of DeAngelos crimes occurred. Bowman said he had no power to determine what type of prison DeAngelo is sent to. But the survivors have spoken clearly - the defendant deserves no mercy, he said, as those in the courtroom burst into loud applause. Courtney Strouses mother was raped by DeAngelo in the 1970s, and until her death in 2016 she awoke repeatedly during the nights to check on her children and make sure all doors and windows were locked, Strouse said. Strouse said she had learned to live in constant fear, but that Fridays sentencing brought some relief. Its nice to have the bogeyman gone, she said. Its like a fable youre told all your life about the bogeyman and now hes gone. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Motorists using one of the busiest routes in Naas face prolonged delays because of road works which started this week. A section of the Newbridge Road, near the entrance to Aras Chill Dara and the Town House Hotel, is affected meaning that vehicles travelling in and out of Naas are being diverted, generally on to the ring road on either side of the road. Read more County Kildare news. The project runs until mid-December - however the road will not be off limits for the duration and will be closed for no more than 14 days at a time. A comprehensive series of diversions have been created to take traffic away from the area. Provision has also been made for people living in the local residential areas including Pacelli road, Sarto Road, Our Ladys Place and Sarto Park. According to Irish Water the works are part of the Upper Liffey Valley Sewerage Scheme which is a 38 million investment by Irish Water in the wastewater infrastructure in Kildare. This involves the construction of 18kms of new sewers to improve the wastewater network, safeguard the environment and support the needs of a number of towns which the current wastewater infrastructure is unable to do. These towns, as well as Naas, also include Clane, Johnstown, Kill, Prosperous and Sallins. This current phase of works began in Naas and Newbridge on August 17 and includes improvements to the sewer network in several locations across both towns to safeguard the environment and support economic and social development. Traffic management is in place with diversion routes clearly signposted and access to all businesses has been maintained. Irish Water and Kildare County Council say they apologise for any inconvenience caused. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andrew Marszal (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States Sat, August 22, 2020 22:09 515 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fc3c7e 2 News Hollywood,los-angeles,united-states,film,Chateau-Marmont,Hotel Free For nearly a century Chateau Marmont has been an adopted home and playground for Hollywood's elite, discreetly hosting sophisticated Golden Age icons and raucous Brat Pack celebrities. Etched into Tinseltown folklore, it is where James Dean crashed director Nicholas Ray's bungalow to bag the lead in Rebel Without a Cause, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable allegedly conducted a torrid affair, and comedy legend John Belushi died of a tragic drug overdose. More recently, the imposing Gothic hotel perched above the famous Sunset Strip has become a hub for swanky showbiz parties, from Leonardo DiCaprio's 21st birthday bash to Beyonce and Jay-Z's secret Oscars after-parties. The hotel is so synonymous with Hollywood glamour that it has its own film credits, appearing in movies from 2018's A Star is Born remake to the musical La La Land and Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. But the storied institution that prides itself on being highly selective about who it admits -- and then keeping their secrets closely guarded -- is about to get a whole lot more private and discerning, its owner told AFP. Later this year, it will become a member-owned hotel, offering dedicated domestic staff, private dining and long-term personal belongings storage to an invitation-only, financial-stake-owning inner sanctum. "I'd compare it to a superyacht... you can only deliver that kind of service -- and have people on deck -- if they're almost hand-selected," said Andre Balazs, the Boston-born hotelier who once dated Uma Thurman. No details are yet available on the costs of membership. But Balazs had been mulling the transition for years, with that process now accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. "Common sense, and even a modicum of understanding of health, requires that you surround yourself with less people," he said. "In this time, it allows you to be safer, and curate a more interesting crowd." Read also: Iconic hotel Copacabana Palace reopens in Rio 'Symbolic of Hollywood' The concept of members-only institutions offering accommodation is well established in cities like London, but newer to Los Angeles, where Soho House launched its buzzy West Hollywood outpost just a decade ago. At Chateau Marmont, shielded-off private quarters will serve an "essentially nomadic" wealthy and creative elite tired of traditional luxury hotels, Balazs said. But Balazs insists media reports that "the Chateau" is set to ape "exclusionary clubs" like White's in London, are wide of the mark. Those reports triggered a backlash in Los Angeles among stargazers fearful they will no longer be able to dine across from their favorite celebrities. "There will always be a public component" to Chateau Marmont, Balazs told AFP, including "probably the restaurant... and then maybe some public aspect to the rooms as well." "Something that's become as, if not more, symbolic of Hollywood than the Hollywood sign itself... making that inaccessible is not the right thing to do," he added. Yet as a Los Angeles Times op-ed recently pointed out, Chateau Marmot has "long been a VIP club that only pretends to be open to the public," catering largely to a closely guarded list of repeat guests. Shawn Levy, author of The Castle on Sunset, also noted that "an infusion of initiation fees and membership dues would be a godsend, as the Chateau, like most hotels, has withered during the pandemic." The vast majority of hotel staff were laid off in March. "We've seriously had to downsize, obviously," said Balazs, who donated $100,000 to a staff fundraiser. Read also: LA parties head for the Hollywood Hills as mayor vows crackdown 'Shenanigans' The new, member-owned model is a return to Chateau Marmont's original roots. It was constructed as a high-end apartment building in 1929, modeled after the Chateau d'Amboise in the Loire Valley. Balazs intends to roll out the scheme to cities such as London and New York -- where he already owns hotels -- and rural outposts including, ironically, "a spectacular chateau in the south of France." But the hotelier, 63, insists it is mere coincidence that he is starting the experiment at the legendary Marmont -- his first hotel, purchased in 1990, long after many of its fabled Hollywood "shenanigans". "We don't traffic in glamour," said Balazs. "We traffic in service to our guests -- discretion and service and safety, privacy. "That's what we make our money on." Melissa Inkster, 44, has been stuck in the Democratic Republic of Congo since March - unable to get a flight home to her two children An Australian mum stranded in an African city dubbed the 'rape capital of the world' may finally be able to fly home after securing a flight with Qatar - but it's cost $15,000. Melissa Inkster, 44, flew into the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 16 to help set up a charity with her fiance for the poor residents of the Tshopo province in the country's east. Eight days later, the DRC shut its borders as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold globally, leaving Ms Inkster separated from her two young children back home on Sydney's northern beaches. The Curl Curl mother-of-two flew to the capital Kinshasa after the DRC's government lifted international border restrictions, but was last week bumped off a flight home due to the Australian government's cap on international arrivals. Her friends launched a GoFundMe page to help get Ms Inkster on a business class flight, raising more than $16,000. Ms Inkster pictured with her children Tomas, nine, and Max, six. She said one of the most painful parts of being stuck halfway around the world is not being able to hug her children Ms Inkster now has 'tentatively confirmed' flights. If all goes to plan, Ms Inkster will board a Qatar Airways flight at Kinshasa International Airport on August 31 and touch down in Sydney on September 2 There was an email error when Ms Inkter's flight attendant attempted to confirm a flight home for the mum-of-two, meaning she will now have to wait more than week to fly out, news.com.au reported. She now has 'tentatively confirmed' flights. If all goes to plan, Ms Inkster will board a Qatar Airways flight at Kinshasa International Airport on August 31 and touch down in Sydney on September 2. Last week, Ms Inkster posted a video about being booted off her flight due to Australia's coronavirus restrictions. 'My flight back to Australia has been cancelled because our government is only allowing 30 people on a plane,' she said in the video. 'So essentially that means people in business, first class get first priority and us people who can only afford economy are pretty much off.' Ms Inkster (pictured) and her partner Joseph travelled to Africa via Europe in March for business. They have together set up a charity to help impoverished people in the DRC's capital Ms Inkster will hopefully fly home to Australia from the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 31 'I haven't seen my kids for six months,' she said. Sydney is receiving just 350 international arrivals a day and Victoria has suspended them altogether amid its horror coronavirus second wave. The fundraising page, which was created on August 13, explained Ms Inkster and her partner Joseph travelled to Africa via Europe in March for business. 'Mel and her fiance spent their time in Africa creating a charity and working with locals to improve many aspects of their lives and will continue working in these areas along with new business ideas when they are safely back home,' the page says. 'Mel has two young boys in the Australia who she is desperate to get back too. They need her and she needs them.' 'Mel is a kindhearted woman giving to all she meets and wouldn't hesitate to help another Mum get home,' the page states. 'The government isn't helping and she is stuck in Africa alone which is also incredibly dangerous.' Last week, Ms Inkster told Daily Mail Australia the hotel she has paid for in the city is costing her $1,300 for a week despite the relative poverty of the country. Ms Inkster (pictured) was supposed to board a flight home from Kinshasa last Saturday but was bumped off because the Australian government is capping international arrivals CONGO: 'THE RAPE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD' A senior UN official declared the African nation to be the 'rape capital of the world' in 2010. 'Women have no rights, if those who violate their rights go unpunished,' Margot Wallstrom, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict said at the time. The comments drew the attention of researchers, advocates and journalists and Congo is still known as the 'rape capital' in media reports due to widespread sexual violence. Advertisement 'Do they want me to be stranded in a third-world country?' she asked. 'I'm one of thousands in a precarious situation. I haven't chosen to stay here for as long as I have. 'People say things like "they've had a chance to come home already" but it's not my fault. 'I've now got to find a $3000 quarantine fee from somewhere and we have no money.' Ms Inkster said she was 'dumbfounded' why the Australian government were leaving her to languish in a country as dangerous as the DRC - which is ranked 179th in the world in the Human Development Index. 'Being a white woman is particularly dangerous but being alone as a white woman in Kingshasa is really dangerous. I cannot leave the hotel I'm in alone - I have to make sure I have an escort at all times.' A DFAT spokesperson said: 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stands ready to provide consular assistance to any Australian citizen, should they request it.' *404* - Not Found Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Please navigate from the navigation menu on top or try searching below.. India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist India logs over 3.17 lakh new Covid cases in last 24 hours; daily positivity rate up at 16.41 per cent COVID-19 fatalities may be much more than what is being reported Coronavirus: India records nearly 70,000 fresh cases, 945 deaths in last 24 hours India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Aug 22: Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that India recorded 69,878 fresh positive cases of coronavirus and 945 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus patients in the country has mounted to 29,75,702, while the death toll rose to 55,794. Covid-19: India records biggest single-day jump of 69,878 cases in 24 hours | Oneindia News Of the total cases, 22,22,577 have been successfully treated while one case has been migrated from the country. There are 6,97,330 active cases of COVID-19 in India.\ At nearly 75%, 3 out of 4 Indians who got COVID-19 have recovered: Centre It can be seen that Maharashtra has continued to be the worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak in the country with COVID-19 tally inching towards seven lakh mark. The total number of positive cases in the state has climbed to 6,57,450 and 21,698 deaths. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has become the second-worst hit in the country with 3,67,430 COVID-19 cases and 6,340 deaths. Andhra Pradesh is placed at the third spot having reported 3,34,940 confirmed cases and 3,092 deaths, followed by Karnataka (2,64,546 cases, 4,522 deaths) and Delhi (1,58,604 cases and 4,270 deaths). The Health Ministry further said that there has been a 100 per cent increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days in the country. While 10,94,374 patients had recovered on August 1, the number of recoveries till August 21 stood at 21,58,946 in the country. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 10:27 [IST] State health officials said Thursday that an individual who visited three Sturgis bars has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual visited the following Sturgis businesses while able to transmit the coronavirus to others on Aug. 15 at these times: The Knuckle Saloon at 931 1st St. from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Broken Spoke at 905 Lazelle St. from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The One Eyed Jacks Saloon at 1304 Main St. from 7:15 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Due to the risk of exposure, individuals that visited the business during the specified dates and times should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after they visited. A CDC screening tool is available at COVID.SD.GOV, which can help recommend when to call your medical provider if you develop symptoms. State health officials remind all South Dakotans to: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects. Individuals at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, such as older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease, should take actions to reduce their risk of exposure. If you develop symptoms: Call your health care provider immediately. Individuals who are concerned they have COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider via phone before going to a clinic or hospital to prevent spread in healthcare facilities. Avoid contact with other people. Follow the directions of your provider and public health officials. For more information and updates related to COVID-19 visit COVID.SD.GOV or CDC.gov or call 1-800-997-2880. State Health officials announced Thursday, August 21, that an individual who visited three businesses in Sturgis, SD has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual visited the following businesses while able to transmit the virus to others on these dates and times: The Knuckle Saloon located at 931 1st St. in Sturgis August 15 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The Broken Spoke located at 905 Lazelle St. in Sturgis August 15 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The One Eyed Jacks Saloon at 1304 Main St. in Sturgis August 15 from 7:15 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Due to the risk of exposure, individuals that visited the business during the specified dates and times should monitor for symptoms for 14 days after they visited. A CDC screening tool is available at COVID.SD.GOV, which can help recommend when to call your medical provider if you develop symptoms. State Health officials remind all South Dakotans to: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects. Individuals at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, such as older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease, should take actions to reduce their risk of exposure. If you develop symptoms: Call your health care provider immediately. Individuals who are concerned they have COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider via phone before going to a clinic or hospital to prevent spread in healthcare facilities. Avoid contact with other people. Follow the directions of your provider and public health officials. For more information and updates related to COVID-19 visit COVID.SD.GOV or CDC.gov or call 1-800-997-2880. 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. 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. 2021 Toyota Tacoma Special Editions Details TRD Pro outfitted with Lunar Rock color in 2021 Tacoma Trail Special Edition carries out in style Tacoma goes dark with Nightshade Special Edition Pricing announced for 2021 Tacoma lineup PLANO, Texas (August 20, 2020) The Toyota Tacoma, Americas best-selling mid-size pickup for 15 years in a row, isnt stopping to admire its trophy case. Instead, it looks to keep its place atop the pecking order with all-new Special Editions, color adjustments on the TRD Pro and general enhancements across other areas of the lineup. The third-generation Tacoma, with a design inspired by Toyotas legendary desert race trucks, veritably defines the work hard, play hard ethos. Available in 33 different configurations, the 2021 Tacoma offers a model for all seasons and reasons. It also adds more standard equipment across the lineup, providing dual zone auto AC on all V6 models, upgraded audio to allow for premium Remote Services on the TRD Sport and Off-Road and a first-aid kit equipped on SR5 models and higher. All Tacoma models come standard with Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P), which includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert and Automatic High Beams. TRD Pro Receives Cosmic New Color With a striking new debut, the Tacoma TRD Pro model will carry on the new color tradition with the introduction of Lunar Rock for 2021. Replacing Army Green in the TRD Pro color pallet, Lunar Rock will turn heads as customers enjoy all the on and off-road features offered in the lineup. Other available colors on the TRD Pro include: Super White, Magnetic Gray Metallic and Midnight Black Metallic. 2021 Trail Special Edition: Carry In, Carry Out. In Style Toyota Tacoma buyers love the great outdoors, and in fact, sit at the top of their segment for participation in outdoor activities like camping, fishing, and hiking. To celebrate and support all that fresh-air fun, Toyota is introducing the 2021 Tacoma Trail Special Edition with an emphasis on extra storage, convenience and unique styling. The Tacoma Trail will be based on the SR5 and available in both 2WD and 4WD powertrains. Available Trail color choices include Army Green, Cement, Midnight Black, and Super White. All Trails feature black exterior badging, plus black seating with tan stitching. In all versions, standard all-weather floor liners help catch the outdoor elements that come in on occupants feet. The 2021 Tacoma Trail also features a set of Dark Gray 16-inch TRD Off-Road wheels with Kevlar All-Terrain tires, and the grille from the Tacoma Limited adds a custom touch. A 120-volt power outlet in the bed adds versatility, and lockable bed storage includes insulation and drain plug on the driver side to double as a cooler. 2021 Tacoma Nightshade Edition: Dont Be Afraid of the Dark With the close of summer comes shorter days and earlier sunsets the perfect time for the Tacoma Nightshade Edition to make its arrival. While most Toyota Nightshade models are based on SE grade versions, the 2021 Nightshade Tacoma is built on the more luxurious Limited grade model with black leather-trim seating and slightly sinister looking black exterior trim. The Tacoma Nightshade is distinguished by Dark Smoke 18-inch alloy wheels, black exhaust tip and fog light bezels and a new darkened-chrome grille insert design. The Tacoma Nightshade Edition will also offer the choice of 2WD or 4WD and will look particularly wicked in Midnight Black Metallic or Magnetic Gray Metallic. For more customization, the Special Edition will also be available in Windchill Pearl*. *Added Cost Color About Toyota Toyota 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 38 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 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019. Syrians Will Meet to Draft New Constitution After Nine-Month Break By Lisa Schlein August 21, 2020 Syrian government, opposition and civil society representatives will meet for the first time in nine months Monday to resume negotiations to draft a new constitution for their war-torn country. The talks broke off because of disagreements over the agenda. Initial plans to meet again in March were set aside because of COVID-19 restrictions. U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said all 45 members of the Constitutional Committee have been tested for the coronavirus and necessary measures enacted to ensure meetings will take place in a safe environment. Drafting a new constitution and achieving a social contract for Syrians after nearly a decade of conflict will be a momentous task, Pedersen said, adding that the meeting will not solve the Syrian conflict, nor heal the deep divisions within the nation. "But I have said that if it is handled correctly, it can be a door opener to a broader political process," he said. "And, it can help to build trust and confidence, and it can send a message to the Syrian people, first and foremost, and to the international community that something new has started." The war, which began March 2011, reportedly has killed more than half-a-million people and displaced nearly 12 million. Pedersen said he expects the upcoming U.N.-mediated talks will include many disagreements and frustrations, but he hopes the Committee will be able to keep the process moving forward. "No one expects that this meeting here next week will produce a miracle or a breakthrough. That is not what this is about," he said. "This is about the beginning, about a long and cumbersome process, where we hopefully can start to see progress, and that this progress can also lead to progress in other areas that we need to implement when it comes to Security Council resolution 2254." Security Council resolution 2254 calls for a cease-fire and political settlement in Syria. Pedersen said he has been informed that representatives from Russia, Iran, Turkey and the United States will be in Geneva during the talks. While he will be meeting with them, Pederson noted the work of the Constitutional Committee must take place without foreign interference. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SCHWENKSVILLE If you walked into The Duck Inn Taproom today, a thriving family-friendly restaurant and bar thats located right on the banks of the Perkiomen Creek on Route 29 in Perkiomen Township, youd have no idea what type of hell the owner and his loyal staff endured just a few short months ago. In [] Brussels, Aug 22 : Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has affirmed that the bloc will work to preserve the 2015 Iran nuclear deal after the US sought to reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic. He made the remarks in a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, the EU's external action service (EEAS) said in a statement on Friday. Speaking to Lavrov, Borrell reaffirmed his determination to continue to work with Russia, the other remaining participants of the deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the international community to preserve the agreement, reports Xinhua news agency. The EU's external action service announced on Friday that a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA will take place in Vienna, Austria on September 1, attended by delegates of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and Iran. Earlier on Thursday, the US sent a letter to the UN Security Council requesting to initiate the "snapback" mechanism, which allows a participant to the deal to seek the reimposition against Iran of the multilateral sanctions lifted in 2015 in accordance with Resolution 2231, adopted by the UN Security Council. Borrell claimed in a statement on Thursday night that the US had lost ground to trigger the "snapback" mechanism as it withdrew from the agreement in 2018. "As coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission I will continue to do everything possible to ensure the preservation and full implementation of the JCPOA by all," said Borrell, underlining that the agreement remains a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, contributing to regional security. The JCPOA was inked by Iran in July 2015 with the UK, China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK, together with the EU. US President Donald Trump, withdrew from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Tehran, despite objections from the international community. Ruthless crime boss Bassam Hamzy sent a notorious gangster to chase disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mahajer over an alleged debt, a court has heard. Hamzy is currently behind bars in the most secure prison in New South Wales where he is serving out a 40 year sentence for a string of serious offences, including murder. The founder of the B4L, the Brothers 4 Life Gang, still holds major influence in the activities of criminal networks on the outside, the court heard, including murder, debt collections, kneecappings, and extortion. Ruthless crime boss Bassam Hamzy sent a notorious gangster to chase disgraced former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mahajer (pictured) over an alleged debt, a court has heard Property developer Salim Mahajer has served a prison sentence for electoral fraud (pictured with girlfriend Melissa Tysoe) Mahajer, a property developer before his empire collapsed following legal troubles, allegedly owed the crime figure $350,000, the NSW Supreme Court has been told, according to The Saturday Telegraph. Details of Hamzy's reach have been exposed in the trial of Abdul Abu-Mahmoud, who is accused of orchestrating the killing of 15-year-old Brayden Dillon who was allegedly shot as revenge for the murder of Hamzy's nephew. Evidence was given in the trial by an underworld figure known as Witness F who said he was offered a contract to kill the 15-year-old by Hamzy through an intermediary. He told the court he rejected the request but was offered other tasks - one of which was to collect debts on behalf of the imprisoned crime kingpin. He claims one of these debts was the $350,000 allegedly owed by Salim Mahajer. Mahajer, who gained notoriety after his lavish wedding blocked streets in front of his Sydney residence in the suburb of Lidcomb, was later elected the deputy mayor of Auburn. He has since had a string of charges thrown at him by police and served a prison sentence for electoral fraud. Mahajer denied owing any money to the crime boss, calling the allegation 'patently absurd speculations'. In the NSW Supreme Court, Abu-Mahmoud has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the murder of Brayden Dillon. His killer can be named as Conrad Craig after a non-publication order was lifted on Thursday following his sentencing to at least 30 years for the crime. Craig broke down the door of the family's two-storey Glenfield house at the crack of dawn on Good Friday in 2017, threatened the teenager's mother and stepfather with a gun before bursting into the 15-year-old's room and shooting him as he slept. After pleading guilty to murder in June, the 29-year-old was on Friday afternoon sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison to 40 years in prison with a non-parole period of 30 years. Justice Harrison described the contract killing as 'particularly heinous,' exacerbated by the fact the victim was a child, adding that he considered imposing a life sentence. Bassam Hamzy (pictured) is currently serving 40 years in the most secure prison in NSW 'It is nothing less than a most appalling crime,' Justice Harrison said. 'The callous and unjustified murder of this innocent boy, with his life ahead of him, by an indifferent stranger, with no grievance of his own, ought to in my opinion attract a sentence of life imprisonment.' But Justice Harrison gave the man a 20 per cent discount on his sentence because of his guilty plea and the assistance he gave to police. After being in and out of jail his entire adult life, he was released from Cessnock Prison just 19 days before he shot the teenager. The man joined the notorious street gang Brothers For Life after being recruited by the group's leader Bassam Hamzy in 2012. Abdul Abu-Mahmoud, a high-ranking member of Brothers for Life, gave him a new mobile phone, clothing, and a Bankstown apartment, leading him to feel indebted. According to a statement of agreed facts, Abu-Mahmoud approached the man about killing the teen, claiming he wanted revenge for the stabbing death of his nephew Adam Abu-Mahmoud in Panania in July, 2016. Abu-Mahmoud's nephew Adam Abu-Mahmoud (pictured) was killed in a street fight in Panania in 2016 Abu-Mahmoud, who has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court, has denied financing and ordering the hit. The teenager's brother was charged with the murder of Adam Abu-Mahmoud - but was ultimately found not guilty by a jury last year. According to the boy's killer Abu-Mahmoud fed him a series of lies about his nephew's death - telling him that the teenager was 18, he had instigated the fight and the teen's brother had taken the rap for the incident. 'If I knew what I know now, I would never have done it,' CC told the court last week. He also expressed his remorse, telling the family that he didn't expect their forgiveness. It's troubling news for any parent who's sending their kids to a university this fall. Just as Texas students head back to their college campuses, two Texas A&M sororities have now been placed in quarantine after a coronavirus outbreak, according to Texas A&M officials. "In particular, this week we are aware of two sororities--Kappa Kappa Gamma and Delta Delta Delta--whose activities and members are experiencing exposure to the virus," Texas A&M officials stated. Louis DeJoy Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Salon has obtained internal U.S. Postal Service documents that appear to contradict Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's congressional testimony on Friday, in which he told a Senate panel under oath that he was not cutting employee overtime. The memo, which was provided by a manager to rank-and-file employees, appears to confirm reports that under DeJoy the agency is implementing policies aimed at dramatically curtailing the opportunity for worker overtime, to the point that the memo says flatly on its first page: "Overtime will be eliminated." Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked DeJoy whether he had taken steps to "eliminate" or "curtail" overtime. DeJoy said no. "We never eliminated overtime," DeJoy said. When Peters asked whether it had been curtailed, Dejoy replied, "It's not been curtailed by me or the leadership team." The content of the internal USPS document obtained by Salon, titled "PMGs expectations and plan," appears to match a memo that was reported by the Washington Post last month. Salon has not yet confirmed whether this is the same document. The memo does not say that USPS will make employees work extra hours without pay, which would be unlawful. However, it does say that DeJoy's "expectations" include "eliminating" overtime hours and, it seems, paid time off. "The new PMG is looking at COST," the memo begins, saying that DeJoy is aiming to make the USPS "financially solvent." "Here are some of his expectations and they will be implemented in short order," the memo reads. *POT will be eliminated. This is not cost effective and it will be taken away. *Overtime will be eliminated. Again we are paying too much in OT and it is not cost effective and will soon be taken off the table. More to come on this. *The USPS will no longer use excessive cost to get the job done. If the plants run late they will keep the mail for the new day. If you get the mail late and the carriers are gone and you cannot get the mail out without OT it will remain for the next day. It must be reported in CSDRS. Story continues "POT" in the first sentence may be a typographical error in the spelling of "PTO," an acronym for "paid time off." A USPS spokesperson did not comment when asked to clarify. The memo also says that "The plants are not to send mail late. If plants are not on time they will hold the mail for the next day." This could mean, per the memo, that mail carriers might start their routes as late as 9:00 a.m., "but will not start them any later." In such cases, the mail will wait a day. Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, told Salon in a phone call that "DeJoy made the overtime decision." "He thinks he's going to apply private trucking principles to the Postal Service, do everything in prescribed hours that cannot work," Dimondstein said. He pointed to the effects of removing sorting machines. "Look, if a machine only sorts so much mail in so many hours, then you can only put in so many hours," he said. "That's not moving the mail. I'm not arguing for overtime, I'm arguing for the hours of work that it takes to move the mail for this country." DeJoy told senators that there was "no intention" to bring back the mail sorting machines he had ordered taken offline, claiming they were "not needed." Critics argue that the Postal Service has become an unsustainable financial burden on the country. However, the agency appears to have been run more efficiently under the Obama administration, in terms of overtime pay. On Friday, DeJoy told senators, "Since I've been here, we've spent $700 million on overtime." That's more than twice as much overtime pay in less than half a year under the Trump administration than the total increase in overtime pay over the four years of Barack Obama's second term. An audit of the USPS inspector general's 2018 report found that from 2012 to 2016, mail processing overtime increased by about $339 million (or 9.7 million work-hours). In 2017, Trump's first year in office, the Postal Service saw slight reductions in overtime work-hours. The agency aimed to further reduce overtime in 2018, and that June released a master plan to privatize the service but the opposite appears to have happened: Mail processing overtime costs increased by $257 million (31 percent) from 2017. As costs rose, the audit says, mail volume dropped by 1.65%. However, the total mail processing workforce decreased by about 5,000 career employees, and work-hours decreased by even more: 2.1%. This tradeoff appears to have resulted in slight increases in overtime and in overall mail processing staffing cost (0.44%), partly attributed to cost-of-living adjustments. In other words, under Trump, the Postal Service appears to be short-staffing itself, thereby increasing the burden of work on employees. A USPS spokesperson told Salon in an email that "what you are seeing did not come from the Postmaster General, in fact it didn't come from headquarters at all." "We have been trying to correct perception for many weeks," the spokesperson added, pointing out a recent public USPS memo posted online, titled "Just the Facts." "The OIG will soon report that over 4,000 people received more in overtime than they made in base salary pay in FY2019. This is more than a 400% increase from FY2014," the page says. This suggests that under the Trump administration's privatization ambitions, the Postal Service has become increasingly inefficient. "The idea is to break the bond that the American people have with the Postal Service," Dimondstein said. "And if these steps are not reversed, they're likely to break that bond. If you do that, and the Postal Service cannot provide the service that the American people are used to, then the people might let it go. All package rates would go up. The post office is the public low-price anchor, and when it's gone, private companies can raise prices. All the free delivery, low-cost delivery you see from Amazon and the rest that would go out the window." Asked in an email whether the USPS has the intended goal of eliminating or virtually eliminating overtime hours, a Postal Service referred Salon to DeJoy's testimony. The spokesperson similarly did not say whether the "elimination" of overtime was one of DeJoy's "expectations," as the memo indicated. Despite implying that the internal memo's contents might be inaccurate, the spokesperson did not say whether USPS would issue a statement to correct the record for its employees. When Salon pointed out that DeJoy did not directly address the question of eliminating overtime hours, the USPS stopped responding to our questions. Related Articles Australian actress Teresa Palmer is one of the victims of the biggest celebrity hacking scandal to date, which has seen nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and Kirsten Dunst leak. The 28-year-old Warm Bodies star is one name on a list of dozens of female celebrities who have had their personal electronic devices hacked. A handful of images of Palmer with her ex-boyfriend Scott Speedman began surfacing on Twitter, including two where she is lounging topless in a pool with her nipples exposed and a tropical landscape in the background. Scroll down for video Nude scandal: Australian actress Teresa Palmer has had several nude photos of herself leaked in the biggest celebrity hacking scandal to date Another series pictures her naked from the waist up, as she stares at the camera in front of a red lounge set. A full nude image from behind was also taken in what appears to be a spare room, with a bed and Pilates workout machine seen propped up in the dark space. Her former flame Speedman - who she dated for a year in 2012 - shows up in another topless shot as he eats a salad, with Palmer seen leaning into the frame to take the selfie while her breasts are exposed. Former flames: The nude images feature her ex Scott Speedman, with the pair pictured nude together at what appears to be a holiday home Exposed images: After Speedman and Palmer split, she went on to marry fellow actor Mark Webber with whom she has young son Bodhi They appear together in a nude selfie from the torso onwards, with Palmer also seen entirely naked in the shower. Over 30 nude images of the mother of one are online, with Palmer now married to fellow actor Mark Webber after her split from Speedman. She's not the only Australian star on the list, with Sucker Punch actress Emily Browning and Yvonne Strahovski from spy series Chuck also named. Strahovski, 32, is pictured topless in her image with a pair of shorts unbuttoned loosely and her breasts exposed. Full frontal: More than 30 nude images of Palmer were released in the scandal, including private shots of her in the shower and in a pool Australian stars: Fellow Aussie actresses (L - R) Emily Browning and Yvonne Strahovski were victims of the hacking scandal Geoffrey Edelsten's fiance Gabi Grecko is also one of the celebrity's named on the list. A user on notorious internet message board 4chan is apparently responsible for the leak, which was sourced through iCloud access. Oscar-winning actress Lawrence is one of the most high profile names on the list of victims, that also includes Kaley Cuoco, Selena Gomez and Rihanna. Legal action: Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence is one of the high profile victims, and is said to be taking legal action over more than 30 nude images Invasion of privacy: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World star Mary Elizabeth Winstead was also exposed in the leak, and took to Twitter to voice her concern Not alone: The 29-year-old is one of dozens of celebs, including Selena Gomez and Rihanna who were hac The Hunger Games star is taking legal action, with some 60 images of her in compromising positions said to have been accessed. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead has spoken out against the hacking on her Twitter account after shots of herself were released. 'To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves,' she wrote to her 87,300 followers. 'Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Ghaziabad: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan, in Ghaziabad on Saturday, said it is expected that clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine will be completed within the year. The minister was in the district to inaugurate the new hospital at the eighth battalion campus of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). There are a lot of efforts being taken up across the world for the vaccine. Across the world, there are about 26 vaccine candidates who have entered phases of clinical trials. There are 139 others who are working at different levels in pre-clinical trials. In India, there are about half a dozen candidates who have entered advanced stages and three of these have reached first, second and third phases of clinical trials, the minister said. On the basis of the evaluation of their progress, we are hopeful that the trials will be completed within this year and we will have results. Once an effective vaccine is available, we will get it manufactured in the country and make it available to the people, he added. He said that the country is doing better in every parameter of per million tests and even per million deaths with respect to Covid. According to a statement by the ministry on Saturday, Indias daily tests scaled a new peak of 10,20,000 and the country also recorded the highest ever single day recoveries 63,631 in the last 24 hours. The statement further added that with the high number of Covid-19 patients recovering, the recovery rate has reached 74.69% and has also led to declining case fatality rate which reached a new low of about 1.87%. Despite having a population of 135 crore, we have been able to protect our people in a better manner. We are making all efforts and plan to bring down the mortality rate to below 1%. The recovery rate, which once started at 9%, has now reached about 75%. We have created beds, infrastructure and issued guidelines on different aspects. All our departments are making coordinated efforts to fight coronavirus, the minister added. According to the state control room records, the case fatality rate for the state of UP stood at 1.57% with 2,867 deaths out of total 1,82,456 cases reported till August 22. The discharge rate stood at about 71.95%. Earlier in the day, the minister inaugurated a new state of the art hospital which is the first hospital for the eighth battalion of the NDRF at their new campus near Govindpuram. According to officials, the hospital will cater to about 1,200 personnel of the NDRF and also their families. The hospital has 20 beds along with OPD and IPD facilities and has potential to be expanded to 50 beds in future. The hospital also has an operation theatre, pathology laboratory, latest equipment besides oxygen supply available on all the beds. Presently we are operating this hospital at L1 category hospital, said PK Srivastava, commandant of the eighth battalion. The 75 acre campus of the NDRFs eighth battalion is a new one and was inaugurated in March 2019 by the then Union home minister Rajnath Singh. The NDRF battalions are equipped and trained to respond to natural as well as man-made disasters besides the personnel being trained to respond during chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies. The NDRF including the personnel of the eighth battalion have served during different situations like the ones in Japan in March 2011 and also during the earthquake in Nepal in April 2015. In India, the battalion served during floods in Chennai in December 2015 and also in Jammu and Kashmir in September 2014. The personnel also played a crucial relief and rescue role during the flash floods in Kedarnath in June 2013 besides attending to radiation emergency at Mayapuri scrap market in Delhi in April 2010. The NDRF was actively involved during the building collapse incidents at Akash Nagar in Ghaziabad and also at Shahberi in Greater Noida in July 2018. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former President Barack Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Read more Standing in Philadelphia before an image of the Constitution, former President Barack Obama, known for his even temperament, laid out a dramatic argument: The survival of the democracy founded here depends on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election, Obama said Wednesday during the Democratic National Convention, because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come. In his speech at the Museum of the American Revolution, he warned, Thats what at stake right now: Our democracy. A day later, in a very different setting just outside Scranton, President Donald Trump, standing before a line of trucks and Stars-and-Stripes bunting at a warehouse for a kitchen remodeler, told his supporters that their very way of life is under threat. At stake in this election is the survival of our nation, Trump, whose own party convention is next week, said in Old Forge. Its true, because were dealing with crazy people on the other side. Theyve gone totally, stone-cold crazy. He later added, If you want a vision of your life under a Biden presidency, think of the smoldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago, and imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single town in America. In their twin visits to Pennsylvania a state that could decide who leads America the next four years the current and former presidents agreed on one idea: The election will bring apocalyptic consequences if their side loses. Trump, a walking Rorschach test for many Americans, said something else aimed at his supporters, but that might be echoed in both of the countrys political tribes. Theyre coming to get you. ... and me, we, were the wall between the American dream and total insanity, and the destruction of the greatest country in the history of the world, the president said, distilling his campaign message into a single sentence. Throngs of supporters lined the streets outside his event, waving American flags and Trump flags. The dueling messages in the state where the Constitution was written served to frame the election in unusually dire terms. Every four years, candidates claim the election is the most important of our lifetimes, but this year, voters seem to agree. In a Pew Research Center poll this month, 83% of registered voters agreed that it really matters who wins the presidency, a greater percentage than at any point in the last 20 years. This is a life-changing election, Democratic nominee Joe Biden said in his acceptance speech Thursday in Wilmington. That intensity has fueled a tension that has been building since the day Trump won election, when part of the country celebrated and another part launched a four-year drive to show that it was a freak event that must be repudiated. It also follows growing affective polarization, in which the parties dont just sort themselves along ideological lines, but increasingly despise and fear each other, said David Greenberg, a political historian at Rutgers University. If youre a liberal Democrat, its not just that you dont vote with Republicans, but you hate Republicans. You think theyre evil, you think theyre going to bring America to ruin, you think theyre racists and fascists, Greenberg said, while Republicans view Democrats as socialists and communists and radicals and so on. A generation ago, people would say they didnt want their child to marry someone of a different race, but it didnt matter if the child married someone of a different political party, Greenberg added. Nowadays, its reversed. Greenberg said studies have found polarization is more intense and more driven by conservatives, but he said liberals are following a similar course. He noted how many on the left objected to moderate Republicans such as former Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaking at the Democratic convention, even though he supported Biden. The charges leveled by each party differ in nature and in their basis in reality. But they each show how many Americans see this election as an existential fight, and raise questions about how the country will move forward once the winner emerges. Democrats point to undisputed instances in which Trump has run wild over the normal boundaries and checks on a president, used law enforcement as a political tool to hound his enemies while urging leniency for his friends, inflamed racial tensions for political gain, and catered to authoritarians. (In Pennsylvania, he touted his friendly relationship with Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan.) He has tried to shred independent oversight, including nonpartisan government watchdogs, law enforcement, and the news media. They warn against accepting his daily stream of lies, and point to the presidents erratic handling of a pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 Americans, ravaged the economy, and brought much of life to a halt. Most recently, Trump has fueled doubts about the legitimacy of the vote itself and suggested he would accept only one outcome, repeating in Old Forge, The only way theyre going to win is by a rigged election. That was just a day after Obama had said, This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if thats what it takes to win. Much of the four-day Democratic convention centered on simply arguing that Biden is a kind and decent person who cares for other people a perhaps unremarkable trait that Democrats clearly saw as a stark contrast to the sitting president. Amid the dire warnings, Biden concluded the event with a call for hope. The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger, too much fear, too much division, Biden said, never mentioning Trump by name. Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. Ill be an ally of the light, not the darkness. Trump, by contrast, cast himself as a shield for his supporters against dangerous enemies who would take their guns, their jobs, and their right to hold contrary opinions, and bring crime to their towns. Many of his accusations including on guns and fracking were exaggerations, distortions, or flat-out untrue. Almost all played on fear or antipathy, and a promise to fight back. They want to cancel you, Trump warned. Totally cancel you. Take your job, turn your family against you for speaking your mind, while they indoctrinate your children with twisted, twisted, world views that nobody ever thought possible. He later added, Joe Biden is the candidate of these privileged liberal hypocrites who hold you and your values in disdain. But you can send them all a thundering message on Election Day by voting for Trump-Pence. Despite speaking for about an hour, there was only passing mention of his plans for a second term, other than a general promise to revive the economy and a fact-free statement that the country is now in the hopefully closing moments of the pandemic. Otherwise, he barely mentioned the virus upending American life. Trump gets his turn in the spotlight Monday with the start of the Republican National Convention. If his Pennsylvania speech is any indicator, there wont suddenly be a detailed vision for a brighter America. Instead, there will be more warnings of enemies snarling at the gate and a country on the brink even as he leads it. The US accused China and allies Britain and France Friday of "abdicating their duty" as it held firm on its solitary push to maintain an arms embargo and restore broader UN sanctions on Iran. "We don't need anybody's permission to initiate snapback," Brian Hook, the State Department's Special Representative for Iran, told reporters, referring to the mechanism activated by Washington on Thursday to restore sanctions. "Iran is in violation of its voluntary nuclear commitments. The conditions have been met to initiate snapback." Hook said the lack of support from any other members of the UN Security Council for the move was moot, and that they had "failed" a week ago by not extending a soon-to-expire arms embargo on Iran as urged by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. "China and Russia and France and the United Kingdom decided to ignore the views of the Gulf Cooperation Council," Hook said. "These are the countries that are closest to the danger, and the Council had a responsibility to respect their views to extend the arms embargo." He continued: "It was a very disappointing abdication of duty." On Thursday Pompeo formally began the process to reimpose sweeping economic and political sanctions on Iran dating back to 2006. They had been had been lifted under the 2015 accord, known as the JCPOA, that aimed to halt Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. The US withdrew from the accord in 2018, but controversially maintains it has the right to force the reimposition of sanctions through the agreement's "snapback" mechanism. In a major break between longstanding allies, on Thursday France, Britain and Germany rejected use of the snapback, calling it "incompatible with our current efforts to support the JCPOA." They also warned that the US action could have "serious adverse consequences" on the work of the Security Council. Story continues Pompeo lashed back in unusually harsh language, accusing the three allies of "siding with the ayatollahs." The Europeans reject the idea that they are on Iran's side and are concerned about the end of the arms embargo, but maintain that the priority is keeping the JCPOA in place. Hook said whatever the comments from other countries, the mechanism had been activated, and could not be blocked. "The Security Council at the end of 30 days is going to have all of the UN sanctions restored," he said. "Whether people support or oppose what we are doing is not material." Meanwhile Pompeo warned other countries that the US would not allow arms to be shipped to Iran after the expiration of the embargo on October 18. "I assure you the United States will use every tool in its arsenal to make sure that the Chinese and the Russians are incapable of delivering weapon systems to Iran that threaten us," he told Fox News. pmh/st Here is a bit of free advice for Canadas incoming Conservative leader: treat the abrupt prorogation of Parliament as a welcoming gift. By putting Parliament on pause until Sept. 23 and the presentation of a new Throne Speech, the prime minister has effectively shut down the opposition-dominated committees that were looking into the WE Charity controversy. How big a loss that really is to the opposition parties is debatable. The latest batch of polls suggests the hit to government fortunes may have started to fade. For better or for worse, the main players in this saga, from the prime minister on down, have all offered their versions of the events that led to the planned outsourcing of the Canada Student Service Grant to WE Charity. The most tangible outcome of the controversy so far has been Bill Morneaus departure from the government. It has undoubtedly accelerated his exit from politics. But in light of the positive reception afforded his successor, Chrystia Freeland, his resignation may turn out to be the oppositions loss. In any event, if the WE Charity issue has legs, a parliamentary hiatus will hardly put it to rest. After Jean Chretien short-circuited the presentation of the auditor-generals report on the sponsorship program by proroguing Parliament in 2003, the scandal came back months later with a vengeance, poisoning the tenure of his Liberal successor. As in the case of the sponsorship affair, the Official Opposition can likely count on an officer of Parliament in this instance, ethics commissioner Mario Dion to breathe new life into the issue at some point down the line. Meanwhile though, the momentary suspension of the hostilities on the WE Charity front offers the incoming Conservative leader a much-needed opportunity to start recasting his party. The Liberals are not the only ones who need to change the channel so does the Official Opposition under its new management. If the Conservatives are going to have a shot at returning to government, they will have to look and sound less like a pack of attack dogs and more like a government-in-waiting. On that score, time is almost certainly of the essence. It is not necessary to expect an election this fall to believe that Canada could well go to the polls before the end of next year. If not next months Throne Speech, the presentation of a federal budget in the late fall could pave the way to a winter election. Whenever the next election does take place, the ballot-box question will almost certainly revolve around who has the best plan to lead Canada through the post-pandemic period. On that basis, expect the government to draft an agenda and chart a fiscal course that it would be happy to campaign on. If prosecuting Justin Trudeau and the Liberals was a recipe for electoral success, Andrew Scheer would be about to celebrate his first year as Canadas prime minister, rather than looking for new accommodations for his family in the nations capital. The approach that did not pay off for the Conservatives in last years campaign is even less likely to succeed in the post-pandemic context. Outside the Prairie provinces, the notion that anyone would be a better prime minister than Trudeau has limited traction. In Canadas second-largest province, a resurgent Bloc Quebecois currently has first call on the non-Liberal vote, with the Conservatives trailing far behind. If the Conservative party is to improve its standing there, let alone hold on to its current seats, it will have to convince Quebecers that it would offer a better government than the Liberals, not a more strident opposition voice than the BQ. There has also been a sea change in the Ontario dynamics At the time of the last federal campaign, a year ago, Premier Doug Ford was one of Trudeaus most vocal provincial critics. Since then, he has become one of Finance Minister Chrystia Freelands biggest fans. Like his Tory predecessors, Ford has found that having the federal Liberals in power on Parliament Hill is more a blessing than a curse for a provincial governments political fortunes. Among the men who led the Official Opposition in the House of Commons over the past 20 years, only Stephen Harper survived an election defeat to go on to lead his party in a second campaign. As Stockwell Day, Stephane Dion, Michael Ignatieff, Thomas Mulcair and Andrew Scheer can testify, the road from prime-minister-in-waiting to dumped party leader is a short and brutal one. If the recent past is any indication, the person who will as of Sunday take the Conservative Party of Canadas helm is only guaranteed one shot at unseating the ruling Liberals. Chantal Hebert is an Ottawa-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: Western countries are openly interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus, incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a rally in Grodno on Saturday. "Today, there are people who're pushing us to the abyss of discord and hatred. [...] The situation on the Western border is not calm, they're brandishing weapons, threatening and openly interfering in the internal affairs of our sovereign state," Lukashenko said. "Some of them are even rubbing their hands and remembering the Kresy Wschodniem where everything Belarusian was banned and rooted out mercilessly," Lukashenko said. Belarus is currently going through a political crisis related to the presidential election results which the opposition refused to recognize. Protests and strikes are ongoing in the country. Lukashenko said on August 21 that there is a threat of outside interference from the western border to "cut off" the Grodno region of Belarus. "Because they [western countries] have set the goal of cutting off this territory, Grodno, on a priority basis. Polish flags have recently been raised," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA. "The Fatherland is now in danger. We cannot joke. Bearing in mind that these aren't weak troops, NATO. Therefore, I have warned the Russian president about the situation in Belarus. We have a full mutual understanding; we have a relevant treaty in the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] and the Union State," he said. EDWARDSVILLE Edwardsville School District 7 announced Thursday its elementary schools will soon shift to a hybrid schedule due to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) classifying Madison County in a warning level for COVID-19. All of District 7 will shift to a hybrid (A-B-A-B system) schedule beginning Monday, Superintendent Jason Henderson said. The shift impacts elementary school students, who were previously attending school full-time. The shift does not directly impact students working remotely. Henderson said the shift is not due to any known cases within the schools but because of the recent spike in Madison County as a whole. The county entered the Orange Warning Level Friday due to specific COVID-19 risk indicators, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Due to this, District 7 will move into the hybrid schedule for all K-12 students on Monday, Aug. 24, Henderson said in a statement Thursday. This does not represent a change for students in grades 6-12 who are already in a hybrid schedule. The issued statement does not state the duration of the hybrid schedule. However, Henderson told an Intelligencer reporter Friday to hope for the best and to expect the worst. Most likely it will be a one-week scenario. But, if we get a second week in the warning stage, the district will move to full remote, he said. Hopefully our county can get back to doing well, if not, at least our kids were at least able to get some facetime if we do go remote. IDPH updates its county COVID-19 stage listings each Friday. IDPH announced 20 counties are in the warning stage on Friday, 11 of which were at the same level last week. Madison County had been in a Blue Warning Level until Friday, but most counties stay in the warning stage longer than a week. The districts Return to Learn plan states that if Madison County stays at the warning stage for two consecutive weeks, the entire district will shift to full-remote. If the goes in to effect, remote learning would take place until the county moves back to Blue for two consecutive weeks. My thoughts on it [moving to hybrid and possibly full-remote] is its not a type of system we didnt want to find ourselves in, Henderson said. I know there is a burden on parents with child care and their own schedules, so if we can keep having some days in class, we will. Henderson said the district will continue to keep health and safety a top priority. I have heard from the students that they are happy to be back, he said. Teachers at all levels have said students are doing well in class and with keeping masks on, which makes it tough to now move in the direction we are going. Beirut: The Islamic State (IS) has released a video purporting to show two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive. The video, showing two uniformed men being hauled from a cage before being bound and torched, was posted on jihadist websites. The 19-minute footage was purportedly shot in the IS-declared "Aleppo Province" in northern Syria. Speaking in Turkish, the killer of the two men verbally attacks Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and calls for "destruction to be sowed" in Turkey. The shock images recall the killing of Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, who was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and was later burned alive in a cage. The IS-linked news agency Amaq said last month that the jihadists had kidnapped two Turkish soldiers, and the Turkish army separately said it had lost contact with two of its men. The video's release came a day after 16 Turkish soldiers were killed by IS fighters, in Ankara's biggest loss so far in its unprecedented incursion into Syria. They were killed in a succession of attacks around the Syrian town of Al-Bab on Wednesday that included three suicide car bombings. Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area. At least 38 Turkish soldiers have been killed in operation, which the Turkish government has dubbed Euphrates Shield. The biggest losses have occurred at Al-Bab, an IS stronghold. Turkey has been hit at home by the bloodiest attacks in its modern history, which it blames on jihadists and Kurdish militants. The government is also carrying out a wide-ranging crackdown following an attempted coup in July, which it says was orchestrated by the group of an exiled cleric, Fethullah Gulen. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Unlike previous years, there was no colourful rally on the streets of nearby Tripunithura on Saturday, as people largely celebrated the Atham festival indoors, marking the start of the 10-day 'Onam' festivities in Kerala, in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. The low-key celebrations began with Tripunithura MLA M Swaraj hoisting the Atham flag symbolically at Tripunithura, officials said. Locals said various folk art forms like Ammankudam, Pulikkali, Theyyam and Mayilattom and classical art forms like Kathakali used to add colour to the traditional Athachamayam procession at Tripunithura, the erstwhile capital of kingdom of Cochin. Hundreds of people including foreign tourists used to gather at Tripunithura to enjoy the traditional Athachamayam procession accompanied by floats and folk dance performances, they said. In the year 2018 and 2019, Athachamayam processions held in Tripunithura were dampened by devastating floods. This year, the celebrations are marred by COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. Big celebrations are missing this year due to the measures taken by the administration to prevent the fast spread of novel coronavirus, they said. The Ernakulam district administration issued a guideline banning public celebrations in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the days of kings, the Maharaja of Kochi used to participate in the procession from Tripunithura to the Vamanamoorthy temple at Thrikkakara. According to legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is believed to visit at the time of to see his subjects. (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.) Limited Medical Supplies Amid Failed COVID-19 Quarantine Efforts in Australian State, Nurses Say Nurses told an inquiry on Victorias failed hotel quarantine program about a chaotic first week of limited medical supplies for COVID-19 testing and PPE shortages posing risks to infection control protocols. Veteran nurse, Michael Tait, joined the hotel quarantine program at the time of its inception on March 29. Through a nurse agency named Your Nurse Agency (YNA), he worked at four quarantine hotels, including Rydges on Swanston, one of two locations noted as the source of 99 percent of Victorias CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases since June. Tait told the COVID-19 Hotel quarantine inquiry on Aug. 20 that he was later blacklisted from working in the hotel quarantines program after sending an email in April voicing his concerns over infection control risks. He wrote [Crown] Metropol is struggling. We are taking care of 700 plus residents, lots of children we have a challenging task, taking care of 150 folks each. Tait called the first shift chaotic, noting limited personal protective equipment provided to nurses where there were just three gowns, no gloves, and a handful of surgical masks. Each guest was meant to be tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. However, due to an insufficient supply of swab kits, testing of returnees was intentionally kept at low numbers. Tait said that throughout his first five days at Crown Promenade only 25 guests were tested for the CCP virus. The nurses were also hesitant to do swabs because we did not have adequate PPE to protect ourselves. We didnt have medium gloves until day four. We did not get N95 masks until day eight. We never got hoods, face shields or shoe coverings even though we were told we would, he said. No one had a clear-cut idea for how we were going to manage (COVID-19) positive patients. Tait told the inquiry he took it upon himself to conduct swabbing tests on new arrivals despite not having a face shieldrisking COVID-19 infection. I thought it was very important. In further comments on Victorias Department of Human Health Services (DHHS) policies, Tait criticised their paper-based record-keeping system, saying that rules for guests seemed to change every day, if not every hour. Another nurse who worked at the Park Royal Hotel at Melbourne airport for four weeks expressed similar concerns. She is also a YNA worker and known only as Jen for legal reasons. She said record-keeping by the DHHS was so infrequent that she created her own spreadsheet to keep track of up to 300 hotel quarantine guests. This impacted the consistency of daily checks. Jen said one family was neglected for a week. It was very obvious that the DHHS were having a hard time keeping a track of who was in the hotel and when, she said. Jen was also not given any more shifts after raising concerns. Senior counsel assisting the inquiry Tony Neal said on Aug. 17 that Victorias hotel quarantine system was set up without clarity of responsibilities, control, supervision and management. The inquiry will resume on Aug. 24 with hotel security staff due to give evidence. Shoora Council dinner deserted by SLPP Muslim MPs View(s): Sri Lankas Shoora Council had decided to felicitate all Muslim parliamentarians who were elected at the August 5 parliamentary election. Shoora is the Arabic word for consult and its role is like a counsel. Of course, in Sri Lanka, the councils key members also play an active role in many other Muslim bodies. The council sent out colourfully printed invitations to all new Muslim parliamentarians. The event, it said, would be held at the Rosewood Ceylon at Hospital Road in Dehiwala at 7 pm on August 20, the day the Parliament convened for the first time. The reception facility was earlier named Shahran Hall. The name change came after Muslim extremist Zahran was identified as the leader in the Easter Sunday attacks and gained notoriety. When it came to the felicitation hour of 7 pm, council top rungers were unaware something else was going on. A formidable group of Muslims were angry that the event, which they claimed would polarise the community, was under way. They told SLPP alliance MPs not to attend the event and alleged that most council members were staunch UNP-ers. Telephone calls went all round and the result SLPP MPs kept away from the event. The most embarrassing moment was when an announcer kept giving updates on the public address system before the invitees sat down to dinner. He said Justice Minister Ali Sabry, was now on the way. When dinner time came, he had not arrived. Then the announcer summed it up by saying Mr Sabry was held up at a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. As a result of the absence of ruling SLPP MPs, the event turned out to be a felicitation of parliamentarians from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress led by Rauff Hakeem and the All Ceylon Makkal Katchi headed by Rishad Bathiudeen. It turned out that the dinner for 100, each plate costing thousand rupees, had 35 invitees keeping away. Others had to make do with the chicken string hopper biryani, fried chicken, cashew curry, malay pickle and Maldive fish sambol. It was Wattalappam for dessert. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Mohamed Haleem was present. Absentees were Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, Mujibur Rahman and Ishak Rahman. Angajan demands three rooms at Jaffna District Secretariat The Jaffna District Secretariat staff were busy this week clearing three rooms by relocating files and documents to another space following a letter issued by the District Development Committees Co-Chair Angajan Ramanathan to the District Secretary. He demanded three rooms for his usage as a Co-Chair even though it is one room usually allocated for such purposes in the recent past. One official was heard asking his colleague rather sarcastically whether the Kachcheri (the Secretariat) is going to be converted to another party office of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), from which Mr Ramanathan was elected. Namal quickly tackles mistake in Ministry Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, on his first visit to the Ministry, was quick to correct a shortcoming which was brought to his attention. Mr Rajapaksa was informed that the spelling on the Ministrys nameboard was incorrect. He directed his officials that the mistake which had been there for several months should be corrected immediately. On return Mr Rajapaksa re-visited the place. The mistake had been already corrected. Rejected ITAK leaders next move not clear The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) President Mavai Senathiraja, who was defeated at the parliamentary election, made a futile attempt to enter Parliament through the National list. Mr Senathiraja is reported to be making his next political move by preparing to contest the upcoming provincial council election, if they are held at all. The polls are due to be held early next year. Meanwhile, Mr Senathirajas son, Kalai Amuthan who is an ITAK member of a northern Pradeshiya Sabha has already met newly elected MP C V Wigneswaran. His next move was not clear. New MPs and guests seek photo opp. with President The tea party following the Presidential address at the inaugural sessions of the Ninth Parliament on Thursday evening also turned out to be a photo/selfie session with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Most of the newly elected Parliamentarians and their family members flocked to snap a click. The heavily packed symmetrical building complex saw newly elected Parliamentarians with their guests forming a queue to have some short eats and ice coffee, while in the designated middle area where senior Parliamentarians were seated, crowds gathered to take a picture with the President. One of the Presidential Security Division guards was instructing guests not to take selfies but only a simple photo with the President. The first lady was just around the corner, chatting with guests while waiting for her husband who was visibly tired. Among those lining up to get a picture was actress turned politician Diana Gamage who is the Deputy General-Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). In another corner was the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, attracting less crowds compared to President Rajapaksa, while chatting with his fellow Parliamentarians. A group of Parliamentary staff and some journalists approached him to take photos which he welcomed and readily agreed to. Then there was Education Minister G L Peiris who was standing in another corner, holding some files as others were busy running around to take photos. Prof Peiris made the move and approached the girls who chanted Jayamangala gatha for a group photo, to which the girls agreed. Rush to get introductions to VIPs at tea party At the tea party in Parliament, there were some who were busy running around making introductions with those in influential positions of the Government. One such couple approached the Defence Secretary, Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne inquiring on the procedure to obtain a licence to use a weapon for their personal safety. The Secretary gave a brief introduction on the commonly used, handy weapons for personal usage. At one point, he stressed that I would not recommend a revolver since it is a bit tricky. The lady and her male companion thanked him for the advice. Parliament row dashes hopes of dignified debates In the new legislature, hopes of parliamentary debates being civil and dignified were dashed on the first proper day of business on Friday, when an ugly spat erupted between Galle District Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Manusha Nanayakkara and State Minister Nimal Lanza. The exchange occurred after the SJB MP told Parliament that 29 percent of all Government institutions have come under members of the Rajapaksa family. He questioned whether this meant the Sahodara Samagama was back in force. Clearly irritated by Mr Nanayakkaras speech, Mr Lanza, who spoke immediately afterwards, referred to Mr Nanayakkaras family history and accused him of neglecting his wife and children. Mr Nanayakkara in turn, accused Mr Lanza of running a prostitution ring. The SJB vehemently protested Mr Lanzas remarks and asked that they be struck from the Parliament Hansard, the official record of the House proceedings. There were many new MPs in the House at the time of the exchange and one wonders what they would have felt seeing these two MPs hurl such ugly personal insults at each other instead of debating the matters at hand. Mr Nanayakkara also took aim at a comment by the former Supreme Court Judge and Northern Province former Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran, who referred to the Tamil language being the oldest living language in the world. Mr Nanayakkara wanted that reference expunged from the Hansard saying it was a violation of the sixth Amendment to the Constitution that debarred espousing a separate state. The new Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene had to deal with the hot potato on his lap on his first day on the hot seat, saying he will look into the matter. am1m Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,330 Thanked: 5,609 Times re: Tips & advice: Leaving a home unoccupied for a long time Security: Have personally never worried about this. Our house is in a very crowded neighborhood, something out of the ordinary or a stranger hanging out for long on the street will be noticed immediately by the neighbors. Plus, we have grills across all windows and doors. Water damage: This is the only thing I worry about. During the rains, water does tend to collect on the terrace and that causes water damage to the ceiling. When I'm there I go up after every rain and clear any water logging, but that is an issue when we're away. Electricals: Have never shut off the mains, the UPS, or the fridge when we leave. So far so good. Of course we double-check to make sure nothing else is on or running before leaving. The water pump loses prime of course without being run for long and that needs to be fixed when we return. Sometimes the wired Internet line gets cut, but apart from that no other damages noticed. Apart from that, cover the drain holes, leave one or two windows slightly open for ventilation. With Bangalore weather, moisture retention indoors is not really an issue I think. Empty the fridge, certainly never leave any food lying around. Empty the wet waste. Have not covered the furniture or anything like that, the dust levels have been more or less normal when we returned. But lots of lizard crap all over Perhaps if we're away for a year or so, might consider covering furniture with sheets. Cancel the paper delivery and milk. Keeping the outside clean while you are away is a bigger issue in the case of independent houses. The compound and front of the house gets really dirty in a few days. We're lucky that our maid comes in once in a while to sweep the front and water the plants. She has a key for the gate but not one to enter the house. In fact none of the neighbors has a key, our spare is with a good friend but he's some distance away. We do inform a couple of neighbors when we leave so they can reach us in case of any issue. (I would never consider informing the local police station!) Over the years, have left the house empty for up to 3 months at a time periodically. In fact, just got back home last week after 2 months away.Security: Have personally never worried about this. Our house is in a very crowded neighborhood, something out of the ordinary or a stranger hanging out for long on the street will be noticed immediately by the neighbors. Plus, we have grills across all windows and doors.Water damage: This is the only thing I worry about. During the rains, water does tend to collect on the terrace and that causes water damage to the ceiling. When I'm there I go up after every rain and clear any water logging, but that is an issue when we're away.Electricals: Have never shut off the mains, the UPS, or the fridge when we leave. So far so good. Of course we double-check to make sure nothing else is on or running before leaving. The water pump loses prime of course without being run for long and that needs to be fixed when we return. Sometimes the wired Internet line gets cut, but apart from that no other damages noticed.Apart from that, cover the drain holes, leave one or two windows slightly open for ventilation. With Bangalore weather, moisture retention indoors is not really an issue I think. Empty the fridge, certainly never leave any food lying around. Empty the wet waste. Have not covered the furniture or anything like that, the dust levels have been more or less normal when we returned. But lots of lizard crap all overPerhaps if we're away for a year or so, might consider covering furniture with sheets. Cancel the paper delivery and milk.Keeping the outside clean while you are away is a bigger issue in the case of independent houses. The compound and front of the house gets really dirty in a few days. We're lucky that our maid comes in once in a while to sweep the front and water the plants. She has a key for the gate but not one to enter the house. In fact none of the neighbors has a key, our spare is with a good friend but he's some distance away. We do inform a couple of neighbors when we leave so they can reach us in case of any issue. (I would never consider informing the local police station!) COP OUT Yes, to all the wackos who call in and want to eliminate the police department. I have one question for them: Name one country on the planet that does not have a police department. MARTYS THE NAME PRAY FOR GRACE I disagree strongly with Bidens assessment that there is no miracle forthcoming regarding the pandemic. I believe that despite Trumps inept handling of it, beginning with cutting funds to the CDC as well as some qualified personnel, we will see a miracle. There is a stench of evil narcissism and greed in the White House and Senate right now. Our country is under grace but we must vote with compassion for others to stop the spread of disease, hate and divisiveness. Yes, the dictators Trump has aligned himself with will not be happy but grace will abound and well overcome together. RNB A TAXING PLAN I saw an attack ad on Joe Biden sponsored by the Club for Growth. For those of you unfamiliar, the Club for Growth is a bunch of rich creeps who think that they shouldnt have to pay anything at all in taxes. And theyre running an attack saying that Biden is going to raise the taxes on small businesses and raise taxes on the middle class. Well, just the opposite is true. Hes going to raise taxes on these rich creeps and because he is going to do that, they dont want him to be president. They want Trump to be president who is going to raise taxes on the middle class and small business while keeping the tax cuts for the rich the Republicans passed recently. NOT JOE TALK ABOUT PRIVILEGE In Scranton Trump talked about Joe Biden and the privileged liberals. Scranton is a blue-collar town. Joe Biden is from Scranton. Joe Biden is blue collar. Let me see who actually has been privileged. Donald Trump? Somebody was given has been given everything is whole life and never had to work? Do you think its a joke that Trump is calling Joe privileged when he himself is one of the most privileged people who ever lived? It is absolutely ludicrous. If Trump supporters werent such idiots they realize what a ludicrous statement that is. REMEMBER BILL Bill Clinton says he wants to restore order in the White House. This is from a guy who turned the White House into a Playboy Mansion. TRUMP 2020 JOE THE RADICAL I just think AOC and the progressives arent so special. Theyre ruining America. They send the wrong message about everything. They think America is for the illegal and radicals and socialists. I dont want to live like the people in Venezuela with the government taking over and people suffering. Democrats say Joe Biden doesnt have radical ideas. But no one he has chosen for different positions isnt radical. So hell be pushed to do their agenda. He just doesnt get the fact that hes being used. WORLD OF INSANITY All the violence in Chicago and Portland is horrible. Some people are rude ignorant and violent. They think theyre privileged and deserve everything. They are worthless and deserve low wages. Most people belong in jail for a long time. If city officials would do their job and arrest people this wouldnt continue but they are chicken want a big payday but wont do their jobs. And crazy Biden is okay with this. What is wrong with him? He doesnt deserve to run for president. He should just leave his hiding place and run away SMH DIVIDED WE FALL Id like to Sound Off about the great uniter, President Milquetoast. He said he was a great uniter. Well, I remember the Vietnam War when fathers and sons were fist fighting out on the front lawn. And Ive never seen the country is divided and polarized as it is now. This takes the cake. I mean, you gotta watch what kind of hat you wear. You gotta watch if you wear a mask. You got to watch if you kneel or stay in for the National Anthem. Everything is like walking on eggshells. I just I just hope the American people come to their senses in November and show this guy the door. VETERAN IN VILLANOVA Washington, Aug 22 : After sending a sophisticated sampling system with the Perseverance rover which is now on its way to Mars, NASA established an independent board which will help it in accomplishing the complicated mission of returning samples from the Red Planet. The 'Mars Sample Return Programme Independent Review Board' will proactively assist the US space agency with analysis of current plans and goals for the mission. "NASA stands up these independent boards to help the agency learn from past experiences and uncover subtle issues in space systems that may not have yet received sufficient attention," David Thompson, retired president of Orbital ATK, who will chair the new board, said in a statement. Experts from various fields, including planetary protection, and NASA's partner in the mission, ESA (European Space Agency), will be consulted as the review process moves forward, NASA said. The board is expected to meet for around eight weeks beginning in late August and to deliver a final report in the weeks after its review is complete. When the Perseverance rover launched to Mars on July 30, it carried with it a sophisticated sampling system with drill bits, a coring arm, and sample tubes. Perseverance will collect samples from several spots on Mars for return to Earth, so scientists can determine if ancient microbial life was ever present on the Red Planet. "Mars Sample Return is a very high priority for the scientific community, based on the decadal survey and also of strategic importance for our Moon to Mars exploration programme," said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's Associate Administrator for Science at the agency's headquarters in Washington. This first leg in the round trip from Earth to Mars and back would take place over the course of multiple missions in partnership with ESA as well as industrial partners. The rover would deliver the samples to an ascent vehicle that would take them to orbit, while an orbiter launched on another mission would rendezvous with the samples and take them in a highly secure containment capsule for landing back on Earth as early as 2031. Ithaca, N.Y. The owner of a former barbecue restaurant in Ithaca has admitted pocketing nearly $200,000 worth of sales tax paid by customers. Geoffrey Tyrrell, owner of the now-closed Ithaca Fat Jacks BBQ, has pleaded guilty to criminal tax fraud, the state Department of Taxation and Finance announced Friday. Under his plea, Tyrrell must pay back the money he did not turn in to the state. The thefts happened between Sept. 1, 2013, and May 31, 2017. Tyrrell collected $199,491 from customers at his Elmira Road restaurant. But he did not file sales tax returns, officials said, and did not give the tax to the state. The restaurant is now listed as permanently closed. So far, Tyrrell has paid back $95,000 of the tax money he owes, officials said. He will be sentenced to pay the rest when hes sentenced in October. Sales tax dollars fund vital public services, said Mike Schmidt, state Commissioner of Taxation and Finance. When that money is diverted instead for personal gain, it hurts the communities that need it most. Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com. Geneva: Japan has dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against certain measures taken by New Delhi on imports of iron and steel products. On December 20, Japan notified the WTO Secretariat that it had requested dispute consultations with India in the dispute India Certain Measures on Imports of Iron and Steel Products, the WTO has said. India has imposed minimum import price (MIP) on imports of certain iron and steel products. In February, India imposed MIP of 173 products for six months, which was later extended twice for two months. Earlier this month, the government extended MIP on 19 products till February 4, 2017. According to the commerce ministry sources, WTO-compliant measures like anti-dumping duty should be used to overcome the issue of cheap imports of commodities like steel as MIP is not compliant with the global trade norms. India has imposed MIP as growing imports from steel surplus countries like China, Japan and Korea with predatory prices have been a major concern for the domestic industry since September 2014. India has also imposed anti-dumping duties on certain steel products to guard domestic players from cheap imports. As Japan has filed the case, it will do bilateral consultations with India on the issue. As per the WTOs dispute settlement process, the request for consultations is the first step in a dispute. Consultations give the parties an opportunity to discuss the matter and to find a satisfactory solution without proceeding further with litigation. After 60 days, if consultations fail to resolve the dispute, the complainant may request adjudication by a panel. India and Japan implemented a comprehensive free trade agreement in 2011. It gave easy access to Japan in the Indian steel market. Indian industry has time and again demanded to take out the steel sector from the pact. But it can happen only after both the sides agree to do the same. The bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 14.51 billion in 2015-16. Trade is highly in favour of Japan. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Rev Peter Hilton is curate at St Mark's Church of Ireland parish, Newtownards. He and his wife, Gemma, have two children, Lydia (11) and Eva (8). Q. Can you tell us something about your background? A. I'm 37 and I grew up in Belfast during the end of the Troubles and the beginning of peace. I've an older sister, Wendy, and a younger brother, David. Despite being children born in the early 1980s, my parents, Susan and Brian, a former teacher, maintain that the Peter Pan film did not inspire their choice of names. I've been married to Gemma for 15 years. I was educated at Gilnahirk Primary School, Wellington College and Queen's University, Belfast, with the theology course in Union College. I studied part-time for five years. Q. How did you come to faith? A. I have, in some shape or form, always worked for the Church. I was in the final year of school when I was converted to Christianity and this shaped my degree choice. Instead of going down the planned law route, I read English literature and theology and, until I was ordained last year, I worked in Church youth work and Church mission work, spending much of my working life with the Leprosy Mission. Q. How and when did you come to faith? A. In my teenage years, I was a devout atheist. I had an extensive list of questions and accusations that I regularly put to Christians about the conduct of God and the Church throughout history. My parents are Christians and they were very patient and gracious with me, as were many of my Christian school friends. Everything changed one evening, when I was alone reading a book. I can only describe the experience in this way: the room was filled with a powerful, wonderful, spiritual presence. I knew from that moment on that, despite all my best arguments, God was real. Not long after that, a friend led me in prayer to commit my life to following Jesus. From that moment of meeting God, my whole life began to change, slowly but surely. My career path changed and my purpose in life changed. I spent my time seeking to help others to find God and to find the amazing sense of peace and direction which, in my experience, only God can give. Q. Have you ever had a crisis of faith, or a gnawing doubt about your faith? A. I got my crisis of faith out of my system before I found my faith, asking all the hard questions then. However, I would say that, at times of loss, I've found myself facing dark times of doubting. I recall feeling very distant from God and lost in my faith when, before our two girls came along, we had two miscarriages. The overriding emotion was one of anger. At that time, I found that "having it out" with God in prayer was a kind of therapy. Q. Do you ever get criticised for your faith? And are you able to live with that criticism? A. Wearing a clerical collar has been an interesting experience - it evokes a response from strangers. Often, people are very kind, but sometimes they have a go at you. I don't mind that - it keeps you grounded. Q. Are you ever ashamed of your own Church, or denomination? A. Honestly, no. When the Church makes a mistake, it is willing to put its hands up and try again. Q. Are you afraid to die? Or can you look beyond death? A. I'm not afraid at the thought of death, but I am depressed by the prospect. The process of dying is never pretty and often debilitating. I look at what is beyond death and I'm genuinely excited. To be in the presence of God, to experience that amazing power and love that I have in a small way experienced on a grand scale, is a wonderful thought. Q. Are you afraid of hell? A. I hope that, by the grace of God and love of Jesus, I can avoid it, but, yes, it does scare me. I studied the Book of Revelation in some detail during my ministry training and I discovered that the fiery wrath of God is linked inextricably to the need to bring justice to those situations in the world were evil acts are unrepentantly committed on innocent people. For me, that helps to put into some context the reason for hellfire and punishment for those who escape justice in this world. Q. Do you believe in a resurrection? And, if so, what will it be like? A. Yes. From my reading of 1 Corinthians 15, we will receive new bodies that will not decay, or age, and we will be in God's presence forever. We'll not be floating about in the clouds as our spirit-selves - eternal life will be a very real, grounded and interesting state. Q. What do you think about people of other denominations and other faiths? A. I recognise that we are all different, so it is inevitable that there will be different expressions of Christian faith. However, I think it is important that Christians from all denominations work together, pray together, care for and look after one another. Conflict and fallout among the Church goes completely against what Jesus tells us to do: to love our neighbour as our self. That command Jesus gives to love others extends to how Christians interact with people from other faiths and should shape our language and actions towards them. Q. Would you be comfortable in stepping out from your own faith? A. Probably not. But that is not to say I would not give it a try. Listening to other people and learning from their experience may not be comfortable, but I'd argue that you grow and learn more in times of discomfort. Q. Do you think that the Churches here are fulfilling their mission? A. In normal times, I might have more hesitation answering this question, but over this time of pandemic, from what I've seen and heard, I'd say, yes, the Church is fulfilling its mission to tell people about Jesus and to share His love. Churches have learnt how to communicate online in ways that they'd never done before and that has helped them to reach out into homes and lives previously unreached by the Good News. They've also been very active in reaching out in love to the community in inventive, practical ways at a time of need and isolation. Q. Why are so many people turning their backs on organised religion? A. When Sunday School was first set up, it was to educate people, not just about faith, but also in writing, maths and other subjects. Today, school provides that function. Many hospitals were once funded and run by organised religion. Today, healthcare is a state enterprise. Years ago, the local church was a community hub. Today, communities are much less constrained by geographical locations. The Church has been squeezed out from the centre to the margins of life and so people's links with the Church have increasingly weakened. The challenge for the Church today is to find ways to reconnect with people in day-to-day life. Q. Has religion helped, or hindered, the people of Northern Ireland? A. As I grew up and saw the religious divisions intertwine with the Troubles, I thought that religion was a hypocritical hindrance to the people of Northern Ireland. Time has tempered this view for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was those religious figures who shouted the loudest that I was hearing back then. Second, I've discovered over the years many amazing peacemakers and community champions who are driven by their religious zeal to carry out their quiet, transformative works. Their work has undoubtedly helped bring healing to broken and divided communities. Q. What is your favourite film, book and music, and why? A. The film would be The Bourne Trilogy - brilliant action thrillers with gripping plots. For the book, T S Eliot's Collected Poems - they confuse and amuse me in equal measure. Music? Counting Crows. I grew up listening to them and I never get tired of listening. Q. Where do you feel closest to God? A. When I'm with other Christians and we are singing God's praise together. Q. What inscription would you like on your gravestone, if any? A. "This is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end." Q. Finally, have you any major regrets? A. Thankfully, no. Not yet. Pottsville, PA (17901) Today Snow during the morning will give way to partly cloudy conditions during the afternoon. Morning high of 34F with temps falling to near 20. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Bitterly cold. A few clouds from time to time. Low 9F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. Governor of Tavush Hayk Chobanyan has convened an emergency meeting with the provincial department of Protection of Family, Womens and Childrens Rights and representatives of childrens rights organizations after the shocking domestic violence incident in the province which has left a 6 year old child hospitalized in severe condition. This shocking incident shows that we have problems in this area, this is also the result of the childrens protection mechanisms failure, the Governor said, adding that similar issues should be immediately revealed and solved. He ordered an internal investigation and issued relevant directives. A 28-year-old woman from the village of Khashtarak, Tavush is under arrest on suspicion of severely beating her five children. The womans father, 57, is also arrested on the same suspicion. A preliminary investigation has revealed that the woman has also regularly battered her two nephews. The 7 children have been recognized as victims in the criminal case. One of the children, a 4-year-old, has suffered severe head injury, while a 6-year-old is currently in critical condition. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan ALTON The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is facing financial challenges amid a lawsuit by several attorneys general, including Illinois Kwame Raoul, seeking to secure safe and timely mail delivery for the November election. To that end, Ray Lenzi, an Illinois Democratic candidate for Congress, will make a public stop at noon Monday adjacent to Altons main U.S. Post Office on Homer Adams Parkway to raise awareness of the issues facing the USPS. Lenzi kicked off a four-day tour Aug. 19 of 17 Illinois post offices in the states 12th District. Lenzis tour will culminate Monday in Madison County, with final stops at 10 a.m. in Granite City, 11 a.m. in Wood River and noon in Alton. Social distancing guidelines will be in effect at all locations. Operational shifts undertaken by the USPS in recent weeks, including spending cuts and equipment removal, are illegal argued Illinois top lawyer Raoul and 13 other attorneys general in a federal lawsuit filed last Tuesday. Washington states attorney general is leading the lawsuit. In addition to Illinois, other states signed on include Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Each of these states has a Democratic attorney general. On Friday, the USPS Board of Governors formed a bipartisan Election Mail Committee that will actively oversee the USPS support of the mail-in voting process. The committee will be chaired by USPS Gov. Lee Moak, of Florida, who will be joined on the committee by USPS Gov. Ron Bloom, of New York, and Gov. John Barger, of California. The USPS also launched a new election mail website, which provides clear and concise information about voting by mail, available 24/7 at www.usps.com/votinginfo. The Postal Service has a long history of effectively helping Americans participate in elections via mail-in ballots, which are expected to account for less than 2% of all mail volume from mid-September until Election Day, said USPS spokesperson Kimberly Caldwell-Harvey, with the St. Louis USPS Gateway District, which covers Metro East. However, because of the ongoing pandemic, many states are anticipating the expanded use of the mail for voting during the upcoming national election, and in some instances are allowing mail-in voting and no-excuse absentee voting for the first time under statute, and each state has singular requirements and deadlines for ballots under state laws. Caldwell-Harvey said the USPS has more than enough capacity to handle election mail volume, removing blue collection boxes is a decades-old protocol and sorting machines for flats and letters are only used one-third of the available time. By terminating workers overtime, eliminating a number of mail sorting machines, removing several mailboxes and rescheduling the delivery of some late-day mail, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is subverting the national election this year, the attorneys general said. Several states, including Illinois, are promoting expanded vote-by-mail programs as a safety precaution amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Voting by mail must be a reliable option that allows Americans to safely exercise their right to vote this fall during the ongoing pandemic, a spokesperson for Raoul said in an email. Americans should not have to risk their lives to participate in our democracy. Before the Postal Service is allowed to implement procedural changes that affect all Americans, officials must submit them for approval to the Postal Regulatory Commission, according to the lawsuit. That panel then accepts public feedback and makes a determination. DeJoy did not do that, the attorneys general assert, thus operating outside the scope of his power. The lawyers are asking a federal judge to prevent the nations mail delivery agency from reducing services and to force DeJoy to undo all other recent changes. Yet, Caldwell-Harvey said that DeJoy has implemented two steps to improve efficiency since taking the reins as Postmaster General in June, which were requiring trucks to run on-time and on-schedule and realigning the Postal Services reporting structure. On-time transportation has gone up from 89% to 97% in a few weeks, she said. All other standard operating procedures have been in effect prior to the Postmaster General joining the Postal Service. The Postal Services path to financial sustainability will not be easy but essential. DeJoy responded to the lawsuit filing Tuesday in a statement that he is suspending postal service initiatives until after the Nov. 3 election to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail. I came to the Postal Service to make changes to secure the success of this organization and its long-term stability, he said. I believe significant reforms are essential to that objective, and work toward those reforms will commence after the election. In the meantime, there are some longstanding operational initiatives efforts that predate my arrival at the Postal Service that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a devastating pandemic. Lenzi, who is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, isnt buying it, he said. I and my campaign adopted this issue because it is a national issue right now, he said. It has to do with a lot of the same kind of issues that Trump, Bost and the Republicans are wrong on, involving efficiency of government services and support of those services, as well as the issue of voter suppression. According to an article in the Washington Post, President Donald J. Trump said, They (USPS) dont have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they cant do it, I guess. Are they going to do it even if they dont have the money? Now, they need that money in order to make the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots, Trump added. Now, if we dont make a deal, that means they dont get the money. That means they cant have universal mail-in voting, they just cant have it. In reference to the latter statement, Lenzi said, We think that is a sad state of affairs when the U.S. president tries to shred USPS and drastically kneecapping the Post Office in at least three ways. Lenzi said that the USPS has eliminated 1,000 high-volume sorting machines, removed mailboxes in low-income communities and banned USPS paying employees overtime, thereby slowing the delivery of mail. The USPS is the No. 1 method of delivery of prescriptions for U.S. veterans and senior citizens, he noted. Some firms mail little baby chicks and recipients opening them up, the (chicks) are showing up dead due to the slower delivery of U.S. mail, Lenzi said. The current lawsuit, in which Illinois joined, challenges recent spending cuts and equipment removal as illegal. Overall the shredding of the Post Office fits into the Trump administrations corruption and not serving the people, and attempting to promote a public/private partnership of the Post Office, Lenzi said. The House voted Saturday to fund $25 billion to USPS and explicitly prohibit any operational changes. The lawsuit is an attempt to slow the reversal of the mail, and we support those lawsuits and those issues, Lenzi said. In addition to potentially affecting states abilities to conduct free and fair elections this year, a decline in mail services also will impact those with disabilities and citizens who live in rural communities, a spokesperson for Raoul said. Also Tuesday, Pennsylvanias attorney general announced a related lawsuit it planned to file Wednesday with his colleagues in California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts and North Carolina. The reason for distinct cases, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a conference call with reporters is because of the difference in vote-by-mail statutes in various states. Some that recently instituted permissions for voters to cast their ballot by mail have to challenge the Postal Service policy changes in a way separate from states that had existing systems. Capitol News Illinois contributed some information for this article. East Coast Roosters ahead of their lap of Leinster Organiser Mark Whelan is given a cake for his 60th birthday by Stephen Yeomans and Fergal Macken Members of the East Coast Roosters Motorcycle Club met for their annual run - with a twist. While the club normally does a lap of Ireland, this year they decided to do a lap of Leinster in one day. Bikers met for the start of the event, while observing social distancing guidelines, at Jack White's pub early on Saturday morning, August 8. An open invite was issued to other bikers to join the run which followed a route along the Coast Road up towards Bray before heading west via Glencree towards Blessington and over the county line to Kildare and onwards to complete a loop of Leinster. The run was over 400 miles and finished with the bikers travelling up from Wexford back to the finish at Jack White's. The event was a fundraiser for Wicklow Cancer Support, Rathdrum Cancer Support, Arklow Cancer Support and the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. The club's annual Easter run had to be postponed earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Members of the East Coast Roosters have been volunteering to make deliveries of PPE to frontline health workers during lockdown. A veteran firefighter in Detroit was found dead on Saturday after he dived into a river to save three young girls from drowning, authorities said. Image: Sivad Johnson (Detroit Fire Dept.) Rescue crews began searching the Detroit River on Friday night after the 10-year-old daughter of Sgt. Sivad Johnson of the city's fire department reported that her father went missing after he dived into the river to rescue young girls from drowning, Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell told NBC News on Saturday. Johnson, 48, a Detroit native, had been with the fire department more than two decades. He was a second-generation firefighter, as hisfather as well as his brother also served in that role. Divers from Detroit's fire and police departments recovered Johnson's body from the river, Michigan State Police tweeted. He was found Saturday afternoon and pronounced dead at the hospital shortly afterward, Fornell said. State troopers and officers from the state Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene after Michigan State Police said they received a call at about 9 p.m. Friday night. Upon investigation, officials found that Johnson had jumped into the water alongside several other people to rescue three girls from drowning. He was off duty at the time. The girls were rescued and safely taken home, but Johnsons daughter never saw her father return from the river. It is believed that Johnson may have been dragged underwater by a rip current, according to NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit. In 2017, Johnson was awarded the Detroit Fire Department Medal of Valor, Fornell told the Detroit News. Christian Brueckner (pictured) was seen with a blond man the night he was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to children in a park in 2017 The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann 'had an accomplice' during an alleged child sex crime in Portugal, according to witnesses. Christian Brueckner was seen with a blond man the night he was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to four children, aged eight to 12, in a park in 2017. The German, 43, had been spotted ahead of the incident with a male companion of similar height as they attended a festival in the village of Messines, according to police sources. The pair then went to the children's play area where Brueckner is said to have hidden under a slide with his trousers round his knees. An off-duty female police woman is thought to have challenged him before trying to keep the situation under control as four parents tried to rush toward him. A source said: 'She called for back-up. Witnesses said a second man fled the scene.' But the alleged incident never made it to trial and was archived. It is thought that the descriptions of Brueckner and his companion are similar to those involved in Madeline's disappearance in 2007. It is thought that the descriptions of Brueckner and his companion are similar to those involved in Madeline McCann's disappearance in 2007 Witnesses outside the McCann's rental apartment in Praia da Luz (pictured) had reported seeing two blond men in the area hours before the three-year-old was abducted Witnesses outside the McCann's rental apartment in Praia da Luz had reported seeing two blond men in the area hours before the three-year-old was abducted. One is said to have had blue eyes, like Brueckner, while the other had green eyes. Brueckner was declared as the prime suspect in the Madeline case in June. He is currently in Germany's Kiel prison for drugs offences and is due to start a seven-year sentence for the rape of an elderly American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. Divining the US election result is hard enough, never mind the impact of the vote on markets. Even so, one emerging view is that a Joe Biden win would damp risks in Asia if it curbs some of the tension with China. Disputes in areas such as technology, human rights and trade will endure but are likely to be tackled in a more predictable and less aggressive way if Biden defeats President Donald Trump, according to UBS Group AG and AMP Capital Investors Ltd. A Biden presidency will help reduce chaos and that will be a huge change, Nader Naeimi, head of dynamic ... Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment These days, we all face unprecedented challenges. But thankfully, theres one challenge most people in the West dont have to face: the imminent threat of terrorism and war. Yet in Israel, we do. Rockets fired by Hamas, Hezbollah, or other terrorist groups could land in our backyards or a childrens playground at any moment. This adds another level of danger to an already terrifying situation. Children in Israel, who are raised with daily or weekly code red sirens as part of their reality, bear the emotional scars. Tomer, a father of four who lives in an Israeli town just miles from Hamas-ruled Gaza, recently spoke with a staff member of the organization I lead, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), about the impact on his own kids. Weve all suffered mentally, but our 10-year-old daughter has really been the most affected, he said. It was hard for her to go to school, be with friends, and live a normal life due to the trauma of sirens and rocket fire. She even had trouble leaving the bomb shelter, Tomer went on to tell us. We would drag mattresses back and forth from the house to be with her when she refused to leave the shelter at night. Thank God, a psychologist is helping her cope with the trauma. She has shown great bravery for her age, but its something no child should have to go through. By some standards, Tomer and his family are lucky. They live close enough to a bomb shelter to make it to safety in time, with the 20-second warning they have before the rocket lands. Many 10-year-olds around the world are grateful for and eagerly anticipate expensive gifts and the latest technology. Tomer's daughter is grateful for having a bomb shelter. Unfortunately, the situation for many Israelis is different. A recent story in the Jerusalem Post noted that 2.6 million Israelis lack the protection of a bomb shelter. Think about that for a moment. 2.6 million people under constant threat from terrorists cant protect themselves, 2.6 million people who hear the code red siren signifying an incoming rocket have nowhere to run to for safety. Thats nearly the population of Chicago, or the entire state of Kansas. The Fellowship has invested nearly $50 million to secure Israel, placing thousands of bomb shelters on the countrys northern and southern borders. The outpouring of love for the Jewish state shown by our supporters, most of whom are Christians, is truly inspiring. It's the sacrificial giving of millions of individuals with an average gift of just $64 which has secured millions of Israelis under fire. That's the amazing collective power of this grassroots movement! But the work is not finished. When I made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) fifteen years ago with my husband, our home near Jerusalem was out of rocket range. Thats not the case now. Terrorists have perfected new longer-range rockets, extending their murderous threat to the entire state of Israel. Rockets could fall in my backyard, where my four children play. My husband and I have needed to scoop our sleeping kids out of bed and into our bomb shelter when a code red siren sounded in the middle of the night. The question all Israelis ask themselves is: When the rockets fly, do I have a bomb shelter to run to? In the modern era, Israel is making medical and technological advances as our neighbors are advancing their terror reach. So, securing Israel doesnt just mean protecting the hundreds of thousands of people who live along Israels borders it means protecting 8.8 million people, the entire population. Imagine that nowhere in America was safe. Imagine that terrorist rockets could reach every state and every town. Imagine that red alert sirens blared every week. And when you heard those sirens, you had 20 seconds to find shelter wherever you were, whether at home, at work, at your place of worship, waiting for a bus, or at your local supermarket. In Israel, we dont need to imagine it. Its the reality we live with every day. And thats why we are so abundantly grateful to our friends in America, who continue to stand by our side, strengthening us through both prayers and action. People sit on an empty beach in Santa Cruz on Friday as smoke from the wildfires and a marine layer slightly obscure the view of the Santa Cruz Wharf. The UC Santa Cruz campus and nearby towns have been under evacuation orders due to wildfires in the region. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) A monster fire raging through the Santa Cruz Mountains moved closer to UC Santa Cruz on Friday, bringing new levels of anxiety to a region besieged by days of fire. Brant Robertson, a UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist, lives 100 yards from the evacuation zone on the universitys campus. He said Friday that he had not received a warning but that he and his family his wife, 11-year-old triplets and dog were all packed and ready to evacuate at a moments notice. He lives in a cul-de-sac at the edge of campus and said roughly half his neighbors had already left. Standing on a porch outside his home, Robertson said the air was thick with dust and ash, as well as larger particles burnt leaves and fibers suspended in the blowing air. We have all the windows shut, he said. But you can still taste the smoke. Its unavoidable. He and his wife have been constantly following Twitter and keeping an eye on NASAs satellite imagery. Ive lived all over the place, Robertson said. Ive been through tornadoes and earthquakes. But this is different. You just react to those events. This is unusual in that we dont know when the alarm is going to go off. But theres a lot of tension. Its continuously stressful to hurry up and wait. Upward of 60,000 people were under evacuation orders Friday in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, as firefighters hoped to use a break in the extreme heat to make progress against the raging fires. Authorities ordered the evacuation of the UC Santa Cruz campus late Thursday. Scotts Valley, a hub of Santa Cruz Countys tech industry, was also ordered to evacuate, with some residents heading to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for refuge. It was one of numerous fires burning around Northern California, many caused by lightning. Together, those fires have killed at least five people , destroyed more than 570 structures and scorched over 1,200 square miles, Robertson said the schools will be closed for at least the next week as families and teachers evacuate. Even though classes were being taught remotely, the evacuations have made teaching and learning impossible. Story continues He said this last week has been exhausting, starting with the heat wave. His phone recorded a high of 108 degrees at his house one day. Then there were the blackouts , as the electrical grid was overwhelmed amid the heat. As a physicist, we use supercomputers, which were intermittently shutting on and off, Robertson said. He lost a ton of data. 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Read more: Sidharth Shukla Congratulates Asim Riaz for Debuting on List of Top 50 Most Desirable Men Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is expecting her second baby with Saif Ali Khan, revealed that their son Taimur made a Lego Ganesha on the special occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Kareena also added a message of positivity to her Ganesh Chaturthi post: "Wishing you all a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi. Praying for peace, everyone's health and safety." Read more: Taimur Ali Khan Builds Lego Idol for Ganesh Chaturthi, Kareena Kapoor Khan Shares Photo Megastar Chiranjeevi's son, actor Ram Charan unveiled a common DP (Display Picture) to mark the celebrations of his fathers 65th birthday. Not only Ram but 100 celebrities in total, including superstars, actors, actresses and directors from all four languages of the South Indian film industry, released the Common Motion Poster of the megastar. Read more: 100 South Film Personalities Share Common Display Picture to Celebrate Chiranjeevi's 65th Birthday As promised to fans, the first look of Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi's upcoming film Acharya was unveiled on his birthday. Acharya will be Chiranjeevi's 152nd film and will release in summer 2021. Read more: Acharya First Look: Chiranjeevi's Larger Than Life Poster Revealed on Megastar's Birthday The CBI team, which is probing the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, reached the late actor's residence at Bandra here on Saturday afternoon. After the Supreme Court nod, the CBI on Friday started its probe into the Sushant Singh Rajput death case in Mumbai as it collected relevant documents and reports from the Mumbai police. Read more: Sushant Singh Rajput Case: CBI Team Reaches Actor's Bandra Residence, to Reconstruct Crime Scene The West Bengal police have arrested three people in the states Jalpaiguri district for allegedly raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl even as her family alleged inaction and said she could have been saved had action been taken on time and one of the accused not released initially after questioning. The girls partially decomposed body was recovered from a septic tank near the house of one of the accused on Thursday, nine days after her father lodged her missing report. The family said police detained the accused on the basis of her fathers complaint but released him after questioning. On Friday, local residents staged a demonstration in front of a police station alleging inaction. They alleged that police did little to prevent the crime despite being alerted by the girls family and save the girl, who was alive for at least five days after she went missing on August 10. Khageswar Roy, the local ruling Trinamool Congress lawmaker, supported the family, saying the police acted casually and could have saved the girl if they had acted seriously. It is a heinous crime. Police officials, who were supposed to find the girl, took it casually. The police are saying that the girl was raped on August 15 and then murdered. This means she was alive till August 15 and could have been saved had the police acted immediately on the complaint and took it seriously, said Roy. He demanded immediate transfer of all the police officers involved in the investigation for dereliction of duty. Jalpaiguri police superintendent Pradeep Kumar Yadav promised action. We will conduct an inquiry against the officers involved. If the allegations of negligence of duty are found to be true, strict action would be taken, said Yadav. He cited the statement of two of the accused and said they took the girl to a house on August 10 and sexually assaulted her along with another accomplice. All the accused live in the neighbouring villages and are aged around 30-35, said Yadav. Police said the interrogation of the accused has revealed that the girl was raped on August 15 before they killed her and dumped the body in the septic tank. The court has sent them in police custody for eight days. The accused would be interrogated to get further details, said another police officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON CAIRO (Reuters) - The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has welcomed a ceasefire announcement in Libya, the UAE news agency WAM reported on Saturday. GCC Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf called on all parties "to adhere to (this) constructive step, to urgently engage in political dialogue, and to work through mediation of the United Nations to reach a permanent and comprehensive solution to end the fighting and conflict in Libya," WAM reported. Libya's internationally recognised government in Tripoli announced the ceasefire on Friday and the leader of a rival parliament in eastern Libya also appealed for a halt to hostilities. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Published in El Peruano official gazette, the decree establishes that public entities participating in this protocol shall identify the agencies or directorates responsible for its implementation "and adopt the necessary measures for its execution, within the scope of their respective competencies." It also states that the implementation, compliance, supervision and monitoring of its execution is responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights , through the General Directorate of Human Rights. The document provides that public entities shall inform the General Directorate of Human Rights of the designations of the focal points of institutional and technical responsibility needed to implement the protocol within a time limit of 10 working days after the publication of the abovementioned decree. Moreover, it indicates that the actions and interventions needed to implement this protocol will be financed from the budgets of the entities involved in accordance with the laws governing the matter without demanding additional resources from the Public Treasury. Protocol The preamble to the decree states that the effective and timely compliance with international human rights obligations requires a management instrument that can develop a national mechanism to promote coordination and articulation of State entities, so as to foster the implementation of Peruvian State's international obligations regarding human rights. This will help standardize and simplify the inter-institutional coordination processes at the national, regional and local government levels. In addition, it will strengthen the data collection mechanisms to provide statistical information on the progress made towards the human rights perspective and will facilitate forms of partnership with civil society. Furthermore, it will facilitate the processes of preparing reports, encourage the development of constructive dialogue skills and promote the follow-up of the recommendations suggested by the systems of international promotion and protection of human rights, with the aim of strengthening the national policies in this field. (END) JCC/CVC/RMB/MVB The Executive Branch has approved, through a supreme decree , the intersectoral protocol for State participation in the systems of international protection of human rights.Published: 8/21/2020 Melbourne motorists have never had a better chance to avoid parking fines, with 31 councils across the city's inner suburbs quietly winding down enforcement amid tough stage four restrictions. The Victorian government issued a directive to metropolitan Melbourne councils a week ago, instructing them to only enforce parking restrictions where essential. Motorists have never had a better chance to avoid a parking fine. Credit:Eddie Jim "In relation to parking in these councils, councils are only permitted to enforce essential parking restrictions where these relate to issues of safety and access," the directive, issued by acting Local Government Victoria executive director Colin Morrison, said. "This includes vehicles in No Standing Zones blocking access to private property or bus lanes and vehicles parked in disabled car parks without the necessary permit." Katie Price has been left devastated after a surgeon confirmed the extent of her 'smashed' feet and stated she 'couldn't have done a worse job' of injuring herself. The former glamour model, 42, broke both her feet during a freak accident during her Turkish family holiday earlier in August. Taking to her YouTube channel on Friday, Katie explained: 'The surgeon made it clear that I couldn't have done a worse job to myself. 'I couldnt have done a worse job': Katie Price was left devastated as she revealed in a YouTube video on Friday the extent of her 'life-changing' injuries after breaking both her feet in Turkey 'They're smashed, broken and it's bad, really bad. It's bad, life changing injuries what I've done, so they're just going to do their best.' She shared her doctor's recent diagnosis before entering surgery on August 14 2020, as they confirmed her injuries are 'life-changing' and will leave her with horrendous scars. Katie discussed her shock at hearing the news while wearing a medical robe and resting on her hospital bed, as she prepared for her next operation at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital. Operation: The former glamour model, 42, shared footage from her operation at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital on August 14 2020 to try and repair her broken feet Her doctors even told her to turn off cameras as they revealed the unfortunate news before she entered surgery. A downtrodden Kate also called her mother before she entered her surgery to confirm the extent of her injuries and the diagnosis from her doctor. The reality star added: 'I just want to concentrate on going down to surgery, and I'll see you later.' Bad news: Katie was told she has 'smashed' and 'mangled' feet and will suffer 'life-changing' scars as surgeons revealed the extent of her injuries are much worse than they first thought Katie recorded herself eight hours later following the operation,and she seemed in brighter spirits as the anaesthetic slowly wore off. She revealed that a member of staff told her, when they opened her legs up in surgery, they were more 'smashed and mangled' than they appeared on the x-ray and the op was much harder than anticipated. They confirmed she will have significant scarring on both feet, and healing improvements will begin when they remove both casts in approximately three months time. Doting boyfriend: The reality star was joined at the hospital by her doting boyfriend, Carl Woods, and she called her mother to update her on the diagnosis before entering surgery Following the surgery, Katie had a new sense of determination, as she declared: 'I don't care where the scar is, I'm going to learn to walk again, I am going to walk again!' Katie experienced the horrendous accident after she jumped off a wall at the Land of Legends theme park in Turkey and broke both her ankles and feet. After returning to the UK earlier this month, she has attended several hospital appointments and might not be able to walk for another two years as she recovers from the horrific injuries Her doting boyfriend Carl Woods, 31, was on hand to look after Katie in the video and would carry her around, meanwhile Katie would crawl on the floor at her home in a bid to avoid any pressure on her feet. Recovery: According to doctors it could take up to two years before Katie can walk again and she will only start making significant healing improvements when they remove her casts Hunger pangs: Concerns rise over elephant welfare as camps struggle without tourism income PHUKET: Four months after the lockdown began, preventing any tourists from entering the country, concerns are rising for the welfare of elephants across the island as some camps are now relying on donations in order to keep their pachyderms fed. tourismanimalseconomics By Tanyaluk Sakoot Saturday 22 August 2020, 09:00AM Help is needed in making sure elephants in Phuket are well kept, and well fed. Photo: Russell Alexander / Tree Tops Elephant Reserve Manas Thepparuk, Chief of the Phuket office of the Department of Livestock Development (DLD), told The Phuket News this week that his office had conducted inspections of the 34 elephant camps (Pang in Thai) in Phuket. The camps are still home to 246 elephants, whose owners all depend on some form of tourism for income to feed and care for the elephants, Mr Manas noted. The elephants for now are all well kept and healthy, but some of the camps are already relying on donations from charities such as the Save Elephant Foundation in order to feed their elephants, he said. The Save Elephant Foundation was in Phuket last week to take into care adult female Tang Mo, who had been kept at Phuket Zoo since she was 2 years old after being transported from Isarn (Northeast Thailand). This is the first time in twenty years that Tang Mo had to get on a truck. We were worried that this would be difficult, but she went on willingly, the foundation reported. Tang Mo arrived safely at the foundations Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai on Aug 12, World Elephant Day, and is now eating healthily. However, Tang Mo for now remains separated from young elephant San Mueang, also kept by the zoo. For San Mueang, we will return for him as soon as possible, the Save Elephant Foundation reported. Yet concerns remain for the elephants still on the island, especially with the simple ability of feeding them. We are not too concerned about the elephants in camps in Phang Nga, as there is plenty of the right grass and fruit available in Phang Nga to feed elephants there, Mr Manas said. But for the elephants in Phuket, we are coordinating with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation [DNP] and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment [MNRE] to allow elephant owners to cut grass in specific [protected] areas in order to feed their elephants, he added. For now, most owners still have food for their elephants, but they will need help soon. They will need help because they have no income, as their major source of income comes from tourists. I am worried because many owners need to use the money they have just to pay rent for the areas where they keep their elephants, Mr Manas explained. TREE TOPS Last weekTree Tops Elephant Reserve in Phuket and renowned UK artist Goldie launched an exclusive graffiti-inspired T-shirt to help raise funds to feed elephants during the COVID pandemic. By purchasing a Goldie T-shirt, Hoodie or Sweater, the money raised will go directly to buying the daily food supply for our seven elephants for the next six months (or more), said a release from Tree Tops Elephant Reserve announcing the campaign. All garments are ethically sourced and printed with vegan inks, the announcement added. The fund-raising garments are being sold through Wild & Grey clothing, a clothing brand launched by Tree Tops Co-Founder, Louise Rogerson, who blended her career in fashion and love of elephants to raise funds to save elephants globally. Tree Tops opened in October 2019 and is the first ethical elephant sanctuary in the south of Phuket, located in the hills of Chalong on the western side of the Klong Kratha reservoir. We closed in March and rely solely on tourism for our revenue, said the announcement. We are urgently in need of funding to feed and care for our seven elephants: Nam Gaew, Fah Sai, Lam Poon, Boon Song, Tong Tip, Nam Sook, and Nam Phet. We are realistically looking at 2021 before tourists will return to Phuket and even then, we are unsure of visitor numbers. Therefore, we are planning a minimum of six months to one year to stay afloat, it added. Feeding the elephants costs just under B1,000 a day per elephant, Louise said, noting that a minimum of B200,000 a month is needed to feed the seven elephants. In comparison, the Wild & Grey T-shirts cost 20 (about B813), Sweatshirts 26 (just over B1,000) and Hoodies cost 34 (about B1,380). WORLD ELEPHANT DAY The call for support to help elephants survive the economic crisis brought on by the COVID pandemic came as World Elephant Day was recognised around the globe Wednesday last week (Aug 12). Whilst we should be celebrating how incredible and magnificent elephants are, the sad reality during COVID is that many elephants and elephant camps are struggling financially in Phuket and throughout Thailand. The situation is very serious, particularly with the latest news that we wont likely see tourists until 2021, said Louise. World Elephant Day gives us a moment to think about every elephant both in Thailand and globally. Every elephant confined in a zoo, poached and killed for their ivory, forced to perform in a circus, every baby elephant taken from its mother. Humans are the only threat to elephants and it is devastating to see the global population declining. Our mission at Tree Tops is to educate our visitors about how magnificent elephants are and why they need to be protected, Louise said. It is no coincidence has the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the rhetoric often associated with it, become an integral part of campaigns often associated with advancing Kashmiri separatism. During Israels Operation Protective Edge in Gaza (2014), a viral Facebook post emerged featuring militia men flying Palestinian flags and wearing headbands belonging to Hamass Qassam Brigades. We are all Hamas, the caption read. This sort of militant propaganda is common in West Asia, particularly during times of conflict. In that sense, this post seems unremarkable. But this post was not made by Hamas, nor by their traditional Arab backers. It was posted by the Pakistani branch of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI), a group often called the South Asian version of the Muslim Brotherhood. This striking display of trans-national unanimity is a perfect example of a larger truth: the enemies of Israel and India are increasingly making common cause. Whereas once the alliance was primarily an abstract ideological bond, now the Islamists of West Asia and South Asia are openly mobilising their networks, coordinating and campaigning for each other's causes. The Islamist ummah is uniting like never before. Indeed, while many would expect JEIs militant display of solidarity with Hamas to be a one-off, it is anything but. It is simply a chapter in a larger campaign dedicated to likening the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to that of Kashmir in an effort to attract sympathies from otherwise uninterested parties. This campaign has gained traction given some historical similarities underlying both conflicts. After all, both conflicts entail post-World War II partitions, ensuing ethnic-religious conflict, competing claims of self-determination, and the debate concerning to what extent can State security be used to suppress terrorism. It is no coincidence that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the rhetoric often associated with it has become an integral part of campaigns often associated with advancing Kashmiri separatism. Just days before JEIs military exercise, the Emir of JEI-Pakistan, Siraj-ul-Haq, openly called for jihad against Israel. A few years earlier, the Al-Khidmat Foundation, JEI Pakistans charitable branch, bragged about sending Hamas funds for its just jihad, suggesting connections go beyond mere rhetoric. Further, JEIs Indian branchs Facebook page has even featured dozens of condemnations concerning all things Israel: Trumps embassy move to Jerusalem, Israels proposed annexation of parts of the West Bank, etc. Yet, in addition to JEI, many other South Asian Islamist forces like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its subsidiary Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) are seeing their joint struggle as shared. JuD, the charitable arm of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terrorist group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, organised a rally in Pakistan protesting the USs move of its embassy to Jerusalem. At the rally, Hafiz Saeed LeTs founder declared that every child of the Muslim ummah is ready to get cut and die for the defense of Jerusalem. Israel will be obliterated. The rally was also attended by Palestines Ambassador to Pakistan, Waleed Abu Ali, who was recalled due to his controversial meeting with Saeed, whom the UN has designated a terrorist. However, since the 2019 Pulwama attack, which killed 40 Indian soldiers, and Indias subsequent revocation of Article 370 of its Constitution, which kept Indian Kashmir in abeyance under the theory that its final status would be negotiated with Pakistan, the focus has largely flipped. Now, West Asian Islamists have reciprocated support for radicals in Kashmir. Just two weeks after the Pulwama attack, Middle East Eye reporter Azad Essa, argued, When it comes to Palestine and Kashmir, India and Israel are oppressors-in-arms. Spotlighting Pakistani demonstrations during the Gaza conflict of 2014, Essa argued that, to Kashmiris, Free Gaza and India Go Home, are the same message. But this message of comradeship is not just being propagated by mouthpieces for the Qatari regime such as the Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera, which frequently laud jihad but also by Islamist friendly think-tanks, terrorist groups, and other friends and enablers of Islamic theocrats. Within months of Pulwama, the Islamabad Policy Research Institute released a paper effectively presenting the same case as Essas. In both cases, terrorism is only mentioned to accuse Israel or India of State-sponsored terrorism, or to mock concerns over terrorism as jingoistic, or as a pretext for atrocities, or crackdowns on legitimate political actors. This narrative of a shared struggle has spread rapidly, now being parroted by high-ranking government officials, Islamist movement leaders, and senior terrorist group officials. A webinar last month by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan featured multiple Pakistani politicians, leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, West Asian journalists, and most notably, officials from multiple West Asian terrorist organisations and sponsors thereof. These include Khalid Qadoumi of Hamas, Ibrahim Mousawi of Hezbollah, and multiple representatives from Iran, a US designated State-sponsor of terrorism. Speakers at the event directly compared the struggles in Kashmir and Palestine, with Mousawi even going on to claim that Palestine and Kashmir were the most important issues of humanity. Also this year, the Center for Islam and Global Affairs, a Turkish think-tank headed by Sami Al-Arian, who was convicted in the US for his role in funding the Palestinian Islamic jihad hosted an event with Kashmir Civitas, an international civil society and strategic advocacy organisation with offices in countries renowned for Islamist governments: Qatar and Turkey. There, Al-Arian was invited to explore how Kashmiris and Palestinians can move forward together as our goal is same: freedom from illegal occupation from India and Israel. Al-Arian also participated in the World Kashmir Awareness Forum. There he again compared Kashmir to Palestine, claiming that Kashmiris and Palestinians are struggling for self-determination, as a result of racists and Zionist powers. Given Al-Arians decades in the West, it is unsurprising that western Islamist groups champion similar rhetoric. For Islamists in South Asia and West Asia , the reality of Hindu and Jewish sovereignty in lands that were formerly ruled by Islam strikes a nerve, thereby fueling accusations of injustice and human-rights violations, which while seemingly founded in good-nature, genuinely conceal a dark ulterior motive: the revival of Islamist rule. Indeed, those supporting the Palestinian cause often overlook, downplay, or justify blatant acts of terrorism, equally legitimate claims of self-determination, ethnic cleansing of Jews from Arab lands, and the refusal of Palestinian leadership to even seriously consider a compromise. Supporters of the Kashmiri cause, similarly, ignore nearly identical behaviour on the part of their partisans. But with much of the Arab world moving in a less-Islamist direction, and the Palestinian issue holding less potency than it used to, Islamists must find a new rallying point to sustain their cause. That point has increasingly become Kashmir. Given that the Palestinian struggle has long served as a beacon of Islamists aspirations, this rhetoric comes with a built-in constituency. Further, this strategy will revive focus on Israel in due time, while forging previously unexpected alliances. Much like the 2006 Lebanon War is widely believed to have created increased cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah, these circumstances will likely only increase the already-existing cooperation between South Asian Islamist organisations and their counterparts in West Asia. Likewise, Indians should not underestimate the aid, material and otherwise, that can flow from radical networks in West Asia. The radicals Israel fights on a daily basis are highly experienced at sustained confrontations with superior governmental forces, while battling terror designations, terror finance restrictions, all while the world is watching. Indias enemies can learn from these experiences. While prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Narendra Modi have a budding relationship that has increased mutual ties, it is important to note that these ties have only come after decades of chilled relations. Further, Head of State connections serve as no substitute to the kind of organic growth and ideological agreement that has forged their Islamist adversaries. Numerous Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members dedicated to India-Israel cooperation indicate that a more grassroots cooperation has already begun. However, the momentum underlying such mutual appreciation underwhelms that of their foes. Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists all have numerous countries and regions in which they are a majority. But Hindus and Jews each have only one homeland, and they share a common foe. The faster they come to understand their fates as being intertwined, the better. Their respective foes, for their part, have already come to this realisation. The countrys property market is expected to slow down with prices starting to drop by the end of this year and hitting the bottom by mid-2021. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - The Vietnamese property market is expected to slow down, with prices starting to drop by the end of this year and hitting the bottom by mid-2021, creating opportunities for home buyers sitting on cash, experts have forecast. Housing prices will begin to plummet by the end of this year and bottom out by mid-2021 when the [COVID-19] pandemic has impacted almost every sector, especially the housing market, Tran Khanh Quang, general director of Viet An Hoa Company, said. Since the second wave of the pandemic began late last month, investors confidence has once again weakened as property sales ped and incomes were hit hard. The financial market has faced fluctuations since the beginning of the year when the outbreak started, he said, adding that a large amount of long-term cash flow is still waiting for good prices to buy. From the end of the year to the first half of 2021 will be an opportunity for home buyers. The most affected segment is the higher end. With the real estate market remaining uncertain in the first half and probably continuing to be so for the rest of the year the commercial housing segment in HCM City faces a slump, according to Savills Vietnam. The outbreak has forced people to tighten their purse strings due to loss of income, which would also affect housing demand. Housing development has also been facing a prolonged legal and licensing barrier, hitting buyers confidence. The resurgence of COVID-19 caused the online real estate market to slow down by 7 percent in July as measured by users likes and number of searches, according to a report from popular property website Batdongsan. The amount of news posted and the level of interest in the market has seen a decrease since late-July due to the return of the deadly virus, it reports. Interest levels in online real estate floors in provinces recorded an average drop of 10 percent. The websites internet consumer research data also show that in Da Nang, the new epidemic epicentre, it dropped by 20 percent, the highest rate in the country. Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA), said the market would continue to have high demand for affordable apartments while the supply in this segment is limited. There is need for more investment in the affordable housing segment. This segment has high demand and also high liquidity". Demand from foreigners was also increasing, said Nguyen Duc Them, project sales manager at Savills. According to HoREA's report, foreigners now own around 16,000 apartments, or 2 percent of the total supply, and this has not affected locals opportunity to buy housing. Since 2015 big-name developers have sold 12,335 units to foreigners, 81 percent of them in HCM City. Most people coming from Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan prefer to rent when they come to work in Vietnam, while those from mainland China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore prefer buying, it added. By Chananthorn Kamjan and Tanyalux Watanapalin, KYODO NEWS - Aug 22, 2020 - 11:01 | World, All Even as Thailand struggles to bounce back economically from the COVID-19 pandemic, the kingdom appears to be on the cusp of a new round of political unrest, this time involving its disaffected youth. The military-backed government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is facing a series of street protests staged mainly by students, rather than by seasoned activists. They are demanding not only an end to dictatorship, as they see it, but also reform of the monarchy, a highly sensitive subject in a country where that venerable institution has traditionally provided an important pillar of stability. The protests have continued for months despite a state of emergency that remains in effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the students and other activists want the government to stop harassing people who exercise their democratic rights and allow them to peacefully express their views on politics. They also want a new constitution to be drawn up to replace the current military-sponsored one -- or at least have the current "undemocratic" one amended -- and the House of Representatives to be dissolved to pave the way for a fresh election. On July 18 and Aug. 16, two of the largest anti-government rallies in years took place at Democracy Monument in Bangkok, attended by tens of thousands. Small-scale protests have occurred at schools and university campuses around the country. The protesters often imitate the main character in the Hollywood movie The Hunger Games by flashing a three-finger salute as a symbol of resistance against the current government. So far, Prayut, who led the coup as army chief and was elected prime minister by parliament in June 2019 following a general election in March of that year, has generally tolerated the rallies, allowing the students to voice their say through peaceful protest. But signs of a crackdown have emerged. Last Thursday, for example, police arrested 11 dissidents, including human rights lawyer and prominent activist Arnon Nampha, and charged them with sedition and inciting public unrest for their involvement in the July 18 rally. Also among them was Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, founder and member of Rap Against Dictatorship, a well-known hip-hop group that performed at several anti-government protests. Earlier this month, police detained prominent young activist Parit Chivarak for having addressed the same rally, which happened after the government eased coronavirus lockdown measures. Thailand has also seen a spate of "flash mob" protests in which people assemble suddenly and then quickly disperse. The unrest began in February when Future Forward Party, a newly formed opposition led by businessman-turned-politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, was disbanded by the Constitutional Court despite finishing third in the election. Many youth saw the ruling as unjust and politically motivated, and began pressing the government on political matters, taking particular aim at the 2017 constitution under which Prayut-led junta appointed all 250 senators in the upper house. The handpicked senators were empowered to elect the prime minister, which was a vital factor in enabling Prayut to remain in power as the head of a civilian government even though his Palang Pracharath party only came in second in the polls. Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Move Forward Party which has taken up the mantle of Future Forward and is allied with the biggest opposition party, Pheu Thai, told Kyodo News his party supports the youth in seeking charter changes and in taking the government to task for failing to solve the country's economic woes. "The younger generation has seen political and economic crises for the past 10 years...They have seen this as a revolving door of power struggle, rather than something developing or taking Thailand to the future," Pita said. One rally participant, an 18-year-old girl who declined to give her name, said she wants to see an administration change, allowing the new generation with knowledge obtained from abroad to run the country. Echoing her calls for change, a 17-year-old boy who also sought anonymity said Thailand still does not enjoy full democracy, so wants to see political change as well as education reform. While the political demands are the priorities, another group of students have put themselves at particular risk by proposing reform of the monarchy, claiming it has long been the root of political problems in Thailand. Their proposals include abolishment of the draconian "lese-majeste" law, which makes criticism of the monarchy punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Many such protesters view King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the son of the widely revered late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as supportive of the Prayut government. They want the wealthy sovereign's powers curbed, his palace's finances audited and participation in politics banned. In their 10-point manifesto, they also seek investigations into the killings of critics of the monarchy and the end of royal endorsement of military coups. However, their calls have sparked a backlash from the many Thais who view the monarchy as a sacred institution, conflating "Thai-ness" with loyalty to the king. Indeed, widespread reverence characterized the reign of King Bhumibol, the current king's father, who died in October 2016 after ruling for seven decades. Sondhi Limthongkul, a former media mogul and leader of the royalist, right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy, has warned the students that their proposals on monarchy reform could force them into the corner as the topic is off-limits. "It is fine if you want to stage protest for a constitutional amendment or hold a rally against the government, but not the monarchy," Sonthi said, noting how protest leaders in the past, including himself, have faced lese majeste charges regardless of which side they supported. Over a decade ago, Sonthi led of a coalition of protesters against populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was later ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup amid one of the most tumultuous periods of Thailand's modern history. Back then, anti-Thaksin protests were held almost daily by middle-class, royalist urbanites distinguished by their yellow-colored shirts, while Thaksin's rural-based supporters, known as the "red shirts," held counter-rallies that continued for several years after his ouster. In the face of strong pro-monarchy sentiment, the main group of current antigovernment protesters has opted to de-emphasize monarchy reform, focusing on their key political demands and mentioning only briefly about their dream of Thailand having a monarchy "which is truly under the constitution." Stithorn Thananithichot, director of Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok's Institute, a conservative think tank, said one bright spot on the horizon is that the Prayut government appears amendable to the idea of constitutional revision. But he too warned that if protesters take their demands too far by continuing to publicly broach the taboo topic of monarchy reform, their efforts could fall flat, considering most Thais' long-standing bond with the royal institution. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 22 Trend: The Bulgarian Krcaali Haber newspaper published an article about how Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who always finds himself helpless in the face of facts and logical approaches, stumbled upon the arguments voiced by Stephen Sackur, the host of BBC's HARDtalk, Trend reports. The article notes that Pashinyan was repeatedly cornered during the entire program by the questions of the famous TV presenter Stephen Sackur. Sackur stated at the beginning of the program that although Pashinyan promised Armenia "new beginnings", the country is still mired in old wars. In response, Pashinyan said, "he does not completely agree with the host's impression." Pashinyan's absurd claims about Armenia's alleged recognition as one of the world's fastest-growing countries in the fields of democracy, human rights, economic development, anti-corruption and judicial reforms after the "2018 velvet revolution" were fully rejected by the host's harsh and consistent questions. When asked about the Armenian government's failure to cope with the coronavirus and the country's death rate, which is higher compared to that of the neighboring countries, Pashinyan said, "the pandemic is still raging around the world." The Armenian prime minister's response is like that of a child who does not know the multiplication table. The host's question about Armenia's latest military provocations on the border with Azerbaijan after Pashinyan's promise of opening a new path for peace has once again put him in a difficult situation. Later, Sackur asked an even harsher question about the remarks "Karabakh is Armenia and full stop" voiced by Pashinyan during his visit to Khankendi. Just as Pashinyan started to talk about a false Armenian-style history by making groundless allegations, the host silenced him. "You are violating four resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on the conflict, which demand the unconditional withdrawal of all Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani lands. According to international law, your troops are carrying out occupation, and you go there and declare that these territories are yours. Obviously, you are not creating the peace there," Sackur noted. The full text of the article can be found following the link: https://www.kircaalihaber.com/en/?pid=3&id_news=55 Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-23 06:07:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Saturday with his German counterpart Heiko Maas the recent developments in war-torn Libya and Palestine. During a phone conversation, the top diplomats discussed the statements issued on Friday by UN-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and Speaker of the east-based House of Representatives Aguila Saleh in which they called for cease-fire in the country, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Both stressed the importance of benefitting from this important step to reach a comprehensive political settlement in Libya that would help restore security, stability in the country as well as ending foreign interventions. On Friday, Serraj and Saleh announced, in separate statements, a cease-fire and the end of all hostilities in Libya, calling for presidential and parliamentary elections and resumption of oil exports. Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments with warring forces, namely the UN-backed government based in the capital Tripoli and the other in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar and the east-based House of Representatives. Also on Saturday, Shoukry and Maas discussed the recent developments in the Palestinian cause. Shoukry highlighted the importance of building on the latest developments to preserve the two-state solution and achieving a just peace within the framework of restoring legitimate Palestinian rights in accordance with the international legitimacy decisions. Enditem There are Hallmark cards for so many things: birthdays and bat mitzvahs and weddings and quinceaneras. But what do you give an ostensibly independent enforcement official to mark the one-year anniversary of her becoming an at-will employee especially when the will in question is the super-sized one wielded by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo? Flowers are nice, of course. Roses, or maybe lilies. But as with chocolate and Edible Arrangements, you can potentially run afoul of the recipient's allergies. These are the thoughts that occur as we consider the case of Risa Sugarman, who has served as enforcement counsel at the state Board of Elections since 2014, when the post was created as one of the meager list of reforms to emerge from Cuomo's Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption. The panel was scuttled by the governor midway through its existence in a deal he cut with two legislative bosses Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver who the following year would be arrested and subsequently convicted for public corruption. Sugarman's tenure has been frequently productive and always stormy, particularly in regard to her relationship with mainline Board of Elections staff, which has always viewed her as an interloper whose very presence is a reminder of the coruscating criticism it endured during the third and final Moreland Commission public hearing a session known within good-government circles as The Tormentor at the Javits Center, or it should be. The board has missed few opportunities to deride or kneecap the way she has gone about her work. In August 2018, its commissioners voted 3-1 to undercut her autonomy in issuing subpoenas; the Cuomo administration stood by and did nothing to prevent it other than issuing a lame last-minute statement murmuring that perhaps the board should go back to the drawing board. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi insisted at the time that the governor "opposes these regulations and yes, we were advocating against them not everything is a conspiracy theory." Which is true, I guess ... but that's (glances left and right, falls into a whisper) exactly what he would say. And you might have seen my earlier description of the scope of Cuomo's will. Sugarman's five-year term expired Aug. 31, 2019. Since then, she's been in "holdover" status as she, her staff, public ethics advocates and children across New York have waited for the governor to either reappoint her or pick someone else to serve as enforcement counsel. At this point, you might wonder why you should care about what happens to Sugarman. Here's why: Independent enforcement officials should not be serving in at-will status when the person at whose will they serve is someone whose campaign activities like the fundraising practices of that person's political allies and flunkies are among the things the official is supposed to police. That's why ethics enforcement officials have multi-year terms and can't be fired except for defined causes. This is not rocket surgery. Nor is it to suggest that Sugarman who is a former Cuomo employee from his four years as attorney general and his first term in office, when she worked at the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Taxation and Finance is cowering under her desk in fear that she might offend the governor and get sacked. A two-decade veteran of the Bronx district attorney's office, Sugarman is both flinty and in her late 60s. It's reasonable to think she might view retirement as a sweet release from the rigors of dealing with misbehaving ward heelers and the sniping of election commissioners. Sugarman's post isn't the only one at the board in limbo. There are only three commissioners in place after the resignation of Republican Gregory Peterson of Nassau County at the end of 2019. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Cuomo is the official charged with appointing election commissioners, which when it comes to the Republican commissioners he must do in consultation with GOP leaders. Last month, the Auburn Citizen reported that the remaining Republican commissioner, Peter Kosinski, had refused to attend any more board meetings until the governor makes an appointment. On Friday, Azzopardi told me the GOP had turned over two names in March, and the governor had been prepared last week to accept Jeffrey Buley, an attorney at Brown & Weinraub who serves as counsel to the state party, as the new elections commissioner. But at some point over the past five months, Buley apparently had second thoughts about talking the gig. A new set of names will be forthcoming. A decision on what to do with Sugarman's post is expected "soon," Azzopardi said. It would, of course, probably be a good thing for New York to have a functional elections board seeing as we've got this whole presidential vote thing coming up and that pandemic whatsis complicating it. But no rush. cseiler@timesunion.com 518-454-5619 Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 04:09:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A worker of Stonington Lobster Coop examines a lobster at a dock in Stonington of Maine, the United States, Feb. 4, 2020.(Xinhua/Wang Ying) "As part of improving EU-US relations, this mutually beneficial agreement will bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union," USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a joint statement. WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States and the European Union (EU) on Friday announced a tariff agreement on lobsters and other products in a bid to increase trans-Atlantic market access, calling "the first U.S.-EU negotiated reductions in duties in more than two decades." Under the agreement, the EU will eliminate tariffs on imports of U.S. live and frozen lobster products for five years, retroactive to begin Aug. 1, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). U.S. exports of these products to the EU amounted to over 111 million U.S. dollars in 2017. As part of the agreement, the United States will reduce by 50 percent its tariff rates on certain products exported by the EU worth an average annual trade value of 160 million dollars, retroactive to Aug. 1. These products include certain prepared meals, certain crystal glassware, surface preparations, propellant powders, cigarette lighters and lighter parts. Flags of the EU fly in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, June 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) "As part of improving EU-US relations, this mutually beneficial agreement will bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union," USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a joint statement. "We intend for this package of tariff reductions to mark just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade," they said. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former U.S. trade negotiator, on Friday said that these mini-tariff deals seem to be all about "catching up with lost market access due to our trade wars and sitting on the sidelines as others do preferential deals." "There's so much more we could and should be doing with the EU on trade beyond lobsters," she tweeted. The tariff agreement comes as trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU over aircraft subsidies and digital service taxes have intensified in recent months. After World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on aircraft subsidies last year, the United States had levied additional tariffs on 7.5 billion dollars of European goods. If youre a billionaire looking to pass on your fortune tax-free to your kids, Canada is a great place to do it. For example, consider Tobias Lutke, the founder of Shopify, which recently surpassed Royal Bank of Canada as the TSXs largest listed corporation measured by market capitalization. According to Forbes, Lutke is now one of the richest billionaires in Canada, with an estimated net worth of $8.4 billion (U.S.). While he is of course free to give away all his money to charity, under Canadas supposedly progressive tax system, his estate wouldnt have to pay a cent in tax. Lutke wouldnt be so lucky if he resided in any other Group of Seven country. Even in Donald Trumps billionaire-friendly U.S.A., his heirs would have to fork over 40 per cent to the Internal Revenue Service. His estate would have to pay the same rate in the United Kingdom. In Japan the estate tax hit would be 55 per cent; in France it would be 45 per cent; and in Lutkes native Germany, his heirs would pay 50 per cent. But fortunately for Lutke, Canada is the only G7 country that doesnt have an estate tax. Were not talking about fiscally insignificant sums here. At the U.S. tax rate, Lutkes estate would be sending the Canada Revenue Agency a cheque for $4.5 billion (Canadian). According to the Fraser Institute, an average Canadian family pays $35,000 a year in taxes. So what Lutkes estate would pay in taxes in virtually any other G7 country would be the equivalent to what slightly more than 125,000 ordinary Canadian households pay every year in income tax. If handing wealthy heirs the equivalent of 125,000 tax returns sounds unfair, you may be wondering how that can happen under a Liberal government that claims it wants to close the wealth gap in the Canadian economy. Perhaps because both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Bill Morneau, his finance minister until this week, inherited fortunes tax-free and Im sure they intend for their children to do the same. Of course, the absence of an inheritance tax is only one of several avenues that the elite have at their disposal to lighten their tax burden. The capital gains tax is another. And its distributional impact is huge. Two and a half years ago I wrote a paper for the Centre for International Governance Innovation (Has Globalization Left Canadian Workers Behind?) analyzing, among other things, the distribution of Canadian household income both on a pre-tax and after-tax basis. It will probably come as no surprise to anyone that I found that the top quintile of Canadian households recorded far and away the largest income gains, and that within that group the top one per cent cent recorded the greatest increase. What startled me was the finding that the after-tax incomes of Canadas richest households had grown even faster than their pre-tax incomes. Everyone knows the rich are getting richer. What is not as well known is that since 1990 the tax burden on Canadas richest households had been steadily falling. You might wonder how that could happen in a country with a progressive income tax system, where the proportion of income that you pay in taxes rises steadily as your income increases. In most provinces the combined federal-provincial marginal tax rate is at least 50 per cent for top income taxpayers. The answer is, the wealthy dont earn their money from wages. Particularly during the longest-running bull market in history. Tobias Lutke didnt make his billions at Shopify from what he earned on his monthly paycheque. Instead, he made it through his ownership of just under 6.9 million Class B shares (each with a voting power equal to 10 times that of Class A shares), as well as 125,000 Class A shares. From a taxation perspective, that is capital gains, not wage income, and he must pay tax on those gains only when the shares are sold. Even then, those capital gains are taxed very differently from wage income. Only half of capital gains are taxable. In Lutkes case, that means billions of dollars of capital gains will go untaxed when he sells his shares. In other words, if you are wealthy enough to make millions or billions on your investments, the government is willing to give you a huge tax break in the name of promoting risk-taking. But if you are a middle-class Canadian struggling to pay the mortgage and put away a little for the kids education, every cent of wage income that you earn is taxed. Thats how progressive Canadas tax system really is. Maybe its time to level the field and consider taxing capital gains in the same way wages are taxed. Thats how the rich get richer. So what do they do with all that money? The ultimate tax play for Canadas elite is to stash their billions away in tax havens like Panama. Globally a staggering $8.7 trillion (U.S.) was stashed away in offshore accounts in 2015, equal to more than 10 per cent of all household wealth in the world. Some of that money was parked offshore by wealthy Canadians. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, some $3 billion (Canadian) of annual tax revenue is lost from the untaxed investment income that is generated from the $240.5 billion that wealthy Canadians have squirrelled away in offshore tax shelters. It would be interesting to see who they are. When the confidential files of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca were hacked and subsequently released, the client list contained some eye-popping names. None more so than Deng Jiagui, brother-in-law of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which just goes to show that the elite in communist countries rely on the same tax evasions as the elite in capitalist countries. When the wealthiest households in our economy avoid paying taxes, guess who makes up for the revenue shortfall. You do. That is why there is a growing backlash across OECD countries against how little tax the wealthy actually pay. In the U.S., several candidates who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination proposed huge tax hikes on the rich. For example, Bernie Sanders, in addition to calling for a hike in the top marginal tax rate from todays 37 per cent level to as high as 52 per cent, proposed a near doubling of the inheritance tax rate to 77 per cent on estates worth over $1 billion. Elizabeth Warren went one step further, arguing that Washington shouldnt have to wait for billionaires to die before taxing them. Her proposed wealth tax on households owning more than $50 million (U.S.) in assets would cost Americas billionaires an estimated $85 billion a year. Of course, the party elite made damned sure neither of these candidates got on the ticket. But change is in the air, and we can thank the COVID-19 pandemic and the record deficits that it is leaving in its wake. The federal deficit in Canada is already estimated at a horrendous $343 billion (Canadian), and that sum goes up with every new bailout that Ottawa announces. As a percentage of GDP it will rival the deficits incurred during the Second World War. What direction do you think taxes will be heading in the near future? The question is, who is going to pay them? When it comes to designing trade deals like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the middle class is deemed to be expendable fodder. But when it comes to financing Ottawas deficits, the middle class is always uppermost on the governments mind. Maybe this time around it shouldnt be left entirely to middle-class expendables to pick up the tab. Maybe instead its time for the rich to start to bear some of that burden. (Natural News) California issued its first rolling blackouts in nearly 20 years last week as the states grid operator tried to keep the power system from complete collapse in the midst of a heat wave, and some are pointing out that the situation demonstrates the failures of green energy. The rolling blackouts affected upwards of 2 million Californians. Many of the outages took place in the afternoon, when power demand peaked as people starting turning up their air conditioning at the same time that solar power supplies started slowing down as the sun set. The states three biggest utilities Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric cut off power to homes and businesses for roughly an hour at a time until the close of an emergency declaration, and this was followed by a second outage. On top of that, erratic output from the states wind farms failed to make up the gap. Around a third of the states electricity comes from renewable sources thanks to state law mandates, and these alternatives proved incapable of keeping up during peak power usage. In the past, utilities and grid operators in the state bought extra electricity from other states when it fell short, but the vast size of the heat wave meant that other states were also reaching their limits and had none to spare. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation into the outages seen in the state over the weekend, vowing to uncover the cause. However, Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno, who serves as the Committee on Utilities and Energys Vice Chair, said that the problem can be traced to Californias reduced dependence on natural gas. Speaking to FOX26 News, he said: I have been warning over and over again that the policies coming out of the Democrat-controlled legislature and governors office are creating the conditions for blackouts and brownouts and here we are seeing the evidence. ISO officials warned last year that the shift to less reliable energy sources could lead to shortages Officials from the California Independent System Operator (ISO), who is in charge of managing electric flow in the state, warned last year that electricity shortages could happen during a heat wave because of the shift toward renewable but less reliable sources of energy, such as wind and solar energy. Independent Energy Producers Association CEO Jan Smutny Jones told the Mercury News: Some folks in the environmental community want to shut down all the gas plants. That would be a disaster. Independent System Operator Vice President of Market Quality and State Regulatory Affairs Mark Rothleder said that energy demand tends to surge during heat waves at around 5 in the evening as people return home from work and solar power starts to wane. Newson acknowledged the role of the transition to renewable energy in the problems the state is facing, saying there are gaps in the reliability of power. He said: Our capacity for storage in particular substantially needs to be improved, but I am confident in our capacity to deal with that. A statement by the ISO said the state faced an electricity shortfall of about 1.4 gigawatts on Monday. Around 9 gigawatts of gas generation have been retired in the past five years as the state shifts to renewables, which would have been enough to power 6.8 million homes. The lights may be off, but this is a shining example of what happens when you let liberals run a state. Is it any surprise that residents are now fleeing California in droves? Sources for this article include: WattsUpWithThat.com FoxBusiness.com Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Wednesday he hopes the United States and China will build a "collaborative" relationship amid worsening bilateral relations. "It's obviously a very important relationship, the relationship between the United States and China. China still plays a important role in our supply chain. We also have stores and clubs and e-commerce investment in China," Doug McMillon said in his appearance at Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "It is our hope that these countries will work together, this administration and in years to come, to find ways to have a collaborative relationship," he added. "We want to be able to do business in China. I know a lot of American businesses and farmers and others want to as well." Despite the decrease in unemployment, a slow job growth and further spread of COVID-19 have cast shadows on U.S. recovery pace. Walmart has hired roughly 500,000 people since mid-March, but many of those roles are temporary. McMillon also called on the government to support small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. "A lot of those people lost jobs. They've got to have jobs to go back to. We need Congress to come together to figure out what steps needed to be taken so small businesses are protected," he added. The company has more than 400 stores and clubs in China, and has been building e-commerce operations there since the end of 2010. According to the earnings Walmart shared on Tuesday, the retailer's profit spiked 79 percent in the three months through June as more customers ordered goods online while riding out the COVID-19 pandemic from home. Mumbai, Aug 22 : The Special Investigation Team of the CBI probing the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on Saturday reached the Bandra flat of the actor, where he was found dead on June 14. This was after they paid visit at the Cooper hospital and Bandra Police station and also interrogated the late Bollywood actor's flatmate Siddharth Pithani and cook Neeraj Singh. Different teams of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) SIT are pursuing the probe from multi-angles, sources said. One of the federal probe teams arrived at the Bandra Police station to speak to the police personnel who were on duty on June 14 and visited the flat of the late actor. Another team reached the Cooper hospital where the 34-year-old actor's autopsy was conducted by three doctors. Simultaneously, yet another CBI team brought Sushant's cook Neeraj for questioning at the IAF guesthouse where the federal agency officers are staying. The CBI also questioned Sushant's flatmate Siddharth Pithani. The source said that Pithani is being questioned to put together the chain of events from June 13 that led to the June 14 outcome and lso to find who all were present in the apartment at the time. The CBI will ask Pithani: Who called the keymaker to open the lock of the Sushant room? Who brought down the body of Sushant? Who made a call to the police? On Friday, the CBI questioned Neeraj for over 10 hours, besides Sushant's other staff Dipesh Swanat and his house manager Samuel Miranda were also questioned. Miranda was questioned for over five hours by the CBI. The source further said that the agency will also visit the Mont Blanc apartment in the Bandra area along with the forensic team members and recreate the crime scene. The source said that the photographs and autopsy report will be shared with the forensic team for analysis. On Friday, the federal probe agency also contacted the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to seek medico-legal opinion on the autopsy report of the late actor. An agency source in Mumbai said the CBI will ask for the call detail records of Sushant, his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and others. The CBI and CFSL teams reached Mumbai on Thursday evening and were exempted from the mandatory quarantine by the BMC. On August 6, after a recommendation by the Bihar government, the CBI had taken over the probe from Bihar Police on the orders of the central government following an FIR lodged by the deceased's father at Patna's Rajiv Nagar police station. The case was registered against Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit, mother Sandhya, brother Showik, Sushant's ex-manager Shruti Modi and flatmate Samuel Miranda and unknown persons on the basis of K.K. Singh's complaint that was filed on July 25. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is lso probing a money laundering angle into the death since July 31. On Friday, the ED recorded the statement of his sister Priyanka Singh in Delhi. Earlier the financial probe agency had recorded the statement of Sushant's father, another sister Meetu Singh, besides Rhea, Showik, Indrajit, Miranda, Shruti Modi, Pithani, Rumi Jafry and several others. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Rodger LaPelle (on the right) makes a point in conversation with artist Joe Naujokas at the LaPelle Gallery. Read more When longtime Old City gallery owner Rodger LaPelle died in June, at the age of 83, his old friend filmmaker David Lynch was deeply pained. I love the guy, and I am so sorry hes gone, Lynch said recently by telephone from his Los Angeles studio. He was a saint to the artists. LaPelles gallery on North Third Street closed more than a year ago, and the building has been sold one more closure in a lengthening line of closings that has eroded Old Citys identity as the citys art district. Galleries surely remain Larry Becker, Pentimenti, and Stanek galleries on North Second Street, F.A.N. Gallery on Arch Street, to name a few. But many of the longest-running galleries have shuttered, such as Rosenfeld Gallery, Gallery Joe, and Snyderman-Works, and design showrooms and boutiques have been moving in. What this means for the future of Old City remains to be seen, particularly as the coronavirus pandemic has forced many galleries to go virtual and small retail establishments are struggling. LaPelle and his wife and business partner, Christine McGinnis, were among the first to move into the neighborhood. Both attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in the early 1960s and had been running a gallery near Rittenhouse Square. McGinnis died last year at 82. LaPelle turned out abstract canvases his entire life, maintaining that the gallery made it possible to exhibit his own work. But, as he told another painter, if you want to do abstraction, go to New York or California. Philadelphia is not the place. He didnt take his own advice. In 1985, LaPelle and McGinnis, who made very salable animal prints, in addition to more serious work, bought a huge, five-story building at 122 N. Third St. and set up shop on the first floor. LaPelle already represented a number of artists, many of them former PAFA students. He prowled through the annual student exhibitions at PAFA ,and with a sharp eye, picked up many works at rock-bottom prices. Painter Fred Danziger recalls another LaPelle approach to acquiring art of promise. He put me on salary, Danziger recalled. He was paying me $100 a week, and I gave him all of my work. He had a bunch of clients including Joe Frazier, the boxer. Yeah. So that was how I got started with Rodger, and then when he opened the gallery, I was one of his first artists. LaPelle used a variation of this approach on Lynch, whose work he discovered at PAFA. Rodger helped me at a time when I really need his help, Lynch recalled. Lynch went to work for LaPelle and McGinnis making prints in the old Germantown carriage house they owned. I was hired as a printer along with Christines mother who wed called Flash, that was her nickname and Flash and I would print all day long. I was totally broke ... and during that time I worked for Rodger, I got an independent filmmakers grant from the American Film Institute. And I made a film called The Grandmother, and Flash was the grandmother. ... Everything was just synchronicity, Lynch said. It was so beautiful. Rodger would pay me to paint on the weekends. So Id paint, hed give me 25 bucks for Saturday or Sunday. And he keeps the painting, so Rodger got a lot of my work for a little money. But he supported me and that was the main thing. When Lynch moved to L.A., LaPelle would send him paper and pencils and tell him to draw. I would do it, Lynch said. I would do a drawing for him, hed pay me for it, and Id send it to him. And so he collected things and sold things of mine that way. This was during my first feature film, Eraserhead, right? And then after that, I started making some money and he didnt have to help me anymore. The main character of Eraserhead works at the LaPelle printing plant. Lynchs experience is not singular. LaPelle was always on the lookout for younger artists, particularly younger artists associated with PAFA, long a bastion of figurative work. LaPelle was devoted to PAFA (which reopens Sept. 12), serving for many years as president of the Academy Fellowship, the schools unofficial alumni organization. He was absolutely instrumental in supporting the academy, said painter and filmmaker John Thornton. He would always go to the student shows looking for talented students. He would put them in new talent shows. He was really supportive of artists. The painter Kathleen Shaver, who attended the Moore College of Art and Design and PAFA, remembers her anxiety about dropping a painting off for the PAFA student exhibition in the mid-1980s. I was like, Oh my God, look at all these incredible paintings. Why am I here? she remembered. But I left my painting. What was I going to do? She won a prize. LaPelle telephoned her. He asked about my work, and I was really self-deprecating, Shaver said. I was like, Well, you know, I dont have enough. I only have a few pieces and I dont think youd be interested in them. He said, No, no, Id like to see them. I want you to bring them over to the gallery. Eventually, she trooped over to North Third Street. LaPelle looked at her work and took three pieces, which he promptly sold. And we were off to the races after that, Shaver said. I just kept painting, and he kept selling everything that I did about 180 of 200 paintings. I would not call myself an artist today if it wasnt for Rodger, because I had no confidence. In the 1990s, when Old City was swarming with people on the first Friday of every month the evening all the galleries scheduled exhibition openings and late hours the LaPelle Gallery was always a focal point of attention. Long and brightly lit, the gallery featured a large table surrounded by cheap white plastic chairs. LaPelle, lanky and often cryptically taciturn, would sit at the table with McGinnis, her hair so blond it would shine. Painter Ben Kamihira would stop by and talk. Danziger was often there. Artists from all over dropped by. He had this kind of deadpan sense of humor, recalled Thornton, adding that LaPelle liked to wear a duck-billed seed-company hat like he was some tractor-driving farmer. I found it very funny but also very much in tune with his personality. Former gallery owner Rick Snyderman, who retired about three years ago, recalled that he wanted to send an artist to LaPelle but had difficulty locating a gallery telephone number. After finding the number, he called LaPelle to tell him about the problem. I had a great deal of difficulty locating a way of contacting you, Snyderman told LaPelle. And he paused, and he says, Yes, were very discreet here. I really appreciated him when I opened my gallery in 1991, said Fraidoon Al-Nakib, universally known as Fred, owner of F.A.N. Gallery around the corner on Arch Street. He was really very kind to me. He was different. He was unique, I think, but in a good way, in a good way. How this ISIS operative from Mangaluru lured her victims and converted them to Islam ISIS operative concealed IED in pressure cooker, planned lone wolf attack in Delhi India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 22: The suspected ISIS operative arrested by the Delhi Police had planned on carry out a lone wolf attack. Delhi terror encounter: Suspected ISIS terrorist arrested, NSG conducts search | Oneindia News He had conducted a reconnaissance of several places in and around the National Capital. He was planning a lone wolf strike, the source also said. ISIS operative with IEDs arrested after encounter with Delhi Police The operative identified as Abdul Yusuf Khan alias Abu Yusuf was nabbed following an encounter with the Delhi Police. He is a resident of Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. Deputy Commissioner Pramod Singh Kushwaha said that the operatives was arrested with Improvised Explosive Devices by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. He said that the arrest took place following an exchange of fire at Dhaula Kuan. Kushwaha also said that there was an exchange of fire after which he was arrested. He was a lone wolf who planned an attack in the National Capital. A pistol and two IEDs have been recovered from him. The police had received information about his movement in the ridge area between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh. Following this a trap was laid to nab him. The operative was on a bike when he was intercepted. It was found that he had the IED in a pressure cooker. Following the incident search operations were carried out in several locations of Delhi. The National Security Guard (NSG) Commandos and the Bomb Disposal Squad who will analyse the IED have been deployed in the Buddha Jayanti Park in the Ridge Road area. Sniffer dogs also continue to keep a tight vigil in the area. The suspect has been taken to the Special Cell office at Lodhi Colony, where he is currently being questioned. Following the incident, a high alert has been sounded in UP and the police have been instructed to remain alert. The Delhi Police said that the arrested operative is in his early 30s and appears to be highly radicalised by the ISIS ideology. From his possession we have recovered a 30 bore pistol, 4 live cartridges. During the initial round of questioning, he has been providing us with multiple identities and addresses. He will be booked under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Delhi Police also said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 16:08:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over a meeting held by the Chairperson's Council of the CPPCC National Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), on Friday held a Chairperson's Council meeting in Beijing to adopt two sets of guidelines on the work of the CPPCC. The meeting adopted the guidelines on improving the CPPCC's work on building consensus and the guidelines on organizing research into major strategic issues by the CPPCC National Committee. The meeting also heard an evaluation report about the CPPCC National Committee's work concerning consultation and deliberation in 2019. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the meeting. Calling strengthening theoretical and political guidance and building broad consensus the major tasks of the CPPCC in the new era, Wang called for efforts to improve the working mechanisms in this regard to better communicate the Party's propositions. He stressed making good use of the CPPCC talent pool to conduct research on major strategic issues, so as to better serve the modernization of the country's system and capacity for governance. Wang also demanded effective evaluation of consultation and deliberation to improve the CPPCC's work. Enditem An earlier version of this story misidentified the radioactive substance used to poison former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. It was polonium-210, not plutonium-210. The founder of the activist group that arranged a medical evacuation for Alexey Navalny has called his condition very worrying as a hospital in Germany started the Russian opposition politicians treatment with extensive diagnostic tests following his arrival in Berlin on Saturday. An air ambulance carrying Navalny coming from the Siberian city of Omsk, chartered by the German NGO Cinema for Peace, touched down at 8:47am local time (06:47 GMT) at the military wing of Berlins Tegel airport. His health condition is very worrying, Cinema for Peace founder Jaka Bizilj told reporters outside the hospital. We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk, he would have died. Navalny has been one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP] One of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, Navalny was admitted to an intensive care unit in Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe the tea he drank was laced with poison and the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. After completing the examinations and after consulting the family, the physicians will comment on the disease and further treatment steps. The examinations will take some time, Charite hospital, in the capital Berlin, said in a statement. After German specialists arrived on a plane equipped with advanced medical equipment on Friday morning at his familys behest, Navalnys physicians in Omsk said he was too unstable to be moved to another hospital. Navalnys supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organised the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. The Kremlin denied resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was purely a medical decision. However, the reversal came as international pressure on Russias leadership mounted. The most prominent member of Russias opposition, Navalny campaigned to challenge Putin in the 2018 presidential election but was barred from running. Since then, he has been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of the governing party, United Russia. Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera the suspected poisoning of Navalny was not the first time critics of the Kremlin have been targeted in such a way. He noted the assassination of Russian politician Boris Nemstov in 2015, the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent who died in 2006 after drinking a cup of tea laced with radioactive polonium-210, as well as the case of Sergei Skripal, a Russian spy who spent weeks in critical condition after being poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok in the British city of Salisbury. So clearly, being an outspoken opposition leader or being a corruption fighter or a whistle-blower in Russia is a dangerous business indeed, Cohen said. Navalny was doing a lot of work exposing corruption, including at the highest level and this is what they do to retaliate against their critics. The boss of the country's biggest ATM operator is calling for an urgent overhaul of the way the country's cash machine network is funded so that access to money is maintained nationwide. The plea from Marc Terry, head of Cardtronics, comes as experts examine ways of ensuring cash is not made obsolete by the rise of contactless payments and the closure of bank branches and ATMs. Cardtronics operates 17,500 cash machines, but is being prevented from expanding its network by the refusal of banks to pay a 'fair' fee when their customers use one of its ATMs. This is known as the 'interchange' fee and it has been cut in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for providers such as Cardtronics and NoteMachine to survive. Overhaul: Cardtronics has been forced to cull its ATM network from a high of 22,000 while making half of its machines fee charging rather than free-to-use Cardtronics has been forced to cull its ATM network from a high of 22,000 while making half of its machines fee charging rather than free-to-use. Terry believes that for consumers to continue to be offered payment choice, the interchange fee should be increased. He says: 'There is a massive anti-cash campaign going on orchestrated by the banks and we need to fight back. 'I am pro choice and that means a nationwide ATM network spread across towns, urban and metropolitan areas. That can only happen with a higher interchange fee.' In 2018, the fee Cardtronics received from banks whose customers used its machines was cut from 28.3p to 25.9p. A recent study by consultants KPMG suggested that the charge should be increased to just above 29p. But it has not been acted upon by Link, which oversees the fees system. Terry would also like to see the greater use of 'zonal' pricing, with these fees varying according to an ATM's location. So cash machine operators in cities would be paid a much lower fee than those running them in rural areas. Such pricing variation does currently exist, but not to the extent that Cardtronics would like. The Government has promised to legislate to ensure guaranteed free access to money. Cash czar Natalie Ceeney is overseeing a number of pilot schemes designed to keep money on the high street. Link says: 'It should not be down to banks and commercial ATM companies to decide whether a community gets free cash access, which is the position today.' The streets of Nottingham were today overrun with a pro-veterans rally and clashing Antifa activists parading through the city centre. Giant crowds ignored social-distancing guidelines as they filled Old Market Square with banners claiming 'Antifa protect pedos' and 'God bless Donald Trump'. And one man was found holding a flag promoting the Werwolf Resistance - an alleged Neo Nazi group in the UK which named themselves after a Nazi campaign during WWI. Opposing protesters held signs saying: 'Anti-fascists support Black Lives Matter.' A large number of police officers were called in to manage the protest and members of the public were advised to stay away from the city centre. One man was found holding a flag promoting the Werwolf Resistance - an alleged Neo Nazi group in the UK which named themselves after a Nazi campaign during WWI Giant crowds ignored social-distancing guidelines as they filled Old Market Square with banners claiming 'Antifa protect pedos' and 'God bless Donald Trump' Two main streets, Queen Street and King Street, were closed for the duration of the protests. A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said that there were some minor disruptions which were dealt with quickly but no arrests were made and the protest went smoothly. Police said it was unclear exactly what the pro-veterans group were protesting for and their messages were quite diverse. According to Nottinghamshire Live, one of the groups posted a video saying their aim was to highlight 'veterans and children and to bring awareness of the plight of veterans'. Two main Nottingham streets, Queen Street and King Street, were closed for the duration of the protests And Liam Conway, from Nottingham and Mansfield Trades Union Council, which was part of a separate protest in Market Square, said: 'We stand for an inclusive society'. Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen said that there were concerns that people with far-right views may attend the protests today after suggestions were made on social media that a far-right group called British Street Commandos had organised the event. In a statement he wrote: 'Racism is not welcome in Nottingham and we would encourage anyone planning to travel here with such views not to come to our city.' He went on to encourage attendees to respect social distancing and wear a face mask. A large number of police officers were called in to manage the protest and members of the public were advised to stay away from the city centre In a lengthy statement to the public he wrote: 'If you're visiting Nottingham city centre today to support local businesses, we want to make you aware of protests that are due to take place so you can plan ahead. 'The council is working with Nottingham Police to manage any disruption the protests may cause. 'Queen Street and King Street will be closed to traffic from 9am which will mean buses with stops there will pick up and drop off on Parliament Street instead. 'The closure will be lifted as soon as possible after the protests. There are concerns that people with far right views may decide to become involved in the protests. Racism is not welcome in Nottingham and we would encourage anyone planning to travel here with such views not to come to our city. 'We urge all protesters and counter protesters to act responsibly during the current pandemic by making sure they socially distance and wear a face covering.' Local businesses also experienced a loss in trade. Police said it was unclear exactly what the pro-veterans group were protesting for and their messages were quite diverse Steve Hadgi, assistant general manager for the Alchemist had a swarm of protesters right outside his business blocking the doors for anyone to come in. He told Nottinghamshire Live: 'It is not something we particularly agree with as a company. It has affected trade a bit. We were made aware of it on Wednesday. It was such a volatile development. 'When there is a demonstration they always come to speakers corner. While this was going on we only let [those who had] pre-booked into the venue and kept our staff and guests safe.' Businesses have been warned to beware of some "predatory" cleaning companies that have been spruiking their services to cafes, churches and pharmacies after they were publicly identified as COVID-19 hot spots. Wes Lambert, who heads the Restaurant & Catering Industry Association, said it was appalling that any cleaning company would trade on fear around COVID-19 infection. "It is abhorrent, it's a terrible situation if cleaning companies are trying to take advantage of fear around consumers and around COVID by spreading false or misleading information that only cleaning companies are qualified to deep clean a business to make it COVID safe," he said. Charles Cameron owner of Matinee Coffee had to deep clean the cafe after a patron tested positive to COVID-19. Credit:Rhett Wyman "Businesses are able to do the deep clean on their own. They are not required to use third-party cleaning companies and should never be made to feel they are required to do so." President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has inspected the 60-bed district health facility in Twifo Praso in the Central Region. He lauded Euroget De-Invest company, an Egyptian investment, for the quality of work done on the almost completed Twifo Praso district hospital. During a tour of the facility as part of his working visit to the Central Region, President Akufo-Addo said the health facility "will deliver the best of care in modern medicine''. The President was happy that Twifo Praso is receiving its fair share of the national cake. He assured the government will speed up processes to staff the hospital in good time in order to begin providing services to the people. The hospital, when completed, will have a mini market, laundry services, kitchen services, a dining hall, and a housing block for lactating mothers. All these are part of the standard complementary facilities that include two high-tech power plants to ensure uninterrupted power supply, an ambulance station for emergency services, treatment plants for sewerage and medical waste, and a water treatment and supply system. The engineer of the project, Mr. Ahmed Aly also noted the project consists of about 26 buildings and its about 93% completed. Health minister, Mr. Kweku Agyeman Manu, who took the President for the inspection, said the project will be completed by the end of September and the commissioning will take place in October this year. Source: Sally Ngissah/Peace News 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 UN Refugee Agency Urges Myanmar Actions to Solve 3-Year-Old Rohingya Refugee Crisis By Richard Finney 2020-08-21 -- Myanmar must address citizenship policies and other barriers to the return of ethnic Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh three years ago to escape a deadly military crackdown on the Muslim minority, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said in a statement on Friday. "Three years on from the latest exodus of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar and sought sanctuary in Bangladesh from August 2017 onwards, challenges persist and continue to evolve," UNHCR said, noting that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic "has added additional complexities." "The international community must not only maintain support for refugees and their host communities, but adapt to critical needs and expand the search for solutions," the refugee agency said. More than 740,000 Rohingya fled to southeastern Bangladesh from Myanmar after government security forces launched a brutal crackdown in August 2017 in the wake of deadly attacks by Rohingya insurgents on police and army posts in Rakhine state. Various U.N. and international agencies and NGOs describe the campaign as ethnic cleansing, if not genocidal, and top Myanmar military figures have faced Western sanctions and war crimes charges in international courts. In a precursor to the big exodus from the scorched-earth military campaign three years ago on Aug. 25, about 100,000 Rohingya also fled to Bangladesh after an army campaign in 2016. Since then, over 860,000 Rohingya have been individually registered by UNHCR and the Bangladesh government as refugees in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar refugee settlements alone, UNHCR said, adding that "Bangladesh has demonstrated a profound humanitarian commitment to Rohingya refugees," ensuring their protection and extending humanitarian support. Repatriation efforts fail Myanmar and Bangladesh have tried twice to repatriate Rohingya refugees who fled during the 2017 crackdown, but their efforts failed after no one showed up at the border for re-entry processing. Rohingya refugees said they feared for their safety and didn't see citizenship policy changes that would entice them back. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group in majority-Buddhist Myanmar, have long struggled against discrimination, being widely viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh though many have lived in Myanmar for generations under ancient kingdoms in lands later conquered by the Burmese and which became part of the British Empire in the 19th century. After the former Burma's independence from Britain in 1948, Rohingya received National Registration Cards issued by the government that carried provided full citizenship rights. But in 1982, Myanmar enacted a Citizenship Law that decreed that only members of the "national races" seen as having settled in Myanmar prior to beginning of British colonial rule in 1824 were entitled to citizenship. The Rohingya were not included among the 135 official ethnic groups and were suddenly excluded from full citizenship. "Ultimately, the solution to the plight of the Rohingya lies in Myanmar," UNHCR said, urging Myanmar's full compliance with recommendations made by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, "to which the government of Myanmar has committed." Following a year-long review of ethnic strife in the western Myanmar state, the nine-member Commission led by late former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called in August 2017 for a review of Rohingya citizenship rights, equality before the law, freedom of movement, and improved conditions in Rakhine allowing Rohingya to return. "Creating conditions that are conducive to the Rohingya people's safe and sustainable return will require whole of society engagement, resuming and enhancing the dialogue between the Myanmar authorities and Rohingya refugees," UNHCR said. Conditions not conducive to return Conditions have not been conducive for a return to Rakhine State, which has since early 2019 become embroiled in a war between the ethnic Rakhine-based Arakan Army and the national army that has created 200,000 more internal refugees. The state, a mix of river delta and hilly farmland the size of the Netherlands or the U.S. state of Maryland with a population of 3.2 million, has been scarred by sectarian violence between 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 region around the state capital, Sittwe. A fire on Friday in Ohndawgyi camp, one of the three largest Rohingya camps near Sittwe, destroyed more than 70 homes, according to Ba Sein, a Rohingya resident in the camp. The fire started from a home that was selling fuel, and burned for three hours, he said. 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 The month of August saw Africa making a bold step to break a historic barrier that militated against its progress and the development of its people. At the centre of this milestone is Ghanas President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He is a strong believer of history and I realised these traits in him due to the nature of projects his government implements. Role of Ghana in the struggle It is worthy to indicate that Ghana, being the first sub-Sahara Africa nation to attain self-rule some 63-years ago, played a pivotal role in the liberation struggles of other sister countries within the continent, including a pioneering role in the formation of the Organisation of Africa Unity (OAU) which has morphed into Africa Union Commission today. The political freedom across many countries in the continent did not translate much into economic progress and transformation for the development of the continents member-states. Conflicts, underdevelopment, high illiteracy, staggering poverty and unemployment bedevil the predominantly youth and budding population. The leaders of the continent set development targets way beyond their constitutional limits, mostly to avoid being accountable. Aside shifting opportunities and advantages available to the youth and state economies to the outside world, the leaders also failed to realistically diagnose the problems of the continent and develop home grown solutions to spur economic development. At the inauguration of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area office, the Africa Union leadership, together with frontline trade and investment actors within the continent confirmed Accra, Ghanas capital as the headquarters of AfCFTA Secretariat. This is after President Akufo-Addo handed-over AfCFTA Secretariat Building to Moussa Faki, African Union Commission Chair. The work of Ghana government in the smooth transition of the interim Secretariat of the AfCFTA from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the permanent Secretariat in Accra, is an indication of Ghanas desire to trail the blaze of Africas new moves to economic liberation. In 2018, when the idea of Africa Continental Free Trade was discussed in Kigali by the Africa Union member states, I do remember a colleague of mine doubting the realisation of the dream in view of his frustration of the continents leaders inability to proffer any practicable and actionable solutions to our problems. President Akufo-Addo, supported by his ministers for foreign affairs and trade and industry, demonstrated real leadership and their avowed faith in the strength of intra-Africa trade and investment as the cardinal pillars in the continents economic transformation drive. From January 2021, there is going to be a shift in how trade is done in Africa. Member states of AU who have not join the train must all work to ratify the agreement as quickly as possible to pave way for this important new trade relations, since COVID 19 pandemic, with its attendant challenges of disruptions, has underscored the urgency for such free continental trade relations among sister nations in Africa. It is time to harness and leverage on Africas 1.2 billion market, which ultimately could be the biggest trading and market block globally. It has a combined GDP of $3 trillion that could connect the continent as never before in our history. It is tragic to note that aside the low trading links among AU member countries which currently stands below 17 per cent, most of our routes connecting the continents major capital cities are inaccessible. Sometimes travelers ought to cross over other continents before they could access other cities within the continent. Consequently, one wonders without integration, how the continent can overcome its myriads of challenges. The agreement would discourage the fragmented member states markets and create a single market which leads to economies of scale and crown the 54-member AU block as the single largest market platform in the world. Growth of small and medium businesses would triple and increase in opportunities for regional value chains and cross border investments. Economic diversification and industrialization would be amply promoted which will attract real and valuable direct foreign investment into the continent. Therefore, these strategic trade relations among member states of the AU with potential of $35billion annual increase in intra-trade would boost rapid economic growth and provide the youth of the continent with abundance of opportunities to give meaning to the dream of United States of Africa. National governments of AU member states must now begin to show greater interest in aligning their nations developmental priorities and programmes to fit into this laudable opportunity by investing in the right growth poles and infrastructure like energy, agriculture, transport and ICT to provide the impetus to rake in the AfCFTA opportunities. Undoubtedly, healthy and friendly environmental regimes conducive for rapid private sector growth and active participation would be the key to facilitating the constant patronage of AfCFTA. It will also bolster the continents resilience to outside trade manipulation and support collective desire to break the trade and economic barriers that reduce the value of our political freedom from imperialists control. President, being a strong advocate of Pan African ideals, deserves our support and commendation for using our country to promote the ideals of continental trade integration and unity to fight the endemic poverty in Africa and unleash opportunities for the continents people, especially the unemployed youth. January 2021 will be a turning point for Africa as AfCFTA comes into effect. The writer is a development management specialist and executive chairman of Northern Development and Democratic Institute (NDDI) Ghana, in Tamale, member of the Board of four private corporate bodies that serve as the external relations advisor to the King & Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The development will add to the accommodation at Dartry An Bord Pleanala has given the green light for 358 student bed spaces at Trinity Hall, despite neighbours' complaints about alleged late night drunken behaviour by students. The appeals board granted planning permission to Trinity College Dublin (TCD) for a large extension of student accommodation at Trinity Hall, Dartry, in a number of blocks rising to seven storeys. There are already 995 bed spaces on site, and the proposal will increase the number to 1,283. DEMAND The college aims to start building the project next year, despite the impact of Covid-19 on the third-level sector. "Demand for student accommodation is forecast to remain strong and this development will add to Trinity's stock of affordable student accommodation when completed," a TCD spokesperson said. "Construction work could start in 2021, with construction completion in 2023." The plan faced strong opposition from local residents, who allege that drunken students leaving the existing residence urinate, vomit, scream and shout. However, board inspector Lorraine Dockery said "many of the matters raised in relation to anti-social behaviour, disruption, littering with in the public realm are a matter for An Garda Siochana, outside the remit of this planning application". Meanwhile, a 79m development to build 360 homes on the outskirts of Blessing- ton, Co Wicklow, has been refused planning permission as it would have meant too much of a population explosion for the town. An Bord Pleanala rejected the application by Bray-based development company, Windlynn, for a seven-year permiss- ion to build 330 houses and 30 apartments as well as a creche at Kilmalum Road under the fast-track planning application process for strategic housing developments. The 12-hectare site lies mostly within the administrative area of Kildare County Council, about 1km from the centre of Blessington. The board said it had taken into consideration that the Kildare County Development Plan only provided for a target of 60 new housing units in its administrative area near Blessington up to 2023, as well as the site's location on the periphery of the town. Windlynn originally wanted to build 266 units on the site, but revised its plans as a result of a pre-application consultation with planning officials. Outlining its ruling, An Bord Pleanala said the plans ran contrary to national and regional planning policies. The National Department of Health (NDoH), in partnership with the Praekelt.org Foundation and BCX, recently launched the COVIDConnect contact tracing solution. The service offers responses to COVID-19-related queries about symptoms, preventative measures, testing, and more. Aside from the NDoH, a version of the original information service was also adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The new contact tracing element on the South African platform allows a user to declare the details of persons which they may have come into contact with, in the event that the user has tested positive for COVID-19. Users can provide the names and phone numbers of these individuals, which will generate an automated SMS to notify them of possible exposure. Several concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of the platform and how it protects the privacy of its users and the contacts that they can submit. MyBroadband contacted the Praekelt Foundation regarding these concerns. The company also provided us with feedback from Dr Kerrigan McCarthy, a specialist pathologist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in the division of public health surveillance and the NICD representative and technical support on COVIDConnect. Praekelts role Praekelt explained exactly which parts of the COVIDConnect system it was responsible for. Praekelt.org are involved in the citizen self-screening/risk assessment part of COVIDConnect as well as the informational service on WhatsApp and USSD, it stated. In addition, we now offer the ability for citizens who have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to do a risk assessment as a part of the additional functionality launched by the NDoH on Friday 17 July, the Foundation said. The part of the COVIDConnect system that provides test results or gathers contact information of close contacts is not operated by Praekelt, however, but is handled by the NDoH. Causing paranoia One issue with the solution is that COVIDConnect users can accidentally or maliciously provide incorrect details for their declared contacts, which could result in the wrong persons being notified of possible exposure. Praekelt acknowledged that this was possible, but noted this was also the case for manual contact tracing. It is important to note that the manual contact tracing efforts could also be vulnerable to this as contacts provided on forms could likewise be declared incorrectly either intentionally or accidentally, Praekelt stated. McCarthy pointed out that users may also omit disclosing certain contacts on COVIDConnect, which is why the platform cannot function on its own. COVIDConnect is just one part of a contact tracing strategy, and should be implemented together with other systems that support contact tracing, McCarthy stated. Another concern was that users could receive their tests results on the platform while their phone was exposed to other people. Praekelt said that this was not the case, however, and that users have control over when and where they view their test results. The message that a person who has tested for COVID-19 receives about their test result does not include the test result itself, only a notification that their test result is available, the organisation explained. The person would need to respond with their date of birth to actively retrieve the result in order to be able to get an indication of the test result. This means that they would be able to check the results of their COVID-19 test in a private environment at their convenience. Additionally, the name of the positively-tested person is not disclosed in the SMSs notifying the declared contacts of possible exposure to COVID-19. Receiving results from a bot Certain concerns have also been raised around the ethical sensitivity of having a digital system inform a person of a positive test result, or notifying contacts of possible exposure. McCarthy said that disclosure of results by a trained medical professional was always the better option. However, realistically, and because of the pace and volume of the COVID pandemic, this is not always possible. What is important is that people who are in need of clinical care know-how and where to obtain assistance, she noted. McCarthy said this allows persons who have severe COVID-19 illness to be admitted and to receive their results in person. Those who have milder illness and are not admitted now have the option to receive the results from COVIDConnect. This significantly reduces the turn-around time to receive the results, she added. Further, COVIDConnect serves a dual function by providing results along with links to resources and the opportunity for the patient to self-monitor their clinical condition. In addition, patients can also inform their contacts anonymously, Thus, COVIDConnect is an ethical and supportive response to support an overburdened health care system, whilst simultaneously empowering patients, McCarthy reiterated. Security of data Regarding the protection of data users provide via the platform, Praekelt stated that all responses to questions asked through COVIDConnect are stored safely. From a technical perspective, key components of the security measures in place include encryption of data when transferred between systems in compliance with the OpenPGP standard, Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and Public key infrastructure (PKI) to secure end-to-end Web API communications and role-based access to the system by Health Workers with unique logins and complex passwords, the organisation said. The portion of data relating to tests and contact tracing is sent to a database for which access is controlled by the National Department of Health. McCarthy explained that this database receives laboratory results, including patient demographics and contact details from the NICD. It also gets the health status and contact information from patients and their contacts. This database can then be accessed by designated district health contact tracing team members who have password-protected access to the system, on authority from their line manager. This allows them to visualise the geographical location of cases and their nominated contacts, as well as data pertaining to their health status, clinical stage of illness and health risks. This allows the contact tracing team to manipulate this data to support operational requirements for manual contact tracing, McCarthy said. So for example, if persons do not respond to the SMS sent to them, inviting engagement, the district health team can personally make a call or undertake a home visit, she added. Dublin, Aug. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Polyisobutylene Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Molecular Weight; Product; Application; End-Use Industry and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global Polyisobutylene (PIB) market was valued at US$ 2, 580.78 million in 2018 and is projected to reach US$ 3, 847.01 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period 2019-2027. The world-wide changes in construction industry associated with the use of material are changing faster than ever before. Urbanization is considered one of the international megatrends, shaking up the construction industry. The population of the global urban zones is rising by 200, 000 people per day, all of whom need reasonably priced housing, transportation, as well as social and utility infrastructure. In such challenges, the construction industry is practically under a moral compulsion to transform. Its transformation is impacting elsewhere on the wider society, by reducing construction costs and by enlightening the use of scarce materials or by making buildings more eco-efficient and boosting economic development and by narrowing the global infrastructure gap. Utilization of polyisobutylene owes to demand for material with high melt flow rates, greater elongation, and enhanced impact strength. Increasing infrastructure demand in the evolving economies of the Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific on account of developing road infrastructure, increase in per capita ownership of houses and rising spending capacity are expected to affect the construction sector in the region, which in turn will drive the demand for polyisobutylene. Based on product, the polyisobutylene (PIB) market is categorized into conventional PIB and highly reactive PIB. As different types of polyisobutylene are widely used by the various end-use industries, it is gaining popularity across the world. Conventional molecular weights polyisobutylene (PIB) is basically a liquid polymer, comes in water white color, chemically stable, available with a wide range of viscosities, offers great dielectric properties, and resistant to oxidation through light and fluctuating temperatures. Highly reactive polyisobutylene is an important intermediate used for the manufacture of high-performance fuel & lubricant additives, including fuel detergents or dispersants for engine oils, additives for sludge prevention. COVID-19 from the outset started in Wuhan (China) in December 2019 and has spread across the globe at an energetic pace. China, Italy, Iran, Spain, the Republic of Korea, France, Germany, and the US are among the most affected nations as per the degree affirmed cases and pronounced passing's as of April 2020.According to WHO, there are ~8, 137, 110 affirmed cases and 439, 577deaths worldwide. COVID-19 has affected economies and undertakings due to lockdowns, travel bans, and business shutdowns. The global polyisobutylene (PIB)industry is one of the major business enduring genuine agitating impacts, for example, creation composes breaks, breaks in storing up because of lockdown and office shutdowns because of this outbreak. These segments have unimaginably affected the worldwide polyisobutylene (PIB) market. BASF SE, Braskem SA, Daelim Industrial Petrochemical Division, Ineos AG, Infineum International Limited, Kemat Polybutenes, Kothari Petrochemicals, Sibur Holding PJSC, The Lubrizol Corporation, TPC Group are among the key market players present in the global polyisobutylene (PIB) market. Reasons to Buy Highlights key business priorities to assist companies realign their business strategies. Features key findings and crucial progressive industry trends in the global polyisobutylene market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long-term strategies. Develops/modifies business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering from developed and emerging markets. Scrutinizes in-depth market trends as well as key market drivers and restraints. Enhances the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation, and industry verticals. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Scope of the Study 3.2 Research Methodology 3.2.1 Data Collection: 3.2.2 Primary Interviews: 3.2.3 Hypothesis formulation: 3.2.4 Macro-economic factor analysis: 3.2.5 Developing base number: 3.2.6 Data Triangulation: 3.2.7 Country level data: 4. Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 PEST Analysis 4.2.1 North America 4.2.2 Europe 4.2.3 APAC 4.2.4 MEA 4.2.5 SAM 4.3 Expert Opinion 5. Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market -Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Automotive Industry to Boost the Market Growth 5.1.2 Growing Demand for Polyisobutylene from Construction Industry 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Environmental impact and presence of alternatives/substitutes to hamper the market growth 5.3 Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Growing Demand for PIB From Developed and Developing Economies 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Growing Demand For Polyisobutylene in Food Industry 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. Polyisobutylene (PIB)- Global Market Analysis 6.1 Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Overview 6.2 Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 6.3 Competitive Positioning: Key Market Players 7. Global Polyisobutylene Market Analysis - By Molecular Weight 7.1 Overview 7.2 Polyisobutylene Market Breakdown, By Molecular Weight, 2018 &2027 7.3 Low Molecular Weight 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Low Molecular Weight in Polyisobutylene Market, Revenue Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 7.4 Medium Molecular Weight 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 Medium Molecular Weight in Polyisobutylene Market, Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 7.5 High Molecular Weight 7.5.1 Overview 7.5.2 High Molecular Weight in Polyisobutylene Market, Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 8. Global Polyisobutylene Market Analysis - By Product 8.1 Overview 8.2 Global Polyisobutylene Market Breakdown, By Product, 2018 &2027 8.3 Conventional PIB 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Global Polyisobutylene Market Revenue Via Conventional PIB Revenue and Forecast, to 2027 (US$ Mn) 8.4 Highly Reactive PIB 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Global Polyisobutylene Market Revenue Via Highly Reactive PIB Revenue and Forecast, to 2027 (US$ Mn) 9. Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Analysis - By Application 9.1 Overview 9.2 Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Share, by Application, 2019 and 2027 (%) 9.3 Tires 9.3.1 Overview 9.3.2 Tires: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 9.3.3 Industrial Lubes and Lube Additives 9.3.3.1 Overview 9.3.3.2 Industrial Lubes and Lube Additives -: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 9.3.4 Fuel Additives 9.3.4.1 Overview 9.3.4.2 Fuel Additives -: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 9.3.5 Adhesives and Sealants 9.3.5.1 Overview 9.3.5.2 Adhesives and Sealants -: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 9.3.6 Others 9.3.6.1 Overview 9.3.6.2 Others -: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 10. Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Analysis - By End-Use Industry 10.1 Overview 10.2 Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market Share, by End-Use Industry, 2018 and 2027 (%) 10.3 Industrial 10.3.1 Overview 10.3.2 Industrial: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 10.4 Food 10.4.1 Overview 10.4.2 Food: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 10.5 Others 10.5.1 Overview 10.5.2 Other: Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market- Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Mn) 11. Polyisobutylene Market - Geographic Analysis 11.1 Overview 11.2 North America: Polyisobutylene Market 11.3 Europe: Polyisobutylene Market 11.4 Asia Pacific: Polyisobutylene Market 11.5 MEA: Polyisobutylene Market 11.6 South America: Polyisobutylene Market 12. Overview- Impact of COVID-19 outbreak 13. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Polyisobutylene Market 13.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 13.2 Europe: Impact assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 13.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 13.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 13.5 South America: Impact assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 14. Industry Landscape 14.1 Expansion 14.2 Business Planning and Strategy 15. Polyisobutylene (PIB) Market -Company Profiles 15.1 BASF SE 15.1.1 Key Facts 15.1.2 Business Description 15.1.3 Products and Services 15.1.4 Financial Overview 15.1.5 SWOT Analysis 15.1.6 Key Developments 15.2 Braskem SA 15.3 Daelim Industrial Petrochemical Division 15.4 Ineos AG 15.5 Infineum International Limited 15.6 Kemat Polybutenes 15.7 Kothari Petrochemicals 15.8 Sibur Holding PJSC 15.9 The Lubrizol Corporation 15.10 TPC Group 16. Appendix 16.1 About the Publisher 16.2 Glossary For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fjpnky Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. WASHINGTON>> Joe Biden and fellow Democrats spun an assortment of facts to their benefit in their national convention, omitting inconvenient truths such as Barack Obamas record of aggressive deportations and swift action by a Republican president to save the auto industry more than a decade ago. Meantime President Donald Trump flooded the zone with falsehoods, some so apparent that anyone with access to the internet could see the folly of them at a glance. Witness his reference to New Zealands massive breakout of COVID-19, which does not exist. The virtual, socially distanced Democratic National Convention was unique in history but conventional in this sense: The nominee and his supporters at times exaggerated the good, played down the bad and glossed over important context. But overall the discipline was discernible, as it usually was for the biggest speeches of Republican and Democratic leaders alike before the rise of Trump. Even Biden, a gaffe machine in the old days, displayed that control. The off notes came largely from what Democrats didnt say. A sampling from the past weeks rhetoric as the Republican National Convention prepares to affirm Trump as the 2020 nominee in coming days: IMMIGRATION BARACK OBAMA: We are born of immigrants. That is who we are. Immigration is our origin story. convention video Wednesday celebrating immigration, showing historical scenes and one that appeared to be of Trumps border wall. BARACK OBAMA: I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether theres still a place for him here. convention speech Wednesday. THE FACTS: The facts here are not in dispute. But an omission stands out: Obama aggressively enforced border controls and deported nearly 3 million people. He changed his approach, acting without Congress in 2012 to let people who came to the U.S. illegally as children stay and work legally in the country. Still, that year was Obamas high mark for deportations, more than 400,000, far outpacing Trumps deportations in each of his first three years. This whole immigration video was like putting salt on the wound, tweeted Erika Andiola, an advocate from RAICES, an immigration legal services group in Texas. Narrated by Obama? Come on. She said: I am angry because it was his administration who almost deported my mother and then Trump came to try to deport her again. Immigration activist Julissa Natzely Arce Raya, author of My (Underground) American Dream, saw hypocrisy at work, after the video of Estela Juarez, the 11-year-old girl whose mother was deported to Mexico. Obama did a lot of things right, but not immigration, he didnt get that right, she tweeted. I promise you, tonight there is a Estela whose mom was deported by Obama. ___ MICHELLE OBAMA, on Americans: They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages. Democratic convention Monday. THE FACTS: The reference to cages is misleading and a matter that Democrats have persistently distorted. Trump used facilities that were built during the Obama-Biden administration to house children at the border. They are chain-link enclosures inside border facilities where migrants were temporarily housed, separated by sex and age. At the height of the controversy over Trumps zero-tolerance policy at the border, photos that circulated online of children in the enclosures generated great anger. But those photos, by The Associated Press, were taken in 2014 and depicted some of the thousands of unaccompanied children held by Obama. When that fact came to light, some Democrats and activists who had tweeted the photos deleted their tweets. But prominent Democrats have continued to cite cages for children as a distinctive cruelty of Trump. The former first lady was correct, however, in addressing the removal of children from parents at the border. The Obama administration separated migrant children from families under certain limited circumstances, like when the childs safety appeared at risk or when the parent had a serious criminal history. Family separations as a matter of routine came about because of Trumps zero tolerance enforcement policy, which he eventually suspended because of the uproar. Obama had no such policy. ___ TRUMP: Joe Biden has pledged to abolish immigration enforcement. rally Tuesday in Yuma, Arizona. THE FACTS: No he hasnt. Biden has been notably outspoken in arguing that crossing the U.S. border illegally is a crime and should remain punished as such in federal court. He did not endorse immigration plans supported by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and other former presidential candidates that sought to decriminalize illegal border crossings and make doing so only a civil offense. In addition to misrepresenting Bidens agenda, Trump ignored the fact that the Obama-Biden administration vigorously deported people, drawing fierce criticism from some advocates for immigrants. ___ TRUMP: They want to take the wall down, they dont want to have borders. Arizona rally. THE FACTS: No, Biden is not pushing to take down the wall or erase borders. Bidens immigration plan does not include money for new border fencing, and he isnt calling for any new walls. But he hasnt proposed taking down whats there. ___ PANDEMIC TRUMP on New Zealand and the coronavirus: They had a massive breakout yesterday. remarks Thursday in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. TRUMP: False. New Zealand has had nothing resembling a massive outbreak or, as he also put it during the week, even a big surge or a big outbreak. New Zealand reported five to 13 new cases each day in the past week, as of Friday. The U.S. reported an average of some 46,000 per day during the week. Trump is unhappy that New Zealands success in controlling the virus, through its tight and early rules on distancing and closures, has been used for unfavorable comparisons with his pandemic response. New Zealand went for several months without any new, confirmed cases of locally spread COVID-19 before infection started showing up again in small numbers. The infection, as of Friday, had killed 22 people in New Zealand and 174,000 in the U.S. Thats a rate of 4.5 deaths per million in New Zealand and 532 per million in the U.S. ___ ECONOMY BIDEN: Nearly one in six small businesses have closed this year. acceptance speech Thursday. THE FACTS: That appears to be in the ballpark but is misleading. What he didnt say is that most of those businesses planned to reopen or already have. In a MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey at the end of July, 86% of small businesses reported that they were fully or partially open. Among those that remained shut, most planned to reopen when they could. Overall, small businesses expressed guarded optimism while worrying what would happen if another wave of the coronavirus comes. ___ GRETCHEN WHITMER, Michigan governor: In 2009, the Obama-Biden administration inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The auto industry on the brink of collapse. A million jobs at stake. But President Obama and Vice President Biden didnt waste time blaming anybody. They brought together union members, companies and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and they saved the auto industry. Democratic National Convention on Monday. THE FACTS: Shes assigning too much credit to the Obama administration for saving the auto industry. What Obama did was an expansion of the initial, pivotal steps taken by Obamas predecessor, George W. Bush. In December 2008, General Motors and Chrysler were on the brink of financial collapse. The U.S. was in a deep recession and U.S. auto sales were falling sharply, in part because the 2008-2009 financial crisis made it harder for would-be auto buyers to get a car loan. GM, Chrysler and Ford requested government aid, but Congress voted it down. With barely a month left in office, Bush authorized $25 billion in loans to GM and Chrysler from the $700 billion bailout fund that was initially intended to save the largest U.S. banks. Ford decided against taking any money. After Obama was inaugurated, he appointed a task force to oversee GM and Chrysler, both of which eventually declared bankruptcy, took an additional roughly $55 billion in loans, and were forced to close many factories and overhaul their operations. All three companies recovered and eventually started adding jobs again. ___ IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL TRUMP: This deal funneled tens of billions of dollars to Iran $150 billion, to be exact plus $1.8 billion in cash. He (Obama) gave $1.8 billion in cash. news briefing Wednesday. THE FACTS: This is a familiar and hyper-distorted tale. There was no $150 billion payout from the U.S. treasury or other countries. When Iran signed the multinational deal to restrain its nuclear development in return for being freed from sanctions, it regained access to its own assets, which had been frozen abroad. Iran was allowed to get its own money back. The deal was signed in 2015; Trump has taken the U.S. out of it. The $1.8 billion is a separate matter. A payout of roughly that amount did come from the U.S. treasury. It was to cover an old IOU. In the 1970s, Iran paid the U.S. $400 million for military equipment that was never delivered because the government was overthrown and diplomatic relations ruptured. After the nuclear deal, the U.S. and Iran announced they had settled the matter, with the U.S. agreeing to pay the $400 million principal along with about $1.3 billion in interest. ___ TRUMP: And we got nothing, except a short-term, little deal. A short-term, expiring. news briefing Wednesday. THE FACTS: Trumps wrong to suggest the deal had no impact before he withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2018. Iran was thought to be only months away from a bomb when the deal came into effect. But during the 15-year life of most provisions of the accord, Irans capabilities are limited to a level where it cannot produce a bomb. The deal also includes a pledge by Iran never to seek a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency and his administration itself had confirmed Iran was complying with the terms before Trump pulled out of the deal. The pact does gradually lift some restrictions, including limits on centrifuges that were due to expire in 2025. After the 15 years are up, Iran could have an array of advanced centrifuges ready to work, the limits on its stockpile would be gone and, in theory, it could then throw itself fully into producing highly enriched uranium. But nothing in the deal prevented the West from trying to rein Iran in again with sanctions. ___ JOHN KERRY, former secretary of state: We eliminated the threat of an Iran with a nuclear weapon. Democratic convention on Tuesday. THE FACTS: Thats taking it too far. The threat was deferred, not eliminated. That reality was baked into the deal negotiated when Kerry was Obamas secretary of state. The accord limited Irans capabilities to a level where it could not produce a bomb, but most provisions were to expire after 15 years. ___ POSTAL SERVICE TRUMP: One of the things the Post Office loses so much money on is the delivering packages for Amazon and these others. Every time they deliver a package, they probably lose three or four dollars. Thats not good. remarks Monday to reporters. THE FACTS: Thats not true. While the U.S. Postal Service has lost money for 13 years, package delivery is not the reason. Boosted by e-commerce, the Postal Service has enjoyed double-digit increases in revenue from delivering packages, but that hasnt been enough to offset pension and health care costs as well as declines in first-class letters and marketing mail. Together, letters and marketing mail in recent years have comprised up to two-thirds of postal revenue. In arguing that the Postal Service is losing money on delivering packages for Amazon, Trump appears to be citing some Wall Street analyses that argue the Postal Services formula for calculating its costs is outdated. A 2017 analysis by Citigroup did conclude that the service was charging below market rates as a whole on parcels. Still, federal regulators have reviewed the Amazon contract with the Postal Service each year and found it profitable. To become financially stable, the Postal Service has urged Congress for years to give it relief from the mandate to prefund retiree health benefits. Legislation in 2006 required the Postal Service to fund 75 years worth of retiree health benefits, at an estimated cost of $5 billion per year, something that the government and private companies dont have to do. In the most recent quarter, for instance, package delivery rose 53% at the Postal Service as homebound people during the pandemic shifted online for their shopping. But the gain in deliveries was offset by the continued declines in first-class mail as well as costs for personal protective equipment and to replace workers who got sick during the pandemic. The biggest factor was the prepayment of retiree health benefits, which Congress imposed and only Congress can take away. As a quasi-government agency, the Postal Service also is required under law to provide mail delivery to millions of U.S. residences at affordable and uniform rates. It does not use taxpayer money for its operations and supports operations with the sales of stamps and other mail products. ___ TRUMP: We want to make sure that the Post Office runs properly and it hasnt run properly for many years, for probably 50 years. Its run very badly. So we want to make sure that the Post Office runs properly and doesnt lose billions of dollars.- remarks Monday to reporters. THE FACTS: Trump offered no evidence of broad mismanagement at the Postal Service that dates back 50 years. The Postal Service started losing billions, as Trump put it, after the 2006 law mandating health prefunding took effect. Those billion-dollar payments, which coincided with the 2007-2008 Great Recession and a wider shift toward online bill payments, pushed the Postal Service into the red. Excluding those health payments, it has finished each year with revenue surpluses for most of the past decade. ___ WAGES HILDA SOLIS, former labor secretary, on Biden: He and President Obama made it easier for home-care workers to organize. They extended overtime pay to more than 4 million workers. Democratic convention Wednesday. THE FACTS: No, Obama and Biden tried to extend overtime pay to an estimated 4 million workers, but it never happened. The Obama administration completed such a rule in May 2016, but it was ultimately blocked by a federal judge after 21 states sued the Labor Department. In 2019, the Trump administration extended overtime for an estimated 1.3 million workers in home health care, retail, fast food and certain other low-wage jobs. ___ BERNIE SANDERS, Vermont senator: Joe supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This will give 40 million workers a pay raise and push the wage scale up for everyone else. Democratic convention Monday. THE FACTS: Not likely. Hes taking an optimistic projection as a certainty. Hes referring to a 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank that estimated $15 an hour by 2025 would directly raise wages for 28 million and indirectly for 11 million. Even that study doesnt say wage scales would go up for everyone. A July 2019 report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found a much less significant impact, and some likely costs, from a $15 federal minimum. The office said 1.3 million workers could be priced out of the market and lose their job if a $15 minimum wage were federally mandated. It also projected far fewer workers roughly 27 million total would see a pay increase as a result. ___ FLOYD PROTESTS TRUMP, on unrest in Minnesota after George Floyd died in the custody of Minneapolis police: When I sent in the National Guard, thats when it all stopped. speech Monday in Mankato, Minnesota. THE FACTS: False. Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, deployed the Minnesota National Guard, not Trump. The president didnt send forces to the streets in Minnesota. He repeatedly claims that he did. In the speech, Trump went on to say he urged Minnesota officials to deploy the Guard and they should have done it a lot sooner, thereby acknowledging, if indirectly, that the order wasnt his. But Walz said he mobilized the Guard at the request of city officials, not because Trump wanted him to. ___ TRADE TRUMP, on Chinas adherence to the trade deal his administration negotiated with Beijing: They are living theyre more than living up to it. Because they know Im very angry at them. Fox & Friends interview Monday. THE FACTS: Thats not true. China is falling well short of its commitments under the trade deal. The Peterson Institute for International Economics, which has been tracking Chinas purchases, found this month that U.S. exports of goods to China should have totaled $71.3 billion from January through June to be on track to reach this years target under the Phase 1 deal. Instead, they topped out at $33.1 billion, only 46% of what they should be. The shortfall in promised Chinese purchases of U.S. farm products is even bigger. Those purchases totaled $6.5 billion, only 39% of purchases that should have reached $16.7 billion through June. The gap is perhaps not surprising, given that world trade has been badly disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. But Trump did not negotiate provisions giving China leeway in any downturn. Its conceivable, if unlikely, that Chinese purchases will pick up in the second half of the year enough to make up for the shortfall. But in no sense is China more than living up to the deal now. Lukashenka Claims Belarus Crisis Resolved In Days As Opposition Calls For More Strikes By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 21, 2020 MINSK -- Belarus's leading opposition figure has said Belarusians "will never accept" President Alyaksandr Lukashenko's leadership, who has vowed to resolve his country's political crisis "in the coming days." Demonstrations and strikes have erupted across Belarus over the past 13 days in protest at what many have called a "rigged" presidential election in which Lukashenka claimed a landslide reelection victory -- posing the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule. "It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change. I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections," Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 at her first press conference since fleeing to Lithuania last week after a disputed presidential election. Tsikhanouskaya told reporters in Vilnius that she plans to return to Belarus "when I feel safe there." In a video address released earlier in the day, she called on workers in the country's state-owned factories and companies to continue striking despite "intimidation" from the authorities. "If we all stand together, this regime will not stand a chance," the 37-year-old political novice added. Many of the country's biggest and most important state companies have seen work stoppages, as workers have joined thousands of anti-government demonstrators. But addressing workers in the Dzerzhinsk region, Lukashenka said the protests "should not worry you" and accused the United States of "directing" demonstrators. "This is my problem, which I must resolve and which we are resolving. And believe me, in the coming days it will be resolved," he said, according to state news agency BelTA. Tsikhanouskaya ran in the August 9 election after other potential candidates, including her husband, were jailed or exiled prior to the election during a crackdown on the opposition. Official results gave her about 10 percent of the vote, but she claims to have actually received between 60 and 70 percent. Tsikhanouskaya has joined with some strike leaders, opposition activists, and cultural figures to form a Coordination Council aimed at negotiating a transition of power with the Belarusian government. But Lukashenka has refused and rejected demands for a new presidential election, instead accusing the council of plotting a coup. Two leading members of the Coordination Council -- Maksim Znak and Syarhey Dyleuski -- were summoned by investigators on August 21 for questioning, a day after the Prosecutor-General's Office opened a criminal inquiry against the council's founders on charges of threatening national security. The council members rejected the accusations, insisting that their actions have been in full compliance with Belarusian law. The popular protests that erupted after the August 9 vote gave Lukashenka a fresh six-year term have turned into the biggest challenge to his 26 years in office. About 7,000 people were detained, hundreds were injured, and three people died in a crackdown on protesters. Some of those who have been released since have complained of beatings and terrible conditions while in detention. The UN Human Rights Office raised alarm at allegations of the "large-scale torture and ill-treatment of people including of journalists and particularly alarmingly of children, during arrests and in detention" and called for objective investigations into the claims. "We are particularly worried that the fate and whereabouts of at least eight people remain unknown," the office said in a statement. The European Union has said it does not recognize the result of the election because of irregularities and will soon impose sanctions on Lukashenka's government. In a statement on August 21, the EU spokeswoman for foreign policy and security affairs urged Belarusian authorities to drop the criminal case against the Coordination Council and to instead "engage in a dialogue in view of moving towards a peaceful way out of the current crisis." The previous day, EU Council President Charles Michel tweeted that he held another phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country is Lukashenka's closest ally, and told him that the only solution to the Belarus crisis was "political inclusive dialogue & a peaceful and democratic process." During the call, Michel said the bloc's goals for the crisis were to stop violence against protesters and ensure that the country does not slide into chaos, according to a senior EU official. "Nobody wants a repeat of what happened in Ukraine," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "The EU is seeking to support stability, talks between authorities, the opposition and the broader society, economic prosperity, without tilting the geopolitical balance for Belarus between the EU and Russia." Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Belarusian counterpart, Uladzimer Makey, emphasized in a phone call that resolving the crisis in Belarus "did not require foreign interference," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on August 21. "It was pointed out that foreign players needed to respect Belarus's sovereignty and independence and put an end to attempts to provoke confrontation within Belarusian society and undermine efforts to improve the situation," a statement said. Makey issued his own statement, saying that EU sanctions would be viewed as unfriendly actions that damage the sovereignty of the country. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on August 20 that the United States remains deeply concerned by "serious flaws" in Belarus's election, adding that Washington was in support of international efforts to independently look into reported electoral irregularities and human rights abuses surrounding the vote. Pompeo also urged the Belarusian government to "actively engage" Belarusian society, including through the Coordination Council." With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian- tsikhanouskaya-opposition-workers -striking/30795205.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A class-action lawsuit against Peter Nygard involving 57 women who allege the former fashion executive sexually assaulted them has been put on hold. The judge presiding over the case in the Southern District of New York entered a stay of proceedings on Friday, court records show. The judge's order is sealed, but a screenshot of the court docket posted to Twitter on Friday by Pete Brush, a reporter on New York courts for the news service Law360, shows the U.S. government was granted leave to intervene. It also shows "the government is directed to inform the court within 48 hours of the completion of its proceedings, and advise the court whether it may lift the stay." A stay of proceedings means the case has been put on hold, but it doesn't mean it's been dropped. The court can later lift the stay and continue the proceedings. In February, the FBI raided Nygard's New York offices as part of a criminal sex-trafficking investigation shortly after the class-action was filed. No charges have been laid. Police in Canada and the Bahamas are also investigating Nygard. Pete Brush/Twitter "I'm not surprised by this," said Winnipeg lawyer Robert Tapper, who isn't involved in this case. Generally speaking, he said, police don't want a civil trial to interfere with an active criminal investigation. "If you're the police and the lawyers representing the police investigators, you don't want the civil trial lawyer scheduling an examination for discovery or a deposition of a witness," Tapper said. "You want to do your own investigation." In Canada and the U.S., lawyers can call witnesses to testify in a civil trial, he said, but unlike in Canada, Americans can depose witnesses prior to a trial, regardless of a police probe. "You don't have to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt in a civil case," but in a criminal trial, "the state does not have that luxury," Tapper said. Story continues "So they don't want anyone else trampling on their investigation." Nygard denies the sexual assault claims, and none of the allegations have been proven in court. Shannon Snedaker, a Florida-based lawyer with experience representing victims of human trafficking, said the government can ask for a stay of proceedings to protect the integrity of active investigations. "There is a provision within that code that enables the federal government to come and intervene in a proceeding if there is a federal criminal investigation going on," said Snedaker. "It may mean that something might be coming next, whether it's an arrest or an indictment or something is coming down the pipeline, or that they are still investigating." In February, 10 women filed a class-action lawsuit against Nygard and his companies, alleging he had raped and sexually assaulted the plaintiffs. Other women have since signed onto the lawsuit from the U.S., Canada and the Bahamas, bringing the total number involved in the lawsuit to 57. Their allegations date back as far as 1977, and some of the women allege they were assaulted when they were as young as 14 or 15. In July, Nygard filed a motion to dismiss the claims of most of the 57 plaintiffs in the case, arguing that 50 of the women have no connection to New York, and the American court doesn't have jurisdiction over him or his companies named in the civil lawsuit. Calls to Nygard's spokespeople were not immediately returned. Nygard companies in receivership Nygard has been involved in a string of legal proceedings in recent months. Last week, two of his sons launched a separate lawsuit, alleging Nygard set them up to be raped by his girlfriend described as a "known sex worker" when they were teenagers. On the corporate side, nine Nygard companies which have offices in Winnipeg, New York and Toronto have been in court-ordered receivership since March 18, to pay back more than $25 million US to secured lenders. Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench has since approved the sale of two Nygard properties, including the company headquarters in Toronto and the property on Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg. Nygard's retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada are currently in the process of liquidation sales. In an April report to the court, the receiver said it had discovered thousands of documents and data were deleted after Nygard Inc. was served with a grand jury subpoena from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 25. Richter Advisory Group said its review of the Nygard companies revealed 10,488 files had been deleted by three users; two of them were believed to be IT staff performing maintenance activities, but the third user was identified as a former Nygard director. Richter said it was investigating. No further updates have been provided on the issue. A copy of the subpoena attached to the receiver's report says Nygard Inc. was ordered to produce documents dating back to Jan. 1, 2008, for a criminal investigation. Among other things, the court ordered the company to hand over "all documents, records, and communications concerning or reflecting allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment or assault by Peter Nygard" and "every date in the last five years in which the company purged any data." Deputy John Brady is calling on Wicklow County Council to provide land for allotments in Blessington. He held a recent meeting with Blessington Allotments Campaign group who have been pushing the local authority to provide allotments for over two years now. Wicklow County Council own some land in Blessington which would be acceptable, and 40 members of the local community have registered their interest. Deputy Brady said: 'It was great to meet up with members of the Blessington Allotment Campaign Group. The group have been campaigning for the provision of allotments in the Blessington area since 2018. We had a really positive meeting and we looked at a number of possible locations where allotments could be provided. 'Over 40 members of the Blessington community have registered their interest with the group since they started their campaign in 2018. Allotments help to promote healthy eating by encouraging locally grown organic fresh fruit and vegetables, they also have a positive impact on the carbon footprint.' Deputy Brady continued: 'There is clearly a demand for allotments in the area. The current 2016-2022 Wicklow County Development Plan commits the local authority to providing allotments and it lays out the criteria for them. The land we looked at is owned by Wicklow County Council and another State Body, and it would be ideal for community allotments. 'The group has been engaging with the council and I fully support them in their endeavours. I will continue to work with both the Council and the Blessington Allotment Campaign on this project. I ultimately think the council should be working with communities across the County with a view of having at least one community allotment in each of the Municipal Districts.' Donal McCormack, Chairperson Blessington Allotments Campaign, says the campaign group has the support of every TD and Councillor in the county, as well as GIY Ireland. 'Everyone thinks it would be a great idea and Wicklow County Council has land that is acceptable. We are asking them to allocate it toward allotments. 40 local families are on board, some of whom live in estates where there are no green areas. 'The need for this sort of space became particularly prevalent during Covid-19 lockdown. People need a space where they can grow their own vegetables or where they can spend some time. 'We would like to be up and running as soon as possible. People need time to get the ground right so the earlier the better. We have been campaigning now for over two years, which is longer than desired,' said Mr McCormack. High temperatures saw Greenland lose enough ice to cover the US state of California in more than four feet of water in 2019 alone, a study which suggests the island lost a million tonnes of ice for every minute of the year has said. After two years in which the land masses summer ice melt had been negligible, satellite measurements have suggested an excessively hot 2019 saw the loss of 586 billion tons of ice melt from the island. The loss represents more than 532 trillion litres of water according to a study published in Communications Earth & Environment - equivalent to 212.8 million olympic-sized swimming pools over the course of 2019, or seven for every second of the year. The record-setting level of ice melt is significantly higher than the average yearly loss of 259 billion tons seen since 2003, when Nasa satellites first allowed for accurate measuring of the gravity of the ice sheets. The loss, attributed to weather phenomenon that have the capacity to exacerbate or subdue the effects of global temperature rises, comes despite evidence of many years in the 20th century in which Greenland gained ice. Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Show all 21 1 /21 Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Poland An activist performs on the roof during Earth Day in Wroclaw Agencja Gazeta via Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Poland Environmental activists hold banners in Warsaw Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Pakistan A boy walks over a drainage channel littered with heaps of polyethene bags on Earth Day in Karachi Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world South Korea Members of the Environmental Health Citizens' Association of Korea wearing masks representing the viruses perform during an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul AP Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world China A model of the globe with a face mask left on the ground by the children who were playing with it in Guangzhou EPA Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Sweden Environmental activist Greta Thunberg talks via video link with Professor of Environmental Science Johan Rockstrom in Germany, during a live chat on International Earth Day AP Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world China Artist Kong Ning, wearing a face mask following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, prepares for a portrait in a wearable art piece she made to mark Earth Day, during a Reuters interview outside her studio in Beijing Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Argentina Ten Magellanic penguins are released back to the sea after being rescued and rehabilitated by Fundacion Mundo Marino Mundo Marino via Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world US US First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence participate in a tree planting ceremony to mark Earth Day and Arbor Day on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington AFP via Getty Images Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Taiwan A message in Chinese reads Earth Day 50th Anniversary on the Taipei 101, a 508-meter high commercial building, in Taipei AFP via Getty Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Hungary A saline pasture near Balmazujvaros EPA Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Srinagar Women carry fodder for their cattle through a mustard field on Earth Day Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Poland People protest during lockdown in front of the Polish Prime Minister Chancellery in Warsaw Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Ivory Coast The polluted Ebrie lagoon in Abidjan EPA Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world South Korea Members of the Environmental Health Citizens' Association of Korea wear costumes representing penguins and masks representing the viruses during an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul AP Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Poland Police speak to an activist in front of the Polish Prime Minister Chancellery in Warsaw Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Poland Activist perform on the roofs during an action connected with the Earth Day in Wroclaw Agencja Gazeta via Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Argentina Geese outside Buenos Aires' Planetary Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world China Artist Kong Ning, wearing a face mask Reuters Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world Hungary Rape flower field near Hosszuheteny EPA Earth Day 2020: in pictures across the world US President Donald Trump speaks during a tree planting ceremony AP "Not only is the Greenland ice sheet melting, but it's melting at a faster and faster pace," said study lead author Ingo Sasgen, a geoscientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. It comes amid concerns global glacier melt will cause sea levels rise to catastrophic heights for humanity. Across 2019 the melting of the islands ice added 1.5 millimetres to global sea levels. Study co-author Alex Gardner, a NASA ice scientist, said In our world it's huge, that's astounding, adding that the expanding of a warming ocean and the impact of other ice sheets and glaciers contributing could lead to coastal flooding and other issues. The melt has also helped to provide further evidence of Greenland blocking - a phenomenon in which high pressure over Canada can cause warm air from the rest of North America to spread over the island, promoting further melting. In 2018 and 2019, where an average of 108 billion tons of ice was lost, no such high pressure was observed prompting cooler Arctic air to flow from the open ocean into Greenland, making its summer milder, Mr Gardner said. The findings have been welcomed by other scientists not involved the study as reflecting the realities of ice melt in the region. Ruth Mottram, an ice scientist at the Danish Meteorological Institute who wasn't part of Mr Sasgen's research, said this year's summer melt has been not as severe as that seen in 2019. However in her own study in the International Journal of Climatology, she found similar results for last year while also calculating that Greenland coastal regions have warmed on average 1.7 degrees Celsius in the summer since 1991. Meanwhile New York University ice scientist David Holland, who wasn't part of either study, said the fact 2019 set an all-time record for ice melt was very concerning. Additional reporting by agencies In the dark View(s): Kussi Amma Sera, Mabel Rasthiyadu and Serapina had gathered at the gate this Thursday morning, chatting with Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, while munching on maalu-paan and tea-buns. Only the cup of tea was missing. Loku Nona, me light kapana eka ape bakeriyata balapanawa. Apita tranformarayak ganna be ne (Madam, these power cuts are affecting our bakery work. Unlike other big places, we cant afford a generator), said Aldoris. Evunath, davasata peyak vitharai ne, ithin ogollanta weda karaganna puluwan wenna ona (But it is only for one hour per day, so you should be able to manage), said Kussi Amma Sera. Me light kepili hema avuruddema wenawa. Me sere, lokkanta monawada manda kiyanna thiyenne (These power cuts are happening every year I wonder what the authorities have to say this time), observed Mabel Rasthiyadu. Egollo monawa hari hethuwak kiyai (They will come up with some excuse), grumbled Serapina, putting the last bit of her maalu-paan into her mouth. As I was settling down to work, I saw the trio coming to the margosa tree and Kussi Amma Sera moving to the kitchen, most probably to prepare tea since I too hadnt had my morning cup. The ringing of the phone disturbed the quiet morning. It was Pedris Appo, short for Appuhamy, who is a retired agriculture expert now involved in farming and he was in a foul mood. Was it sabotage? he asked, almost shouting into the phone. What? I asked. Why the virtual shutdown of power on Monday which didnt get restored for many hours, he said furiously, adding: This is happening almost every year and still the authorities dont have a clue as to why this is happening. I hope the people responsible for the current breakdown will be held accountable and punished, I said, reminding myself however that unfortunately no one is held accountable when events like these happen in Sri Lanka. There is speculation that this might be sabotage and that the power mafias were at work to force the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to resort to costly emergency purchases, he said. You may be right. Whenever there is a power cut, the CEB relies on emergency power from private producers, I said. While we discussed the power crisis and the one-hour power cuts for four days there also seemed to be some discrimination since some parts of Colombo were not subjected to these power cuts while the rest of Sri Lanka was. I also recalled what CEB Chairman Vijitha Herath had said in a media interview that the loss to the economy from Mondays power crisis was Rs. 1 billion. He had also said that the problem originated at the Kerawalapitiya power plant and then at the Norochcholai coal power plant. Both these plants generate 1,000 megawatts (MW) of power to the national grid. The power generation sector has been dogged by problems over the past few years with a powerful union representing CEB engineers calling the shots with these engineers eternally clashing over coal power, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy resources. This is a perennial problem and in a March 31, 2019 column titled Power-ful blame game, I wrote: Rather than put their heads together and jointly work out a solution, the political leadership and state entities, meanwhile, were daggers drawn against each other revelling in a blame game which often plagues Sri Lanka during a crisis. Solar power producers blamed the CEB for delaying several solar power project approvals; the CEB blamed it on someone else; the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) blamed the CEB for unscheduled power cuts and vowed to take action; and the President blamed the clash between PUC and the CEB for the crisis. This was at a time then when there were daily 4-hour power-cuts across Sri Lanka due to a similar crisis. While Sri Lanka has an abundance of sunlight throughout the year, energy generated from solar power is still on the low side. In fact, all forms of mini-hydros and renewable energy including solar and wind only represent slightly over 17 per cent of the countrys total energy requirements. Last year, the Solar Industries Association (SIA) accused the authorities of delaying approvals for nearly 600 applications and urged that these be fast-tracked which would largely help to reduce dependency on hydro power, particularly during a drought. It said that close to 600 applications for solar power plants, which would have added an estimated 1,480 MW to the national grid, had been delayed. The CEBs financial performance also weakened in 2019, according to the Central Banks annual report for that year, mainly due to the heavy reliance on fuel oil for electricity generation. According to the unaudited provisional financial statements, the CEB recorded a loss of Rs. 85.4 billion before tax in 2019 compared to a loss of Rs. 30.5 billion reported in 2018. Increased dependence on thermal power due to dry weather conditions that prevailed during the first seven months of 2019 was the main reason for the deterioration of the financial position of the CEB. The weakened financial position of the CEB emphasises the urgent need for power generation through cheaper sources by introducing an optimal and feasible energy generation mix for the country, the report noted. It said the contribution of non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) sources including mini-hydropower plants to electricity generation, decreased by 6.2 per cent to 1,718 GWh in 2019 compared to the previous year. This reduction was mainly due to dry weather conditions. At the end of the day, as these on-and-off battles at the CEB emerge with accusations and counter-accusations, its the public that suffers during a power-cut, and from past experience, its happening every year. While households are affected, a bigger problem is faced by small businesses like grocery shops, restaurants and small workshops which cannot afford to invest in a generator. At a fish shop, all the fish had to be thrown away. As I sipped my morning tea brought by Kussi Amma Sera, she had commented: Mahattaya, me light kapana eka harima prashnayak (Mahattaya, these power-cuts are a real problem). I nodded my head in agreement, reflecting on the reality that Sri Lanka can generate all the power it needs from solar because there is sunshine throughout the year apart from the monsoon months. You just need to come up with a good investment plan to invest on solar power, as the return on investment is quick. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the NDC cannot be trusted with the Free SHS policy. Speaking at the outdooring of NPPs manifesto in Cape Coast today, Saturday, President Akufo-Addo said, "We have no reason to believe the NDC presidential candidate's newly proclaimed conversion to free SHS and free TVET. For eight years, he and his party were loud in their assertions that they did not believe in the free SHS and free TVET, they did not like the idea, they rubbished it at every opportunity, and they proclaimed that it would destroy Ghanas educational system." Zero credibility President Akufo-Addo also criticized the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for his continuous change of views on the free SHS policy. "When they were in office, they had a hard time trying to run even their watered-down version of their so-called progressively free education. Then the former President said he would 'review' it, and now we hear him say it has come to stay. Excellency, please try another one. Your credibility on this one is zero, free SHS, free TVET cannot be trusted in your hands." President Akufo-Addo added the NPP will 'protect' its flagship policy from the hands of the NDC and Mr John Mahama. "I take pride in the fact that free SHS and free TVET have been delivered, and our young people, and their parents and guardians, know that they will no longer be forced to stop school at JHS level because of financial difficulties. It was not easily done, and, so, we intend to protect it and prevent any so-called 'review', another word for cancellation." Mahama's Call Mr Mahama during a courtesy call on the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II said: the free Senior High School education has come to stay. If anybody tells you that I, John Dramani Mahama, will abolish Free SHS when I come into power tell the person he is a bloody liar. 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 Kigali, Rwanda (PANA ) - Rwanda newspapers this week gave significant coverage to the controversies surrounding the UN Mapping Report on Congo, an official source told PANA here Saturday In a significant order, the Bombay High Court has said the foreign nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi in March this year, were made "scapegoats" and blamed for the spread of Covid-19 in India. A division bench of Justice T V Nalawade and Justice MG Sewlikar of Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court also slammed the media for carrying out propaganda. There was big propaganda in print media and electronic media against the foreigners who had come to Markaz Delhi and an attempt was made to create a picture that these foreigners were responsible for spreading Covid-19 virus in India. There was virtually persecution against these foreigners. A political Government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and them circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats, the 56-page judgement said. The aforesaid circumstances and the latest figures of infection in India show that such action against present petitioners should not have been taken. It is now high time for the concerned to repent about this action taken against the foreigners and to take some positive steps to repair the damage done by such action, the judgement states. The verdict of Justice Nalawade and Justice Sewlikar came in three independent petitions filed by 35 persons including six Indians and 29 foreigners from Indonesia, Ghana, Iran, Djibouti, Benin, Tanzania, Brunei and the Ivory Coast. The petitioners were booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Maharashtra Police Action, Disaster Management Act, Foreigners Act and Epidemic Diseases Act for allegedly flouting tourist visa norms by attending the Markaz convention in Delhi. "The propaganda against the so-called religious activity (Tablighi Jamaat) was unwarranted. The activity was going on for more than 50 years and it is there throughout the year," it added. The justices noted: In view of the Articles of Indian Constitution like Articles 25 and 21, when visa is granted to foreigners, such foreigners cannot be prevented from visiting Masjids, if they go there to observe religious practices or to offer only Namaz. This Court is referring to the orders issued by the competent authority under the aforesaid special enactments subsequently. For the present purpose this court is observing that there is nothing on the record to show that the Indians were prevented from accommodating persons in the Masjid or from supplying meals to the persons including the foreigners. According to the court, the statements of the witnesses recorded by the police are stereotypical and it can be said that the statements are copied. Further, some trustees of the Masjids are made accused in these proceedings and also in separate proceedings and there are statements of those trustees which cannot be used against foreigners or against those trustees. Most of the information shown to be given by the witnesses is apparently hearsay in nature, it observed. A terrorist was killed in a gunfight with security forces in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Saturday, officials said. The encounter in Saloosa area of Kreeri of Baramulla is underway and at least three terrorists are believed to be trapped, they added. Personnel of Indian Armys 52 Rashtriya Rifles, Jammu and Kashmir police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint operation on receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists in the village, officials said. Saturdays gunbattle site is close to Watergam Kreeri where five security personnel and three terrorists were killed on Monday when a group of terrorists had targeted the security forces joint patrol party. A so-called top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sajjad Haider, was among the terrorists killed in the encounter that day. More details are awaited. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Most Irish firms are turning down new business because they don't have the workers, finance or other resources needed to do the work. That's a core finding from a survey of 201 firms by Critical Research for Bibby Financial Services. It found that manufacturers were facing the hardest time fulfilling extra business, while such challenges were similarly common in the construction, transport, wholesale and retail sectors. More than half of manufacturers said social-distancing rules had "reduced our capacity to take on new business". The same proportion, 55pc, said they "had to turn down new orders because we are unable to fulfil them". More than a third said they couldn't afford to hire new workers or bring back staff that would be needed to boost production. A quarter said they lacked capital "to buy raw materials and therefore fulfil new orders". Mark O'Rourke, managing director of Bibby Financial Services Ireland, said Covid-19 restrictions, "while necessary, are having a major impact on many SMEs' ability to efficiently produce or deliver goods and services at previous volumes and speeds". "It's a perfect storm with lower staffing levels, closed or condensed working spaces, and knock-on effects from supply chains being disrupted," he said. "This is all compounded by the impact on working capital." Just one of the 42 manufacturing firms surveyed reported no difficulties in meeting new orders. The manufacturers' struggles coincide with a 0.9pc fall in the average prices they can charge for goods produced, chiefly for export into pandemic-rattled markets. Lower prices limit manufacturers' ability to hire and grow markets. The Central Statistics Office said food prices fell 1.3pc in July from the month before. That included a 5.2pc drop in dairy goods, the biggest element of Ireland's food exports. Prices for baked goods and fish products fell 0.2pc. Meat prices, however, rose by 0.5pc. Not one of the 42 manufacturing firms said they were back to pre-crisis production levels. Most said it would take a further three to six months. A fifth said it would take more than a year. Sporadic violence flared in Ivory Coast on Saturday after President Alassane Ouattara was chosen by his ruling party to run for a third term in an October election, despite furious opposition charges the move is unconstitutional. Ouattara, in power since 2010, said in March he would not stand again but changed his mind after the death of prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly -- seen as his anointed successor -- of a heart attack in July. After his official nomination on Saturday, Ouattara vowed to score a first-round knockout victory before tens of thousands of supporters at an Abidjan rally. "Going back on my decision was not easy," said Ouattara, who insisted: "There is nothing preventing me from standing." "I did not have the right to place my personal project above the urgent situation in which the country finds itself," he said. But his party's decision provoked outrage among young opposition supporters who took to the streets to voice loud and violent protest in several major cities. The constitution limits presidents to two terms, but 78-year-old Ouattara and his supporters argue that a 2016 constitutional tweak reset the clock, allowing him to seek a third. Opposition and civil society groups say his standing again amounts to a "coup" that risks triggering chaos in the world's biggest cocoa producer. - 'No third term' - Violence erupted in several towns, notably Divo, a cocoa-growing centre 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of Abidjan where pro-opposition youths clashed with young supporters of the ruling party. "There are people wounded. The small bus station, bars and shops have been set on fire and looted," Davo's political representative Famoussa Coulibay told AFP. "There have been police reinforcements. We will try to calm things down with the leaders of the community," Coulibay added. Gagnoa, the home town of former president Laurent Gbagbo further to the northwest, also saw unrest. Story continues "Young people close to the opposition burned tyres and set up barricades in different parts of town," one resident told AFP, adding that protesters shouted "we don't want a third mandate." There were further incidents in the southwest at Bonoua, the hometown of former first lady Simone Gbagbo, which also saw unrest Friday. Coaches, the central market and about 30 shops were set ablaze, according to resident Georges Vangah. After Ouattara's re-election announcement earlier this month, mass protests descended into three days of violence in which six people died and a hundred were injured. His ruling Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party nominated Ouattara as its candidate at the rally. "We remain focused on the election, with a record to defend and a project to propose to Ivorians," party spokesman Mamadou Toure told AFP, branding the street demonstrations against Ouattara's candidacy a "dismal failure". - Rival candidates rejected - The government Thursday announced a ban on all outdoor protests until September 13 in the wake of the deadly demonstrations this month. Outtara's change of heart has heightened tensions before the October 31 vote. Ivory Coast is still traumatised by a brief civil war that erupted after 2010's election, when then president Gbagbo refused to cede to the victor, Ouattara. On Friday, election authorities rejected appeals by Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro to be allowed to run in October. The two men had appealed to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) against a decision to not include them in electoral lists for the ballot. Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court in The Hague after he was cleared last year of crimes against humanity over the 2010 election unrest. His return to Ivory Coast would be sensitive before the presidential election. His Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party urged him to throw his hat in the electoral ring. Soro, a former rebel leader, has been forced into self-imposed exile in France in the face of a long list of legal problems at home. He was a leader in a 2002 revolt that sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest. Soro was once an ally of Ouattara, helping him to power during the post-election crisis in 2010, but the two eventually fell out. ck/pgf/lc/dl Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-23 04:22:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Saturday voiced the country's full readiness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute those charged with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hamdok made the remarks in a national speech on the occasion of the first anniversary of his assuming the post of prime minister. Accusing the former regime of its "reckless" actions, Hamdok said the Sudanese have never supported terrorism and removal of Sudan from the U.S. list of states sponsors of terrorism would be very soon. The prime minister also said his government would fulfill the requirements of the transitional period, improve the economic conditions, achieve development and reach consensus over a national project for ruling Sudan through fair and transparent elections. Hamdok assumed the post of prime minister on Aug. 21, 2019, which marked a beginning of a 39-month transitional period under a transitional government of military and civilian components. On March 4, 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for allegedly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur region. Enditem In a sensational case, a 25-year-old woman has lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by 143 people since 2010. The woman, a native of Nalgonda district residing in Hyderabad, lodged the complaint at the Punjagutta police station. She named people with a political background, student leaders, people from films, media and other walks of life as the accused. Those accused also include a few women. In addition to 139 people named in the complaint, she alleged that four others whom she does not remember also raped her. The sensational complaint forced the police to register a 42-page First Information Report (FIR) on August 20. The FIR has the names of the accused on 41 pages. The police have sent the woman for medical examination and counselling. A police officer said they would verify the complaint and then decide on the future course of action. The woman, residing in the Somajiguda area in Hyderabad, stated in her complaint that three months after her marriage in 2009 her husband, in-laws and other relatives started harassing and assaulting her. She claimed that they sexually harassed and physically assaulted her for nine months. A divorce took place in December 2010 and after that she went to her mother's house and joined a college for further studies. She alleged that the accused sexually exploited her multiple times. She said they abused her in the name of caste, filmed her while sexually assaulting her and threatened to upload the videos and pictures on social media. The police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape, insulting the modesty of a woman, assault or use of criminal force and sexual harassment. The police have also invoked the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. "We will investigate the complaint and then decide the next course of action," said police sub-inspector D. Nagraju. 22 Aug 2020, 10:06 AM Ashwani Bhatia appointed as SBI Managing Director The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has apprived the appointment of Ashwani Bhatia as the new Managing Director of State Bank of India. He currently is the Deputy Managing Director of the state-run lender. Bhatia will succeed PK Gupta who superannuated on March 31. Facebook India chief calls site non-partisan, against hate and bigotry amid political row Amid the ongoing political row, Facebook has clarified that it presents an open, transparent and non-partisan platform which denounces hate and bigotry in any form. "We have been accused of bias in the way we enforce our policies. We take allegations of bias incredibly seriously, and want to make it clear that we denounce hate and bigotry in any form," said Ajit Mohan, vice president and managing director, Facebook India, in a blog post. Anil Ambani to challenge personal insolvency proceedings in NCLAT Anil Ambani will approach National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against an order by the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) allowing bankruptcy proceedings against him. A spokesperson on Ambani's behalf assured that the NCLT order will have no bearing on the operations of companies under the Reliance Group - Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Power and Reliance Capital. Flipkart vendors can now sell in Nepal; e-tailer ties up with Sastodeal for cross-border trade Flipkart has tied up with Nepal's leading e-commerce company Sastodeal to enable cross-border trade. This means that the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) registered on Flipkart can now sell their products in Nepal. Under the partnership, Sastodeal will host merchandise from sellers on Flipkart's marketplace in over 5,000 categories. Panasonic launches Home Office Solutions with 4K live streaming Facilitating high-quality virtual interactions for work, Panasonic India has launched Home Office Solutions. Powered by Lumix, this new solution will extend the highest standard of live streaming and 4K video quality that will allow executives to effortlessly connect and communicate with clients and employees for a more personalised and interactive experience. Venezuelan state TV president has slammed YouTube for an "act of censorship" after the suspension of the broadcaster's channel. VTV's account was suspended on Thursday on the Google-owned video platform. "These are the politics of silencing that the self-proclaimed free world enacts against countries it finds troubling," VTV president Freddy Nanez told AFP on Friday. "Unfortunately we have been the victim of an act of censorship by YouTube." VTV is used as a channel of communication by the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro. More than a hundred media outlets have been shut under Maduro's management, according to the NGO Public Space. Juan Guaido, who heads the opposition and is recognized as interim president by dozens of countries, receives minimal exposure on traditional media and uses digital platforms to communicate. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration will send two top officials to the Middle East this week in a bid to capitalize on momentum from the historic agreement between Israeli and the United Arab Emirates to establish diplomatic relations. Three diplomats say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner plan to make separate, multiple-nation visits to the region in the coming days to push Arab-Israeli rapprochement in the aftermath of the Israel-UAE deal. Pompeo is expected to depart on Sunday for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Sudan, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the itinerary has not yet been finalized or publicly announced. Kushner plans to leave later in the week for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the diplomats said. Neither trip is expected to result in announcements of immediate breakthrough, the diplomats said, although both are aimed at finalizing at least one, and potentially more, normalization deals with Israel in the near future. Pompeo also plans to meet in Qatar with members of the Talban to discuss intra-Afghan peace talks that are key to the withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the diplomats said. The White House and State Department had no comment on the planned trips, which will come as the administration steps up efforts to push for Arab-Israeli normalization even without a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. They also come as the administration has taken the controversial step of triggering the restoration of all international sanctions on Iran, something that only Israel and the Gulf Arab nations have publicly supported. Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on Aug. 13 they would establish full diplomatic relations, in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. The historic agreement delivered a key foreign policy victory to Trump as he seeks reelection and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. U.S. and Israeli officials have suggested that more Arab nations may soon follow the UAEs lead, with Bahrain and Oman believed to be closest to sealing such deals. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving the right to vote to more than 26 million American women. But the 19th Amendment was about more than equality in voting: womens suffrage helped American women advance in all aspects of their lives. Nineteen-twenty was only 100 years ago, not ancient history, yet when the amendment was enacted many states had laws on the books prohibiting women from owning and inheriting property, signing contracts, opening bank accounts and serving on juries. Job opportunities outside the home were limited, and wages were menial. Newly enfranchised women voters endorsed candidates and ran for office themselves to improve not only the government but also their families and their communities. With the amendments ratification, voting women could use their votes and voices to advocate for job opportunities, fairer wages, higher education and health care. Those advances have not come easily, but voting rights represented a key step. Native American women did not get the right to vote in New Mexico until 1948, and not all Asian American women could vote until 1952. Here in New Mexico, women have broken glass ceilings throughout history. Women have served in elected office since before statehood: the first Hispanic female legislators in the United States served in New Mexicos territorial Legislature in 1895. Soledad Chavez Chacon was elected secretary of state in 1922 and was the first woman to serve as acting governor in the United States. Following statehood in 1912, Fedelina Gallegos and Porfirria Hidalgo Saiz, who both served in the New Mexico Legislature from 1931 to 1932, were the first Hispanic women state legislators in the United States. New Mexican women continue to be history makers and influencers. According to Rutgers Universitys Center for American Women and Politics, two of the three women of color who have ever been elected governor are from New Mexico, including our current governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham. New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland is one of two Native American women to ever be elected to Congress. And we have made recent leaps in womens representation in the Legislature 35% of our legislators are women and nearly 50% of our New Mexico House members are women. New Mexican women have held commanding roles in other sectors, too. New Mexico ranks first in the nation for female-owned businesses, with nearly 52% of New Mexico businesses owned or co-owned by women, in comparison to the national rate of 42%. When women are represented in leadership, everyone wins. In just the past few years, our women colleagues in the Legislature have sponsored and passed bills into law to ensure that New Mexicans with preexisting conditions will never be denied health care, create the first education moonshot to increase education funding, provide incentives to attract and retain qualified teachers for our kids, and address the statewide gap in retirement savings by encouraging employers to offer their employees access to a retirement savings plan. How can New Mexicans honor and advance the legacy of our trailblazing women ancestors and celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment? If the last 100 years has revealed anything, its that more work must be done. In the Legislature, we will continue to prioritize education, health care and public safety and uplift the voices of families and small businesses. As community members, well continue activating New Mexicans of all ages, especially young women, to become informed voters and to be engaged with issues that affect their lives. As elected women we will encourage other women to run for elected and appointed office, be involved in their communities and lift their voices to make a difference. Representation matters, and when New Mexican women step forward, New Mexican women make history. The wildfires in the US state of California sparked by lightning strikes have more than doubled in size and claimed at least six lives and injured 43 fighters and civilians, reports said on Friday. The conflagrations, which broke out over the last week and are among some of the largest in state history, have blackened an area larger than the US state of Rhode Island and destroyed more than 500 homes and other structures. Charred debris has even floated into Santa Cruz as flames advanced to the edge of the coastal city. In addition to the fatalities, 43 firefighters and civilians have been hurt. Three groups of fires, called complexes, burning north, east and south of San Francisco have together scorched 780 square miles or 2,020 square kilometres. More than 12,000 firefighters assisted by helicopters and air tankers have been deployed to tackle the wildfires across California. At least 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as the deadly blaze continues to spread. We are not naive by any stretch about how deadly this moment is and why it is essential ... that you heed evacuation orders and that you take them seriously, the state governor Gavin Newsom told citizens. The blazes, coming during a heatwave that has seen temperatures top 100 degrees, are taxing the states firefighting capacity but assistance from throughout the country was beginning to arrive, with 10 states sending fire crews, engines and aircraft to help, Newsom said. We have more people but its not enough. We have more air support but its still not enough and thats why we need support from our federal partners, the governor was quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press. Newsom also thanked President Donald Trumps administration for its help a day after criticising him for his remarks on the states wildfire prevention work. While he may make statements publicly, the working relationship privately has been a very effective one, he said. There are 560 fires burning in the state, many small and remote but there are about two dozen major fires, mainly in Northern California. Many blazes were sparked by thousands of lightning strikes earlier in the week. Nurnisa Emet, younger sister of Ankara-based scholar Erkin Emet, and her husband Kadir Memet, during a 2013 tour of Turkey. Kadir Memet has been jailed for 23 years and his wife, for 14 years, for giving gifts to Erkin Emet that Chinese authorities said represented aiding and abetting terrorism. Authorities in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have jailed four siblings and a brother-in-law of an Ankara-based Uyghur academic for more than a decade each for "aiding and abetting terrorists" for sending gifts to the scholar, a 30-year-resident and citizen of Turkey. Erkin Emet, a lecturer at Ankara University and a freelance journalist, told RFAs Uyghur Service that he has learned from the Kashgar District Intermediate Peoples Court that three of his brothers were sentenced for 11 years each, his sister received 14 years, and her husband was jailed for 23 years. Erkin Emet told RFA he had been out of contact with his family for years, and only learned of the January 2019 indictment of the five relatives when he was sent an electronic copy of the court document by an acquaintance in China last month. He had learned in 2019 that 13 relatives were imprisoned in the XUAR internment camps in which China has locked up as many as 1.8 million for what it says is re-education to combat Muslim extremism. Critics call them concentration camps that merit an investigation into genocide and the United States has sanctioned the architect of the camp system. In the indictment, Chinese authorities accused Erkin Emet of being a "terrorist" and said they had arrested his siblings and brother-in-law on charges of "aiding and abetting terrorists" and "keeping contact with a member of a terrorist organization, Erkin Emet, between 2006 and 2016," he said. The indictment described gifts his brothers gave to Erkin Emet and his wife gold rings and household items worth about $2,500 as "aid for terrorist activities. Erkin Emet's younger sister, Nurnisa Amet, visited Turkey in January 2013 with the permission of the Chinese government with her husband, Kadir Memet, and they stayed only three days at her brother's house a stay described in the indictment as "liaising with terrorists, the scholar said. Erkin Amets older brother Memtimin Amet, who was jailed for 11 years and fined of 30,000 yuan ($5,000), in an undated photo. Erkin Amet No contact for two decades Kadir Memet was jailed for 23 years, and fined 3 million yuan ($500,000) while his wife was sentenced to 14 years. Erkin Emets brothers--Memtimin Emet, Enver Emet and Emer Emet each got 11 years and fines of 30,000 yuan, the court papers showed. Erkin Emet a lecturer since 1992 at the state-run Ankara Universitys Department of Language, History and Geography has been a correspondent and contributor to RFAs Uyghur Service from Turkey, and managed RFAs office in the Turkish capital from 2001-12. "How can someone with a connection to terrorism work at a state university in Turkey? he said in an interview with RFA Friday. I havent been in contact with my siblings for ... years. I havent seen them, and I didnt even get a phone call, added Erkin Emet. He said the criminal charges for the familys exchange of gifts is a typical example of the current policy of evil repression against the Uyghurs." Erkin Emet said the terrorist accusation in the indictment did not specify a terrorist organization or a terrorist act. WUC connection? Local media in Turkey, home to more than 50,000 Uyghurs who fled there to escape persecution in China, have speculated that the main reason for Erkin Emet's "terrorism" accusations is related to his work for RFA and his decade-long relationship with the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress advocacy group. Erkin Emet said his property was confiscated by the state after his brother-in-law was unable to pay his 3 million yuan fine. Now that they are in prison, how will their children live without their property or financial resources? Its an unfathomable cruelty. Erkin Emet wrote letters to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department to seek help with his familys case. As stated in the indictment, it was only I who caused my siblings to be sentenced, he said. The Republic of Turkey knows what kind of person I am, so I wrote a letter to the president, asking him to raise my issue diplomatically with China, telling the Chinese government about the situation and asking for the rescue of my siblings, he said. I haven't received a clear answer yet." RFA previously has reported that a blacklist of 17 people from Kashgars Yopurgha county who went abroad is circulating on social media, and at the top of the list of "terrorists" is Erkin Emet, a native of the county. China has imprisoned numerous Uyghurs for having visited Turkey and other Muslim countries, or for having relatives living in those countries. Chinese authorities have also jailed dozens of relatives of RFA Uyghur reporters in retaliation for their work. The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education will conduct the HP TET 2020 exam from 25 to 28 August The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has released the admit cards for the Himachal Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (HP TET) 2020. The TET is going to be held from 25 to 28 August, 2020. Candidates, who have registered for the exam can download their admit cards by visiting the official website hpbose.org. All candidates need to carry the legitimate admit card in order to gain entry into the examination hall. Applicants can download their admit card through candidate login by typing in their application number and date of birth. The examination for different subjects will be held on different dates. Apart from the hall ticket, candidates must also bring a valid and original photo ID proof such as a passport or Aadhar Card, reported Times of India. Steps to download the HP TET admit card 2020: Step 1: Candidates need to first visit the official site of HP BOSE at https://www.hpbose.org/OnlineServices/CET/TET/Instructions.aspx Step 2: Click on the link that says 'Download Admit Cards (TGT (Arts/Non-Medical/Medical)/Shastri/L.T/JBT/Punjabi/Urdu Subjects) TET-JUNE 2020' Step 3: Enter your DoB in DD-MM-YYYY format Step 4: Submit application number received during the application process Step 5: A new web page will open with the admit card Step 6: Applicants need to download and take a print out of the hall ticket According to Careers 360, the admit card carries several important details of the candidate such as their name, roll number, date of birth, category, date and venue of examination, exam time along with the reporting time and the time when the entry closes. The admit card will also contain instructions about the protocols and rules that candidates must follow, along with the signature and photograph of the examinee. Earlier the HP TET was scheduled to take place from 26 July to 9 August. Representative Image Bihar BJP on August 22 set a target to win three-fourth of seats for the NDA in Bihar assembly elections due in October-November. Stating the target in presence of BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav and others, state party president Sanjay Jaiswal made an appeal to 76 lakh party workers in the state up to Panchayat level to ensure that the coalition achieves the mark. "We have set a target of winning three-fourth seats for NDA in Bihar. We will ensure that the coalition achieves the mark," Jaiswal said while addressing the two-day state executive committee meeting that started Saturday. National Democratic Alliance in Bihar comprises of BJP, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswans LJP. Bihar has 243-member assembly. Precautions have been taken for conduct of the meet in the midst of raging Covid-19 pandemic in the state with only a handful of leaders including Bhupendra Yadav, Jaiswal and state ministers-Nand Kishore Yadav and Prem Kumar- sitting on dais in the state headquarters. Former Maharashtra chief minister and party's election in-charge for Bihar Devendra Fadnavis joined them virtually. BJPs national president J P Nadda will give his valedictory speech Sunday. The caution in organising the event comes in the backdrop of its over two dozen leaders and workers testing positive at the state headquarters in July in course of conducting regional meetings as part of election preparations. Jaiswal praised both the central and state governments for working together for the victims of floods and coronavirus especially migrant workers, who returned to their home during pandemic from different parts of the country. He also lauded the party workers for feeding poor and migrant labourers during lockdown apart from distributing essentials such as medicines, masks, besides organising blood donation camp among them. Abolition of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, paving way for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya through a court verdict, annuling triple talaq for muslim women and providing citizenship to non-muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were among some of the major decisions of the Narendra Modi government, he underscored. Assembly elections are due in the state in October- November and the Election Commission has indicated it would go ahead with organising the polls on time notwithstanding concerns expressed by opposition parties and also by NDA partner LJP that it could lead to further spread of the coronavirus disease. Bihar will be the first state where election would be held amid pandemic that is raging in the state as well in the country. The BJP meet shows that the saffron party is going ahead with its poll preparation in the politically crucial state that sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha. The executive committee of the state was formed on March 20 last, but it could not hold any meeting till date due to COVID-induced lockdown enforced in Bihar on March 22 and subsequent nationwide shutdowns. Addressing the meet, Fadnavis exhorted party leaders and workers to take developmental works done by both the central and state governments to the people. "We need to tell people about various works done by both governments- be it Atmanirbhar economic package, Garib Kalyan Yojana or the work done by the state government- as people forget them easily," Fadnavis said. He, however, did not touch the issue of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case which had triggered a bitter face-off between his home state Maharashtra and Bihar, and instead kept his speech focused on political issues and elections. Criticising 15 years of Lalu Prasad-led RJD r the state which pushed Bihar 25-30 years back into backwardness, Fadnavis said, "people need to be reminded about the time when the state witnessed rampant corruption and nepotism and was ruined economically." "The NDA government has brought change in Bihar in past 15 years and put development back on rails and now the state will move faster in next five years and thats why it needs a government which can work in tandem with the Narendra Modi government, said Fadnavis, who began his speech with his reverential salutation "Pranam" to people of Bihar. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: If you want to know who really controls Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned. With a market capitalization of US$159b, Chevron is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Chevron. See our latest analysis for Chevron What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Chevron? 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. We can see that Chevron 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. 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 Chevron's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Chevron is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.7% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 6.9% and 6.4%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Story continues On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Chevron While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 less than 1% of Chevron Corporation. 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$31m 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 34% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Chevron better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Chevron (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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 China says US push for Iran sanctions 'self-serving political manipulation' Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 3:10 PM China says the United States' call for the re-imposition of the United Nations sanctions on Iran is 'nothing but a self-serving political manipulation,' stressing once again that Washington has no right to make such a demand after its unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal of 2015. "Like we stressed many times, the US unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA (the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), means renunciation of its rights as a participant of the deal, and it is in no position to demand enacting the snap-back mechanism," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press conference on Friday. Pointing to Washington's attitude in withdrawing from international organizations and treaties, harming multilateralism and the authority of the Security Council and undermining international non-proliferation regime, the Chinese official said, "Its move to push for a resolution or send a letter to the Security Council cannot justify its above-mentioned behaviors." The spokesman emphasized that the parties to the JCPOA and an overwhelming majority of the Security Council believe that the US demand to enact the 'snapback' mechanism has no legal basis, and it has not been invoked. "This fully demonstrates that the US unilateral position runs counter to the wide consensus of the international community and its attempt to sabotage the JCPOA will never succeed," Zhao said. China urges the US to "stop going down the wrong path, otherwise it will only meet further opposition," he said. The Iranian nuclear issue, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman added, can be solved through "equal-footed dialogue and candid consultations" instead of imposing sanctions, mounting pressure or even making military threats. Beijing is ready to cooperate with other parties to find a proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic channels with the purpose of maintaining the JCPOA and authority of the Security Council, upholding international non-proliferation regime and safeguarding regional peace and stability, Zhao stated. As part of an illegal underway push, the United States is trying to invoke the snapback mechanism in the JCPOA despite its withdrawal in May 2018 in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the nuclear deal. On Thursday, the United States' most prominent Western allies refused to fall into step with the push to snap back the sanctions against Iran. Britain, France, and Germany said they could not support the United States in the move, describing Washington's action as incompatible with efforts to support the 2015 deal, Reuters reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the United States has no right to abuse mechanisms enshrined in the nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers to restore UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic after they were lifted under the accord. In a Thursday letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Iranian foreign minister said the dangerous and unlawful position of the United States defies the established norms of international law and procedures, which have been put in place through centuries to safeguard the world from chaos. Russia will not recognize US demand for re-imposition of sanctions against Iran: Envoy to UN A senior Russian diplomat on Thursday rejected the American plan to restore UN sanctions on Iran as "nonexistent," saying only a country that is still a party to the Iran nuclear deal can invoke the return of the sanctions. "A [sanctions] snapback can be triggered by a country that is a participant of the JCPOA, of which the United States is not. They officially withdrew from the JCPOA. That's a question that inevitably every other delegation at the Security Council agrees on", Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told reporters. "We consider a snapback nonexistent, we will not take it as a snapback what they will presumably notify today the presidency of the Security Council." Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov has criticized the "poorly calculated" US push to trigger the snapback provision, saying the new adventurism will draw negative international reaction since it makes a "mockery" of common sense. In a series of tweets on Wednesday and Thursday, Ulyanov said, "US is about to make a big mistake which can have extremely negative implications not only for #US but for #UN as a whole. In particular it can become a turning point for such a tool available for UNSC as #sanctions under Chapter Vii of the UN Charter. Very risky adventure." US not a JCPOA participant, cannot call for restoring sanctions: EU In addition, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pointed out that Washington had unilaterally ceased participation in the JCPOA by presidential memorandum on May 8, 2018 and has subsequently not participated in any JCPOA-related activities. "It cannot, therefore, be considered to be a JCPOA participant State for the purposes of possible sanctions snapback foreseen by the resolution," Borrell said in a statement on Thursday. He added that as the coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission, he would continue to do everything possible to ensure that the JCPOA would be preserved and fully implemented by all its parties. "The JCPOA remains a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, contributing to regional security." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain is playing a key role in a controversial 65billion industry that stands accused of fooling the public into buying poor quality, cheap Chinese-made clothes by advertising them on social-media sites as glamorous boutique products. An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found dozens of so-called drop shipping firms have been registered in the UK by Chinese nationals who arrange for often shoddy goods to be dispatched around the world from factories in their homeland. Some of the manufacturers are suspected of running sweatshops where staff work long hours for low pay. Shoppers are attracted by photographs of Western models in apparently high-quality but cut-price clothing. When the product arrives, usually after many weeks or even months, many customers discover that it barely resembles what they have ordered and is made of inferior materials. The controversial 65billion industry stands accused of fooling the public with outfits advertised on the drop shipping firms social media sites Review websites such as Trustpilot are packed with critical comments, many detailing how efforts to return the products and obtain a refund have been slow or fruitless. Mail on Sunday columnist Alexandra Shulman, a former editor of Vogue magazine, is among those left disappointed. She spent 27 on a dress advertised on a website called onceangel.com which looked really nice. However, when it arrived, it turned out to be an item of unrecognisable hideousness. OnceAngel is owned by a firm called Bumperr Ltd its directors include Chinese national Lingling Wu and Briton Amy Greenhalgh. Ninety-seven per cent of its ratings on Trustpilot are either poor or bad. The company, which is based at a business park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, did not respond to requests for comment. Two other companies, Xehia Trading Ltd and Yingchuang International Electronic Commerce Ltd, which are behind more than 300 drop shipping websites, are linked to a semi-detached residential property on a housing estate in Dartford, Kent. Shoppers are attracted by photographs of Western models in apparently high-quality but cut-price clothing only to be disappointed when it arrives Jit Bahadur Ghale, who lives at the property, said: I have been doing work through an accountancy firm for clients. Mr [Arvind] Kohli, my boss, is the one who deals with everything. I work for him, thats all. This was the registered address but I complained to my boss and he changed the registered address last week. Hes communicating with his clients in China or Hong Kong. Mr Kohli runs an accountancy firm called ASVSH and is listed as a previous director of both Xehia and Yingchuang International Electronic Commerce. He said: I am upset and saddened by this event and I am also sorry that my involvement in this matter has led to people receiving substandard goods. My company was approached by a man from China who wanted to set up a company for his business. At no time was I given any indication that they intended to sell clothing from these websites. 'The reason I was given for forming the companies was that they eventually wanted to provide financial services to companies in the UK. I have contacted Xehia Trading Ltd and asked them to stop using the Dartford address and have terminated my dealings with them. Rexitt, one of Xehias stable of websites, boasts of being devoted to creating an unbiased platform for small brands and yet-to-be-famous designers who are seeking bigger audiences for their designs. It offers to sell products directly made by our own factories with high quality but lower price. It too has drawn criticism from its customers. Buyer Jane Murray wrote on Trustpilot: Do not go near this bogus company. All items made of cheap polyester, cheaply finished and in no way of the quality you assume. Professor Liz Barnes, of the Manchester Fashion Institute said: These schemes are accelerating the downfall of the high street Another buyer wrote: I ordered two dresses from a Facebook ad. The dresses were cheaply made and they are not true to size. The dresses do not fit. The frustration of many is compounded by difficulties returning the products and getting a refund. Some requests go unanswered, while other people are fobbed off. In one case, a customer was advised to give their goods to a family member instead of paying to return them to China. Experts say unscrupulous firms are cashing in on the growing popularity of drop shipping and risk damaging the reputation of the whole industry. James Brown, managing partner at strategy consultants Simon, Kucher & Partners, said: Legitimate retailers have a reputation to uphold and generally strive to treat customers well and provide a good product, but the ease with which anyone can get into drop shipping means that companies will try to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible before walking away when negative reviews pour in. Many will simply fold the company, start another one and do the same thing again. The housing estate in Dartford, Kent where two such Chinese firms are registered E-commerce expert Ian Rhodes said: This is the pyramid scheme of modern day e-commerce. Most who get involved see it as a get-rich-quick scheme. Invariably, consumers lose out. And Professor Liz Barnes, of the Manchester Fashion Institute, added: One of the real tragedies of these kinds of schemes is they are accelerating the downfall of the high street because people increasingly think they can buy cheap clothes online. 'I have been a victim of these kinds of ads. In the back of my mind I knew I wouldnt get what was advertised at the price it was, but I still fell for it. While there is no evidence that Bumperr, Xehia Trading or Yingchuang International Electronic Commerce work with Chinese sweatshops, a House of Commons report last year concluded that prison labour in China has been used to produce garments for well-known Western brands. Sylvia Rook, lead officer at the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards, advised those unhappy with their goods to pursue a refund through the company or contact their bank. If the price of a single item was over 100 and you paid by credit card, the card provider is equally liable under Section 75 Consumer Credit Act for faulty or misdescribed goods or goods not received and will have to provide you with the refund, she said. If the item was less than 100, you can still make a claim through a process known as chargeback, where the bank will attempt to reclaim the money for you. Online middlemen making a mint Drop shipping firms advertise products that they neither stock nor dispatch they are middlemen, finding cheap goods on Chinese websites and then marketing them on sites such as Instagram. A 10 advert can reach up to 150,000 potential customers. When orders come in, they pass them to their Chinese suppliers, who send out the items. The difference between the sale price minus the cost of advertising and the factory price is clear profit. Most drop shippers use e-commerce platform Shopify to build online stores and an app called Oberlo to connect to suppliers. The industry is booming, with Chinese-made products estimated to account for 40 per cent of all e-commerce sales. ALEXANDRA SHULMAN: So chic on Instagram, so hideous in real life The dress looked really nice on my Instagram feed, sandwiched between a post from World of Interiors and a picture of a friend poolside in Greece. It was from a company called OnceAngel and showed a slender, tanned blonde girl in a midi dress described as a colorblock cotton and linen long loose dress. The bodice appeared to be stitched in a heavy red and white threaded oriental pattern. I showed it to a friend sitting beside me and we agreed it would be just the thing to take on holiday to Croatia in a few weeks (now looking like another fantasy). The clue should have been in the price of 27 flagged as being 41 per cent off. Of course, I should have had more sense. Me, editor of Vogue for 25 years and a journalist for far longer, should have realised that you get what you pay for. Which in this case was an item of unrecognisable hideousness. The moss linen skirt and pink cotton sleeves advertised on Instagram for the price of 27 Far from the moss linen skirt and pink cotton sleeves advertised, a package arrived with a crumpled-up dress made of an indescribable artificial fabric the colour of hospital linoleum with a sickly peach-coloured sleeve. The bodice was in the same fabric with a flat ugly print. However cheap it might have been, it couldnt match how cheap it looked. Hoping against hope that it might look better on, I slipped into it but if anything it looked even worse. The fabric was sticky against my skin, the skirt hanging in limp creases and the sleeves droopy batwings with elasticated wrists. I felt immensely foolish. How could I, who knows all the tricks of the trade, have fallen for a simple Instagram photo with a stylish gloss? Worse, I was no doubt boosting the coffers of a company employing the kind of workshop practices that fast fashion companies have been pilloried for, playing my part in encouraging appalling sweatshop conditions that we dont have to look to China and the Far East to discover. Theyre here at home, in some of our cities hit hard by Covid-19. Instagram vs reality: The chic dress pictured (L) on Instagram, but so hideous in real life The returns address supplied with the dress was Walsall in the West Midlands, but on the OnceAngel website, the detailed returns policy which gave the firm a veneer of respectability, stated people should email before sending anything back. I duly did so, saying the dress was in defiance of the Trade Descriptions Act and I was returning it pronto. Immediately an email pinged back with a Chinese character in the subject box instructing me to return it to: Receiver: XuBao Address: Panyu District, Shunyifang Avenue East 25, Warehouse No 20. City: GuangZhou State: GuangDong Country: China This story doesnt reflect well on anyone, but particularly me. I should have known that the embroidered linen dress I imagined I was buying would cost more than the price asked. If Id bothered to look at the website, I would have had second thoughts when I saw the three-pack of pastel fashion lace socks, bizarrely photographed next to a small soft-toy rabbit, featured on the new in section. Not exactly chic. And I would hopefully have spotted that a jump suit I had also been tempted by from an Instagram ad from a differently named seller was also on there for a ludicrously low price. If someone like me can fall for such brazen rip-offs even knowing the importance of issues around ethical workplaces and the need for environmental and sustainability checks in the fashion industry it just shows that cleaning up the business has a long way to go. And that even old pros like me can fall victim to the sugar rush of a cheap online hit. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:14:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has engaged China Geo-Engineering Corporation to construct feeder roads in four of the country's 10 provinces, a government official said on Saturday. George Manyele, acting director of the Road Development Agency (RDA), a government agency responsible for the construction of roads, said the Chinese firm has been engaged to construct 1,000 kilometres of feeder roads under the national feeder road project. He told Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng'andu who was inspecting the upgrading of roads in Mungwi district in the northern part of the country that intention was to upgrade the roads to good standards, according to the state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. The project to upgrade roads into all-weather gravel will be implemented in Northern, Northwestern, Central and Copperbelt provinces, he added. He noted that all road works were being carried out under the concept of output-based performance contracts which will see the contractor carry out major rehabilitation to the roads in a period of two years. Enditem During a meeting on Tuesday, leaders were praising James McLaughlin for his work raising money and earning recognition for the Pittsylvania Pet Center. As of Friday, he is no longer the director of the Pittsylvania Pet Center, and leaders refused to explain whether or not he was terminated. When contacted by the Register & Bee on Saturday, McLaughlin said that he didn't have much to say now, but "I can say there was some political stuff involved." He did not say if he was terminated and did not respond to email questions from the Register & Bee. Pittsylvania County Administrator David Smitherman said he can't discuss personnel, but did confirm that McLaughlin is no longer employed at the pet center. "James [McLaughlin] did exceptional things for the pet center and Pittsylvania County. He will be missed," he said. The sudden conclusion to McLaughlin's career is another twist in the story of the Pittsylvania Pet Center. The Lynchburg Humane Society operated the Pittsylvania Pet Center from its opening in 2017 until the end of 2018, but the center took in more animals than either locality anticipated, which is why the Lynchburg Humane Society walked away. That's when McLaughlin, who had been working with shelters in the Norfolk area, was brought on as the director. In his first full fiscal year with the center, which started on July 1, 2019, and ended on June 30 of this year, McLaughlin tripled his mandated donation quota with more than $220,000 in cash donations and grants and $416,000 in supplies. The center also came in $134,393 under its proposed operating budget of more than $880,000. Just recently, the Virginia Association of Counties, a legislative group that represents every Virginia county, also awarded the Pittsylvania Pet Center two separate outstanding achievement awards. One was for the regional food pantry that has distributed well more than 70,000 pounds of food locally and to other animal welfare organizations, and another recognized the Doggie Bag Thrift Store, which sold used items from the convenience centers to raise money for the Pet Center. During their meeting Tuesday, Smitherman and several members of the board of supervisors lauded McLaughlin for winning these awards, which was the first time the same county department won multiple awards. A resolution was even passed recognizing McLaughlin and the center. "Everything we've asked him to do, he's probably far exceeded those limits, and doing more every day," Supervisor Ron Scearce said on Tuesday evening. "Since you've taken over the helm you've done outstanding work," he said to McLaughlin. "I hope you'll stay with us as long as you can." Several members of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors did not respond to requests for comment, and those who did declined to comment and directed the Register & Bee to the county administrator. Christine Warren, who had previously worked as the the center's pet care manager, will run the shelter in the interim until a replacement director can be found. Since she has been doing a lot of the behind the scenes work and managing the pets already, Warren isn't too worried about stepping into her new role, she said. Warren would not provide any information about McLaughlin's departure, only saying that "he is no longer with us." Other than a newly placed curtain blocking the view inside McLaughlin's former office, the Pittsylvania Pet Center appeared normal on Saturday afternoon, with staff helping residents who were interested in adopting or meeting animals. "We are here for the community, that's not going to change," Warren said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has said that the foreign nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event held in Delhi in March this year, were made scapegoats and allegations were levelled that they were responsible for spreading Covid-19 in the country. A division bench of Justices T V Nalawade and M G Sewlikar made the observations on August 21 while quashing the FIRs filed against 29 foreigners, who had attended the event. The bench also noted that while the Maharashtra police acted mechanically in the case, the state government acted under political compulsion. The 29 foreign nationals were booked under various provisions of the IPC, the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and Foreigners Act for allegedly violating their tourist visa conditions by attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in the national capital. The bench in its order noted that there was a big propaganda against the foreigners who had come to the Markaz in Delhi. A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them a scapegoat, the court said in its order. The propaganda against the so-called religious activity (Tablighi Jamaat) was unwarranted. The activity was going on for more than 50 years and it is there throughout the year, it added. It said that the circumstances and the latest figures of infection of Covid-19 in India show that such action against the petitioners should not have been taken. It is now high time for the concerned to repent about this action taken against the foreigners and to take some positive steps to repair the damage done by such action, the court said. In its order, the bench noted that many Muslims from across the world come to India and visit the Markaz Masjid in Delhi as they are attracted to the reform movement of Tablighi Jamat. It is a continuous process and it appears that there are arrangements of stay also made by the Muslims at Markaz Delhi, it said. The bench added that the visits of these foreigners to Masjids in India were not prohibited and there is nothing on record to show that this activity is prohibited permanently by the government. The activity of Tablighi Jamat got stalled only after the declaration of lockdown in Delhi and till then it was going on, the court said. The bench further questioned as to whether the people in India are really acting as per its great tradition and culture of welcoming guests. During the situation created by Covid-19 pandemic, we need to show more tolerance and need to be more sensitive towards our guests, particularly like the present petitioners. Instead of helping them, we lodged them in jails by making allegations that they were responsible for violation of travel documents and that they are responsible for spreading the coronavirus, the court said. The bench noted that the Maharashtra police acted mechanically in the present matter and the state government acted under political compulsion. The government cannot give different treatment to citizens of different religions of different countries, the court said. Apart from the foreign nationals, police also booked six Indian nationals and trustees of the Masjids for giving shelter to the petitioners. The bench was hearing three separate petitions filed by the accused foreign nationals, who belong to the countries like Ghana, Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia. At the end of the judgement, Justice Sewlikar said that while he agrees with the quashing part of the order, he has differing views on a few observations made by Justice Nalawade. However, he did not specify which observations. The petitioners claimed that they came to India on valid visa in February 2020 and before March 10, 2020 to experience Indian culture, tradition, hospitality and Indian food. They claimed that when they arrived in India, they were screened and were let to leave the airport only after they did not show any symptoms of Covid-19. The petitioners further claimed that they were visiting several places in India to observe the religious practices of Muslims. They claimed that due to lockdown imposed across the country in March, the petitioners, who were in Ahmednagar district at the time, were accommodated in masjids as most lodges and hotels were closed. They further claimed that while granting visa, there was no prohibition to visit religious places, like masjids. The police, while opposing the pleas, said that post- lockdown, announcements were made at public places, asking persons who had attended the Tablighi event to come forward voluntarily for testing, but the petitioners did not do so and created a threat of spreading the coronavirus. The prosecution further argued that the accused persons were propagating Islam religion among public. The court, however, refused to accept this and said there is nothing on record to show that the foreigners (accused persons) were spreading Islam religion by converting persons of other religions to Islam. The bench further held that no orders were issued by any authority preventing Indians from accommodating persons in masjids or supplying meals to persons, including foreigners. PTI SP NP NP Seven initiatives of Brahma Kumaris to be flagged off by PM Modi today 'The nation exists from us and we exist from the nation', says PM Modi May the blessings of Lord Ganesh always be upon us: PM Modi greets nation on Ganesh Chaturthi India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Aug 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. In a tweet, PM Modi said, "Greetings on the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. May the blessings of Bhagwan Shri Ganesh always be upon us. May there be joy and prosperity all over." Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals. On Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind greeted citizens on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi and prayed that Lord Ganesha bless all to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. At nearly 75%, 3 out of 4 Indians who got COVID-19 have recovered: Centre "The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, is an expression of people's enthusiasm, joy and forbearance in taking every section of society along on this occasion," he said. "Ganpati Bappa Morya! Greetings on Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival is an expression of people's enthusiasm, joy and forbearance in taking every section of the society along. May Vighnaharta help us all to overcome COVID-19 pandemic and bless us with a happy and healthy life," the statement said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 8:58 [IST] Get yourself a 2021 Honda Pilot at Honda of Victoria today. Honda drivers will be excited to hear that the new 2021 Honda Pilot is now available at a local Honda dealership. Honda of Victoria recently added six models of the 2021 Honda Pilot to their inventory. Any interested customers can check out the available models at the dealership in Victoria, Texas, or online. The 2021 Honda Pilot returns with many of the beloved features of previous model years. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, the Honda Pilot delivers up to 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The interior offers 152.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and has three rows of seating. There is up to 109.2 cubic feet of cargo volume available when the second and third row seats are folded down. There are seven trim levels available for the 2021 Honda Pilot: LX, EX, EX-L, Special Edition, Touring, Elite and Black Edition. The newest trim level in this lineup is the Special Edition model. This model comes with black 20-inch wheels, foot-activated power tailgate and wireless charging. The Special Edition model is placed between the EX and Touring models. All of the 2021 models now come standard with paddle shifters, dual-zone climate control, an automatic stop-start system and a nine-speed automatic transmission. Previously, the nine-speed automatic transmission was only available on the Touring, Elite and Black Edition models. If any potential buyers would like to learn more about this model, they can find more information at hondaofvictoria.com. They can also reach out the sales team by calling 361-575-0495. The sales department at Honda of Victoria is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The dealership is located at 116 Huvar St. in Victoria. Two continents, 18 countries and 20,000 kilometres. This will be the worlds longest bus road trip. But for that Bus to London (www.bustolondon.in), you will have to wait until May 2021. Hopefully, by then, the virus would have shed its evil and turned a tad benevolent. For now, as the pandemic rages and international holiday seems a distant dream, it is time to explore our own backyard. Check latest COVID entry rules, pack a dozen masks, a tin of sanitiser, top the fuel tank and head out for a road trip. Here are a few fascinating road trips. Remember the first rule of travel; Follow the rules and SOPs. Delhi to Satoli (Kumaon): If ever there was a trip to paradise, it would perhaps be this 320-km run between Delhi and Satoli. Pick between the Haldwani route or the Kaladungi route. The Kaladungi route is more scenic and roads are better but avoid it during monsoon. Do not rely too much on Google, it can throw you off. As you get closer to Satoli, watch out for views of snow-clad peaks of the Nanda Devi and Trishul range, dense pine, oak and deodar forests, ribbons of mist, quaint Kumaoni hamlets with terraced fields and spectacular view of Almoras twinkling lights. In Satoli, book a room at One Partridge Hill (www.onepartridgehill.com) where SOPs are followed stringently. SOPs: For travel pass, register on the Uttarakhand government website (dsclservices.org.in). Travel with a COVID-19 negative report with 72-hour validity. Also upload the report on the government website. Those with a COVID-19 report and travellers who have confirmed hotel/resort/homestay reservation for 7 days will not be quarantined. Mumbai to Goa: Buckled into an aeroplane, one can fly from Mumbai to Goa in 45 minutes but if the road-trip bug has bitten you, think 10-12 hours and spectacular vignettes of the Western Ghats. First, choose the route for the roughly 600-kilometre drive. Play it safe with NH 4 Expressway that runs through Satara-Kolhapur-Sankeshwar-Sawantwadi-Goa. But if thrill is on the itinerary, take Ratnagiri Konkan Route on NH17 which is crowded and risky but worth the adrenaline. SOPs: Carry a negative Covid-19 certificate issued by an ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) recognised laboratory not older than 48 hours prior to arrival. Or, take a swab test upon arrival (cost Rs 2,000) and agree to remain in paid institutional/home quarantine until the result is available. Pre-booking of accommodation (hotels registered with Department of Tourism) is mandatory. For latest on entry regulations into Goa, visit: www.goa.gov.in/covid-19/ Manali to Leh: The 437-km stretch between Manali and Leh can be treacherous and tedious, the terrain rugged and the weather callous and unpredictable. Snow and rain can make the highway slushy but that has never daunted the ardent road-tripper. The thrill of the steady climb up the mountain and then a steep descent into the valley is unbeatable. Remember, there are no fuel stations between Tandi and Leh (365 kilometres), so tank up. Also, consult your physician before venturing out. High altitude and low oxygen level can wreak havoc. Avoid night drives. The route is usually closed between October and March; check dates before stepping out. SOPs: All passengers arriving in Leh should get themselves tested for Covid-19 not later than 48 hours before arrival. For latest on entry regulations, visit: ladakh.nic.in Guwahati to Shillong: Often described as the best road trip in North East India, the 100-km drive from Guwahati to Shillong (Meghalaya) on NH6 is breathtakingly beautiful. Drive through the sleepy hamlet of Jorabat, the extensive forested areas of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary and Umiam Lake, the largest water body of the region. Watch out for hot chilli pickles being sold in roadside shacks. If you have two weeks to spare, take the longer route that cuts through Tawang-Kaziranga-Majauli-Kohima-Haflong-Dawki-Cherrapunji-Shillong. Avoid late-night drives. SOPs: Pre-register yourself at www.meghalayaonline.gov.in/covid/travel.htm. Before hopping into the car, check quarantine regulations at https://meghalaya.gov.in/ Kolkatta to Kurseong: There are several quick road trips from Kolkatta including Sundarbans, Piyali Island, Chinsurah, Falta, Raichak. But if you want the breeze in your hair and beautiful sights on hairpin bends, head to Kurseong (590 kilometres), a hilly town that translates into Land of the White Orchids. Sitting close to Darjeeling, Kurseong is less crowded and prettier. Drive carefully; keep an eye on the treacherous bends. Hop on to the Toy Train, spend a day in the tea estates, devour Nepalese/Anglo-Indian food. And try 100 different tea blends and tea-leaf fritters at Cochrane Place (http://www.imperialchai.com/) SOPs: Check details of containment zones at https://wb.gov.in/. For Covid-19 related queries, call 24/7 Helpline: 1800-313-444-222,033-2341-2600. Bengaluru to Ooty: Nestled in Nilgiri Mountain Range, Ooty or Ootacamund, nicknamed Queen of Hill Stations, is a popular getaway from Bengaluru (270 kilometres). Pick from three route options: Mysore-Masinagudi Route; Kanakapura-Kollegal Route; Salem-Coonoor Route. Whichever route you pick, leave early. On return journey, avoid Mysore Route - you might get caught in traffic snarl. Beware of monkeys during pit stops. SOPs: For entry into Ooty, it is compulsory for all passengers to obtain Tamil Nadu e-pass. Register at https://tnepass.tnega.org/. Chennai to Puducherry: This one is a quick passage (165 kilometres) between two different worlds - from a crowded city to an olworld territory with a tangible French connection. You can go through Tambaram or mark Mahabalipuram on the map on way to Auroville. If you intend to stay a few nights in Puducherry, make Auroville your base camp and keep driving to nearby attractions. SOPs: For Puducherry entry e-pass, register at https://epass.py.gov.in/. For latest Covid regulations, visit: www.collectorate.py.gov.in/ Amritsar to Dalhousie: This is not a road trip oft-taken but if you prefer an off-beat journey which is not long and strenuous, this 198-kilometre drive will be an enchanting change. It would be best to start early; avoid after-sunset drive. If you want to rev through a snow flurry, wait for the winter in Dalhousie, a hill station named after Lord Dalhousie, a former Governor-General of India. If you have a week in hand, drive further from Dalhousie to Chamba and then move to Dharamshala. Distance between Dalhousie and Dharamshala is roughly 120 kilometres. SOPs: For e-pass into Himachal Pradesh, register at https://covid19epass.hp.gov.in/applications/epass/apply. Quarantine mandatory for those travelling from Covid red zones. Ahmedabad to Kutch: Wait until the end of the year to drive from Ahmedabad to Kutch (400 kilometres). Because it is during the Rann Utsav Festival (rannutsav.com), a desert festival (November 11, 2020, to February 28, 2021), that the land is at its glorious best. The Rann of Kutch is a seasonal marshland with miles of greys, whites and blacks formed by salty mudflats and pools of water. Drive through Kala Dunger (Salty Hill), located on outskirts of Rann, Ludia, a popular handicraft village and Hodko, an eco-friendly village. SOPs: Due to its proximity to Pakistan, youd require a special permit to visit the salt desert which can be obtained on the way at the Bhirandiyara village checkpoint, about 55 kilometres from Bhuj. Indian citizens can get the permit online at: www.rannpermit.com/ The Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur): A basic Golden Triangle road tour (800 kilometres) is doable in about a week but you can shorten it to 4-5 days. The drive is about 4 to 6 hours between each of the cities and must-dos include shopping in Jaipur, pit stop at Fatehpur Sikri and an evening in Taj Mahal. SOPs: To enter Rajasthan, apply for e-pass at www.epass.rajasthan.gov.in. For Uttar Pradesh, apply at http://164.100.68.164/upepass2/Apply.aspx Preeti Verma Lal is a Goa-based freelance writer/photographer. Assassinations in Iraq Press Statement Morgan Ortagus, Department Spokesperson August 20, 2020 We are outraged by the targeted assassinations of civil society activists and attacks on protesters in Basrah and Baghdad. It is unconscionable that the perpetrators of these horrible acts continue to act with impunity. Since October of last year, peaceful demonstrators have taken to the streets to urge government reform. They have been met with threats and brutal violence. Many have been gunned down. We strongly support the right of Iraqis to assemble peacefully and express themselves. We urge the Government of Iraq to take immediate steps to hold accountable the militias, thugs, and criminal gangs attacking Iraqis exercising their right to peaceful protest. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world, with over 800,000 people trafficked against their will across international borders each year. This growing issue (a pandemic of a different kind) has touched all corners of the world from poor villages in developing countries to wealthy suburban towns in the United States. A global issue like human trafficking requires a global response, which means it's up to everyone to do something. Walk, run, or bike to support survivors of human trafficking. Often when faced with an issue of this size, it's easy to think that individual efforts will have no positive impact, but today there is action to take to be a part of the solution. There is an opportunity to join others across the country and the world to support the efforts of an organization that provides healing and hope for survivors of human trafficking. Worthwhile Wear is a non-profit that provides survivors with long-term housing on its beautiful 82-acre property just outside of Philadelphia, PA. It equips survivors with job training and employment through its thrift stores, empowers survivors of sexual exploitation through its community outreach programs, and globally employs survivors in the making of Worthwhile Wear apparel. But this innovative organization hasn't stopped there. Worthwhile Wear's nationwide ACT Challenge aims to raise awareness about the issue of trafficking and help fund restorative services for survivors. To join this effort, simply track any miles covered while walking, biking, or running and then post an image of the activity or the route to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #ACTWorthwhile and tag @WorthwhileWear. That's it! Based on posted miles, sponsoring businesses will donate $1 per mile to fund programming and housing for survivors of human trafficking. These social media posts help prompt discussion and raise awareness. So far, the response has been amazing as people are craving the chance to collectively do something that helps those in need and spreads a positive message. The simple act of being active will help survivors and bring hope to many who are still working through past trauma brought on by sexual exploitation. The ACT Challenge is free to join and open to all ages and any abilities. Worthwhile Wear will use the #ACTWorthwhile hashtag and @WorthwhileWear tag to tally miles that have been covered. For private social media accounts, email images or mileage totals to [email protected] so miles don't get missed. Help raise awareness about modern-day slavery by following these steps: Get Active- Run, walk, bike, or even swim and record the activity now through the end of summer. Raise Awareness- Post the activity or route with the hashtag #ACTWorthwhile and tag @WorthwhileWear. Invite Others- Ask others to join or to sponsor a mile. Play a part in helping survivors of human trafficking today by participating in this challenge. Media Contact: Brooke Engelbart Email: [email protected] For details or to learn about business sponsorships visit worthwhilewear.org Related Images actworthwhile.png #actworthwhile Walk, run, or bike to support survivors of human trafficking. SOURCE Worthwhile Wear Related Links https://worthwhilewear.org/ KALAMAZOO, MI -- Fire seriously damaged a Kalamazoo house Friday, Aug. 21 and firefighters spent hours at the scene. The fire was reported about 1:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Prospect Street. No one was injured and everyone evacuated the house safely. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the homes eaves. They fought the fire from inside the home initially, but were forced to retreat outside as conditions worsened the fire spread to the attic. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Red Cross workers were called to assist the residents with temporary housing and other necessities. More from MLive Kalamazoo police at scene of 3rd shooting Friday Pedestrian dies after hit-and-run Kalamazoo crash, police later recover car Solstice Studios was supposed to begin filming its newest feature starring Ben Affleck in Los Angeles back in April. While the film's production was halted by the coronavirus, it's the lack of widely available testing that will keep it from resuming in the U.S. this fall. "It became quite clear very quickly that it was absolutely impossible," Mark Gill, president and CEO of Solstice Studios, said. Instead, the movie will be shot in Vancouver, Canada in October. Rising Covid-19 cases in California forced the studio to look at Austin, Texas as the new home for the film. Those plans quickly dissolved as cases grew in the Lone Star state and it became apparent that the production would not be able to accommodate the three tests per week for actors and crew that Hollywood guilds were requiring if it remained in the U.S. "The problem is there is a shortage of tests, a delayed time between the test and the lab result and that would put us in immediate violation of our agreement with the unions who represent that cast and crew," said Gill, whose producing credits include "Pulp Fiction," "The English Patient," "Good Will Hunting" and "Shakespeare in Love." Gill said the production also looked at the U.K. and Australia as other possible safe havens for production. Last month, Frank Patterson, CEO of Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, said that the studio had conducted over 1,000 tests and had less than two dozen positive results. The majority of these positive tests were from part-time workers, he said. When asked for additional information on testing on Friday, Patterson declined to comment. A limited supply of Covid-19 testing materials has hampered the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic since the very beginning, public health specialists say. It's made it difficult for people to get tested in some parts of the country. Delays in processing test results plagued the U.S. throughout the summer as those who could get tested waited days, sometimes more than a week, to get their results making them virtually worthless. Though national labs say they've recently cut the wait time, the U.S. is currently running around 600,000 tests a day when most epidemiologists say the country needs to process millions a day to truly reopen the economy open. Producer Shaun MacGillivray, who is the president of MacGillivray Freeman Films, which predominantly produces and distributes documentaries, noted that there is no official enforcement of some of union testing guidelines, but there is a massive liability for productions if the rules are not followed and someone gets sick. For larger studios, the additional costs to secure tests and laboratories to run them are easier to absorb. Independent production companies may have a harder time, MacGillivray said. "From a budget standpoint, you've got to think about 20% to 25% more expenses to do that," he said. In Canada, Solstice Studios will have readily available testing and quick lab results. The additional health and safety costs adds up to a couple of million dollars for the studio, which produces films in the low-to-mid-tier range of $30 million to $80 million. Additionally, Canada has far fewer instances of coronavirus. The country reported an average of less than 400 new coronavirus cases per day, over the past week compared with more than 46,400 in the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The cast and crew will have the quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the country. "You can't plan for something if you know right now it's not possible," Gill said of productions that are looking to restart in the U.S. this fall. "You have to know now it will be possible in eight weeks or you are just planning for a disaster." CNBC's Will Feuer contributed to this report. The Nepal government has decided to resume international flights from September 1 after nearly six months, a Cabinet Minister said. Nepal had suspended international flights on March 22 in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, reports Xinhua news agency. The country had earlier planned to resume the services from August 17, but it was extended till August 31 amid the resurgence of coronavirus cases. In a press meet on Friday, Minister for Finance and Communication Yubaraj Khatiwada said: "The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will publish the table of flight schedules starting from September 1." So far, only chartered flights for humanitarian purpose and for the delivering of medical goods were allowed. Certain restrictions would be imposed on scheduled flights to allowing flights only from limited countries and regions and for limited Nepali and foreign nationals. CHENNAI: Based on specific intelligence, the Chennai Air Customs has seized 1.45 kg gold foil worth USD 1.04 lakh from a passengers personal goods. While the passenger had arrived earlier from Dubai, his personal belongings arrived later at the Unaccompanied Baggage Terminal. Four carton boxes carrying his personal belongings had arrived at the airport via an Indigo Airlines flight as unaccompanied baggage. The carton consented toy boxes and bedspreads among other items. Officials said that the bedspread was wrapped around a cardboard sheet, which appeared to be unusually heavy. On tearing the cardboard sheet, gold foil-wrapped in carbon paper was found concealed in between its two layers. Similarly, cardboard sheets were found in all toy boxes as well. On tearing open the sheets, gold foils wrapped in carbon paper were found concealed inside two cardboard sheets. This is the first seizure of gold foil from unaccompanied baggage, it used to be smuggled in by passengers earlier. But this isnt a very common method. The way in which the foil was packed was also hard to detect, we were able to nab this due to specific intelligence Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner Customs, said. A total of 3 bedspreads and 7 toy boxes were recovered from the carton boxes. 10 gold foils weighing 1.45 kg valued at Rs.78.4 lakhs were recovered and seized under Customs Act, 1962. The passenger hailed from Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu and was working as an electrician in Dubai. He had returned recently after he lost his job following the Covid-19 outbreak. He was arrested by authorities. President Nana Akufo-Addo has commended Mr. Joe Ghartey, the Minister of Railways Development and Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan for transforming the country's railway sector. Addressing the chiefs and people of Essikado-Ketan in the Western Region during his recent visit to the newly refurbished Railway Training School at Ketan, President Akufo-Addo said he had a great conviction that Mr. Ghartey was capable to resuscitate the sector. I had no doubt in my government that I had somebody who could do that work for me. Fortunately, he also comes from the railway capital of Ghana, Essikado-Ketan, and that is why I gave the job to him. And I can only thank God that he has been able to live up to my expectations, the President added. The President noted that the commitment to rejuvenate the railway sector was absolute, unconditional, and non-negotiable. He lauded Mr Ghartey for negotiating excellently in securing funding for the refurbishment of the Railway Training School, saying; "Its happening and its going to continue to happen and God willing, if we get four more, you will see the results his labour in the sector." President Akufo-Addo assured the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, and the entire residents of his unalloyed commitment to transforming the railway sector into a world-class standard, and appealed to them to renew his mandate come December 7. Nana Nketsiah, on his part, said for 20 years they had been trumpeting the need to revamp the railway sector and was happy that their struggle was yielding positive results. 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 Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Report Description A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Infant Milk Formula Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Infant Milk Formula Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Infant Milk Formula Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Infant Milk Formula Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Infant Milk Formula Market is projected to expand with healthy CAGR over the period of forecast. As on date of publishing, this report will capture the impact assessment of COVID-19 on this market and the same will be considered in our market forecast methodology. Clients purchasing this report between April and June 2020 will be getting a free updated market data excel sheet between July and December 2020 accounting for the impact of COVID-19 on the market in the current year 2020 and forecast period. Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=454 Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints & Opportunity of the Market: Infant formula manufacturers majorly focus on developing the products which have similar properties to breast milk. Improvement in overall quality of products & innovation in content are key focus areas of manufacturers. Starting milk formula products are targeted towards infants under 6 months old. Starting milk formula products are mostly based on cows milk, which is then modified to make it nutritionally suitable for infants. Starting milk formula is considered a substitute to breast milk and mainly consists of whey protein. Follow-on milk formula products are targeted towards infants above six months old. Casein is the major content in such formulas. It may also contain different types of nutrients when compared to starting milk formula. Toddlers milk formula are used after the age of 12 months. It contains iron, nutrients, protein, calcium, minerals and vital component for overall growth of the baby. Organic infant formula is gaining traction, especially among high-income population in the region. Adoption of organic infant formula is expected to increase significantly in the near future, primarily due to growing health concerns among consumers about artificial ingredients used in various food products, including infant milk formula. Segment Covered: This market intelligence report on the global Infant Milk Formula Market encompasses market segments based on Ingredient Type, Source, Form, and Application and country. Based on Ingredient Type the global Infant Milk Formula Market is classified into: Carbohydrates Fats & Oils Proteins Vitamins Minerals Prebiotics Others (Probiotics, Nucleotides, and Emulsifiers) Based on Source the global Infant Milk Formula Market is classified into: Cow Milk Soy Protein hydrolysates Others (Goat milk and camel milk) Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/infant-milk-formula-market/454#content Based on Application the global Infant Milk Formula Market is classified into: Growing-Up Milk (Infants over 12 months) Standard Infant Formula (06-month-old infants) Follow-On Formula (612 month-old infants) Specialty Formula Based on Form the global Infant Milk Formula Market is classified into: Powder Liquid & semi-liquid By country/region, the global Infant Milk Formula Market has been divided into: North America (the U.S., Canada) Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries) Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries) Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries) Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries) Profiling of Market Players: This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as: AAK AB Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited Carbery Food Ingredients Limited Royal Friesland Campina N.V. Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GmbH Nestle BASF SE Koninklijke DSM N.V. Arla Foods amba Chr. Hansen Holdings A/S Kerry Group plc Lactalis Ingredients Glanbia plc Vitablend Nederland B.V. Ohers Others players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Infant Milk Formula Market related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report. Report Highlights: In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2020-2028. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players. Salient Features: This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Infant Milk Formula Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2020-2028, taking into account 2019 as the base year It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook Profiling of key market players in the world Infant Milk Formula Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation The world market for Infant Milk Formula caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Infant Milk Formula Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion Reasons to buy: v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Infant Milk Formula Market v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Infant Milk Formula Market v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events v Identify key partners and business development avenues v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/infant-milk-formula-market/454 Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 03:13:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's pro-government forces on Friday managed to dismantle a minefield laid previously by the Houthi rebels in the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a military official told Xinhua. "A team of the explosives experts received calls from a local resident about existence of mines on his agricultural farm in Durayhmi district of Hodeidah, and immediately rushed to the site," the local military source said on condition of anonymity. "Around 65 mines were successfully dismantled by the experts who managed to secure the residents in the area," the source said. Flash floods caused by the recent heavy torrential rains washed away many of the Houthi-laid landmines in different areas of Hodeidah, raising fears among the local residents, according to the official. Earlier this month, the engineering teams of the pro-government forces began a large-scale operation to dismantle anti-armor and individual mines in the areas between the Red Sea Mills and the air defense base in Hodeidah. The Houthi-laid landmines and improvised explosive devices continue to pose a threat to the civilians despite the ongoing efforts in the mine-clearing projects in Yemen. Previous reports by humanitarian organizations said Yemen has become one of the largest landmine battlefields in the world since World War II. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels seized the northern provinces including the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing Yemen's President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile. Enditem Silicon Valley tycoons including Mark Zuckerberg are in the money after their investment fund sold a British tech company. Iconiq Capital which invests on behalf of the Facebook founder as well other tech billionaires including Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman sold North-West London-based CSL Group to the private equity firm ECI Partners for an undisclosed sum. In the money: Senior Facebook executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, entrusted Iconiq with their cash after the social media giant's stock market listing San Francisco-based Iconiq, along with Norland Capital and RIT Capital Partners, had owned CSL since 2016, when they backed a management buyout of the firm, which provides alarm signalling and monitoring systems. Under Iconiq's ownership, CSL has been a pioneer in the 'internet of things', where machines in this case alarm systems and computers communicate with one another. CSL, which has completed four takeovers since 2016, services more than a million devices across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. Iconiq is a notoriously secretive investment fund established by former Morgan Stanley bankers in 2011. Its early investors were senior Facebook executives, including Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, who entrusted Iconiq with their cash after the social media giant's stock market listing in 2012. CSL turned over 31million in the year to March 2019, its latest accounts reveal. It made a pre-tax loss of 14.2million, but said it made 9.6million in underlying profit. After entering the room Vashe grabbed her shoulders and pushed her to onto a bed. He laid her facing upwards and mounted on top of her. He closed her mouth using his hand since she was screaming. He removed her clothes and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her once using a condom without her consent. WASHINGTON With heated debate over mail delays, the House approved legislation in a rare Saturday session that would reverse recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations and send $25 billion to shore up the agency ahead of the November election. Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled lawmakers to Washington over objections from Republicans dismissing the action as a stunt. President Donald Trump urged a no vote, including in a Saturday tweet, railing against mail-in ballots expected to surge in the COVID-19 crisis. He has said he wants to block extra funds to the Postal Service. Dont pay any attention to what the president is saying, because it is all designed to suppress the vote, Pelosi said at the Capitol. Pelosi called the Postal Service the nations beautiful thread connecting Americans and said voters should ignore the presidents threats. The daylong session came as an uproar over mail disruptions puts the Postal Service at the center of the nations tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nations oldest and more popular institutions. Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of voting the president tweeted, This is all another HOAX. More than two dozen Republicans broke with the president and backed the bill, which passed 257-150. Democrats led approval, but the legislation is certain to stall in the GOP-held Senate. The White House said the president would veto it. Facing a backlash over operational changes, new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his No. 1 priority is to ensure election mail arrives on time. But the new postal leader, a Trump ally, said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made. He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election. DeJoy is set to return Monday to testify before the House Oversight Committee. The American people dont want anyone messing with the post office, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chair of the Oversight Committee and author of the bill. They just want their mail. But Republicans countered that complaints about mail delivery disruptions are overblown, and no emergency funding is needed right now. Its a silly, silly bill, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. Despite the postmaster generals vow election mail will arrive on time, Democrats remain skeptical. Maloneys committee on Saturday released internal Postal Service documents warning about steep declines and delays in a range of mail services since early July, shortly after DeJoy took the helm. He acknowledged at the Senate hearing there has been a dip in service, but disputed reports of widespread problems. The Board of Governors of the Postal Service announced a bipartisan committee to oversee mail voting. The bill would reverse the cuts by prohibiting any changes made after January, and provide funds to the agency. In a memo to House Republicans, leaders derided the legislation as a postal conspiracy theory act. Many GOP lawmakers echoed such sentiments during a lively floor debate. I like the post office, I really do, said Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. But he said, We have no crisis here. Nevertheless, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a $10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package. While Trump has said he wants to block emergency funding for the agency, the White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader bill. Hundreds of lawmakers returned to Washington for the weekend session, but dozens cast votes by proxy under House rules that allow them to stay away during the COVID-19 crisis. Another lawmaker, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., announced Saturday he had tested positive for the virus. Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was on Capitol Hill meeting Saturday with GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers, according to a Republican aide granted anonymity to discuss the private sessions. The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume, COVID-19-related costs and a rare and cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits. For many, the Postal Service provides a lifeline, delivering not just cards and letters but also prescription drugs, financial statements and other items that are especially needed by mail during the pandemic. The postal board of governors, appointed by Trump, selected DeJoy to take the job as postmaster general. A GOP donor, he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor. He maintains significant financial stakes in companies that do business or compete with the agency, raising conflict of interest questions. In a statement, the Postal Service said DeJoy has made all required financial disclosures, but he might have to divest some holdings if conflicts arise. Republicans have long sought changes to have the agency run more like a private company, and Trump often complains the Postal Service should be charging Amazon and other companies higher rates for package deliveries. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, also owns The Washington Post, a publication that Trump frequently derides as fake news over critical stories of him. Others say the Postal Service is not expected to be solely a money-making enterprise, often delivering to far-flung places where it is not efficient to operate. ___ Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston, W.Va., and Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press produced this coverage with support from the Carnegie Corp. of New York. The Fahadh Faasil-starrer Malayalam film, CU Soon, which has been shot on mobile phone during the lockdown, will release directly on OTT. Also starring Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran, CU Soon is about a software engineer from Kerala who has been assigned by his family to help his Dubai-based cousin find his missing fiancee after she leaves behind a video suicide note. The film was shot with a phone in a controlled environment during the lockdown. Working with (director) Mahesh (Narayan) has always been an inspiring experience. We had an incredible stint with our erstwhile blockbuster Take-Off," said actor and producer Fahadh, added, Making CU Soon was an interesting experience." Talking about the film, director Mahesh Narayan said, CU Soon is a computer screen-based drama thriller, a new concept that has barely been explored in Indian cinema. People are attempting to stay virtually connected during these unprecedented times, and we wanted to take this concept a step further by exploring a unique format of storytelling through multiple screen devices. This film would not have been conceptualised or created without the virtual communication software and their developers." CU Soon, edited and directed by Mahesh Narayan, will release on Amazon Prime Video on September 1. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:06:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 infections in Iraq on Saturday reached 201,050, as the Iraqi Health Ministry reported 3,965 new cases. It also reported 70 fatalities during the day, raising the death toll to 6,353, while 2,947 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 143,393. The new cases were recorded after 20,459 testing kits were used across the country during the day, and a total of 1,413,947 tests have been carried out since the outbreak of the disease, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Ghaiyb al-Omairi, a member of the parliamentary health committee, said in a press release that the infections with coronavirus could climb to 10,000 per day if the non-compliance with the health restrictions continued. "Reaching 10,000 daily infections is something possible, but applying the health restrictions and abiding by the instructions of the World Health Organization and the Health Ministry would reduce the number of infections," al-Omairi said. "The pressure on the health institutions may increase if the number of infections increases and the health situation may get out of control," he said. Al-Omairi criticized the previous restrictive measures saying that the full and partial curfew in the past months were focusing on blocking roads, which the gatherings continued within the neighborhoods and the social distancing was weak. Iraq has been taking a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country. 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 The funds available for the one-time $500 stimulus check of unemployed Oregonians in need of financial aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic have already been exhausted on the third day of distribution. The offices of Oregon's House speaker and Senate president confirmed this on Friday, saying that all 70,000 Oregon stimulus checks had been distributed or dedicated. "Financial institutions who are participating in this unique public-private partnership will have a final funding allotment cap for the day and will not be accepting new walk-in applications once they reach the allotment cap. Previously scheduled appointments will continue through the end of the month, but new appointments will not be made," the office said in a statement. Lawmakers approved the COVID-19 relief program in mid-July, allocating around $35 million to the $500 stimulus checks. Oregon Stimulus Checks Distribution Wednesday was the first day of the relief program, accepting applications to those who want to be included. Long lines of people were found at credit unions and banks across Oregon on Wednesday and Thursday. The waiting period stretched to hours, and moods changed with the waiting being prolonged. Police said someone briefly pulled a gun during a dispute in the line on Thursday at a Gresham credit union. The police noted that they took several people into custody at a Southwest Portland credit union. One man said he waited several hours to get his check. He said he filed for unemployment aid months ago and still has not received a penny. Jesse Coy said he has got nothing to do and out of work right now. Coy added that he hasn't had a job in a couple of months, which has been hard. OnPoint Community Credit Union announced on Friday noon that it would be closing some Oregon branches for the remainder of the day. This was after it announced that the emergency checks programs had ended. Applicants had to be 18 years old and live in the state to be qualified for Oregon's stimulus checks. They also had to prove that they faced financial hardships during the pandemic, had a pre-tax monthly income of $4,000 or less. Senate President Peter Courtney expressed his gratitude to the financial institutions that have stepped up during an emergency and are continuing to work so hard to distribute checks to Oregonians. "We've said from the beginning that we know this is not enough money to help all of those in need. But we had to take action to get money directly to people as quickly as possible, and this is a tremendous example of Oregonians pitching in to help our most vulnerable," Courtney said. House Speaker Tina Kotek noted that the last couple of days highlighted just how dire the need is across the state. Kotek said they need to get more money to help more people. She said it is frustrating that the federal government can make direct stimulus payments to Americans who need it the most, and not doing so. Courtney and Kotek's offices said the program had delivered stimulus checks to around 40,000 eligible applicants on Wednesday and Thursday. Check these out: No Legal Charges for Arrested Portland Protesters Under New Policy Oregon Voters Vote Against Law Giving Driver's Licenses To Undocumented Residents Good News to Oregon Farmworkers: A Coalition is Rolling Out Fund for Support In clinical research, scientists often invoke race, ethnicity and ancestry to better understand underlying factors that contribute to disease, even when the connection is not quite clear. This approach is prevalent in clinical genetics, a field of study that harnesses genetic testing to understand aspects of a patients personal health. But while race- or ancestry-based information can play an important role in health research such as ensuring a particular clinical study represents diverse populations its use in science can be misguided, said Alice Popejoy, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar who studies the intersection of public health and genetics. Including race, ethnicity or ancestry in a scientific study can produce misleading results that present sociocultural factors, such as race, as a biological cause of certain diseases when, in fact, environmental factors or actual biology, such as genetic mutations, may underlie the disease. To better understand the use of race, ethnicity and ancestry in clinical genetics, Popejoy and her mentors Carlos Bustamante, PhD, professor of biomedical data science and of genetics, and Kelly Ormond, MS, professor of genetics, led a team of scientists to conduct a nationwide survey asking clinical genetics professionals and researchers about the importance of race, ethnicity and ancestry in their work, including questions about how they define the terms and use the concepts as variables in their research or clinical practice. The study was published June 2 in the American Journal of Human Genetics. In a conversation with science writer Hanae Armitage, Popejoy discussed the role of race, ethnicity and ancestry in research. 1. What is the difference between race, ethnicity and ancestry? Popejoy: There really arent universal definitions of race, ethnicity and ancestry, which is likely part of the reason theres so much confusion about what they mean and how they overlap, especially in science. Race, for instance, is more often used in a sociopolitical context as a construct thats broadly tied to societal hierarchies of power. Often with ethnicity, people tend to use the term in a more cultural or community-based context. Sometimes people will use race and ethnicity interchangeably, as some may feel more comfortable saying ethnicity because race can invoke discomfort related to racism. Ancestry is an interesting one, because people have really personal opinions about what ancestry means to them. For some, the term ancestry might invoke feelings about culture or heritage, and may even have spiritual undertones. But when I talk about ancestry, its in terms of genetics, and its derived from genomic analyses. Were talking about the fact that we all inherit pieces of DNA, little bits of genetic material, from our parents who inherited it from their parents, and so on. 2. Is there a role for race, ethnicity and ancestry in science, and if so, what is it? Popejoy: Thats one of the most common questions I get asked in my field. If race and ethnicity are social or cultural constructs, why include them in our research at all, when genetic ancestry seems so much more scientific? And the answer is that unfortunately, in a society plagued by systemic and institutionalized racism, sociocultural identity has a very real impact on health, as not everyone has equal access to nutrition, education and health care. So, race is not biological, but it does have real biological effects in an unequal society. In the case of ancestry, its a little more ambiguous; were still trying to figure out the most accurate and useful applications of genetic ancestry in research and medicine. In genomics, ancestry is often used to account for clusters of individuals in a sample population who are more closely related to one another, and their shared genomic background could impact the results of a genetic-association study. In clinical genetics, a persons ancestral background is also important for tracking the representation of groups from different genetic ancestries in population databases; adequate representation of these groups ensures the results of a genetic test are interpreted appropriately. Lets say you get a genetic test, the results come back and the doctor says, Im sorry. We see a genetic variant of unknown or uncertain significance, and we dont know how to interpret this for you. One of the reasons they might not be able to interpret that variant is that its never been seen in any of the databases, meaning the patient may be of a certain ancestral background that is not well represented. We dont know whether its missing from the database because its really rare and likely to be causing the patients condition, or if it is somewhat common and benign, or not disease-causing, in that persons ancestral population, but the population has not been adequately sampled, as most of the genetic research thats been done has been in people of European ancestry. Several news media websites appeared to be blocked in Belarus on Saturday, as the country's exiled opposition leader called for more mass protests against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday. The Belarusian Association of Journalists said in a statement on Saturday that more than 20 sites had been blocked, including those of U.S.-funded Radio Liberty and Belsat, a Polish-funded satellite TV channel focusing on Belarus. The state publishing house also stopped printing top independent newspapers the "Narodnaya Volya" and "Komsomolskaya Pravda," citing equipment malfunctions on Friday, the statement said. "The Belarusian Association of Journalists links the blocking of internet resources and the disruption of print publications with the government's attempt to block information about post-election protests in the country," the media body said. NBC News has attempted to contact the Belarusian Ministry of Information. It came as Lukashenko's main election challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, called for another march this Sunday, after an estimated 200,000 protesters rallied last weekend in the capital, Minsk. "We are closer than ever to our dream," she said in a video message from Lithuania, where she fled for security reasons after Lukashenko declared victory over her in the presidential election with 80 percent of the vote, earlier this month. Opponents say the election was rigged to disguise the fact that he has lost public support, a claim Lukashenko refutes. Since then, there have been widespread demonstrations with at least two protesters killed and thousands detained, although some were later released. Dozens of protesters and police officers have also been injured. In a separate interview with the Reuters news agency Tsikhanouskaya said she saw herself as a symbol of change, whose role was to help deliver new elections, adding that she felt duty-bound to do what she could to support protesters in her home country but would not run for president again. Story continues "During the campaign I didn't see myself as a politician but I pushed myself forward," said the former English teacher who emerged from obscurity a few weeks ago to take her husband's place in the election campaign after he was jailed. "I don't see myself in politics. I am not a politician." Tsikhanouskaya said that Lukashenko's authority was badly damaged, adding that she had received calls of support from international leaders, including Britain and Germany. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics Meanwhile, Lukashenko, who is facing his biggest challenge since taking power 26 years ago after the fall of the Soviet Union, said Saturday that he would close factories that have seen worker protests, the Russian RIA news agency reported. He also suggested he would fire the workers concerned. "If a factory is not working then let's put a lock on its gate from Monday, let's stop it," RIA cited Lukashenko as saying in the town of Grodno near the border with Poland. "People will calm down and we will decide whom to invite (to work) next." Image: Opposition demonstration to protest against presidential election results in Minsk (Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters) Lukashenko has blamed western countries and the United States for the unrest. "The U.S. is planning and directing everything, and the Europeans are playing up to it," Lukashenko said while visiting a state farm Friday. The U.S. on Thursday described the Belarus presidential election as neither free nor fair and urged authorities to engage in a dialogue with the opposition council. European Union leaders are also preparing sanctions against Belarusian officials. Lukashenko bluntly rejected Western offers to mediate between his government and the opposition, telling the U.S. and the E.U. to mind their own business. "They should sort out their own affairs first," he said. He has also appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help. Belarus is bound to Russia by a mutual defense treaty along with deep historic, political and cultural ties. Despite the two leaders having a frosty personal relationship, Putin has offered assistance, if required and warned against outside involvement in Belarus. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Nearly 30 years ago, a Republican Party program that dispatched off-duty police officers to patrol polling places in heavily Black and Latino neighborhoods in New Jersey triggered accusations of voter intimidation, resulting in a federal agreement that restricted for decades how the national GOP could observe voting. Now, two years after those limits were lifted, President Donald Trump has revived the idea of using law enforcement officers to patrol polling places, invoking tactics historically used to scare voters of color. In an interview Thursday with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump described law enforcement officers as part of a phalanx of authorities he hopes will monitor voting in November. "We're going to have everything," the president said. "We're going to have sheriffs, and we're going to have law enforcement, and we're going to hopefully have U.S. attorneys and we're going to have everybody, and attorney generals. But it's very hard." Trump's remarks are part of a pattern of comments in which he has suggested he is willing to take actions to impede how people cast their ballots this fall. He has repeatedly sought to undermine confidence in the November vote, making false claims about the integrity ofmail-in balloting and raising the specter of widespread electoral fraud. Earlier this month, he floated the idea of withholding election money from states and refusing funding for the U.S. Postal Service so as to curtail the use of voting by mail. The president has limited authority to order law enforcement to patrol polling places. Sheriff's deputies and police officers are commanded at the local level, and afederal law bars U.S. government officials from sending "armed men" to the vicinity of polling places. But civil rights advocates said they feared Trump's words could inspire local officials to act on his behalf. And they said even the threat of encountering police officers at the polls could be frightening to some voters, particularly in communities of color where residents are distrustful of the police. "This is just such an old, dirty voter suppression tactic," said Kristen Clarke, who leads theLawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "There is no doubt that this is about instilling fear and depressing participation in communities of color." Clarke said her group was researching how the president's comments could be used in lawsuits intended to protect the vote. Attorney Marc Elias, who is leading the Democratic Party's voting litigation efforts, said he will rush to court if he sees any evidence of the actions Trump described. "The reason why the Republican Party was under a consent decree for 40 years was for precisely this kind of behavior in 1981," he said. "It would be unfortunate if, having come out from under that consent decree, they now try to repeat those tactics." A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on Trump's remarks. Mike Reed, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said that law enforcement officers are not part of the RNC's new poll-watching program. "Our program consists of volunteers and attorneys," he said. Other Republican officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal strategy said they were unaware of plans to deploy law enforcement officers to polling places, adding that the president's comments were inaccurate and unhelpful to the party's efforts to expand its poll-watching program through appropriate and legal measures. Matthew Morgan, general counsel for Trump's reelection campaign, said in a statement that "Republicans will be ready to make sure the polls are being run correctly, securely, and transparently as we work to deliver the free and fair election Americans deserve." The Voting Rights Act outlaws the intimidation or coercion of voters, a provision adopted to combat long-standing tacticsthat were usedin the Jim Crow South to prevent Black people from participating in elections. The tactics included deploying sheriff's deputies and police officers to the polls. Accusations of voter intimidation continued long past the end of Jim Crow. Black voters in Florida complained about police traffic stops on Election Day as recently as 2000, according to a report on the 2000 presidential election by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 2010, advocates accused North Carolina police of voter suppression after they set up traffic checkpoints between primarily Black apartment complexes and polling locations. The RNC came under scrutiny for allegedly violating the Voting Rights Act in New Jersey's 1981 gubernatorial race, when the party was accused of creating a "National Ballot Security Task Force" made up of off-duty deputy sheriffs and local police officers who wore armbands and patrolled the polls in largely Black and Latino neighborhoods. Some allegedly displayed their firearms. Official-looking signs were posted at some precincts warning that voter fraud is a crime and that the task force was watching. After the Democratic Party sued, the RNC entered into a federal consent decree in 1982 in which itadmitted no wrongdoing but promised it would not take efforts to suppress the minority vote and would allow courts to review and approve future ballot security efforts. In practice, that meant that for decades, the RNC largely ceded poll-watching activities to a candidate's campaign operations. In 2016, the Democratic Party alleged that RNC had violated the consent decree by supporting the Trump campaign's ballot security efforts. But a federal judge ruled in 2018 that the Democrats had not proved that the agreement had been violated, allowing the consent decree to expire. As a result, the RNC this year will be able to conduct poll-watching activities without restrictions for the first time in decades. In response, party officials have said they hope to recruit at least 30,000 poll watchers in 15 battleground states, part of a program that will also deploy lawyers around the country to fight Democrats in court over election laws and ballots. Justin Riemer, the RNC's chief counsel, said volunteers will be trained on local rules and on looking for potential voting problems or fraud. At times, he said, the ballot watchers may confront issues directly with poll workers or may call their problems in to a team of election lawyers back at state headquarters. He said volunteers also will be trained to observe local officials as they count mail-in votes. Some GOP poll watchers will be stationed in communities that have traditionally seen long lines or other voting day problems, which Riemer acknowledged would be likely to include some Democratic-leaning urban polling sites with many voters of color. "Where do you see those lines wrapped around the block on Election Day?" he said. "Those are the kinds of places we are going to be. There is usually something wrong." Riemer said other poll watchers would focus on GOP-leaning areas, where they can monitor who has not yet voted as the day progresses to help the party better target its get-out-the-vote efforts. RNC officials say they have developed training programs for poll watchers, though they declined to provide details or copies of the materials. The consent decree significantly hampered the party's political activities for years , Riemer said, and, as a result, the RNC plans to be extremely careful not to run afoul of laws against intimidation. "People here are so vigilant that we are not put under another consent decree," he said. "Our volunteers will be beaten over the head that they need to be compliant with all applicable laws, and they need to be respectful and courteous when they are engaging in their operations." He added: "They are not there to stop people from voting. We want people to vote. If they don't believe us, they don't believe us. That's the God's honest truth." Such assertions are viewed with skepticism by voting rights activists, particularly since the RNC has amplified Trump's unfounded claims that voting by mail could lead to rampant fraud. Many activists think long lines are driven in part by GOP-backed efforts to limit early voting or reduce the number of polling sites. They also note that Republicans have said that they are open to recruiting former military service members and law enforcement officers as poll watchers - a proposal not far removed from the president's suggestion to send sheriffs to the polls. "We would be foolish not to be vigilant," said Vanita Gupta, the former head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, noting the country's history of voter intimidation and the president's misleading rhetoric. Gupta, who is president of the nonprofit Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said she expected that Trump would threaten to deploy law enforcement officials to the polls. "The danger is whether the threat alone or the posturing dissuades voters," she said. "That's where voters really need to be empowered and educated - the best way to fight back is to do the opposite and register and vote." Still, she noted that the country has "long-standing laws" prohibiting law enforcement intimidation of voters. Several states have their own statutes severely restricting police activity near polls. But in the current fraught political atmosphere, the president's call for a robust poll-watching effort could lead to unpredictable results. Earlier this year, a conservative organization called True the Vote was recruiting former members of the military to go to polling places, according to Ed Hiner, a retired Navy SEAL who said he started the group's "Continue to Serve" program. Hiner said in an interview that he used the email lists from veterans associations to invite 2 million former military personnel to participate. He said he thought the program would be a bipartisan effort that would pair Democratic and Republican veterans to encourage voting, and stopped working with the group this summer after realizing how partisan the issues related to voting have become. A representative of True the Vote, which alleges on its website that "radicalized lefist organizations are hard at work exploiting the weaknesses of our elector process," did not respond to questions about the program's status. According to guidelines distributed by the Justice Department, the states - rather than the federal government - are to ensure the voting process is conducted fairly. The guidelines instruct federal prosecutors to minimize their public presence around elections, even if they suspect crimes, such as voter fraud, are occurring. In a 2017 election crimes guide, the department stated that prosecutors and the FBI need approval before they can take any action that requires "intrusion by federal investigators into the area immediately surrounding an open polling place." Because federal law also does not allow federal officials to station "armed men" in the vicinity of polling places, the Justice Department has determined that this means a U.S. attorney cannot order FBI agents or U.S. marshals to the polls. The Justice Department does, however, deploy unarmed, specially trained observers and poll monitors - though the number of those people has declined because of a 2013 Supreme Court decision limiting the federal government's role inside polling places on Election Day. "Law enforcement's first obligation around elections is to do no harm," Elias said. "So there is an appropriate role of law enforcement to ensure other people's conduct isn't preventing people from voting. It is not to engage in conduct themselves that could prevent people from voting." - - - The Washington Post's Amy Gardner contributed to this report. Tuoumne County Sheriff Bill Pooley View Photo Sonora, CA Due to a variety of issues impacting the area in and around the uncontained wildfire burning near Moccasin, the sheriff has issued a community letter explaining stepped up evacuation plans underway. Tuolumne County Sheriff Bill Pooley on Friday afternoon released the following communication to help address questions and concerns: I have received several inquiries from concerned citizens regarding the Moc Fire and Im reaching out to let you know I hear and understand your concerns. On August 20th the Moc Fire ignited and was reported to be approximately three acres. Working closely with our CalFire partners, we monitored the spread of the fire which was classified as critical. The Moc Fire quickly spread to 1,700 acres within a timeframe of six hours, which surpassed the capabilities of available resources to fight the Moc Fire. As you are aware there are about 420 active wildfires in the State of California, which directly contributes to a lack of resources statewide. Based on the difficult terrain, lack of resources and fire behavior, the ability for people to escape the Big Oak Flat and Groveland communities caused me and our CalFire partners great concern. In collaboration with CalFire, I initiated mandatory evacuations. This was a calculated effort taking into consideration all electricity had been shut off which greatly impacts our ability to communicate and alert the public of rapidly changing circumstances. Knowing additional time and resources would be instrumental in safely evacuating threatened communities, we worked through the night to formulate and execute evacuation plans for everyone affected, especially our vulnerable populations. We continue to safely evacuate families, pets, and livestock from threatened areas. Your safety is my primary concern and I will not take unnecessary risks. I am grateful for the tremendous community support and strong partnerships with CalFire, the Tuolumne County Officer of Emergency Services, and all allied agencies supporting our mission. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed on the increase of testing capacity with simple procedures, during a cabinet meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control held on August 21. He also spoke highly of concerted, timely and stringent efforts in containing the spread of the pandemic, particularly the establishment of the Ministry of Healths special force in the central city of Da Nang, the countrys major hotspot, as hundreds of medical workers have been sent to the central region. The PM called for dramatic solutions to speed up testing, and asked all people to install the Bluezone contact tracing app on their smartphones. He also ordered all sectors, especially the Health Ministry, to stay vigilant and spare no efforts to stop the spread of new community transmissions. At the same time, the health sector must enhance virtual training for medical workers nationwide to fight the pandemic. In addition, he reiterated the significance of the close control of entry-exit at border regions and punishment for violators. The Ministry of Education and Training has been tasked with working with localities on the organisation of the national high school graduation examination in Quang Nam, Da Nang and elsewhere, as well as the start of the new academic year in a safe and suitable manner. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has been asked to amend policies supporting laid off workers and submit to the Government for consideration. At the meeting, Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that the spread of COVID-19 in central Da Nang city and Quang Nam province has been gradually contained, as the number of new infections in the two hotspots has been on the decline. Meanwhile, northern Hai Duong province had no new cases to report in the past three days. The state higher education department has formed a steering committee for implementation of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 in Uttar Pradesh. It will cater to higher educational institutions only, an official said. Additional chief secretary, higher education, Monika S Garg said, The department has formed a committee comprising vice chancellors, deans, senior professors of various universities and principals of degree colleges who will suggest ways and means as how to implement NEP- 2020 effectively in universities and degree colleges. While Garg herself is the chairperson of the committee, other members include former vice chancellor, Dr RML Avadh University, Faizabad, prof Manoj Dixit; vice chancellor, Babu Banarsi Das University, Lucknow, AK Mittal; vice chancellor, Galgotias University, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Preeti Bajaj; dean, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, Shashi Devi Singh; head of physics department, Lucknow University, Prof Poonam Tandon and others. We are meticulously working on 16 topics and have formed working committees. For instance, Prof Manoj Dixit is anchoring a topic on increasing gross enrolment ratio (GER) including progression from Class XII and linking polytechnics and ITIs with higher education institutions. Likewise other people have been assigned other topics, an official said. The committee has so far held three virtual meetings and has allocated work to different members. This committee is different from the task force formed on August 19 which caters to primary, secondary, higher and vocational education. On the other hand, the steering committee pertains to higher education department only, additional chief secretary, higher education, said. Members of the committee hope that integrating vocational education with higher education will be of great help in making students employable as mandated in NEP-2020 approved by the Centre last month. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 04:11:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto discussed the situation in Belarus in a phone call Friday, the Kremlin said. "When discussing developments in Belarus, Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's well-known position, emphasizing, in particular, that meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and attempting to exert external pressure on the legitimate authorities are unacceptable," it said in a statement. "Both sides expressed interest in seeing the situation in the republic return to normal as soon as possible," it added. Belarus has been witnessing mass protests after incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in the Aug. 9 elections, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results. According to the statement, certain current issues of Russian-Finnish relations were also discussed. Enditem All zodiac signs have their own characteristics and traits which define someones personality. Wouldnt it be helpful if you started your day by already knowing about whats going to come your way? Read on to find out whether the odds will be in your favour today. *Aries (March 21-April 20): You will be able to settle something outstanding on the professional front. A family elder may find it difficult to relinquish his or her authority at home. A new source of earning will make your financial front stronger. Religious minded can go on a spiritually elevating journey. Joining health conscious people on the fitness front is likely to do you good. Survey the real estate market before settling on any deal, as getting something better is possible. Someone important may give you a chance at something that you had been hoping for. Love Focus: Nothing exciting happening on the love front may become a matter of concern. Lucky Colour: Blue Lucky Alphabet: T Friendly Numbers: 2, 4, 8 Friendly Zodiac Today: Aries & Cancer Be careful of: Virgo *Taurus (April 21-May 20): Keeping higher ups on the right side is important at this juncture on the professional front. Family tensions will soon get replaced by peace and tranquility at home. Money comes in a steady stream and is set to improve soon. Delays while travelling can upset your plans and force you to reschedule your itinerary. Alternative medicines may not appear much effective in curing your ailment. Good returns can be expected by those investing in property. You may need the support for organising something big and it will be forthcoming. Love Focus: Lover may get in the mood of going someplace exotic, so dont miss out on this chance. Lucky Colour: Crimson Lucky Alphabet: S Friendly Numbers: 2, 4, 6 Friendly Zodiac Today: Libra & Aries Be careful of: Cancer *Gemini (May 21-Jun 21): Your efforts to come in the good books of people who matter on the professional front will succeed. Lethargy and laid back attitude of spouse or a family member may annoy you. Dont touch your savings even if it means tightening your belt. Some of you may have to proceed on an official trip on a short notice. Strong will power will be instrumental in keeping you fit and on the go on the health front. A favourable development on the social front may leave you in a highly excited state! Love Focus: Your aspirations on the romantic front are likely to connect you with a like minded person. Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky Alphabet: P Friendly Numbers: 9, 12 Friendly Zodiac Today: Cancer & Virgo Be careful of: Scorpio *Cancer (Jun 22-July 22): Task given to you on the professional front may not require much supervision on your part. Developments on the domestic front will keep you in an upbeat mood. Things look up on the monetary front as you enhance your earning. Some of you can do extensive travelling today and enjoy it too! Those aiming for perfect figure and physique may find health foods and drinks beneficial. A property deal may not go as expected. Spending time with like-minded people will prove intellectually satiating. Love Focus: Loving bonds are likely to get strengthened for newly married couples. Lucky Colour: Coffee Lucky Alphabet: Y Friendly Numbers: 11, 15 Friendly Zodiac Today: Scorpio & Taurus Be careful of: Aries *Leo (July 23-August 23): You are likely to deliver more than expected on the professional front and make your mark. A piece of good news on the family front will keep you in an upbeat mood. Good earning will keep your morale high and boost your self-esteem. You can feel envious of a neighbour going on a vacation. Free time may seem at a premium for those planning an outing with lover, but they will manage somehow. A property division will be to everyones satisfaction. You may have to keep a low profile as some mistake committed by you may get discovered. Love Focus: A function may mark the beginning of your love life as you catch someones eye! Lucky Colour: Electric Grey Lucky Alphabet: H Friendly Numbers: 1, 4 Friendly Zodiac Today: Scorpio & Gemini Be careful of: Taurus *Virgo (August 24-September 23): Getting more methodical at work will help in tackling old pending issues. Keep track of a family youngster to prevent him or her from going wayward. Financial awareness will become important to save on taxes. You are likely to take a break from the routine and plan an out-of-town trip. Dont let minor aches and pains keep you from sweating out for total fitness. Someone can cast aspersions on the ownership of your property. This is your day and you will manage to achieve what you have set out for. Love Focus: Initial excitement of falling in love is likely to take you to seventh heaven! Lucky Colour: Coffee Lucky Alphabet: D Friendly Numbers: 9, 12 Friendly Zodiac Today: Aries & Cancer Be careful of: Leo *Libra (September 24-October 23): Something that you are trying to achieve on the professional front is likely to get delayed. You may need to toe the line of a parent or family elder or face his or her ire. This is not the best time to spend money on something expensive. Those planning a holiday are likely to be excited about the idea. You love outdoors, but fail to remain regular in your workouts, so strike a balance in the interest of health. You can get a good bargain on property if you are persuasive enough. Meeting someone you have not met for long is possible. Love Focus: Lover may seem in a thoughtful mood today and may require space. Lucky Colour: Dark Turquoise Lucky Alphabet: P Friendly Numbers: 3, 9 Friendly Zodiac Today: Capricorn & Virgo Be careful of: Taurus *Scorpio (October 24-November 22): Working smart, rather than working hard, is the key to take you places on the professional front. Home front will become a fun place today as friends or relations arrive. Rising expenses may affect the savings and require you to take crucial steps immediately. Some of you can make a plan for an outing with friends. Skin or digestive problem faced by some on the health front is likely to end soon. Construction of a house may be taken up by some. You will need to take one step at a time, as rushing things may not serve your purpose. Love Focus: Someone from the opposite camp is likely to fall prey to your charms! Lucky Colour: Coffee Lucky Alphabet: G Friendly Numbers: 2, 11 Friendly Zodiac Today: Sagittarius & Virgo Be careful of: Leo *Sagittarius (November 23-December 21): A complicated issue at work will be resolved to the satisfaction of all. You will succeed in maintaining domestic harmony by maintaining positivity at home. You are likely to get a chance to invest in a financially sound scheme. Someone close going abroad or out of town for a long duration can make you emotional. Taking up meditation and yoga with health in mind cannot be ruled out for some. Outside help will prove better for handling a property issue. Today, you may prefer peace and quiet to excitement on the social front. Love Focus: A workplace romance is set to become intense, but dont get swayed. Lucky Colour: Coffee Lucky Alphabet: A Friendly Numbers: 6, 9 Friendly Zodiac Today: Virgo & Capricorn Be careful of: Gemini *Capricorn (December 22-January 21): Attaining the target may prove to be a touch-and-go affair for those into marketing. You may need to motivate a family youngster to perform better on the academic front. Those requiring a loan will be able to get it sanctioned. It is best not to go for a drive with friends as stars dont appear favourable. Your desire for perfect figure and physique is likely to be fulfilled soon. Construction may begin for an addition to your existing house. An entertaining evening is in store for some on the social front. Love Focus: Spending time with lover is foreseen and will help you in letting your hair down. Lucky Colour: Golden Brown Lucky Alphabet: Y Friendly Numbers: 11, 13 Friendly Zodiac Today: Libra & Sagittarius Be careful of: Leo *Aquarius (January 22-February 19): Extra endeavours on the professional front are likely to get the cash register ringing. You may not be able to participate in a family event due to circumstances beyond your control. All is not lost on the financial front, if you are quick enough. Accompanying a family member out of town cannot be ruled out for some. A new line of medication is likely to do wonders for those not keeping too well. Some of you may look for justice regarding a property matter. This is a good time to start something new, as success is foretold. Love Focus: A fun-filled activity with someone close is foreseen on the romantic front. Lucky Colour: Peach Lucky Alphabet: T Friendly Numbers: 9, 6 Friendly Zodiac Today: Taurus & Scorpio Be careful of: Virgo *Pisces (February 20-March 20): Those in the promotion zone can count on stepping up the corporate ladder. Leave may become a problem for those wanting to join family to spend some time together. Dont go overboard financially as stars dont look favourable. Travel will give you the opportunity of seeing new locations and meeting new people. Switching to healthy food options will be a big plus for you on the health front. There is no need to become big hearted where property is involved. Dont expend your energy in keeping track of someone or something, as it will only waste your time. Love Focus: There is a good chance of catching the eye of someone who makes your pulse race! Lucky Colour: Light Green Lucky Alphabet: S Friendly Numbers: 16, 18 Friendly Zodiac Today: Aries & Scorpio Be careful of: Taurus The astrologer can be contacted at psharma@premastrologer.com or support@askmanisha.com Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter IndiGo will develop a flight network to Russia and the Central Asian countries during the next few months, a senior official of the airline said on Friday. While scheduled international passenger flight services remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic, special international flights have been operating with the permission of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). During the last few weeks, IndiGo has operated passenger charter flights and cargo charter flights to countries like Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, its Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer Sanjay Kumar said. "The last couple of weeks have given us a great learning on the potential of these markets, which were kind of unexplored from our point of view so far," Kumar said at a webinar titled 'The Way Forward for Developing India-Central Asia Air Corridor' that was organised by industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). "I think we will be able to build up some kind of portfolio of routes and network into these markets going forward in the next few months' time," he added. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are part of Central Asia. India has never operated scheduled international flights to Central Asia or Russia. Talking about the charter flights operated to Russia and the Central Asian countries amid the pandemic, Kumar said, "We were quite surprised with the potential of the market because one-way the flight is going full load and on the other way it is coming empty and despite that, we were able to cover all our operational costs from both ends," he added. "I think we will be able to put more and more emphasis going forward looking at the potential of the regular flights into these markets - both on the cargo side and on the passenger side," he said. Also Watch: Since July, India has established air bubble arrangements with countries like the US, the UK, France, Germany, the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives. Under a bilateral air bubble pact, airlines of both countries can operate international flights with certain restrictions. Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. On August 18, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter air bubbles have also been proposed with our neighbours Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan. He said India is negotiating air bubble arrangements with 13 other countries. "These countries include Australia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand," Puri added.. . Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted the nation on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. He said, Greetings on the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. May the blessings of Bhagwan Shri Ganesh always be upon us. May there be joy and prosperity all over. Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals. - ! Greetings on the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. May the blessings of Bhagwan Shri Ganesh always be upon us. May there be joy and prosperity all over. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 22, 2020 Also read: BMC issues advisory ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, urges caution on 13 dilapidated bridges President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday greeted citizens on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi and prayed that Lord Ganesha bless all to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, is an expression of peoples enthusiasm, joy and forbearance in taking every section of society along on this occasion, he said. Ganpati Bappa Morya! Greetings on Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival is an expression of peoples enthusiasm, joy and forbearance in taking every section of the society along. May Vighnaharta help us all to overcome COVID-19 pandemic and bless us with a happy and healthy life, the statement said. Ganpati Bappa Morya! Greetings on Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival is an expression of peoples enthusiasm, joy and forbearance in taking every section of the society along. May Vighnaharta help us all to overcome COVID-19 pandemic and bless us with a happy and healthy life. President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 22, 2020 Kovind extended his best wishes and heartiest congratulations to all fellow citizens living in India and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the statement said. Police in Louisiana have fatally shot a black man who allegedly had a knife, after he ignored orders to stop and walked away from them towards the entrance of a gas station convenience store. Bystander video captured the shooting, which unfolded around 8pm on Friday in Lafayette, at a Shell gas station at the intersection of Northeast Evangeline Thruway and Chalmette Drive. The video shows witnesses shouting 'he got a knife' and 'they gonna shoot him' as the man marches swiftly away from cops and toward the entrance of the Shell station. 'Get on the ground!' one witness is heard pleading in vain. Rickasha Montgomery, the witness who filmed the video, told the Lafayette Daily Advertiser that police tasered the man to no effect. Police say that they pursued the suspect (above) for half a mile on foot after receiving a disturbance call at a Circle K gas station, and that he ignored orders to stop Multiple customers (left) were at the gas station as the suspect made a beeline for the entrance to the convenience mart (right). He was armed with a knife, witnesses say Police say the incident unfolded after Layfayette Police Department officers responded to a 911 call of a disturbance at a Circle K gas station on Northeast Evangeline Thruway. Officers say that they pursued the man on foot for about half a mile before the shooting took place at the Shell station, which was busy with multiple customers at the pumps. Witnesses said that police attempted to use a taser to subdue the man, but that it seemingly had no effect. As the man came within feet of the door to the occupied convenience mart, police opened fire, shooting 11 times. After opening fire, police were seen motioning to people inside the station's convenience mart, appearing to wave them back from the windows of the store as the dangerous situation unfolded. As the man came within feet of the door to the occupied convenience mart, police opened fire, shooting 11 times The immediate aftermath of the shooting is seen, after police fired 11 rounds 'When I heard the gunshots, I couldn't hold my phone like I was first filming,' Montgomery told the Advertiser. 'I feel kind of scared about it. I'm traumatized. You're so used to hearing about this, but I never thought I would experience it,' she added. Louisiana State Police are taking over the investigation into the shooting. Authorities have not identified the man, but confirmed his death on Saturday. Police have also so far declined to confirm whether the man was armed, or how many officers opened fire. Vietnam has briefed India about the escalating tension in the South China Sea in the wake of China significantly ramping up its military presence by deploying a large number of ships and fighter jets in the resource-rich region notwithstanding the calls for restraint by several countries. The issue figured during Vietnamese ambassador Pham Sanh Chau's meeting with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday, people familiar with the development said. They said the Vietnamese envoy gave an account of the current situation in the South China Sea including around Vietnamese waters where India's ONGC has oil exploration projects. China's aggressive military assertion in the South China Sea came at a time it is engaged in an over three-month-long border row with India in eastern Ladakh. No details of the meeting were made available either by the Ministry of External Affairs or by the Vietnam embassy. "Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla met Amb @SanhChauPham of Vietnam, with whom India has strong ties and a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted after the meeting. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member countries, including Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei, have counter claims. An attempt by China in 2014 to drill oil in the Paracel islands, claimed by Vietnam, had led to anti-China riots in Vietnam in which several Chinese factories were vandalised. India has been supporting freedom of navigation and access to resources in the South China Sea in accordance with principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The South China Sea is important as 55 per cent of India's trade passes through it. China has been objecting to India's oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea. However, India has rejected the objection saying its energy cooperation with Vietnam was as per international laws. In the last two months, China has increased its military assertiveness in South China Sea when the entire world is battling the coronavirus pandemic. Following Chinese actions, the US sent military ships near the disputed islands, and called Beijing's claim over the region illegal. "The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month. The defence and military ties between India and Vietnam have been on an upswing in the last few years. After a decade of being strategic partners, India and Vietnam formally upgraded their relationship status to "comprehensive strategic partnership" in 2016. Defence and trade are important components of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. According to two posts in the Starbucks subreddit, theres apparently a new TikTok trend cropping up that could potentially cost employees their jobs. Redditors who identified themselves as Starbucks employees shared warnings about how TikTokers had started asking for receipts after figuring out that Starbucks partner numbers (employee ID numbers) were printed at the top of receipts to keep track of who was in charge of which transaction. However, TikTok users also reportedly figured out that the partner numbers can be used by Starbucks employees to get employee discounts, free food and drinks. Both posts insinuated that people were taking advantage of the discovery and pretending to be Starbucks partners to get employee-only perks. In The Know spoke to someone who said theyre an employee at a Starbucks location in Flagstaff, Ariz. who wishes to remain anonymous. They claimed to have found out about the trend when a coworker of theirs saw it on TikTok. The TikTok has since been deleted. I definitely noticed some people who claimed to be partners but didnt seem to work a day in their lives, the employee told In The Know. Corporate has a whole group [that] monitors partner numbers and if you use them too much or theyre in different locations every time they will fire you. Related: Starbucks barista shows TikTok how to order a 'secret' drink Not only is the alleged TikTok trend an attempt at impersonation and stealing, but employee jobs can also be at risk if TikTok users take full advantage. This Tik Tok challenge is real, and is designed to get us fired, one of the original posts claims. Someone did this with the partner numbers of someone at my store, AT OUR STORE, a Reddit user shared in response. We caught them about a week later at another store in the district trying to do the same thing. The Flagstaff employee said that while they had heard rumors of corporate making a change to the point of sale (POS) systems (Starbucks cash registers) to not print out full partner numbers, their manager hadnt said anything since being made aware of the TikTok trend. Story continues Commenters on the Reddit posts pointed out that using a Sharpie on the receipt paper doesnt actually make the numbers impossible to read. When In The Know reached out to Starbucks about the trend, a representative replied with: To obtain the partner (employee) discount, a partner must present their current Partner Card at the Point of Sale (POS) register in the participating company-operated store. But according to a 2014 post by Starbucks, the company implemented a digital partner card plan where employees can opt-in to order a physical card which would take up to two weeks to be delivered to them. Otherwise, everything would be online and all employees need in stores would be their 16-digit number. Other posters on the Starbucks subreddit said that it is technically policy to show government ID when presenting partner numbers although In The Know could not find this rule explicitly written in available Starbucks policies and handbooks online but that poses another issue. Trans employees might not necessarily have the same name listed on their drivers license as they do under their partner number. Credit: Reddit This isnt the first time Starbucks employees and TikTok trends have clashed. When [it] comes to TikTok drinks, they are the bane of my existence, the Flagstaff employee told In The Know. We have had people in the middle of a rush, drive through the speaker box to show us a video instead of knowing what was inside [the drink] beforehand. Check out this familys tiny house nestled in the California mountains: Want to read more about Starbucks? Check out the companys new coworking space. More from In The Know: TikTok user catches iconic Starbucks drive-thru interaction on camera Amazons new shop helps you find home essentials easier A lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone is more than 30 percent off right now This top-rated Cuisinart toaster oven is nearly 50 percent off on Amazon The post Starbucks baristas claim new TikTok trend is designed to get us fired appeared first on In The Know. President Donald Trumps administration declared this week that teachers in the United States are critical infrastructure workers. The declaration means that school officials could send teachers back to the classroom even if they were in contact with people infected with COVID-19. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said for the first time that teachers should be on its list of critical infrastructure workers. The list also includes healthcare workers, police officers and people working in meat processing centers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that such workers are not required to quarantine for 14 days following COVID-19 exposure. It said they can keep working if they show no sign of the disease and take safety measures. Among the first areas to name teachers as critical infrastructure workers was Greene County in the state of Tennessee. Greene County School System officials approved the move on July 13. It essentially means if we are exposed and we know we might potentially be positive, we still have to come to school and we might at that point be carriers and spreaders, said Hillary Buckner. She teaches Spanish at the high-school in Afton, Tennessee. Only kindergarten and prekindergarten students currently attend class face-to-face in Greene County. But school officials could expand in-person classes to every one of the areas 7,500 students, Buckner said. In the state of Georgia, Forsyth County Schools also recognized teachers as critical infrastructure workers. Spokesperson Jennifer Caracciolo said that means they could be told to return to classrooms. She noted that the 50,000-student school district has yet to rule on the issue and plans to decide on a case-by-case basis. A spokesperson for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said his administration is studying the new Homeland Security directive. But if it is accepted, the directive could influence other school districts to follow Forsyth Countys example. Craig Harper is director of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. He said the directive starkly contradicts the newest Georgia Department of Public Health guidance intended to protect student and educator health and curb spread of the virus. Lily Eskelsen Garcia heads the National Education Association. She said the directive was an attempt to give President Trump and those governors who are disregarding the advice and guidance from public health experts an excuse to force educators into unsafe schools. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten added the Trump administration will always try to change the rules to threaten, bully and coerce. If the president really saw us as essential, hed act like it, Weingarten said. Teachers are and always have been essential workers but not essential enough, it seems, for the Trump administration to commit the resources necessary to keep them safe in the classroom. The Associated Press reports that the coronavirus is spreading in Georgia, as a percentage of population, faster than any other state. Tennessee has the seventh-fastest spread. A few schools that reopened for in-person classes in both states have already closed after infections were reported among teachers and students. It is unclear whether the virus was spread at the schools, however. I'm Jonathan Evans. Jeff Amy reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story infrastructure - n. the basic things that are needed for a country, area to function quarantine - v. to keep a person away from others to prevent a disease from spreading exposure - n. the condition of being affected by something positive - adj. showing the presence of a particular germ kindergarten - n. a school or class for very young children contradict - v. to not agree with something excuse - n. a reason that you give to explain a mistake or bad behavior bully - v. to threaten or insult (smaller or weaker person) essential - adj. extremely important and necessary In mid-April, during the surge of coronavirus diagnoses and hospitalizations in Massachusetts, medical professionals and public officials continued to make preparations to care for a wave of patients with the deadly viral respiratory infection. Several large spaces - among them the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the DCU Center in Worcester and MassMutual Center in Springfield - were identified as potential field hospitals, as the state worked to fight an invisible enemy and flatten the curve. Since then, health care providers across the state, including at the Baystate Health hospital system in Western Massachusetts, have seen a significant plateau in their numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths linked to the disease. In terms of COVID, certainly we are in a reasonable position. Were stable. Were in a low level of really sick, COVID-infected patients, said Dr. Andrew Artenstein, Baystates chief physician executive and COVID-19 incident commander. A much lower number than several months ago. As of Friday, Baystate Health was caring for 19 people sickened by the coronavirus, two of whom are in critical care units. The numbers are a far cry from April, when the hospital system was aiding as many as 179 COVID-19 patients. That does not mean the threat of the coronavirus is gone, though. Artenstein is still warning Massachusetts residents to take the outbreak seriously and not mistake the lower case numbers as reason to abandon public health guidelines. As the pandemic has stretched into summer, some people have violated social distancing rules that aim to stave off transmission of the virus. Stories of large parties apparently going against such restrictions, from a 300-person wedding being held in Central Massachusetts to a cruise ship hosting hundreds of passengers, have received media attention and prompted action from public officials. On Aug. 7, Gov. Charlie Baker announced the state would be holding off on entering the second half of the third phase of its four-part coronavirus reopening plan. The governor cited clusters of COVID-19 patients and recent large gatherings that flew in the face of state restrictions. I applaud their efforts. I applaud their caution and vigilance. I like to live in a state where theyre taking it seriously and being very cautious, Artenstein said about the governors orders. The doctor pointed out that the state and country at large may only have one chance to do this right in terms of how it combats the public health crisis. We might as well be as conservative about it as we need to be to ensure the safety of the people, and I think thats really whats going on here, he said. For the short term, people need to commit to remaining vigilant and wary of the virus, Artenstein said. But how long that short term will be remains unclear, the doctor noted. Is it six months? Is it a year? Is it three months?, he said. Its some number that were going to try to be as practically cautious as possible so that we can really try to get over on this thing, because at some point, we will have ways, I hope, to intervene with this virus. Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. (Anne-Gerard Flynn, Special to The Republican) Constant changes, constant fluctuations' For Artenstein, all upward trends during the pandemic are concerning. He and others tasked with monitoring the patterns of the public health crisis are constantly paying attention to a variety of metrics, from hospital admissions and discharges to testing and whats happening in the community, the doctor said. Medical professionals like Artenstein have to stay aware so they can be prepared for any potential spike in cases and prevent short surges from turning into longer ones. The doctor compared monitoring a public health crisis to tracking a hurricane. The aim of both activities is to stay up to date on whats going on, he said. Watching a storm, a hurricane in the Caribbean sea, youre actually tracking it: whats going on in the United States, whats the course of the hurricane, the storm. It can change over time. The same way we track snow storms, Artenstein said. Thats why you keep track of things. Viral outbreaks function in waves, he pointed out, causing numbers of new diagnoses and hospitalizations to fluctuate greatly day to day as diseases run their course. Baystate, for instance, saw a 33% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in a week in early August. On Aug. 9, 30 people who contracted the virus were being cared for by the hospital system. Just days later, though, that number dropped to 23. Everything is concerning to me, but we watch it closely, Artenstein said. It almost works in waves. You just want those waves to be low, and so, you get some blips, some increases, and then they come back down, which they have since the weekend. Thats why we watch closely. We want to ensure were aware of any trends before they become major catastrophes. The state of the coronavirus outbreak at Baystate has been relatively stable for the past two months, according to the doctor, with a few blips. Earlier this month, the state began releasing weekly color-coded maps showing town-by-town and city-by-city numbers of COVID-19 cases, deaths and infection rates. The Massachusetts Department of Public Healths map last week showed 11 communities as high-risk areas, meaning they had an average infection rate of more than eight coronavirus cases per 100,000 people. Two such municipalities, Granby and Holyoke, were in Western Massachusetts. As of Wednesday, the number of communities deemed high-risk dropped to 10, and both Granby and Holyoke were no longer colored red, with South Hadley jumping into the high-risk category. According to Artenstein, the best way to interpret this type of information is to understand that, by definition, infectious diseases are evolving situations. Blips will occur. In other words, its not a static situation. It doesnt just stay as it is forever. It changes over time, he said. So, if you look at this over time, different areas may have different peaks and valleys. The doctor noted that although Massachusetts is seeing a period of low case numbers compared to other states in the country, the virus is not going away any time soon. Its not gone away. It wont go away probably until this thing is completely done with us, which is going to be quite some time. But were in a current stage of relative stability, he said. Were able to manage COVID-infected patients with high quality and clinical excellence and also manage hundreds of other sick patients with non-COVID-related patients who need our help. Dr. Andrew Artenstein, who heads Baystate Health's command center for COVID-19, left, being interviewed about coronavirus disease 2019 by CNN's John King Friday, March 27. (Screen shot by Anne-Gerard Flynn, Special to The Republican) There will be a time when we can get back to normal life. Were not there yet. While talking about the public health restrictions in place due to the pandemic, Artenstein admitted, What were doing is temporary and painful. Im a human being too. Im an American. I like to be able to do what I want to do as long as no one gets hurt by it, the doctor said. However, the safety measures are essential, he noted. Given the current state of the outbreak, people could get hurt if individuals do not act in a cautious, smart manner, according to Artenstein. Do people like to have gatherings? Yes. Do I like to have barbecues, I sure do, he said. But right now, we have to prioritize safety and health over some of the other things we like, and we need to find other ways to do it. That is why the governors decision to suspend the second part of Phase 3 of the coronavirus reopening plan and issue more restrictive gathering guidelines was the right call, according to Artenstein. The aim of both choices was to combat transmission and protect the public, something the doctor is attempting to do on a smaller scale at Baystate Health, he said. Were trying to ensure the safety of our patients and our staff, and the only way to do that is to be very cautious, Artenstein said. So I think limiting those gatherings at the moment is the wise thing to do. Its the better part of valor. There will be a time when we can get back to normal life. Were not there yet. The doctor noted that in Massachusetts for the past few weeks, there has been a nearly 2% positive test rate, meaning that out of every 100 people who gets get tested, two of them will have the virus. As of Thursday, the rate stood at 1.3%, but in weeks past, it was as high as 1.8%. That number is likely underreported too, according to Artenstein. Many potential coronavirus patients may not be getting tested, either because they do not have symptoms, do not have access to tests or do not want to get tested, the doctor said. That means that 2% is probably underestimating the true number of infections out there, so if you gather 100 people in a room together, it almost goes without saying that some of them will have COVID right now. Thats just the way it is, Artenstein said. Recognizing that the threat of the coronavirus in Massachusetts is still very much present, the doctor said he is urging people regularly practice caution and limit limit the gatherings they are having. The risk of contracting the virus grows when higher numbers of people are gathered, and likewise, it decreases when less individuals are together, according to Artenstein. With a gathering taking place, regardless of the size, that threat of transmission will always exist, though, he noted. Youll never get to zero, the doctor said. As long as theres more than one person, youll never get to zero. But you can minimize the risk by minimizing those gatherings. For the unknown short term, Artenstein repeated, people need to practice safety measures like social distancing, wearing face coverings in public spaces and limiting gatherings to protect overall public health. For instance, a safe and effective vaccine, if that becomes available and it is deployed widely, could help us. But we have to get to that point, he said. Thats just life as we know it right right now. Its not life forever, though. Related Content: A Polish immigrant who fled Britain after he caused a horror smash that killed a father travelling home from his son's graduation has been jailed in his homeland for eight years. Adrian Wojciechowski, 29, was speeding in his BMW at more than 100mph when he lost control and crashed head-on into David Grant-Jones' Land Rover Freelander. Mr Grant-Jones, 49, died at the scene following the collision on the A35 Puddletown bypass in Dorset on July 14, 2018. The oil rig tool manager had been travelling home from his son's graduation at Portsmouth University with his wife. Wojciechowski (left) fled to Poland before he was due to stand trial for causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. Mr Grant-Jones, 49 (right), died at the scene following the horror smash on the A35 Puddletown bypass in Dorset on July 14, 2018 She also sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to hospital for treatment. Wojciechowski fled to Poland before he was due to stand trial for causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. A blood sample from revealed three microgrammes per litre of blood of an active component of cannabis - above the legal limit. He was convicted in his absence at Bournemouth Crown Court and sentenced to 11 years in prison in November 2019. Wojciechowski was arrested in Poland the following month following a joint collaboration between British authorities and the International Crime Coordination Centre. It has now been confirmed that under the Extradition Act Wojciechowski will not be returned to the UK to serve his sentence and will instead remain in prison in Poland. The Polish equivalent of causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum sentence of eight years. It has been ruled that Wojciechowski will remain in prison until March 2028. In a family tribute, Mrs Grant-Jones said: 'Dave was a kind, loving, generous man. He was a brilliant dad to both our son Kristian and my two children Nick and Kerry, who he loved as if they were his own. 'I knew how lucky I was to have him in my life. Dave was my life. 'Dave's main goal in life was to make his family happy, something he achieved every single day. 'He was a hard-working and funny man who had a wonderful knack of cheering up any situation with his silly jokes or smiley face.' Mr Grant-Jones's step-daughter Kerry Arnold said: 'Dad and Mum were planning their retirement and they had so much ahead of them. 'Dad was 49 years old. His life was cruelly taken away and him and our mum have been denied their happy future together. 'They were soul mates, each other's world, our world. 'Mum's injuries are ongoing, some of which will never heal.' India crossed the 3-million Covid-19 case mark on Saturday. Data released on Saturday morning showed that India conducted over a million tests on Friday. This column recommended on July 7 that India set that target for itself with a deadline of August 15. The only country to have done more, albeit in a short burst, is China, where, on one day in May, Chinese health officials tested around 1.5 million people in Wuhan (where it all began). In a two-week period, they tested almost all 11 million of the citys residents. China clearly has more testing capacity. A June 24 report by Reuters, citing an official at the countrys National Health Commission said the country was capable of conducting 3.78 million nucleic acid (molecular) tests for Covid-19 in a day, up from 1.26 million in early March. In absolute terms, India is third in terms of testing (according to data from worldometers.info on Saturday morning). The country has thus far carried out almost 34.5 million tests, behind Chinas 90 million and the USs 75 million. In terms of tests per million, the country (it has tested around 25,000 per million of its population) lags many others. It is ninth among the 10 countries that have seen the most number of cases, and 16th among the 20 countries with the most cases. Russia tops in terms of tests per million (around 232,000), followed by the US (225,547) and the UK (223,403). Still, Indias achievement, given its size and the low testing capacity it started with see front page is very significant. Just to put the number in context, if India does as many tests as it did Friday on every day between now and the end of September, even accounting for the drop off in testing over weekends, it would have tested around 5.5% of its population. In fact, that should be the next target. Also read | Covid-19: A million and a manifesto Indias overall number hides extremes (like averages do). At one end, Delhi has tested 70,300 people per million of its population. At the other, Madhya Pradesh has tested 13,788. Many Indian states are testing above the 140-per-million daily benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization, but this is a woefully inadequate number. For instance, it would require a state with a population of 100 million to carry out a mere 14,000 tests a day. Starting from zero, it would take the state 286 days to cover 4% of its population. But how much should a state test? What tests should it use? And, given all the talk of pooled testing as a way to rapidly test a large number of people, should India start doing that? These are the three most important questions Indias health ministry, states, and the Indian Council of Medical Research have to answer and the answers may well decide the trajectory of the pandemic in India from now to the end of the year. The first question is simply answered. Universally, epidemiologists recommend that 10% of the population be tested. This writers own opinion (which has been stated before) is that states with a population in excess of 50 million should test 4-5% of their population; a population between 20 million and 50 million, 5-7%; and a population below 20 million 7-10%. If the positivity rates in these states plateau and then start to fall with increased testing, and reaches 5-7%, it means they are testing adequately. Otherwise, they arent, and they should just test more, even if they have already met the benchmark listed above. The second question, too, has been answered before in this column (but no one seems to be listening). The best tests to use for diagnosis are molecular tests such as the RT-PCR one. Antigen tests, which accounted for roughly around 30% of the tests on Friday, are much faster (effectively an hour compared to 3-4 days for molecular tests) but inaccurate. They should be used when time is a constraint in a containment zone where cases are peaking for instance, and infected people have to be quickly identified and isolated; or at a public event which needs to be held; even in airports and railway stations (every traveller should be administered one). I have previously suggested using two different antigen tests on a sample (or using the same test twice) to reduce the inaccuracy, and testing authorities should consider doing this. When time isnt a constraint, testers should only use molecular tests. Also read | Covid-19: What we still dont know As for the third question, pooled testing would appear to be out for India. Positivity rates are still high, and antibody surveys (where they have been conducted) indicate that the proportion of those infected is high. Pooled tests work only when a fraction of those being tested is infected. One target has been met now India should focus on the next. Melbourne experienced its wettest August day in more than 20 years during a shivering start to the weekend that is set to continue before the week warms up. With almost 25mm of rain falling in Melbourne in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday, it was the most significant August downpour since August 27, 1999, the same day 34,000 fans watched the MCG scoreboard catch fire at a match between Carlton and Richmond. More than 30mm fell near the Dandenongs at Ferny Creek and about 28mm fell at Viewbank, Coburg and Hoppers Crossing. Rain and wind were brought by a large, slow-moving weather system dubbed an "Antarctic blob" by some that has been moving north from the Southern Ocean this week, dumping snow from Tasmania to northern NSW. Two inmates at the Hudson County jail recently tested positive for COVID-19, the first cases of coronavirus seen at the facility since May. Ron Edwards, Hudson Countys director of corrections, confirmed the cases on Friday. The two inmates are healthy, he said, and officials are taking steps to prevent the virus from spreading within the Kearny jail. Were extremely proactive in making sure everybody in the facility is safe and making sure there is no outbreak and no resurgence, Edwards said. But as New Jersey sees an uptick in coronavirus infections, the cases resurrect fears of transmission in the jail, where prisoners and detainees live in close quarters and social distancing is difficult. Both patients are in pre-trial detention and are not serving time, Edwards said. One of the patients, a suspect in a recent homicide in Hoboken, tested positive in a hospital before arriving at the correctional facility. The other patient, who has been at the jail for some time, is an anomaly, Edwards said. Corrections staff are conducting contact tracing to figure out how he contracted the virus. Were going to document everything, Edwards said. Were going to cross every T, dot every I, and were going to be detectives. Upon learning of the infections, the facility tested 35 other inmates, all of whom were negative, Edwards said. At one point in the spring, more than 60 inmates and employees tested positive for COVID-19 at Hudson County jail. In March, as cases skyrocketed across the state, the facility released 43 low-level offenders to tamp down the spread of the virus within the jail. COVID-19 claimed the lives of five jail employees in the spring, but the facility has seen no inmate deaths from the virus. Republicans have released relatively little information about their convention programming, and officials have sought to preserve the element of surprise. Trump has been so visible lately that there seems little he might say there that he hasnt already said in some public forum. Republican strategists see him as overexposed and therefore in danger of being tuned out by all but the most ardent supporters. NEW YORK (AP) If the recent firing of the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan was intended to quell criminal investigations into President Donald Trump's close associates, as some have accused, federal prosecutors in New York appear to have missed the memo. Thursday's arrest of Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, served as a stark reminder that no one who has been within the president's inner circle is automatically immune from federal scrutiny. Bannon, 66, and three others are charged with defrauding online donors in the name of helping build the presidents cherished southern border wall. Bannon pleaded not guilty at a hearing Thursday in Manhattan. The indictment came just two months after the abrupt dismissal of Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who had overseen several investigations with tentacles into Trump's orbit including one involving the business dealings of Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney. The same office prosecuted former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen for campaign finance crimes, as well as two Giuliani associates tied to the investigation that led to Trump's impeachment investigation in December. Giuliani himself has not been charged with any crime. Berman's unceremonious removal decried by some critics as a Friday night massacre in June fueled longstanding concerns among Democratic lawmakers that the Justice Department has become politicized under Attorney General William Barr. But the wire fraud and money laundering charges against Bannon confirm the ongoing professional independence of the Southern District of New York, said Bruce Green, a former prosecutor in the office. The Manhattan prosecutors' office, known as SDNY, has long been nicknamed the Sovereign District of New York for its independence from Washington politics. The office, older than the Justice Department itself, has been home to famous mob trials, terrorism prosecutions and, increasingly, probes involving Trump's allies. Story continues It shows that the Trump administration cannot fully protect the presidents former associates from federal criminal prosecution simply by firing U.S. attorneys like Geoffrey Berman who honor their responsibility to seek impartial justice, said Green, who now directs the Louis Stein Center for Law and Ethics at the Fordham University School of Law. Green said in June that Berman's firing certainly wasnt a routine decision, and the only fair inference is that there are some cases where the office is proceeding too independently. The charges against Bannon came as Trump himself faced renewed legal perils, as a federal judge rejected Trump's latest bid to shield his tax returns from a state grand jury investigation led by the Manhattan district attorney. Trump, who is appealing the ruling, blasted the subpoena as the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country a refrain he has used to deride several criminal cases targeting him and his associates. He has criticized many of the criminal cases as politically motivated. The president also sought to distance himself from Bannon on Thursday, saying he knew nothing about the We Build The Wall fundraiser. Bannon served as chief strategist during the early days of Trump's administration but clashed with other top advisers and was pushed out after less than a year. Trump's frequent attacks on federal law enforcement including his feud with former FBI Director James Comey and his scorn for special investigator Robert Mueller have not prevented some of his closest associates from being hauled away in handcuffs. Aside from Cohen, those convicted include Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser whose jail sentence Trump commuted last month. Berman refused to leave his post before ensuring he would be succeeded at least in the interim by Audrey Strauss, one of his most trusted lieutenants. Strauss leaned into the role, soon announcing headline-grabbing charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The prosecution of Bannon, meanwhile, shows once again that SDNY is intent upon continuing its work without being influenced by politics, said Jennifer Rodgers, another former federal prosecutor in Manhattan who now lectures at Columbia Law School. I think the public owes a debt of gratitude to Geoff Berman for his fortitude in standing up to Bill Barrs attempts to take control of SDNY, Rodgers added. I doubt we would be seeing this charge today if Barr had succeeded. One of Britains most notorious jihadis is believed to have been killed in Syria. Siddartha Dhar, who was born in London, died with his wife Aisha during the siege of Islamic States de facto capital Raqqa in June 2017, a new book claims. The fate of the couples five young children, including one born after they fled to Syria, is not known. Siddartha Dhar, who was born in London, died with his wife Aisha during the siege of Islamic States de facto capital Raqqa in June 2017, a new book claims The claims about Dhar, who was nicknamed Jihadi Sid, are made in a book about Al-Muhajiroun, the extremist group led by hate preacher Anjem Choudary, written by American counter-terrorism expert Douglas Weeks. He spent years studying the group and winning the trust of its leaders, and interviewed figures including Choudary and Dhar. Dhar, who was also known as Abu Rumaysah, featured in an infamous Channel 4 documentary called Jihadis Next Door. In 2016, he was identified as the likely narrator of a video that showed the execution of five men in Syria. The masked man mocked then Prime Minister David Cameron for daring to challenge the might of the extremist group before the victims were shot in the back of the head. Mr Weeks says he received a message from one of the jihadis associates in Raqqa confirming his martyrdom. In the message, the unidentified friend said: To Allah we belong and to him we shall return. Abu Rumaysah attained that which he always wanted along with his wife in the siege of Raqqa. Last night, Mr Weeks told The Mail on Sunday: I am confident that the information is correct as I have cross-checked it. Dhar, who would have been 35 at the time of his death, was born a Hindu and apparently aspired to become a vet when he was a child. Instead he ended up as a bouncy-castle salesman. ISIS supporters are pictured waving flags in the city of Raqqa in 2014. Dhar, who was also known as Abu Rumaysah, featured in an infamous Channel 4 documentary called Jihadis Next Door He converted to Islam after falling under the spell of Choudary, and was subsequently arrested six times by counter-terrorism police for extremism. Mr Weeks claims about half of the estimated 800 members of Al-Muhajiroun fled to Syria after IS declared its caliphate. The vast majority of the groups Syrian jihadis are believed to be dead. Raffaello Pantucci, a terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank, said: Dhar was one of the more articulate and prominent members of the group and given his prominence, he would have likely been a target. Tens of thousands of Australians who raided their super under the federal governments early release scheme risk having their future loan applications rejected by the major banks. The Commonwealth Bank has instructed lenders and brokers to ask applicants if their financial circumstances have changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which could include questions over whether they were eligible to access up to $20,000 of their superannuation. Mortgage brokers say they have tightened their own screening after a recent spike in declined home loan applications. Credit:Louie Douvis If a customer accessed the funds knowing that they would not meet the Australian Tax Offices eligibility criteria we will generally decline the loan, a CBA spokesman said. Around 2.7 million people have so far withdrawn a total of $33.3 billion in super. The Tax Office told a federal parliamentary committee this month that a preliminary examination had found more than 90 per cent of applicants were eligible or clearly eligible for the scheme. SPRINGFIELD One man has mastered the system. The other wants the system, politically and economically, to change. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, stresses the importance of political relationships, of negotiations across party lines and of trusting institutions and proven experts be they in the Federal Reserve or be they Dr. Anthony Fauci who he praises at any opportunity. In a solidly Democratic district where the Republican has already withdrawn, a win in the Democratic primary puts either Neal or challenger Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse in the U.S. House of Representatives. And he is used those relationships and his connections built over 31 years in the U.S. House of Representatives to become one of the House top fundraisers number two in corporate political action committee money and having raised $3.4 million total. Morse had raised $840,000 at the last Federal elections commission deadline. Morse has made that gap a part of his campaign. "He certainly has power, I'm not contesting that," Morse, 31 , said "He's instead using that power to benefit t the corporate and special interests that benefit his campaign." Morse went on: Congressman Neal has power, but hes not using that power to help the people of Western Massachusetts. Neal, a former Springfield mayor first elected to the House in 1988, said donors do not tell him how to vote. The donors have to buy into my agenda, Neal said. I dont buy into their agenda. He said his donors reflect Massachusetts interests and employers and hes been able to use the money to help diversify congress and elect Democratic majorities in 2018 and he plans 2020. He said not raising money would be like fighting the Republicans with an arm tied behind his back. And the donations are all public, "Transparency is everything," Neal said. And Neals proximity to power has been on display in these months since coronavirus hit with both a medical and a economic crisis. Hes frequently right there at the Capitol Hill News conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, especially because the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee has taken a lead role in relief efforts. First, Im really proud of what we did in the CARES Act, Neal said. I wrote a good deal of it. There was funding for hospitals, the $1,200 or $2,400 checks to individuals and other aid. First District of Massachusetts received 10,460 loans through the Paycheck Protection Plan or PPP program totaling $1,177,312,235. Neal and his campaign have said. Businesses of all types benefited from this important program, including women-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned businesses. Neal said hes also written a big part of the still-pending HEROES Act, which would include $1 trillion in aid for state and local governments, extend the $600 unemployment benefit and provide more help to the economy. But its held up by Republican senators. Neal said the aid to state and local government should have been enough to get the Republicans on board. States' around the country are running out of money, and need funding to reopen schools and meet expenses now that revenues have crashed. Massachusetts is not alone in working on monthly 1/12th budgets. "Gov. Baker and I have talked about hat extensively," Neal said. Morse has a different take on coronavirus relief. But unless we root out big money in politics, the vast majority of relief money isnt going to benefit working people, but the billionaires who have been making a fortune during this pandemic. Neal may know how Washington works, but Im running to change how Washington works -- because its not working for us, Morse said. Neal sid a lot of the relief rolled out very quickly and many programs, like a Federal Reserve loan program for larger businesses, have been adjusted to correct problems. Morse calls for a universal health care program, Medicaid for all. He's criticized Neal's handling of the surprise medical billing issue. Morse said he bill he supports would have made the appeals process easier and prevented hospitals from hitting people with unexpected charges some time after treatment and that Neal torpedoed the plan at the behest of campaign donors. Neal said the plan Morse supports would have given insurers too much control and it would have hurt hospitals , doctors, and clinics. He voted to include a public option in the Accountable Care Act, Obamacare, but the public option had to be scrapped to get he bill through the Senate. He'd support it again. Western Massachusetts is falling behind the rest of the state. And both Morse and Neal have plans. It starts with investments in broadband and passenger rail, Morse said. The pandemic has shown just how many jobs can be done remotely, as long as there is quality internet access. Congress has talked about broadband for decades, but has failed to invest in universal access. The same goes for rail transit particularly the East-West Rail. Neal and the Democratic leadership introduced a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan earlier this summer. It could provide $19 billion in federal grants for rail projects across the country, including east-west rail in Massachusetts. The sprawling bill also establishes a $250 million grant program to support infrastructure improvements in rural areas, including broadband internet and would have tax incentives for research into green energy. The bill calls for the Post Office to get electric trucks. Neal said much of the gap between Western Massachusetts and Boston stems from Republican policies that cut the taxes of the wealthy and multinational corporations but do nothing to help regular families. Thats why I fought so hard against the 2017 Republican tax law. Lifting our middle class will help close the gap. As Chairman of Ways and Means next year, I would strengthen Social Security, Medicare, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and unemployment insurance. Id also expand access to higher education and workforce development, raise the minimum wage, defend workers right to organize, and enhance the ACA. Angelina Castillo Before Alicia Bognanno had even written songs for Bullys new album, she knew it had to be called SUGAREGG. There was an episode of Radiolab on NPR, and they were interviewing this guy who had gotten a sugar egg when he was like seven, and he kept it and held onto it, says Bognanno. He was sixtysomething, or maybe 50. And then [Radiolab] took the sugar egg to try to replicate it but they accidentally broke it. The name of the record is in a lot of ways the antithesis of Bully, which typically features Bognannos throaty roar over propulsive rhythms. But over the past few years, she experienced a creative shift. There's a lightheartedness there that I wasn't capable of reaching before, she says over the phone from her home in Nashville. Unlike her previous album, 2017s Losing, a slightly more upbeat approach is woven throughout facets of Bully's third studio effort. Songs like Where to Start, You, and Let You meditate on dysfunctional romance with a hopeful edge. An added sweetness, if you will. The newfound perspective also stemmed from letting certain things go, like Bognanno engineering her own records. I love engineering, but it definitely takes up creative space that I could be spending on the music, especially when I'm actually in the studio recording," she says. She realized she didnt have to prove to anyone that she could engineer a record. "It's okay. Just ask for help. You don't have to do everything yourself. You're not going to lose your identity if you lose a little control." For SUGAREGG, which shes been writing on and off for nearly three years, she enlisted Grammy winner John Congleton as producer and mixer. Out of 32 songs, 12 made the final cut. She didnt necessarily take the first idea as the best ideas, but also didnt dismiss her first ideas, says Tony Kiewel, co-president of Sub Pop. He was especially taken by Bognannos tenacity and endurance when it came to songwriting. It was a laborious, painstaking process and I think a lot of artists would have suffered. Story continues Born in Minnesota, Bognanno began recording demos in 2012. She eventually moved to Nashville, found work as a sound engineer, and formed Bully with drummer Stewart Copeland (not that one). Their debut, Feels Like, put the band on the map, though the project has since evolved into a solo endeavor. Bognannos ability to loosen the reins on herself is also the result of finding control in other areas of her life. In 2016, she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. Before that, I just had so much paranoia, I could barely get through the day. It was so taxing, she recalls. The lines were blurred of whether or not I was being rational or I was in a heightened state of mind. It just put me in this constant game of jeopardy. SUGAREGG recalls that emotional rollercoaster. On Prism, Bognannos hazy vocals recall a reluctance to take medication for her mental health, while the slow burn of Come Down explores the exhausting highs of her disorder. More painful moments await on Like Fire," a song she's hesitant to discuss; at one point, she sings, It was euphoric I felt so high/Couldve took my life couldnt tell you why." A series of medication changes eventually helped Bognanno take control. And when she did regain her self-confidence, she found a new perspective. I could be fun, I could be optimistic, I didn't have to be so literal, she says. I wasn't thinking about how the lyrics were going to be received or whether or not it was cool or whatever. I just did what the fk I wanted to do for the first time in so long, and it felt good. In addition to finding peace with her mental health, Bognanno is now 10 months sober. These days, she meditates, exercises, and regularly attends her therapy and psychiatry sessions (now via Zoom). It really, really helps any sort of negative feelings or emotions," she says. "When I just need to scream, that's usually what I turn to. Another thing that helped her get out of her head: writing music for the film Her Smell, which follows a destructive, fictional '90s rock star named Becky Something played by Elisabeth Moss. (Moss tells EW, I probably took more from Alicia for Beckys performing, singing voice, and personal style than she realizes. Her blonde hair in her face and the slightly throaty but beautiful and lyrical voice it really helped me form that character.) For Bognanno, the opportunity to work on the film came at the perfect time: She had just wrapped up a tour for the second record and was about to start working on SUGAREGG. It was a nice writing exercise in between, where it just got my brain going again, Bognanno says. I would go off the script and try and put myself in the shoes of what I thought Becky would write about, and it was really cool. It was awesome to not write something for Bully for once." But Bognanno knows she's unequivocally tethered to to her band. I have such an unhealthy relationship with Bully because it is my identity, she says. There is no separation between Bully and myself, and I don't know what I'm going to do when it's not a thing anymore. All things considered, it doesnt seem like thats something she needs to think about anytime soon. Related content: Well, its 2020 so we may as well keep things rolling with weather like weve never seen before. Theres a chance that well see the Fujiwhara Effect next week as Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco come together for a first and make landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast within hours of each other. The odds of something like that happening are very, very slim, WOFL-TV meteorologist Jayme King told the Orland Sentinel. In fact, according to the Sentinel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this has never been recorded before. The storms are so close, in fact, that we could see the Fujiwhara Effect. According to the National Weather Service, the Fujiwhara Effect occurs when two hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other that they begin an intense dance around their common center. And things will get interesting from there. The National Weather Service says that if one storm is a lot stronger than the other, the smaller storm will orbit the larger one and eventually crash into it and be absorbed. If both storms are strong, they could merge into one another or spin around one another before shooting off in their own direction. In rare cases, it said, the effect is additive and the hurricanes could come together, resulting in one large storm instead of two smaller ones. According to an ABC report, conditions would have to be just right for a mega-storm to form. And, if they are not, at least one of the storms could rapidly weaken. So, all eyes especially those of meteorologists will be on the Gulf next week as the rare occurrence develops. Early Saturday, Laura was projected to make landfall in Louisiana and Marco was projected to hit Texas. Mumbai-headquartered process equipment manufacturer GMM Pfaudler will acquire a majority stake in the global business of its parent, the US-based Pfaudler Group, from French private equity firm Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG). GMM, directly and through its Swiss subsidiary Mavag AG, and GMM's promoter Patel family will acquire, a 54% and 26% equity stake respectively in the Pfaudler Group. DBAG will continue to retain the balance 20% stake. The consideration for the 54% stake acquired by GMM, which is expected to be around $27.4 million, will be funded by the company through a mix of internal accruals and debt, Pfaudlar said. Pursuant to the acquisition, GMM shall become the holding company with the entire business of Pfaudler being consolidated into the company, with consolidated revenue of Rs 2,000 crore ($ 266 million) and EBITDA of approximately Rs 250 crore. Also Read: Stocks in news: Indian Overseas Bank, Wipro, HCL Tech, Hindalco, Indian Bank Founded in 1962 by G.V. Patel at Karamsad, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat Machinery Manufacturers got listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange by 1987. In the same year, US-based glass line manufacturing specialist Pfaudler Inc acquired a 40 per cent stake in the company. By 1999, it increased its stake to 51 per cent. Parent Pfaudler was acquired by National Oilwell Varco (NOV) of France in 2012, and sold to French private equity firm Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) two years later. With the acquisition, GMM will become the world leader in corrosion-resistance technologies, systems, and services with 12 manufacturing facilities across 8 countries and 4 continents and employing around 1,500 people. "Over the last 5 years, we have shown an unparalleled track record of growth at GMM and it is now time to take our company to the next level through this transformational acquisition. Being an integral part of Pfaudler for more than 3 decades, not only do we understand the business very well but we have also managed to build a collaborative relationship with different Pfaudler units around the world," said Tarak Patel, Managing Director, GMM. Also Read: Tender for 44 Vande Bharat trains scrapped month after Chinese JV placed bid Thomas Kehl, CEO, Pfaudler said, "Over the last few years Pfaudler has spent significant capex in modernising its manufacturing facilities across the globe. This transaction will bring synergies across multiple levels, the combined business will now be in a position to leverage GMM's highly successful lean production model and low cost to improve both revenue and profitability." Tom Alzin, Managing Director, DBAG said, "The rationale behind our investment in Pfaudler in 2014 was to back a high-quality supplier of corrosion-resistant equipment in a global niche market. The Group's progress over the past 5 years along with the phenomenal performance from GMM validates our investment decision." Advertisement Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who is believed to have been poisoned has been driven out of hospital be flown out of Russia to Germany for specialist treatment. A video at the hospital in Omsk showed an ambulance with its rear doors opened as the unconscious Navalny was loaded in by medics wearing masks. More footage showed the ambulance entering Omsk airport ahead of a five and half hour flight to Berlin. A private air ambulance chartered by German NGO Cinema for Peace was flying him to Berlin's Charite hospital for treatment. Navalny's family were told they must take responsibility for any consequences of moving the gravely-ill anti-corruption campaigner to Germany. Earlier today his wife begged President Vladimir Putin to release her comatose husband amid claims of a cover-up by Russian doctors who claimed he has a heart disease. Navalny's wife Yulia, begged arch-rival Vladimir Putin to allow him to leave the country for treatment after he fell into a coma amid suspicion he was poisoned with a cup of tea. Yulia, who has been barred from seeing her husband since he fell unconscious on a flight from Siberia to Moscow yesterday, said it is vital he is taken to Germany for specialist treatment. This afternoon, doctors at the Siberian hospital where Navalny is being treated, permitted his transportation to a top German medical facility. A medical plane chartered from Berlin by Navalny's allies arrived in Omsk, the Siberian city where he is being treated, on Friday - but Russian doctors had initially denied them permission to move him, saying his condition is too unstable. German medics were briefly allowed to see the 44-year-old and ruled he was fit to fly, Navalny's press secretary said, before they were marched into a nearby car and kicked out of the hospital. Alexander Murakhovsky, the hospital's head doctor, has flatly denied claims that Navalny was poisoned - saying he is suffering from a heart condition caused by low blood sugar. He also said that 'industrial chemicals' were found on his hands and clothes, but did not say what they were. Medics at the hospital insist they are more than capable of treating the condition, even as pictures laid bare the grim interior of the Soviet-era building. Medical specialists carry Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on a stretcher into an ambulance on their way to an airport before his medical evacuation to Germany in Omsk, Russia An ambulance carrying Alexei Navalny enters Omsk airport in Russia in the early hours of Saturday after he was suspected to have been poisoned Yulia Navalny, wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei, has begged arch-rival Vladimir Putin to allow her husband to be taken out of the country for treatment after he fell into a coma amid suspicion he was poisoned with toxins mixed into his tea Doctors at the hospital where Putin critic Alexei Navalny is being treated say that no trace of poison has been found in his body - though a chemical was found on his clothes and hands Alexei Navalny remain in a coma in a Russian hospital after allies say he was poisoned with a 'deadly' substance that was slipped into his cup of tea (pictured drinking it) Yulia, in a letter to Putin, said it is vital her husband is flown out of the country to be treated by specialists - as pictures revealed the filthy interior of the hospital where he is being treated Navalny was taken to Ormsk hospital, in Siberia, yesterday after he fell unconscious on a flight. Since then the hospital has been flooded by security guards and Russian police (pictured) Medics at the hospital, who insist Navalny was not poisoned and is suffering a metabolic condition caused by low blood sugar, insist they are more than capable of treating his condition - even as pictures revealed the grim conditions (left and right) Images showed paint peeling from the walls, signs of water damage, rusted sinks and doors, an unclean toilet and parts of the building covered in plywood. Another image showed two Russian security personnel in suits marching down a dimly-lit corridor towards a masked doctor coming in the opposite direction. Yulia, Navalny's wife, accused the Kremlin of forcing doctors to delay the evacuation until all traces of poison have disappeared from her husband's body, making it impossible to prove that he was attacked. The Kremlin has denied involvement, insisting that the decision to keep Navalny in Russia was a 'purely a medical decision'. Kira Yarmysh, his press secretary, said doctors and the Kremlin had both agreed to the move but at 9.45am - 15 minutes before the evacuation plane arrived - medics suddenly changed their minds. 'Until now, doctors have said that they are ready to authorize transportation,' she tweeted early Friday. 'That is why we organized it in the shortest possible time. An air ambulance was chartered from Germany to Ormsk on Friday to take Navalny to Berlin for treatment, but doctors denied permission for him to travel at the last moment Ivan Zhadnov, director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said anyone coming into contact with him is being told to wear a hazmat suit due to 'deadly dangerous' substance Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, (pictured outside hospital today) accused the Kremlin of making a second attempt on his life after refusing to let him leave the country How Alexei Navalny has been punished for defying Putin 2011: Navalny is arrested and jailed for 15 days for 'defying an official' after leading protests in Moscow 2012: Jailed for 15 days after leading an anti-Putin protest in the wake of presidential elections. His apartment is subsequently raided, and some of his private emails posted online 2013: Put on trial for embezzlement, amid claims he tried to steal wood from a state-owned company. He is convicted and sentenced to five years, but allowed out on bail. The conviction is subsequently overturned 2014: Placed under house arrest, again charged with embezzlement alongside brother Oleg. Again, the conviction is overturned 2017: He is re-convicted in the first corruption case, and ordered to repay millions of rubles of compensation in the second While leaving his office, a pro-Kremlin activist throws green disinfectant dye in his face, partially blinding him 2018: Arrested twice for leading protests against presidential elections he was barred from running in. Jailed for a total of 50 days in jail 2019: Arrested and jailed for a total of 40 days for leading protests during Moscow Duma elections. While in jail he was rushed to hospital, suffering from what medics called an allergic reaction. Others believe he was poisoned 2020: Navalny is rushed unconscious to hospital and placed on a ventilator after falling ill on a flight. His allies say he was poisoned Advertisement 'Now, at the last moment, doctors are not giving permission. This decision, of course, was not made by them, but by the Kremlin.' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said German doctors who arrived on Friday had been invited to join Russian doctors treating Navalny. Speaking on a conference call, Peskov said it was still unclear what caused Navalny to fall ill while flying back to Moscow from Siberia on Thursday morning. Medics later suggested that Navalny's blood pressure was low, and that traces of chemicals had been found on his fingers and clothes - without saying what chemicals they were. Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putin's most threatening political rival, became gravely ill after falling suddenly sick on a plane from Tomsk to Moscow. His aides and family believe his tea was spiked with an unidentified 'toxic poison' at Tomsk airport before his flight. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Omsk and he was rushed to hospital. Hospital chiefs today indicated his condition was too grave to be moved either to another Russian hospital or - as his family and aides wish - onto an air ambulance due to arrive from Germany. His press secretary Kira Yarmysh said: 'The ban on transporting Alexei means a direct threat to his life. 'It is deadly to remain in the Omsk hospital without equipment and without a diagnosis in the current situation.' She said Putin's deputy chief of staff and spokesman Dmitry Peskov had promised to allow Navalny to be moved if needed. 'Yesterday Peskov promised to provide help in treating Navalny and in transporting him to a different clinic. 'Today doctors are refusing to give permission for his transportation.' She warned: 'Navalny's life now depends on the fact that the chief physician of the intensive care unit has refused to 'bear responsibility' - by allowing him to be moved, ideally abroad, in a well equipped flying intensive care unit.' Navalny fell sick on a plane which was forced to make an emergency landing as fellow passengers heard him screaming in pain, before he was taken unconscious into an ambulance Police officers detain a protester as he comes to support Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in front of the building of the Federal Security Service in Moscow A protester stands in front of a police officer holding a poster reading 'Putin stop poisoning people!' during a picket in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Anatoly Kalinichenko, deputy chief doctor of the hospital, speaks to members of the media who have been camped out there for two days awaiting news of Putin's rival Yulia Navalny, the campaigner's wife and mother of his two children, added that she believes the delay in transport is to allow the toxin to reduce to levels that would be undetectable after he is moved. That means his supporters will never be able to confirm that he was poisoned, or what he was poisoned with. Zhdanov added: 'All relevant documents have been submitted. 'There was an application from a family member, consent from a clinic in Germany and documents for transportation (by air ambulance). 'The clinic's decision is inexplicable and monstrous.' He said: 'The doctors have now locked themselves up in the chief doctor's office. 'No-one is allowed to see them.' Navalny's camp say they are not being given proper details of his condition and have demanded he is allowed onto the air ambulance and flown to Berlin. The chief doctor in Omsk, Alexander Murakovsky, denied any knowledge of a poison in Navalny's body, saying tests are underway and will take two more days. 'We cannot allow for the patient to be transported even under the responsibility of relatives unless the patient's clinical condition is stable,' he said. 'His current state causes our concern in relation to transportation.' If he was moved 'anything can happen including the saddest thing possible'. Navalny's doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva, who has been forbidden from seeing him, is seen outside the hospital in Ormsk where he is being treated Navalny has been campaigning against corruption at Russian state-owned companies since 2008, and vowed to oppose Putin at the 2018 election but was banned from running Omsk transport police spokeswoman Yulia Shwartz refused to confirm a deadly substance had been found. 'The analysis is still ongoing and so far we do not have any results.' Russia has dispatched intensive care specialists, neurophysiologists and anaesthetists were sent to Omsk from two top Moscow clinics, the Pirogov Medical and Surgical Centre and the Burdenko Centre of Neurosurgery. Navalny's wife Yulia flew yesterday to be at his hospital amid claims that relatives were not being given the full facts of his condition. German chancellor Angela Merkel offered treatment in Germany for the Putin foe. 'I hope that he can recover and... he can receive from us all the help and medical support needed,' she said. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov wished Navalny a 'speedy recovery' and said the Kremlin. Would help secure him treatment abroad if needed. He claimed the poisoning allegations were 'only assumptions' until tests proved otherwise. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said Navalny had 'hundreds of enemies including some hardened individuals', pointing to his anti-corruption investigations that attract millions of views online. Taskforce to roll out major reforms across secondary schools By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s): The taskforce appointed by the government to bring reforms to the education sector has come up with major reforms to around 1,000 secondary schools. The head of the taskforce, Dr. Upali Sedera, said critical outcomes of the programme will be to provide quality education across the board and prevent congestion in popular and overcrowded national schools. For 40 years there have been no reforms, and this needs a major change, Dr. Sedera said. As a pilot project, 124 secondary schools with more than 750 students each have been earmarked across the 212 education divisions. The criteria on which these schools were chosen include childrens access to schools from home, building capacity and land available for expansion. Past investments by the schools in building construction and other development projects will be taken to consideration. Once the pilot project is completed the number of national schools in the country will increase to 500 in 2021. This includes the 373 national schools already under the direct administration of the Education Ministry. The reforms will be fully implemented across all target schools in 2022. Rural schools will receive priority under this programme, Dr. Sedera said. Certain districts that do not have even a single school with 750 students will also be considered, one example being Kilinochchi. The emphasis will be on the demography of the area, Dr. Sedera said. Under the reforms, primary schools with fewer than 100 students will be networked with the closest national schools to ensure the smooth transition of students to secondary grades. It is hoped this would lessen the clamour for entry to popular national schools. Schools with fewer than 100 students will receive fair representation based on categories such as district, mixed schools and Muslim schools. Learning in all national schools will be bilingual or trilingual to accommodate all communities. All secondary schools will be networked so that streams with few students can be amalgamated. There are some schools that have, in certain Advanced Level streams, three teachers to teach four students or four teachers to teach five students. Plans are afoot to bring them under one roof. Students in different streams will be brought under one umbrella and to one school. This will minimise waste of resources, Dr. Sedera said. Curriculum reforms will be centred on 21st-century needs, focusing on skills, with the emphasis on language speaking skills, social considerations and knowledge. To make these far-reaching changes work effectively, the reforms committee advocates education training for school administrators, teachers and other staff. Education Minister G.L. Peiris said the reforms would be presented to school administrations across the country next week, and views of principals, teachers and also students obtained by the first week of next month before implementation of the reforms begins. Hemant Kumar Rout By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: The State Government may have allowed private hospitals to admit COVID-19 patients in view of the rapid rise in cases but the picture on ground is completely different. If you are tested positive for COVID-19 and can afford treatment at a private hospital, you still wont be able to exercise your choice, thanks to the bureaucratic paraphernalia. The State Government, which is spearheading the entire testing and treatment procedures, is not handing out the COVID positive patients their test reports. As a result, patients going to private hospitals for treatment are not admitted. Even if a patient is tested positive at a Government lab, he has to undergo one more test at a private lab to get admitted in private hospital. Else, he has to wait for the mercy of the local administration to be shifted to a COVID hospital, irrespective of the severity of the disease. Things are easier for those who are opting for private labs as they are provided test report, which eventually facilitates the procedure for admission in hospital. But it is cumbersome for the individuals, who are routed through the local administration for undergoing the Government process of testing. They are not provided any test report and the intimation is done by phone. The patient, thus, is left in the lurch, sources said. Sources said, earlier the people were being intimated through system generated SMS whether they are positive or negative, but it was stopped following some mis-communication. Even as the health authorities insisted that the officials entrusted with the task to intimate people on the test result are also responsible for coordinating with private hospital if the patient chooses. But, private hospitals still cannot admit patients on the basis of verbal confirmation only. What is even worse is the Government has no data on how many private hospitals in the State have set up Covid units nor availability of beds in them despite passage of a fortnight since it issued instruction asking them to designate at least 10 per cent beds for coronavirus patients. While private hospitals in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and other cities update the availability of beds and facilities on a daily basis, no such mechanism has been developed in Odisha. Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said there should not be any issue for people willing to avail private care. We are upgrading the system and people will receive SMS as earlier soon. They can show it to get admitted in private hospitals, he said and added that private hospitals have been asked to update the department about bed strength and other arrangements. Five Connecticut residents and one Massachusetts resident face federal narcotics trafficking offenses after they were indicted earlier this month, authorities said. The six individuals were charged on two indictments, which were unsealed Friday. On Aug. 12, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a seven-count superseding indictment that charged five men with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine. Charged on that indictment were Tyson Ty Quinones, 34, of Waterbury; Deeshawn Low Pittman, 30, of New Haven; Quentine Davis, 29, of New Haven; Glen Redmond, 55, of Springfield, Mass.; and 49-year-old Wilton Renoso, also known as Manuel Jose Echevarria-Lugo, a citizen of the Domician Republic last living in Waterbury. The charges against the five stemmed from an investigation that started in late 2019 into heroin and fentanyl sales in New Haven. It was led by the DEA New Haven Task Force. During the investigation, thousands of communications were intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham. Those wiretaps helped reveal that Pittman, Davis and others were allegedly distributing fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine to a large customer base in New Haven County, authorities said. Quinones allegedly supplied Pittman with fentanyl and heroin. Quinones was accused of also selling narcotics to his own customers in and around Waterbury. Authorities said Quinones and Redmond were supplied fentanyl and heroin by Reynoso, who got large amounts of fentanyl and heroin from a source in New York. Pittman, Quinones and Pittman were initially charged by an indictment on June 17. Davis and Reymond were arrested earlier this week after the superseding indictment was returned. Each defendant was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine base crack. Reynoso and Pittman are also charged with additional fentanyl distribution charges by the superseding indictment. Reynoso was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities said. Reynoso, Quinones and Davis are detained. Pittman and Redmond are released on bond. On Aug. 12, the grand jury also returned a three-count indictment charging Quinones and Norman Alexis Gallardo, 36, of Meriden, with conspiring to distribute cocaine between February and June. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and two counts of attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Gallardo was arrested out of state and is in custody awaiting transport to Connecticut. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, national security adviser Ajit Doval and the militarys top brass on Saturday met for a security review during which they also deliberated on the situation along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese forces have been locked in a standoff for more than three months and the disengagement process has hit a roadblock, people familiar with the developments said. Chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, air force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh attended the meeting that took place two days after diplomatic talks between the two nuclear-armed countries on the border issue, the officials said, asking not to be named. Details of the discussions were not immediately known. India and China were unable to bridge their differences on the disengagement and de-escalation process along the LAC during diplomatic talks on Thursday, with New Delhi emphasising the need to resolve outstanding issues speedily, as reported by Hindustan Times on August 20. The top-level security review also came a day after the armys top commanders discussed the security situation at the northern and western borders. A meeting of the Army Commanders was conducted on 20-21 August 2020 to review the security situation and operational preparedness on both the Northern and Western Fronts, the army tweeted on Saturday. The army is preparing for a long haul in the Ladakh sector, stretching through the harsh winters. People familiar with developments during the meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs dismissed an assertion in a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry that the two sides had positively evaluated the progress in the disengagement process. The military dialogue between senior commanders from the two sides has hit a roadblock due to Chinese reluctance to restore status quo ante in some key friction areas along the LAC. The commanders set the time-frame and method of disengagement while the WMCC monitors the process. No dates have yet been fixed for the next round of talks between corps commander-ranked officers who have so far met five times but failed to break the deadlock, the officials said. The August 20 WMCC meeting was co-chaired by joint secretary (East Asia) Naveen Srivastava of the external affairs ministry and Hong Liang, director general of the boundary and oceanic department of Chinas foreign ministry. This was the bodys fifth virtual meeting since the Ladakh standoff emerged in the open in May. The sizeable Chinese troop presence at friction points, particularly Pangong Lake and Depsang, remains an area of key concern for the Indian Army. The Finger Areaa set of eight cliffs jutting out of Sirijap range overlooking Pangong Lakehas emerged as the hardest part of the disengagement process. Disengagement has progressed somewhat smoothly at friction points in Galwan Valley and Hot Springs, but its pace remains sluggish in Gogra area. There is growing consensus among Indian officials and China experts that military talks are unlikely to deliver further results, and the resolution of the issue will require political and diplomatic intervention. De-escalation along the disputed border can only begin after complete disengagement between the two armies on the LAC. The ground situation remains unchanged in Ladakh sector, where both armies have deployed almost 100,000 soldiers and weaponry in their forward and depth areas. Traveling through the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, you see yard signs scattered lightly through the neighborhood. Talking with the owners, you learn that many "like the words" from the sign but admit they don't know what the various groups represented actually stand for. Who can disagree with the phrase "black lives matter"? But when you put a sign in your yard, you're not just sharing nice words; you're promoting political groups with very specific agendas that go far beyond nice phrases. "Black Lives Matter" actually means black lives matter more than other lives. If you say "all lives matter," you're a racist. But it's not black lives that matter to this organization, only black lives taken by the police that can be exploited for political gain and to incite violence. Hiram Reisner from InsideSources looked into the facts: "The group Black Lives Matter says nothing about black lives lost in inner cities due to rampant violence. Since 2015, The Washington Post has maintained a comprehensive database of fatal police shootings. The Post database shows that fatal shootings by police have run steadily at around 1,000 per year since 2015." Heather Mac Donald writes in the Wall Street Journal, "However sickening the video of Floyd's arrest, it isn't representative of the 375 million annual contacts that police officers have with civilians. A solid body of evidence finds no structural bias in the criminal justice system with regard to arrests, prosecution or sentencing. Crime and suspect behavior, not race, determine most police actions." But what about the thousands of black children and young adults killed in inner cities? Isn't that important to Black Lives Matter? Don't all black lives matter? And does BLM actually want to solve the problem it claims as its reason for existence? A police reform bill was introduced in the Senate, and, under pressure from BLM, the Democrats wouldn't even bring it onto the floor for discussion. The actual BLM organization has strong Marxist ties, and its real agenda is to tear down the United States. Each of the remaining items on the yard sign has a similar story. The words sound good, but the mission of the group saying the words is much different. "No Human is Illegal" sounds like "all people are good and shouldn't be persecuted" but really means "the United States should have no borders." Everyone, regardless of poor health, a criminal background, or his inability to be a productive member of society, should be allowed into our country and be given free health care, free schooling for their children, and free college education and be allowed to vote. These are things all American citizens pay for. Compassion is a great thing, but how many "foreign guests" would we invite to live here? Ten million? Twenty-five million? One hundred million? "Love is Love" is another pleasant-sounding phrase, but it is the motto for the LGBT community that pretty much advocates "love" in any form. And don't forget the bathroom issue. Do you want your daughter sharing a bathroom with a guy because today he "feels like he's a girl"? "Women's Rights are Human Rights." That's one everyone can agree with, but not if you insist that all sex references are sexist, and words containing the letters "m-a-n" should be expunged from our language and their usage become a criminal offense or cost you your job. "Science is Real" is the mantra of the global warming crowd. They are saying that since "97% of scientists agree" that global warming is a problem that threatens the survival of our planet, it must be true and no one should dare question it. In 1975, the same scientists proclaimed that the Earth was cooling and we were heading into an ice age. Even if global warming were true, their solution, the Paris Climate Accords, tied the United States to massive money transfers, spending trillions of dollars to reduce emissions, while the largest polluters, China and India, were left totally exempt. If all the money was spent, these scientists could only predict that the Earth's temperature would be reduced by less than 1C. "Water is Life" is another nice phrase. But the "save our water" bureaucrats use their regulations to control every square foot of land, including puddles, promoting rules and regulations that restrict economic growth without actually increasing the supply of fresh water. "Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere" sounds great. It's actually from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is used by the social justice movement to demand equality for all, especially when it involves taking money from those who have it and giving it to those who don't. They advocate the $15 (now $25) minimum wage (even though it would put more low-wage workers out of a job than it would help), preferential treatment for minorities in higher education (regardless of their qualifications), and mandatory minority representation on corporate boards. As you read this sign, you realize its similarity to a religious creed. "We believe..." This sign is the entire globalist agenda boiled down to 29 words. Their God is the Earth itself. People who have been oppressed in the past should have the right to extra benefits at the expense of the descendants of those who oppressed them. This includes blacks, women, foreign citizens and gays. Rich countries should be forced to pay less fortunate countries, and their borders should be left wide open. There are no morals or freedom of religion - no reference to family, hard work, entrepreneurship, free speech or open-mindedness. If you disagree with our peaceful message, you are less than human and should lose your job and be threatened with violence. But the globalist agenda is not their plan of action, but pleasant words they use to enlist uninformed people as pawns in their quest for world control. While the words are nice, it's like a contract with terms that sound too good to be true, until you read the fine print and it's too late. Image credit: Lorie Shaull via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Sirte lies on the Mediterranean coast, roughly halfway between Tripoli in the west and Libya's second city Benghazi in the east, and just 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the shores of Italy Libya's coastal city of Sirte, home town of ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi and a strategic gateway to oil export ports, is now at the centre of tensions between rival forces. On Friday, Libya's warring rival administrations announced in separate statements they would cease all hostilities and organise nationwide elections. But the promised ceasefire leaves the fate of Sirte hanging in the balance. Buffer between GNA and Haftar Libyan national Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, who controls most of eastern Libya, seized Sirte in January, months after launching an assault on the capital Tripoli, the base of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). Sirte had been held by GNA forces since December 2016 when they ousted Islamic State group jihadists after six months of fighting. Haftar's forces, backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, entered the city almost unopposed. Backed by Turkey, GNA fighters have pushed pro-Haftar forces from most of western Libya, recapturing a string of strategic cities and positions. And they have vowed to retake Sirte, the last major settlement before the traditional boundary between western Libya and Haftar's stronghold in the east. On Friday, GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj said the ceasefire would allow the creation of "demilitarised zones" in Sirte and the Al-Jufra region further south that Haftar's forces control. But Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based parliament backed by Haftar, did not mention demilitarisation zones, proposing however the installation of a new government in Sirte. In June, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi warned that Sirte was a "red line" that Turkey-backed forces should not cross. Strategic importance Sirte lies on the Mediterranean coast, roughly halfway between Tripoli in the west and Libya's second city Benghazi in the east, and just 300 kilometres (190 miles) from the shores of Italy. It is also a mere 150 kilometres west of Libya's main oil export terminals. In May 2016, pro-GNA forces used Libya's third-largest city, Misrata, as a launchpad for operations to oust IS from Sirte, fearful the jihadists were seeking to control Libya's key oil region. The traditional boundary between Libya's western Tripolitania and eastern Cyrenaica regions lies just east of Sirte. Sirte's only importance for centuries lay in its geographic position as the largely desert region separated Roman provinces from Greek ones. Gaddafi's birthplace Gaddafi was born in Sirte in 1942 and made great efforts to turn the city into the capital of his "Jamahiriya" -- a "state of the masses" run by local committees. He created a new province around Sirte in addition to the three existing regions of Cyrenaica in the east, Fezzan in the south, and Tripolitania in the west. In the 1990s, he ordered ministries to be created in the coastal city, and even set up a parliament there, but eventually gave up on his plans. Gaddafi was captured and killed in the town on October 20, 2011. Jihadist bastion After Gaddafi's ouster in a NATO-backed uprising, Sirte was largely left to its own devices until it fell in June 2015 into the hands of IS, who flew their jihadist flag over public buildings. In December 2016, backed by US warplanes, drones and helicopters that conducted more than 460 strikes, GNA forces drove the jihadists out of the city after six months of heavy fighting. Population Sirte consisted of several villages spread along the coast with a mostly rural population, including cattle breeders, farmers and a few craftsmen. Most of its people belong to four major tribes, including the Gaddafa tribe of Gaddafi, the powerful and large Werfalla who populate the west, the Forjane and the Magariha who were closest to the Kadhafi regime. Before the uprising, the city had a population of around 120,000, but after years of conflict only about 50,000 remain. Search Keywords: Short link: Planned bushfires can reduce weeds with only limited impacts on threatened marsupial species provided they are kept small enough to leave places for the animals to find refuge from predators, new research has found. Scientists from the Southern Cross University used remote cameras to track the response to prescribed burns in parts of the Gondwana World Heritage Area in northern NSW. Of particular interest was how the endangered black-striped wallaby and the vulnerable-listed long-nosed potoroo and red-legged pademelon would respond. A black-striped Wallaby and joey caught on camera as part of a post-fire monitoring program by Southern Cross University with support from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Trust. Credit:Darren McHugh The study, published recently in the Ecological Management and Restoration journal, examined wildlife in two sites in the Richmond Range and Tooloom national parks before and after controlled burns. The work is part of a 10-year Burning Hotspots program with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Trust to cut the coverage of lantana weed and improve habitat for threatened macropods. Jobless graduates View(s): A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak on the employability of university graduates at a workshop for the junior university lecturers. Together with me, Manjula De Silva, General Secretary and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce had also been invited to speak as a resource person representing the business sector. Since our universities have a long-standing fame for producing unemployable graduates and this puts myself in the dock too in my capacity as a university professor, the speech was a challenge for me. Confirming my thoughts and explaining about this matter to a friend of mine, he first laughed, and then, commented: So, you may have to speak about your own profession and about your own colleagues? I didnt defend myself against what he implied: Well, if unemployable graduates are a product of their own university teachers, we must know that these teachers are also a product of the same system; a teacher must also teach what he learnt previously. We are reaping the fruits of a closed university system which we have nurtured for more than half a century. My friends comment did not surprise me. Apparently, it reflects a social and political perception about the unemployable graduates who magnify it by their own actions. They have even established a trade union of unemployed graduates and engaged in frequent demonstrations and protests demanding jobs. To make matter even worse, they were often at the mercy of the government which continued to be the main job provider for unemployed graduates throughout the history. Half of the problem At the outset of my speech, I posed a question: How many of you think that you and your universities are responsible for producing unemployable graduates? No one answered, but the smile on their faces confirmed that it was a valid question. Then, I gave my version of the answer: If the lecturers and universities are responsible for the unemployability problem of graduates, then I must say that their responsibility is limited only to half of the problem. The inevitable question is, then why half of the problem? It is because job creation through investment promotion and economic progress is responsible for the other half. If the jobs are not created, unemployment persists. According to our findings, it is a tiny fraction of the business sector in Sri Lanka that demands for graduates to be recruited as employees, while still a large part of our traditional private sector does not need graduates. If the job can be done by recruiting a school leaver with or without secondary educational qualifications, why should they demand a graduate? Graduates are needed for higher levels of businesses, while if such businesses are not expanding in the country then there is no job creation for the graduates produced by the university system. Even though most of these businesses are in the services sector, it does not exclude manufacturing and agricultural sectors too. For instance, most of the farmers in some of the European countries are graduates who run their agricultural activities as a modern business ventures and engage in intensive research and development activities in their large-scale farms. But Sri Lankas small-scale agriculture sector as well as the small and medium enterprises hardly requires graduates. Therefore, sluggish business progress which is reflected through slower investment expansion, slower economic growth, and slower export promotion explains a significant part of the unemployment problem of the graduates in particular and, educated youth in general. In a country with a dismal economic performance, a typical characteristic is the unemployment of the educated youth. Historically, Sri Lanka has shown that the higher the level of education, the greater would be the possibility to remain unemployed, as confirmed by the countrys unemployment statistics. The less-educated people naturally slipped into the unproductive agriculture sector or informal activities, not because they like it but because they dont have other choices. As the level of education rises, people hardly chose to be in such unproductive sectors, because their aspirations are greater, and they deserve better opportunities. The problem is the lack of job creation to satisfy this need due to inadequate business expansion. Seeking the same job The absence of an expanding business environment to absorb graduates has created two major issues. The first is on the demand side: Irrespective of what subjects or in which faculties they have studied, the majority of the graduates compete for the same types of limited number of jobs available in the country. Perhaps, an exception are the graduates from the Faculties of Law, Education, and Medicine because there is a government-guaranteed job market, or these fields are professional by nature. Graduates from all other faculties such as Agriculture, Arts, Commerce, and Science all compete for the same set of jobs mostly in the areas of the financial sector or public administration. The second issue is on the supply side: It is the government which continued for decades to provide jobs to the majority of university graduates, again irrespective of their subject areas or the faculty of studies. This was not necessarily because the successive governments needed their service, but because it was a political problem. As the subjects that graduates study in the university bears no relevance to the bulk of jobs offered by the government, it is also irrelevant to many students to pay attention to the question of which subjects they should study. Even the universities do not have a clue about how many graduates from each subject area should be educated and trained in order to meet the national requirement for human resources; simply there is no national requirement as such. Therefore, the students too are tempted to choose easier subjects for better results as their ultimate objective is not necessarily about knowledge and skills in a particular subject area, but the certificate that they can carry. The complain that many private companies made is that even the few graduates that they have recruited and trained, would eventually leave for government jobs even for a lower salary, when the government announces job offerings. Therefore, any effort to recruit and train the graduates is an unnecessary costly affair for the private firms. At the same time, it may be a rational choice for many graduates who prefer less-challenging, pensionable jobs with job security. The problem may continue to remain unless and until there is a balance in the differences in employment conditions between the private sector and the government sector. Another issue is that the graduates are too old to be recruited and trained in a job. In fact, by international educational standards our students stay too long in education in the schools and in the universities so that when they become graduates, they are about four-five years older than their counterparts in other countries. International educational hub Even at the universities which are protected from exposure and competition by regulatory barriers, there is no need for forming a globally competitive higher educational system. Our university system is not open to importing knowledge by recruiting foreign academics and exporting knowledge by catering to foreign demand for higher education. Otherwise, Sri Lanka would have been an international educational hub in the region with a set of globally competitive universities earning foreign exchange from teaching and research. After looking at the problem of the unemployability of graduates in Sri Lanka from different angles, it is necessary to raise the question as to who are the stakeholders of the problem? As I have attempted to analyse the problem objectively, it is clear that the incompetency of the university system cannot be an issue isolated from the rest of the performance of the economy. The unemployability issue of graduates runs well beyond the premises of a university, encompassing the need for broad-based regulatory reforms. (The writer is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colombo and can be reached at sirimal@econ.cmb.ac.lk and follow on Twitter @SirimalAshoka). Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs housekeeper Neeraj Singh has given his statement to the police on what happened the night of June 8, when Rhea Chakraborty left the actors home. A copy of Neerajs statement was accessed by India Today. In his statement, Neeraj said Rhea got angry at night and asked him to pack her bags. On June 8, Keshav cooked dinner for everyone. We were preparing to serve dinner to sir and Rhea mam when suddenly Rhea mam called and told me to pack her bag. Rhea mam looked very angry then and she told me to pack her clothes kept in a cupboard. She said that she would collect her clothes, which were in another cupboard, later. And she left, without having dinner, with her brother Showik Chakraborty. That time, Sushant sir was seated in the room all the time. The same day, after Rhea mam left, Sushant sirs sister Meetu Singh came home, he said. Neeraj also detailed what a regular day in Rhea and Sushants life looked like. ...then lockdown started, Rhea mam shifted to Mount Blanc. She would stay with sir but sometimes went to meet her parents for one or two days, or her parents would come to Mount Blanc to meet her. During lockdown, both Rhea mam and Sushant sir would wake up and have black coffee and would go for workout on terrace. After having lunch, sometimes they would ask me to put up Yoga and music equipment on terrace. Then I would clean the terrace after they left from there. Keshav would cook dinner and then sir would go to sleep. This was his daily routine, he said. Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 14. He was suspected to have died by suicide and the Mumbai Police launched an investigation in the case. An FIR was filed against Rhea by Sushants father in Patna under charges of abetment to suicide in July. On August 19, the Supreme Court had asked CBI to investigate the case related to the actors death, while holding that the FIR registered in Patna was legitimate. The single-judge bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy had observed that the Bihar government was competent to recommend transferring the case to the CBI. It had also asked the Mumbai Police to hand over all the evidence collected so far in the case to the CBI. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he regrets protecting communist militant Cesare Battisti from extradition to his native Italy, after the ex-fugitive confessed to four murders. Lula, Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, revealed in an interview he was prepared to apologize over his decision to allow Battisti to remain in Brazil. On the final day of his presidency, the left-wing leader denied Battisti's extradition, enabling the militant to continue dodging the Italian authorities until he was captured last year in Bolivia after nearly four decades on the run. Now serving a life sentence in Italy, Battisti confessed to the 1970s murders several weeks after his capture. "All of us on the Brazilian left who defended Cesare Battisti feel frustrated and disappointed," Lula told online talk show TV Democracia in a segment that aired Thursday. "I would have no problem apologizing to the Italian left and the victims' families." He said he never met Battisti in person, and had merely followed the advice of then justice minister Tarso Genro, who believed the ex-militant was innocent. Battisti, 65, committed the murders during Italy's so-called "Years of Lead," in a failed attempt to trigger a communist revolution. Jailed in 1979, he escaped from prison two years later and reinvented himself as a crime writer during his life on the run. He apparently fled Brazil after far-right President Jair Bolsonaro vowed during his 2018 election campaign to "immediately" send the ex-militant back to Italy if elected. Lula, 74, has had his own run-ins with the law since leaving office. Highly popular during his presidency, he has since been caught up in a massive corruption scandal, which landed him in jail for a year and a half and badly tarnished his image. He says the case against him was trumped up to keep him from staging a political comeback. Californians are facing duel crises now, as wildfires, still raging largely out of control across a large swath of the state, force tens of thousands of people from their homes during a similarly uncontrolled pandemic. People who have been told for months to stay in and avoid others are now fleeing to different cities, filling hotels and trying to maintain some semblance of social distancing at makeshift shelters, as officials find urgent relief efforts complicated by the ever-present threat of the novel coronavirus. Donald Trump; Steve Bannon US President Donald Trump (L) congratulates Senior Counselor to the President Stephen Bannon during the swearing-in of senior staff in the East Room of the White House on January 22, 2017 in Washington, DC. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images Fox News judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano said on Thursday that former Trump campaign adviser Steve Bannon could spend up to 20 years in jail if the government's case against him holds up. Following Bannon's arrest, Napolitano spoke about the allegations that Bannon defrauded donors through a charity that raised $25 million to build a border wall. "This entity We Build the Wall promised its donors that not a penny quote not a penny would go into their pockets," Napolitano explained. "So rather than putting the money directly into their pockets, they funneled it to third-party charities and those charities paid the money, according to the indictment, to Steve Bannon and to the others." The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday that Bannon and other members of the "We Build the Wall" crowdfunding campaign were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. "They are facing 20 years each," he continued, "for the money that they paid themselves in defiance of their promise not to do so." Napolitano predicted that Bannon will defend himself by claiming he deserved to get paid because other charities pay their officials. "Their use of the third-party charities to actually pay them so as to hide the payments from the donors and presumably from the government is an effort to cover your trail," the analyst noted. "Because they knew they had misled the donors." "It doesn't look good for him right now," Napolitano added. You can watch the video below via YouTube: Related ArticlesHe's been poisoned, he's suffering a reaction from hallucinogenic drugs, he drank too much the night before leaving Siberia, he's suffering the side-effects of antidepressants, he's collapsed after a botched operation in the West.
Some of these have been propagated in state media, classic examples of misinformation, confusion and distortion: pump out lots of theories and no one knows which or what to believe.
His supporters, on the other hand, remain convinced something was slipped into his tea before take-off, but the doctors treating him say no signs of poison have been found, rather they have diagnosed it as a metabolic condition caused by low blood sugar.
And why prevent Alexei Navalny from receiving treatment in Germany?
A medevac aircraft is waiting on the tarmac at Omsk airport and his family have requested he is discharged to travel, but the doctors blocked it at the last minute.
Mr Navalny's wife believes they are stalling for time to allow the poison to leave his body - this could well be true and if you buy into the poisoning theory it has undeniable logic, but we must also remember that it is not unheard of for doctors in the UK to stop a patient going elsewhere for treatment when they believe it is against the individual's best interest or because the patient is too ill to be moved.
But medical aircraft these days are highly sophisticated and can safely care for patients in a very poor state - maybe the Kremlin, having originally suggested he could be moved abroad, was taken by surprise at the speed in which this aircraft was dispatched?
We should be equally cautious of the allegations from Mr Navalny's team that a police officer has told them the poison is so toxic that hospital staff should be wearing hazmat suits - that officer is so far unnamed, unknown and unheard.
Whatever the Kremlin might say, Alexei Navalny is President Vladimir Putin's strongest and most effective critic and whether it was the cause in this incident, poisoning is a tactic previously used by the Russian state to eliminate opponents.
However much the Kremlin might protest, this fits a pattern of behaviour - that so many opponents of Mr Putin's regime keep having "accidents" is rather fanciful.
Beyond that though, there is little we can be sure of by way of fact at this stage except that whatever is happening and whoever is telling the truth, we should be carefully scrutinising what we are told by both sides.
Such is their visceral hatred for each other, agendas are at play.
But yet again another outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin lies in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Just another coincidence?
Ignoring calls to stay home, many head to the holy city in Iraq, travelling on side roads to bypass government checkpoints. Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani calls for celebrations to be broadcast on TV to avoid crowds. Other clerics direct their followers to gather in large numbers to celebrate. Baghdad (AsiaNews/Agencies) Despite appeals to stay at home and avoid large gatherings, thousands of Shias are converging on the holy city of Karbala, Iraq, for start of the holy month of Muharram. For Shia Muslims, the pilgrimage represents one of their key rituals, attracting huge crowds of believers every year. This year however, few are expected because of the pandemic. The same thing happened last month for Hajj, in Makkah, where Saudi authorities limited the number of pilgrims. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, and includes celebrations for the annual festival of Ashura, which marks the death of Imam Husayn by the forces of the Caliph Yazid in 680 AD, one of the central events in Shia Islam. His death is a consequence of the dispute over the succession to the Prophet Muhammad, and marks the beginning of the split between Sunnis and Shiites. Every year millions of Shias from all over the world come to Iraq to commemorate the origins of their faith, to share food, pray and discuss. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year Iraqi and Iranian authorities are urging the faithful to stay and pray at home. Iran, which is the worlds largest Shia country, has reported the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in the Middle East, with more than 20,000, followed by Iraq with more than 6,200 deaths. Yet, thousands of pilgrims have marched towards the golden doors of Imam Husayns shrine in Karbala, some wearing masks and gloves, many others with no personal protective equipment, so many walking side by side, like in previous years. The authorities have set up tents in Baghdad, Basra and Karbala to welcome pilgrims, and have tried to get people to respect social distancing. But for Salim Mahdi, a tent manager in Basra near the Iraq-Iran border, "It's dramatically different from other years. In general, people do maintain a greater distance and take greater care of personal hygiene, using hand sanitisers. In neighbouring Iran, where reformist newspaper Arman called it "the most astonishing Muharram of the century, the supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the countrys Health Minister have banned the usual marches, musical performances and banquets, as well as indoor ceremonies. In Lebanon, the mostly Shia Hezbollah movement announced that no large tents would be installed, urging families to celebrate at home. In Iraq itself, where some Shia pilgrims travelled on side roads to bypass checkpoints, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a leading Shia cleric, called for all ceremonies to be broadcast live and for the faithful to pray at home or wear masks and keep their distance if praying in public. Other religious leaders seemed far less cautious, directing their followers to gather in large numbers for the entire first ten days of Muharram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:26:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon continued on Saturday to receive donations from foreign countries following the explosions that rocked Beirut's port on Aug. 4, LBCI local TV channel reported. An aircraft arrived in Beirut from Australia and another one from Belgium carrying medical equipment for Lebanese hospitals. Lebanon also received two Egyptian aircraft with food and medicines in addition to flour for people to bake bread, according to the report. Meanwhile, King Salman center for relief and humanitarian aid delivered medicines and medical equipment to the health ministry, which in turn, will distribute them among public hospitals. An Italian military vessel reached Beirut's port carrying food and medical equipment while another military ship will arrive in Beirut in two days carrying fire trucks, protective equipment for firefighting and medical aid. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, shaking buildings all over Lebanon's capital, while killing at least 177 people and wounding around 6,000 others. This has prompted several countries to rush to the support of Lebanon by sending food items, medical equipment and field hospitals. Enditem Parents will be paid up to 25.50 a week to drive teenage children to and from school if they can't get a socially distanced seat on the school bus. A grant will be available for alternative travel arrangements for second-level students who are eligible for a seat but squeezed out by public health restrictions. The family car qualifies and the allowance is based on the distance between home and the pupil's school, with a maximum daily payment of 5.10. Parents will bear the cost up front and reimbursed at the end of the school year on receipt of documentation confirming the number of days of school attended. The payment will apply only to students who are eligible for a seat on school transport and not those who get a concessionary place if there is spare capacity. Approximately 52,000 second-level pupils are eligible for the transport scheme, but it is not known how many may need to rely on an alternative to the service because of the social distancing rule. Education Minister Norma Foley announced the allowance following advice from the Covid-19 public health body, Nphet, that there should be strict social distancing for post-primary pupils on school buses. Her department has committed to phasing it in and, where possible, buses at 50pc passenger capacity will be rolled out when the term opens. Ms Foley said 1,600 more buses may be needed to meet the Nphet requirements. Health As school reopening approaches, teachers are voicing concerns about the health implications of returning to the classroom, according to the secondary teachers' union the ASTI. Some teachers say it will be difficult to bring all students back at the beginning and want to stagger return over a number of weeks. ASTI is seeking a direct meeting with health experts next week to outline their safety concerns, especially about teachers suffering from serious underlying illnesses. The union wants to talk to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and review the advice provided to the Department of Education. ASTI president Ann Piggott said they were receiving a high number of communications from teachers expressing a variety of concerns, including the safety of students and teachers in the high-risk category who have underlying illnesses. She said school communities had been working hard to get ready for reopening, but that there was "much trepidation amongst teachers". Meanwhile, returning Leaving Cert candidates and Junior Cycle students can look forward to much more choice in the 2021 State exams because of the disruption which has been caused to their education by Covid-19. The Department of Education has published detailed guidance on how each subject will be assessed with a lot more scope available to candidates. The arrangements vary between subjects but examples include expanding question choice from three to five options, no longer mandating that a certain question is compulsory or giving more time for project completion. For instance, in Leaving Cert Higher Level English, candidates will be given a choice of five rather than four poets in the Prescribed Poetry question. To the great relief of Leaving Cert maths students at all levels, who usually have to answer all questions, limited choice is being introduced. Changes for third years include dropping of the requirement to complete the assessment task for particular subjects. Washington Louis DeJoy, the embattled postmaster general whose cost-cutting and operational changes have prompted widespread concern about mail-in voting, said Friday he was "extremely highly confident" the Postal Service could facilitate the largest vote-by-mail program in American history and called suggestions that he might intentionally slow ballot delivery to help President Donald Trump "outrageous." Testifying before Congress amid a political firestorm, DeJoy, a major donor to Trump, defended many of the changes put in place as necessary to help the Postal Service get its financial house in order. He acknowledged the moves have slowed some mail delivery and reiterated that he would suspend his cost-cutting measures until after the election. "There has been no changes to any policies with regard to election mail," DeJoy said, adding, "The Postal Service is fully capable and committed to delivering the nation's election mail fully and on time." Under questioning from Democrats, he refused to unwind other steps, like removing hundreds of blue mailboxes and mail sorting machines, that he said were initiated by his predecessors in response to a steady decline in mail volume. He denied knowledge of the machine removal when it first began, telling senators it was "not a critical issue within the Postal Service." And he was unable to offer many specifics about how the Postal Service would ensure on-time delivery of ballots, telling Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., that he would be unable to provide a detailed plan by Sunday because it was still being drafted. DeJoy said he would continue the agency's practice of prioritizing election mail, regardless of what postage is used, and "deploy processes and procedures that advance any election mail, in some cases ahead of first-class mail." As DeJoy testified Friday, a coalition of six states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against him, the Postal Service and the chair of its board of governors, Robert M. Duncan. The attorneys general allege that DeJoy's recent changes have resulted in widespread delays that could have a disastrous effect for voting by mail this November. His recent announcement, suspending many new initiatives, did not address several of his changes, the states claim. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Concerns about the ability of Americans to vote by mail during a pandemic have been heightened by Trump, who has criticized the Postal Service as a "joke" and renewed his attack on mail-in voting hours after DeJoy finished assuring lawmakers that voting by mail was the Postal Service's No. 1 priority. "You'll have double voting where they send in a ballot, then they'll go and vote," Trump said in remarks to a conservative group of supporters in Virginia. "That's going to be a big problem. They'll send in their ballot and they'll vote, too. They'll send in the ballot. What are the chances that some states so efficiently run 'Oh, gee, you can't vote, we just got your ballot last night at seven o'clock.' I mean think of how ridiculous it is, right? Common sense." DeJoy said he had "never spoken to the president about the Postal Service, other than to congratulate me when I accepted the position." But he did not back down from his plans to radically overhaul the postal system, saying he foresees "drastic" changes after the election in November, including rate hikes, changes to service standards in rural America, and a slew of other potential moves that would cut costs but could significantly alter the service the beleaguered Postal Service provides. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) Now is not the time to push for a revolutionary government and charter change, a former Supreme Court spokesman and an international law expert said Saturday as they stressed that the focus should be on other pressing matters such as addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Andami nating dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ngayon at siguro hindi kailangan ngayon ito, human rights lawyer and former Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te told a webinar. [Translation: We need to attend to other matters. Maybe (charter change and a revolutionary government) is not needed now.] International Commission of Jurists senior legal advisor Emerlynne Gil echoed Te, saying perhaps, pushing for charter change may not be optimal at this point. The lawyers said this type of initiative will take away resources, including time, money and efforts which could be used instead to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Te clarified he doesnt disagree per se to charter change as a principle. He said that discussions on reforms may take place once there is already a need to amend specific provisions in the 1987 Constitution. Te and Gil were responding to reports that a group of President Rodrigo Dutertes supporters was calling for a new form of government and new constitution. Ateneo School of Government Dean Ronald Mendoza noted separately that usually a revolutionary government involves overthrowing the government. Since that's not your objective, all you're doing is overthrowing democratic checks&balances. What you really want is authoritarianism, not (revolutionary government), he said in a post on Twitter, reacting to an appeal from a group that identified itself as Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee, or MRRD-NECC. MRRD-NECC said that a revolutionary government could hasten the establishment of federalism before Duterte ends his term by 2022. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also said proper timing may be an issue when considering charter change but adds that there is no harm in advocating for it. However, advocating for a revolutionary government is a different matter, he said. "Advocating a revolutionary government is something else, because a revolutionary government sets aside the existing constitution altogether to pave the way for the drafting of a new one," Guevarra told reporters. For his part, Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana said he will not support groups pushing for the revolutionary government. A federal form of government was one of Dutertes campaign promises as 2016 presidential elections candidate. However, in 2019, he changed his tune on federalism and he said he wants the Constitution changed instead. Months after they started living their new lives in Los Angeles, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved out again, which surprised the royal fans. For the past months, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex looked for the perfect place where they could live their lives safely and silently following Megxit. So when reports about them leaving Vancouver Island for Los Angeles emerged, their followers knew that they chose the city since Meghan knows it inside-out and is comfortable raising her family there. However, earlier this August, Prince Harry and Meghan made headlines after buying and moving into their own US home in Montecito, Santa Barbara. The $14.7 million-worth property includes nine bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. Royal fans questioned the move, especially since the Sussexes seemed to be at home already at Tyler Perry's mansion in Los Angeles. Now, a source tol People that the parents only want to give their 1-year-old son Archie "as normal a life as possible." "They were craving a smaller community and a slower pace," the source close to the couple revealed. "Montecito is very mellow, a charming little town and the Santa Barbara [area] offers an ideal lifestyle that they're looking forward to." Although they traveled almost 95 miles to reach their "permanent home," the insider said that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feel that their new house is a place of peace. Thus, it is the perfect venue to raise Archie while building their Archewell foundation. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be feeling grateful for Perry's generosity. "They're really grateful to Tyler Perry for his kindness," the same source told the news outlet. "They have endless gratitude to him for helping them during a complicated time." Since Megxit occurred at the same time as the coronavirus pandemic worsened, Perry stood by them and offered them a safe haven. Their decision to find a new home in Santa Barbara was a bit unexpected since many critics believed they went to Los Angeles to stay relevant and get the media attention that they always crave. With Hollywood so close and the city a hotbed of paparazzi, LA seems the perfect choice for the couple (who allegedly wants to be celebrities). However, as their move showed, their priority is still their family and their child's safety. Prince Harry, Meghan Received Warning From Former Royal Protection Officer Last June, former royal protection officer Simon Morgan appeared on Us Weekly's Royally Us podcast where he explained how the royal couple's interaction with people -- both ordinary ones and celebrities -- could potentially become a threat in their family's safety and security. "The more you withdraw, the more people want to know what you're up to. There just becomes that fascination," Morgan explained. He added that it is up to Prince Harry and Meghan to determine whether they will control the amount of media coverage. However, for Meghan, who is finding her Hollywood spotlight again, seeing paparazzi around them will be a usual scene. The ex-protection officer then mentioned how Prince Harry will always bear the British royal family's bloodline and draw fascination despite giving up his senior royal position. Despite all the warnings they receive, it is worth mentioning that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will surely never put themselves at risk as they know what is best for their family. READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Retiring? Prince Charles' Takeover in Progress! Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over a bi-weekly seminar held by the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese national political advisors contributed suggestions on efficient water use and water conservation at a bi-weekly seminar held by the top political advisory body on Friday. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presided over the meeting. It is necessary to put water conservation first, and accelerate the transformation from extensive and inefficient water use to economical and intensive use for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, Wang stressed at the seminar. Revolving around the implementation of the guiding principle for water governance, 11 political advisors and academics contributed their wisdom from the perspectives of legal and policy support, a supervisory system, and the role of market mechanisms. More than 80 political advisors voiced their opinions through a mobile platform of the CPPCC National Committee. Advisors proposed a mechanism to assess the carrying capacity of water resources to determine the amount of water that can be used for local development. The amount of water used for each 10,000 yuan (about 1,447 U.S. dollars) of gross domestic product should be included in the 14th Five-Year (2021-2025) Plan for economic and social development as a major restrictive indicator, political advisors said. Calling for water conservation efforts in the whole society, they also highlighted around-the-clock and dynamic supervision of water resources, the role of the market in allocating water resources, and supportive legal system for efficient and sustainable water use. DAKAR Francisco Asue was reappointed as prime minister of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday, the government said, after he and the government resigned last week after criticism from long-standing President Teodoro Obiang. The Central African oil producer is suffering a double economic shock linked to the coronavirus pandemic and a drop in the price of crude, which provides around three-quarters of state revenues. Last Friday, Asue and his government tendered their resignation to Obiang, who said they had not done enough to help the country at a time of crisis. At his swearing-in ceremony, Asue said he would form a new government that would fight impunity, the authorities said in an online statement. Obiang, 78, has ruled the former Spanish colony since overthrowing his uncle in a 1979 coup, relying on repression of political opponents and the countrys offshore oil riches. This is Asues third consecutive stint as premier since his first appointment in 2016. The countrys economy has struggled to recover from a recession caused by a 2014 slump in oil prices and is expected to contract by a further 5.5% in 2020, according to International Monetary Fund figures. 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 orders also target al-Qaida as well as outlawed Pakistani groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, thousands of whom are believed to be hiding in remote regions of Afghanistan Islamabad: Pakistan issued sweeping financial sanctions against Afghanistans Taliban, just as the militant group is in the midst of US-led peace process in the neighboring country. The orders, which were made public late on Friday, identified dozens of individuals, including the Talibans chief peace negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar and several members of the Haqqani family, including Sirajuddin, the current head of the Haqqani network and deputy head of the Taliban. The list of sanctioned groups included others besides the Taliban and were in keeping with a five-year-old United Nations resolution sanctioning the Afghan group and freezing their assets. The orders were issued as part of Pakistan's efforts to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors money laundering and tracks terrorist groups' activities, according to security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Last year the Paris-based group put Islamabad on a grey list. Until now only Iran and North Korea are blacklisted, which severely restricts a country's international borrowing capabilities. Pakistan is trying to get off the grey list, said the officials. There was no immediate response from the Taliban, but many of the group's leaders are known to own businesses and property in Pakistan. Many of Taliban leaders, including those heading the much-feared Haqqani network, have lived in Pakistan since the 1980s, when they were part of the Afghan mujahedeen and allies of the United States to end the 10-year invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union. It ended in February, 1989. Pakistan has denied giving sanctuary to the Taliban following their ouster in 2001 by the US-led coalition but both Washington and Kabul routinely accused Islamabad of giving them a safe haven. Still it was Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban that Washington eventually sought to exploit to move its peace negotiations with the insurgent movement forward. America signed a peace deal with the Taliban on 29 February. The deal is intended to end Washington's nearly 20 years of military engagement in Afghanistan, and has been touted as Afghanistan's best hope for a peace after more than four decades of war. But even as Washington has already begun withdrawing its soldiers, efforts to get talks started between Kabul's political leadership and the Taliban have been stymied by delays in a prisoner release program. The two sides are to release prisoners 5,000 by the government and 1,000 by the Taliban as a good will gesture ahead of talks. Both sides blame the other for the delays. The timing of Pakistan's decision to issue the orders implementing the restrictive sanctions could also be seen as a move to pressure the Taliban into a quick start to the intra-Afghan negotiations. Kabul has defied a traditional jirga or council's order to release the last Taliban it is holding, saying it wants 22 Afghan commandos being held by the Taliban freed first. As well as the Taliban, the orders also target al-Qaida and the Islamic State affiliate which has carried out deadly attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. They also take aim at outlawed Pakistani groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), thousands of whom are believed by the UN to be hiding in remote regions of Afghanistan. The TTP has declared war on Pakistan, carrying out one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country in 2014 killing 145 children and their teachers at an army public school in northwest Pakistan. The orders also take aim at outlawed anti-Indian groups considered allied with the country's security services. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 15:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's index of export container transport edged up in the past week, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange. The average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) stood at 885.46, up 0.6 percent from a week earlier, according to the exchange. The sub-reading for the South America service led the increase with a week-on-week growth of 4 percent, followed by that for the Mediterranean service, which rose 2.2 percent from the previous week. The sub-index for the Southeast Asia service led the losses with a 2.4-percent decline from the previous week. The CCFI tracks spot and contractual freight rates from Chinese container ports for 12 shipping routes across the globe, based on data from 22 international carriers. The index was set at 1,000 on Jan. 1, 1998. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:06:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Saturday commended the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chinese CDC) for helping build the capacity of laboratories to test for COVID-19. Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the Chinese CDC was among global partners that have been key in boosting the capacity of laboratories to test for COVID-19. Speaking during a daily COVID-19 update, the health minister named the other partners as the American CDC, African CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO). He said the government will continue collaborating with the partners in order to boost testing capacity following increased cases being recorded in the country. According to him, the capacity to test has been hampered by global challenges such as problems in the aviation sector as well as manufacturing capacity which has been outstripped by demand. He further said the government intends to incorporate laboratories from the private sector in order to ramp up the testing capacity and hoped that the supply chain for testing diagnostic equipment will soon ease. Meanwhile, the country recorded 204 new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative cases to 10,831. The new cases were picked from 785 tests done. The country also recorded 505 recoveries in the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 9,942 while two deaths were recorded, bringing the total deaths to 279. Enditem The CBI team, which is probing the Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, reached the late actor's residence at Bandra here on Saturday afternoon. The CBI team will reconstruct the crime scene at Rajput's flat, where he was found allegedly hanging on June 14, an official said. The central agency team, along with forensic experts, reached Rajput's residence in Mont Blanc Apartment around 2.30 pm. The CBI officials and experts of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) arrived in more than seven vehicles. Maharashtra: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team at the residence of #SushantSinghRajput in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/yNNNUUSgLG ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 "Rajput's cook Neeraj and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani also accompanied the CBI team," the official said. Maharashtra: Neeraj and Sidharth Pithani along with the CBI team outside the residence of #SushantSinghRajput in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/SbiGOWzpKV ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 Neeraj was interrogated by the central agency on Friday. After the Supreme Court nod, the CBI on Friday started its probe into the Sushant Singh Rajput death case in Mumbai as it collected relevant documents and reports from the Mumbai police. Maharashtra: A team of forensic experts at the residence of #SushantSinghRajput in Mumbai. https://t.co/LThfYwQkOq pic.twitter.com/lVFknUKBzh ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 A special investigation team of the CBI, consisting of officers, other personnel and also forensic experts, landed in Mumbai on Thursday evening to take over the probe into the high- profile case which has received much media attention. The probe team will record statements of people connected with the case. It will also scan the financial transactions of the 34- year-old actor. The CBI team also met DCP Abhishek Trimukhe, who was heading the Mumbai police probe team. Former President John Dramani Mahama has repeated his call for a debate with President Akufo-Addo on infrastructure track records. He says the NDC has a more superior record of providing equitable distribution of development projects across the country than the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Addressing the chiefs and people of Kwamekrom in the Biakoye constituency at the beginning of a three-day tour of the Oti Region on Friday, Mr Mahama said president Akufo-Addo is at liberty to select the moderators and the institution that he wants to organise the debate, and he will show up to debate the president on any day, at any time and anywhere. The NDC presidential candidate says he is ready to settle the infrastructure debate once and for all for Ghanaians to see through the NPPs propaganda. Mr Mahama also said he is ready to debate the president on all issues whenever the president decides. He again asked what the Akufo-Addo government has done with the GHC140 billion it has so far added to the national debt stock by way of loans, saying he built roads, hospitals, schools, airports, expanded access to water and electricity, among others with the GHC54 billion borrowed during his tenure as president. Mr Mahama told the chiefs and people that consistent with the NDCs policy of providing each region with a public university, a new government of his party will provide a university in the Oti Region to develop the human resource capacity of the area. Mr Mahama also promised to provide a regional hospital as well as develop its capital and surrounding areas to befit its new status. ---starrfmonline Office space downsizing by corporates leave owners alarmed By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s): One struggling tenant is a pain. All struggling tenants are a disaster. This has now become truer for more commercial/retail space owners who are trying to keep their head above the water. The coronavirus pandemic which has literally messed the economy has seen downsizing becoming the new mantra for corporates. With the countrys strict labour laws, the property portfolios look like good places for them to start shedding excess over-spending and exercise prudence. In the Lanka Property Web site theres 5.5 million square feet (sqft) of office space listed for rent in all grades (A, B, C etc) and 2.9 million shop/retail space available (all grades). This was calculated by the listed adverts. This clearly shows that many places are available for rent. Research Intelligence Unit (RIU) has said the retail/office space in Colombo is now at 1.9 million sqft. Global real estate consulting entity, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has said that there was 1.5 million sqft in 2018. So there hasnt exactly been a lapping up of commercial space, pre-pandemic, property analysts point out. What is worse is that in addition to being forced to downsize their businesses, some especially tech companies are endorsing remote set-ups, given the ease with which their staff has adapted to working from home. Specialty brands and designer retailers are just some of the targets this year, as irregular consumer demand and rising pressure from e-commerce have forced some to re-imagine brick-and-mortar stores. Theres never been a fall of this level of retail traffic, and retailers have very little capacity to balance that level of sales decline, a commercial space owner told the Business Times. As a result many such tenants are seeking rent abatement from landlords. Some owners noted that existing tenants and potential ones are trying to downsize the properties they are already in or are requesting for lesser prices. Joshua Christopher, Joint Managing Director, Access Group and Director Access Realties (Pvt) Ltd, told the Business Times that the notion tenants are negotiating rates is partially true. The tenants expansion plans are on hold. They are optimising and re-using their space. Inevitably there will be a reduction in occupier demand, though it will vary from sector to sector, he said. The worst-affected tourism and leisure industries will need less corporate space, while some professional services firms may be able to continue as normal with altered working practices. Some commercial space owners told the Business Times that they are getting a lot of interest from potential tenants. Dr. Saroshi Dubash, Director of Abans Group operating the Colombo City Centre (which is a partnership between Abans Group of Companies and the Singaporean-based NEXT Story Group) noted that 85 per cent of their office space has been rented out and they will soon fill the rest. New Delhi: A three-MP delegation of BJP will visit Dhulagarh in West Bengal on Saturday to look into incidents of violence, the party said on Friday claiming that its supporters and members of a particular community have been targeted. The delegation includes Satyapal Singh, a Lok Sabha member and former Mumbai Police Commissioner; Jagdambika Pal, also a Lok Sabha member, and Roopa Ganguly, a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh will join the delegation once it reaches the state, party leaders said. BJP has alleged that the minority wing of the ruling Trinamool Congress has targeted Hindus in the area in Howrah district for their support to the saffron party. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi yesterday enquired from the state Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purakayastha about the law and order situation there. According to information received from the Governors residence, Purakayastha briefed Tripathi on the matter. The governor asked the DGP to ensure peace and law and order in the area and to take strict action against the culprits, a release issued by the Raj Bhavan said on Thursday. Tension erupted in Dhulagarh when two groups reportedly clashed as a procession was brought out in the area last week. As per a senior officer at the Howrah Commissionerate, police had to use tear gas to bring the situation under control when the groups hurled bombs at each other. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A U.S. flag and the Mexican flag are pictured on the international border bridge between El Paso, United States, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on July 9, 2019. (Daniel Becerril/Reuters) US Closes Lanes, Adds Checks at Mexico Border to Contain Virus WASHINGTONThe United States on Friday closed lanes at select ports of entry at the border with Mexico and will conduct more secondary checks to limit non-essential travel and the spread of coronavirus, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official said. Non-essential travel has been restricted at the border since March, but U.S. citizens and permanent residents can still enter the United States from Mexico. The new measures are aimed at those travelers, the CBP official said. U.S. President Donald Trump, who faces reelection Nov. 3, has taken a series of sweeping steps to scale back immigration during the coronavirus pandemic, including emergency border rules that allow U.S. authorities to rapidly deport migrants arrested at the border. We need people to think twice about non-essential travel and to ask themselves if the travel is worth risking their lives and the lives of others, El Paso CBP spokesman Roger Maier said in a written statement. CBP said it would take steps to reduce non-essential travel at more than a dozen border crossings in Texas, Arizona, and California. The wait times for passenger vehicles at those ports of entry on Friday evening ranged from no wait to several hours. By Julio-Cesar Chavez and Ted Hesson Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has developed the Future Shaping Framework in a bid to keep pace with rapid changes in strategic energy and water sectors. The framework includes three main processes: Foresight, Insight and Action. Within every phase of this framework, Dewa uses different tools that include strategies, action plans, and pioneering initiatives. It also includes nine enablers: Foresight Tools; Knowledge Management; Future Policy; Partnerships; Research & Development; Human Capital; Performance Management; Future Platforms; and Innovation Platforms. Approving the Future Shaping Framework, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO, said it was developed by Dewa to anticipate and shape the future of the energy and water sectors. "We work in line with the directives of the wise leadership to anticipate the future of strategic sectors based on sound scientific foundations and a clear vision that anticipates future challenges and turns them into promising opportunities to achieve the happiness of customers and society as a whole," he added. Accoding to him, the Future Shaping Framework is part of Dewas efforts to develop resilient and innovative strategies within an integrated framework. "This framework includes short, medium and long-term action plans that are implemented according to specific mechanisms to ensure keeping pace with rapid developments in different areas of DEWAs work," remarked Al Tayer. "In line with Dewas vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation, we are contributing to Dubais progress in leading the future. This being done by reworking the traditional concepts of work mechanisms to suit the rapid global changes and strengthen Dubais position as an incubator for creativity and a beacon of innovation, to ensure we are at the forefront of cities that anticipate and shape the future," he added. According to him, Dewa is one of the leading government organisations in anticipating and shaping the future. "It has strategic partnerships with leading international organisations in innovation and future-shaping, including the United States-based Institute for the Future, which is one of the leading futures foresight and research organisations," said Al Tayer. Dewa is also the first government utility to join the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution of the World Economic Forum as a partner. The Dewa framework move is in line with the government plans and strategies including the Dubai 10X initiative, which mandates the government to be a global leader that is 10 years ahead of all other cities through government innovation and the reformation of traditional work mechanisms," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images In a time when institutions across the country have undergone a searching self-examination, the reckoning has only begun for the most powerful source of institutional racism in American life: the United States Senate. It is not merely a problem of legacy and culture though the Senates traditions are deeply interwoven with white supremacy, as Joe Biden inadvertently confessed when he touted his cooperation with segregationists but of very-much-ongoing discrimination. Quite simply, achieving anything like functional racial equality without substantially reforming the Senate will be impossible. The Senates pro-white bias is a problem the political system is only beginning to absorb. When Barack Obama urged his party to honor John Lewiss civil-rights legacy by passing a bill to guarantee democratic reforms like voting rights, statehood for Puerto Rico and D.C., and an end to the filibuster, which he called a relic of Jim Crow, the mere suggestion was met with a scorching response from the right. The door to radicalism is getting busted wide open, warned a Wall Street Journal editorial. John Podhoretz described Obamas plan as a degree of norm-shattering in service of the partisan interests of the Democrats that will, quite simply, tear this country asunder. Measured against the backdrop of modern Washington tradition, Obamas proposal would indeed constitute a radical break with long-standing norms. But measured against the standard of simple political equality, his notion is quite modest. It would leave standing, albeit in altered and less distorted form, an institution that stands as a rebuke to democracy. The Senate is a bulwark of white power. The Senate was not designed to benefit white voters almost all voters were white when the Constitution went into effect but it has had that effect. The reason is simple: Residents of small states have proportionally more representation, and small states tend to have fewer minority voters. Therefore, the Senate gives more voting power to white America, and less to everybody else. The roughly 2.7 million people living in Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, and North Dakota, who are overwhelmingly white, have the same number of Senators representing them as the 110 million or so people living in California, Texas, Florida, and New York, who are quite diverse. The overall disparity is fairly big. As David Leonhardt calculated, whites have 0.35 Senators per million people, while Blacks have 0.26, Asian-Americans 0.25, and Latinos just 0.19. The Senate is affirmative action for white people. If we had to design political institutions from scratch, nobody not even Republicans would be able to defend a system that massively overrepresented whites. And yet, while we are yanking old 30 Rock episodes and holding White Fragility struggle sessions in boardrooms, a massive source of institutionalized racial bias is sitting in plain sight. The Senates existence is not the product of divine inspiration by the Founders, as schoolchildren have been taught for generations, but the ungainly result of hardheaded political compromise between people who believed in some version of what wed call democracy and people who didnt. The Founders mostly hated the idea of a one-state, one-vote chamber. They grudgingly accepted it as (in James Madisons formulation) a lesser evil, needed to buy off small states like Delaware. Obviously, the Constitution contained lots of political compromises. In most cases, the system has evolved toward the principle of one-person, one-vote: The Electoral College has transformed from a group of elites using independent judgment to pick a president to a pass-through entity; the vote was extended to non-landholders, women, and black people (first in theory, and only a century later, in practice). The Senate has oddly evolved in the opposite direction. The disparity in size between states has exploded. When the Constitution was written, the largest state had less than 13 times as many people as the smallest. Today, the largest state has nearly 70 times as many people as the smallest. As absurd as the likes of Madison and Hamilton considered a legislative chamber equalizing a 13-to-1 disparity, the absurdity is now fivefold. And it continues to grow. The Senate has also evolved a routine supermajority requirement, which the Founders did not contemplate. The Constitution requires a supermajority in a handful of expressly defined circumstances, like treaties and removing a president from office. The filibuster evolved in the 19th century, first requiring unanimous agreement, then was reduced first to two-thirds in 1917, and then three-fifths in 1975. Custom used to dictate that filibusters were rarely used tools to register unusually strong disagreement (most frequently by southerners, against civil-rights legislation). Its evolution into a routine supermajority requirement is recent. And so the Senate now has the function of allowing the minority of the country to thwart the majority, to a degree even its critics never imagined. Arguing against the Senate, Hamilton warned, It may happen that this majority of States is a small minority of the people of America; and two thirds of the people of America could not long be persuaded, upon the credit of artificial distinctions and syllogistic subtleties, to submit their interests to the management and disposal of one third. The filibuster, combined with the disproportionate growth of the largest states, allows a far more dire tyranny of the minority than this. A filibuster could be maintained by senators representing a mere 11 percent of the public. In reality, its impractical to line up every small state on the same side. (Democrats do have small states.) But in the current Senate, Republicans who represent just a quarter of the population would have enough votes to sustain a filibuster. Even if Democrats win a landslide election in 2020, following another landslide win two years before, Republicans will easily be able to maintain a filibuster against any bill subject to one. ++ Since the Senate is inscribed into the Constitution, measures to curtail its distorting effect have centered on abolishing the filibuster and admitting Puerto Rico and D.C. (stripped of the federal areas, which would remain the District of Columbia, and its residential areas constituted as a new state, perhaps called Douglass Commonwealth.) The process for admitting new states is just like passing laws. The addition of D.C. and Puerto Rico, with four new senators between them, would partially offset the Senates massive overrepresentation of whites and Republicans. It would not, however, eliminate that advantage completely or even come all that close to doing so. A Data for Progress analysis found, a 52-state Senate would still give whites decided overrepresentation, but it would ameliorate the injustice. Podhoretz complains that admitting Puerto and D.C. would violate democratic norms, because the last grants of statehood, Alaska and Hawaii, did not alter the Senates partisan balance. He is implying, without saying outright, that states have always been admitted in Democrat-Republican pairs. But this is not remotely true. In the 19th century, statehood was a partisan weapon, used mostly by Republicans, who admitted states not on the basis of population but in an open attempt to stack the Senate. After they added Montana, Washington, and split Dakota territory into two states (adding another pair of senators) in 1889, President Harrisons son crowed that the Republicans would win all the new states and gain eight more senators, according to historian Heather Cox Boushey. Alas, it is not just conservatives who believe that states must always be admitted in partisan pairs. Two years ago, Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, confessed not to care at all about D.C. statehood: I dont have a particular interest in that issue. If we got one one-hundredth in Rhode Island of what D.C. gets in federal jobs and activity, Id be thrilled. And, he said, while he sympathized with Puerto Ricos case, he opposed it because it would help his party. Puerto Rico is actually a better case because they have a big population that qualifies as U.S. and they are not, as D.C. is, an enclave designed to support the federal government, Whitehouse said. The problem of Puerto Rico is it does throw off the balance so you get concerns like, who do [Republicans] find, where they can get an offsetting addition to the states. Offsetting? Who says it has to be offsetting? If Democrats refuse as a general principle to alter a balance that massively overrepresents white and Republican voters, they are consigning themselves to permanent minority status in the chamber. The catch in admitting states is that Republicans could filibuster a statehood bill. But Republicans would filibuster any measure, however watered down, that increases Democratic voting power. (Mitch McConnell has even denounced a bill making Election Day a national holiday as a sinister power grab.) In practice, therefore, any bill to admit new states would require eliminating the filibuster as well, which is why Obama took care to add that his party should change the rules to accomplish it. If Democrats gain 50 senators and the presidency, they would have it within their means to eliminate the filibuster and pass a bill expanding voting protections and admitting D.C. and Puerto Rico as states. And it is the filibuster that poses the most formidable obstacle to passing any democratic reform. The Senate is shot through with institutionalists, who cling tightly to its traditions and relish the special status the chamber confers on its members. The objective of eliminating the legislative filibuster has gained adherents, but many of the chambers older Democrats remain stubbornly attached to it. Democrats who support the filibuster make two arguments: one self-interested, the other principled. The self-interested argument concedes that yes, it would be helpful for Democrats to pass laws with a majority, but what happens when Republicans have a majority? I think it would be a short-term advantage and a long term difficulty, frets Maine senator Angus King. You know, what concerns me is that this place changes. Joe Biden, who has hedged on his previous pledges to maintain the filibuster forever, has said, The filibuster has also saved a lot of bad things from happening too. Its true that the filibuster sometimes stops conservative laws. Over the long run, however, liberals enact more changes than conservatives. This is almost definitional. Looking back over the last 20, 50, or 100 years, most major legislative changes have a progressive cast rather than a reactionary one. What makes the case for reform even stronger is that Republicans can already accomplish most of their goals without overcoming a filibuster. Senate rules allow the confirmation of judges and changing levels of taxation and spending with just a majority. Trump passed his tax cuts with 50 votes, and nearly passed his Obamacare repeal with 50 votes. (Kings warning, If we didnt have the 60-vote rule today, the ACA would be gone, is flatly false.) The filibuster has played hardly any role at all in limiting his agenda. Whats left of the filibuster primarily inhibits Democrat proposals. Given that the chambers one-state, one-vote makeup already favors Republicans, it is bizarre that Democrats would accept a handicap atop another handicap. Even if none of this were true, and the filibuster thwarted both parties in equal measure, it is difficult to understand why it would be necessary. Many political systems allow a single national vote to constitute a working majority: The Parliamentary majority elects its leader and enacts the agenda it ran on, and if voters dont like it, they elect a new government. The American system already requires controlling three separately elected bodies House, Senate, and president to enact any new law. Why does the system need yet another obstacle to change? Here is where the principled invocation of the filibuster comes into play. The filibuster forces the two parties to work together. The whole intention of Congress is basically to have a little bit of compromise with the other side, argues Joe Manchin, expressing his fervent opposition to eliminating the legislative filibuster. Our job is to find common and cooling ground, if you will, to make something work that makes sense. The simplest rebuttal to this claim is look around you. Do you see a lot of legislative compromise? How many reforms of any importance have amassed 60 Senate votes over the past 30 years? It is odd that senators can still wax idealistic about the filibuster promoting good old-fashioned bipartisanship when its absence is so obvious. Indeed, the same senators who most loudly decry the decline of bipartisanship are also the most convinced that the filibuster enables bipartisanship. Manchin himself has loudly grumbled about his disdain for the chamber, decried its uselessness, and threatened to quit repeatedly. Maybe he should consider the possibility that the rules he seems so attached to arent working. It seems much more likely that the filibusters impact on moderation is just the opposite. The Senates arcane anti-democratic character enables extremism. By thwarting sensible liberal reforms, it emboldens left-wing radicals who paint the party as hopelessly inept, unable to deliver its promises, and unequal to the challenges of American life. If Bidens Senate allies allow Republicans to thwart his promises, the lefts takeover of the party will accelerate. More important, it has enabled the Republican Partys long rightward lurch. Why should conservatives compromise their principles when they can use their counter-majoritarian power to block change? The Republican Partys strategic response to a country that is moving demographically against it is not to adapt to the electorate but instead to thwart its will. The defenses of the filibuster offered by the Senates traditionalists have a creepily familiar tone. Here are old, white, comfortable men, hesitant to make a (very small) amount of space in their elite institution for minorities. Whatever wan arguments they can offer for the status quo reek of the musty scent of clubbiness and nostalgia. They can hardly make the case that the system works, but it surely works for them. Several years of heavy use have dulled the sharp edge of the word reckoning. But if there is any institution in American life that needs a reckoning, it is the U.S. Senate. General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) shares traded slightly lower on Friday after the company extended the contract of CEO Larry Culp through 2024. One Wall Street analyst said Culps new contract eliminates one uncertainty for GE investors, and Culps turnaround efforts were working prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Analyst: Bank of America analyst Andrew Obin reiterated his Buy rating and $11 price target for GE. The Thesis: Obin said the pandemic-diven downturn in air traffic has pulled the rug out from under GEs Aviation division and has delayed the companys turnaround timetable. However, he said Culps extension is a benefit for GE shares. Prior to the outbreak, Obin said GE was making progress on several fronts, including boosting liquidity and lowering leverage via asset sales. Obin said even GEs Power unit was potentially on track to generate positive free cash flow in 2021, although he said that would have been a major challenge. In the post-COVID world, Obin said GEs primary challenge is navigating the commercial aviation downturn. GE faces trade-offs between pricing and market share in the commercial aftermarket space, Obin wrote in a note. So far, he sees positive signs of GEs focus on preventing market share losses to independent shops and heavier reliance on used parts among airlines is working. In the medium-term, Obin said improving FCF should help drive GEs share price higher. Benzingas Take: It seems GEs financial situation is far better than it has been in recent years, and the companys balance sheet is stable and flexible enough to endure yet another difficult year. However, GE investors are likely growing tired of hearing about how a turnaround is just around the corner after years of underperformance and lackluster FCF and earnings numbers. Related Links: 2020 May Be Another Lost Year For General Electric, But BofA Is Still Bullish Story continues Revisiting Harry Markopolos' Call That 'GE Is One Recession Away From Chapter 11' Photo credit: Momoneymoproblemz, via Wikimedia Commons Latest Ratings for GE Jul 2020 Deutsche Bank Maintains Hold May 2020 UBS Maintains Buy Apr 2020 Credit Suisse Maintains Neutral View More Analyst Ratings for GE View the Latest Analyst Ratings See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. What happens when you specialise in beautiful bridal gowns but no one is getting married due to a global pandemic? You diversify and that's exactly what one local businesswoman has done. The well-known founder of Ohpelia Bridal Aoife O'Broin has turned her talents to fashion design and is creating stunning women's clothing from her studio in Mornington. 'I opened Ophelia 12 years ago, and I had just decided to wind down the retail side of it and concentrate on alterations, when COVID struck, so I just continued to sew, as it is my absolute passion, and with my bright, sunny studio, I can work and see customers from my own home, says Aoife, who studied Fashion Design in Grafton Academy. 'As soon as I started making the patterns and starting the designs, I realised how much I loved it, and all my clothes are designed and made from scratch, so customers know they are getting something special.' Aoife is sourcing the most beautiful Irish linen to make her bespoke creations, and says it is not only wonderful to work with, but looks fabulous on! 'I saw a niche in the market for women of my age group - 45 and up - who still love stylish clothes, and there is very little left in Drogheda for them,' explains Aoife, who is a also busy mum to Eoin (7). 'Age is no barrier to style, and there are also women for whom finding a style that suits them can be a struggle, and I love to help them discover what makes them look great.' Aoife's mother Margaret was also a talented seamstress and her dad Liam is a renowned artist, so she hasn't, as they say, licked it off the ground! 'I watched mum at home when I was a child, and it is a great skill to have, and of course, many people know my dad's artwork, so I think I must have got the design from him,' she says with a laugh. 'I really want to create something different and unique for the women of Louth and beyond, so hopefully I am doing that now.' Aoife says her pieces are designed to be classic and stand the test of time. 'I think at our age, women should invest in key pieces, and leave the disposable fashion to the teenagers,' she adds. 'You can then style them differently, and I've also made a lot of the designs to be easy to put on and take off, especially if you have difficulty with movement or with buttons or fastenings.' Aoife is still altering wedding dresses for the big days when they can happen again, but for now, you can find her unique designs on her new website www.aoifeobroin.com. Rating Action: Moody's confirms ratings on two classes of notes issued by CBAM 2017-1, Ltd.; actions conclude review Global Credit Research - 21 Aug 2020 New York, August 21, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has confirmed the ratings on the following notes issued by CBAM 2017-1, Ltd. (the "CLO" or "Issuer"): U.S.$75,000,000 Class D Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2030 (the "Class D Notes"), Confirmed at Baa3 (sf); previously on April 17, 2020 Baa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade U.S.$53,750,000 Class E Deferrable Floating Rate Notes due 2030 (the "Class E Notes"), Confirmed at Ba3 (sf); previously on April 17, 2020 Ba3 (sf) Placed Under Review for Possible Downgrade The Class D Notes and the Class E Notes are referred to herein, collectively, as the "Confirmed Notes." These actions conclude the reviews for downgrade initiated on April 17, 2020 on the Class D Notes and Class E Notes issued by the CLO. The CLO, issued in June 2017, is a managed cashflow CLO. The notes are collateralized primarily by a portfolio of broadly syndicated senior secured corporate loans. The transaction's reinvestment period will end in July 2022. RATINGS RATIONALE Despite the credit quality deterioration stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, Moody's concluded that the expected losses on the Confirmed Notes continue to be consistent with the notes' current rating after taking into account the CLO's latest portfolio, its relevant structural features and its actual over-collateralization (OC) levels. Consequently, Moody's has confirmed the ratings on the Confirmed Notes. According to the July 2020 trustee report[1], the weighted average rating factor (WARF) was reported at 3007, compared to 2796 reported in the March 2020 trustee report[2]. Moody's calculation also showed the WARF was failing the test level of 2778 reported in the July 2020 trustee report[3]. Based on Moody's calculation, the proportion of obligors in the portfolio with Moody's corporate family or other equivalent ratings of Caa1 or lower (adjusted for negative outlook or watchlist for downgrade) was approximately 12.33% as of July 2020. Nevertheless, Moody's noted that the OC tests for the Class D Notes and the Class E Notes, as well as the interest diversion test were recently reported[4] as passing. Story continues Moody's modeled the transaction using a cash flow model based on the Binomial Expansion Technique, as described in "Moody's Global Approach to Rating Collateralized Loan Obligations." For modeling purposes, Moody's used the following base-case assumptions: Performing par and principal proceeds balance: $1,218,867,207 Defaulted Securities: $31,288,433 Diversity Score: 71 Weighted Average Rating Factor (WARF): 3027 Weighted Average Life (WAL): 5.9 years Weighted Average Spread (WAS): 3.57% Weighted Average Recovery Rate (WARR): 45.86% Par haircut in O/C tests and interest diversion test: 0.30% In consideration of the current high uncertainties around the global economy and the ultimate performance of the CLO portfolio, Moody's conducted a number of additional sensitivity analyses representing a range of outcomes that could diverge, both to the downside and the upside, from our base case. Some of the additional scenarios that Moody's considered in its analysis of the transaction include, among others: additional near-term defaults of companies facing liquidity pressure; additional OC par haircuts to account for potential future downgrades and defaults resulting in an increased likelihood of cash flow diversion to senior notes; and some improvement in WARF as the US economy gradually recovers in the second half of the year and corporate credit conditions generally stabilize. The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the government measures put in place to contain it and the deteriorating global economic outlook, have created a severe and extensive credit shock across sectors, regions and markets. Our analysis has considered the effect on the performance of corporate assets from the collapse in the US economic activity in the second quarter and a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. However, that outcome depends on whether governments can reopen their economies while also safeguarding public health and avoiding a further surge in infections. As a result, the degree of uncertainty around our forecasts is unusually high. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. Factors that Would Lead to an Upgrade or Downgrade of the Ratings: The performance of the rated notes is subject to uncertainty in the performance of the related CLO's underlying portfolio, which in turn depends on economic and credit conditions that may change. In particular, the length and severity of the economic and credit shock precipitated by the global coronavirus pandemic will have a significant impact on the performance of the securities. The CLO manager's investment decisions and management of the transaction will also affect the performance of the rated securities. The principal methodology used in these ratings was "Moody's Global Approach to Rating Collateralized Loan Obligations" published in August 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-Global-Approach-to-Rating-Collateralized-Loan-Obligations--PBS_1235535. 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. The analysis relies on an assessment of collateral characteristics to determine the collateral loss distribution, that is, the function that correlates to an assumption about the likelihood of occurrence to each level of possible losses in the collateral. As a second step, Moody's evaluates each possible collateral loss scenario using a model that replicates the relevant structural features to derive payments and therefore the ultimate potential losses for each rated instrument. The loss a rated instrument incurs in each collateral loss scenario, weighted by assumptions about the likelihood of events in that scenario occurring, results in the expected loss of the rated instrument. Moody's quantitative analysis entails an evaluation of scenarios that stress factors contributing to sensitivity of ratings and take into account the likelihood of severe collateral losses or impaired cash flows. Moody's weights the impact on the rated instruments based on its assumptions of the likelihood of the events in such scenarios occurring. For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com. For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity. The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure. These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com. Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review. Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569. At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above. The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com. REFERENCES/CITATIONS [1] Trustee report 07-Jul-2020 [2] Trustee report 13-Mar-2020 [3] Trustee report 07-Jul-2020 [4] Trustee report 07-Jul-2020 Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. 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An Asbury Park Police officer fatally shot a 39-year-old knife-wielding man Friday night after he barricaded himself inside in an upstairs apartment, authorities said. Officers were called to a two-family home on the 900 block of 4th Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. when they got a report about a loud domestic dispute inside between a man and a woman, according to a statement from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office which was investigating the shooting. When police arrived, the woman was outside the home and the man had barricaded himself inside the upstairs apartment, the office said. With the help of officers from the Monmouth County Sheriffs Office, police tried to negotiate with the man through the door of the apartment and during the talks, the man opened the door various times and showed that he had a knife, authorities said. Officers repeatedly told the man to drop the knife, but he did not even after they tasered him, the office said. At 10:10 p.m., an Asbury Park officer shot and fatally wounded the man, who was not identified, and he was given medial aid at the scene before being taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead just over 20 minutes later, according to the statement. No other details were released by the attorney generals office which investigates all incidents where a person dies during an encounter with a police officer in the officers official capacity or while the victim is in custody, the office said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. The three countries are working on a draft report to reconcile viewpoints over the points of contention. The report will be submitted to the AU chairman on 28 August A preliminary draft report of the points of contention and agreement between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) was compiled following a meeting on 21 August between the three countries' technical and legal teams, said a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Water and Irrigation. Each team comprised one member from the technical committee and another from the legal committee. The meeting on Friday is part of the negotiations mediated by the African Union (AU) and is based on the outcomes of the AU mini-summit on 21 July and the meeting of foreign and irrigation ministers of the three countries on 16 August. A trilateral meeting of the ministers of irrigation was held following the sub-committee's meeting to continue negotiations towards reaching a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the mega-dam, according to the statement. The meeting was attended by observers and experts from the AU, US, EU Commission, and AU Commission. The three ministers agreed to set one week -- from 21 to 28 August -- for the legal and technical committees representing Cairo, Khartoum, and Addis Ababa to work on the compiled report to reconcile viewpoints over the points of contention to reach a binding accord. On 28 August, the sub-committee will submit a report to South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current AU chair. AU-sponsored tripartite talks over the multi-billion-dollar project were launched last month in the attendance of the US and EU. Talks between the three countries had reached deadlock last year, and so did negotiations sponsored by the US and World Bank in February. The AU talks stumbled from 27 July to 3 August after Ethiopia announced it reached the first year filling target by retaining 4.9 billion cubic metres of water in the dams reservoir despite the lack of accord on the rules of filling the controversial project with Egypt and Sudan. The downstream countries are seeking a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam. The talks stumbled once again earlier this month after Sudan called for the suspension of meetings for internal consultations after Addis Ababa's proposal that contained guidelines for filling the GERD. Egypt said the draft proposal put forward by Ethiopia lacked the guidelines for operating the dam, any elements indicating a binding deal, or a legal mechanism to settle disputes. Sudan threatened earlier this month to withdraw from the talks if Ethiopia insisted on linking an agreement on the dams filling to a deal on sharing the waters of the Blue Nile. The mega-dam, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of contention between the three countries. Cairo fears the project will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it could 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: The US governments leading health research body has raised a series of bombshell concerns over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and the activities of a secretive Chinese laboratory that was investigating bat diseases. The National Institutes of Health has asked if Covid-19 was linked to the deaths of three miners eight years ago and questioned whether the high-security laboratory in Wuhan possessed samples of the virus prior to the pandemics outbreak late last year. The agency also demanded to know more about the apparent disappearance of a scientist at the lab rumoured to be Patient Zero, and questioned if roadblocks were placed around the Wuhan Institute of Virology between October 14 and 19 last year. The National Institutes of Health has asked if Covid-19 was linked to the deaths of three miners eight years ago and questioned whether the high-security laboratory in Wuhan possessed samples of the virus prior to the pandemics outbreak late last year. A lab worker is pictured above The questions will fuel growing suspicions over Chinas cover-up. It seems NIH experts are not just discarding lab escape scenarios as conspiratorial theories any more, said one US-based biomedical expert. The NIH is Washingtons key medical research body, headed by Francis Collins, one of the worlds top geneticists. He was appointed by Barack Obama and reconfirmed in the post by Donald Trump. NIH raised the concerns in a letter last month to EcoHealth Alliance, a charity trying to get US support restored for research with its long-term collaborators at the Wuhan Institute of Virology into zoonotic diseases that cross from animals such as bats to humans. A $3.7 million (2.8 million) grant to the charity headed by British scientist Peter Daszak was ended after The Mail on Sunday disclosed that the US was funding the controversial Chinese laboratory at the centre of global scrutiny. The NIH letter, sent by Michael Lauer, deputy director for extramural research, said there were serious bio-safety concerns over research at the Wuhan lab. This confirms a series of MoS revelations about its safety procedures. Lauer said funding would be restored only if outside experts could probe the Wuhan facilities and records with specific attention to addressing whether staff had Sars-Cov-2 [the strain of coronavirus that causes disease] in their possession prior to December 2019. Mystery: An image believed to be of missing scientist Huang Yanling, top, Chinas Patient Zero He demanded a sample of their virus used to determine the genetic code and requested answers on the apparent disappearance of Huang Yanling, a scientist/researcher who worked in the Wuhan Institute of Virology but whose lab web presence has been deleted. The young researcher was identified on social media as Patient Zero soon after the virus erupted in Wuhan. The institute denied she had come to any harm, insisting she had completed her studies and moved to another part of China. The seven conditions for funding restoration in Lauers letter, according to a tweet by Daszak, sought explanations for a series of out- of-ordinary restrictions on the labs facilities in mid-October that included diminished cell phone traffic and roadblocks. Lauer also said the agency needed to know why the Wuhan Institute failed to note that the RaTG13 virus, the bat-derived coronavirus in its collection with greatest similarity to Sars-Cov-2, was actually isolated from an abandoned mine where three men died in 2012 with an illness remarkably similar to Covid-19. This is highly significant. There has been growing focus on six miners who fell ill three eventually died after spending 14 days removing bat faeces in the Mojiang mine, about 1,000 miles from Wuhan. A newly discovered masters thesis from the Chinese doctor who treated them and sent tissue samples to the Wuhan Institute describes his patients as having fevers, dry coughs, sore limbs and headaches. Shi Zhengli, a renowned Wuhan-based virologist known as Batwoman for her expeditions to gather samples in caves and cutting-edge research, told Scientific American magazine in June that these miners had died from a fungal infection rather than coronavirus. Prof Shi revealed the existence of RaTG13 which has 96 per cent genetic similarity to Sars-Cov-2 in a paper submitted to the journal Nature on the same January day that China belatedly admitted human transmission. She has condemned the NIHs outrageous demands. Other experts have questioned why more information has not been shared about this strain, which fuels the idea of zoonotic transmission. It has since emerged that, unusually, its name appears to have been changed from a virus identified in a previous 2016 academic paper, obscuring links to the Mojiang mines. The fact that Shi keeps trying to divert attention away from these dead miners and their potential link to the RaTG13 discovery and Covid-19 is concerning, said one leading Western expert. Chinese officials originally sought to blame a Wuhan market selling wild animals as the source of the outbreak, but this was challenged by a series of scientific studies before being formally discounted three months ago. George Gao Fu, director of Chinas Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, admitted no viruses were found in animal samples taken from the premises. Some scientists have been puzzled by the range of unusual features on the spike protein that drive the high infectiousness of Covid-19 including insertions of a pangolin coronavirus sequence that allows the virus to bind tightly to human cells and a furin cleavage site that makes it easier to enter human cells since these features are not found on the most closely related coronaviruses. Nikolai Petrovsky, professor of medicine at Flinders University in Adelaide, and head of a team of vaccine researchers, published a paper in May saying the new virus is not typical of a normal zoonotic infection since it was uniquely adapted to infect humans from the start of the pandemic. We still havent been able to satisfactorily explain how the virus came to be so perfectly human adapted, he said. Leading the way: Some of the Mail on Sunday stories this year about the lab in the city where the outbreak began Yesterday, he praised the NIH for challenging the Wuhan lab. Theyre doing the right thing: making reinstatement of funding conditional on assistance in a full investigation. Surely EcoHealth Alliance has nothing to lose and everything to gain by co-operating with this request? Previously leaked emails have shown the NIH severed funding to EcoHealth Alliance due to allegations that the current crisis was precipitated by the release from Wuhan Institute of Virology of the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19. The decision caused a furore, with 77 US Nobel laureates asking NIH director Dr Collins to review the agencys termination of funding, claiming it set a dangerous precedent by interfering in the conduct of science. Daszak, a former Kingston University parasitologist who earns $402,000 (307,000) a year running the EcoHealth Alliance charity, condemned NIH over its outrageous conditions. It makes a mockery of our basic process of biomedical research funding that conspiracy theories are being rehashed in this way, he tweeted. Researchers at the University College London (UCL) has broken the internet world record speed by achieving a data transmission rate of 178 terabits per second (Tbps) or 178,000,000 megabits per second speed (Mbps), which is similar to downloading the entire Netflix library in less than a second. The previous record belonged to experts at Japans National Institute for Communications Technology (NICT), who achieved a data speed of 172 Tbps in April. The new record, demonstrated in the UCL lab, is a fifth faster than Japans NICT. The project was carried out by the Royal Academy of Engineering Researcher, Dr Lidia Galdino and Xtera and Kiddi Research. The record, which is double the capacity of any system currently deployed in the world, was achieved by transmitting data through a much wider range of colours of light, or wavelengths than is typically used in optical fibre. Most of the current infrastructure uses a limited spectrum bandwidth of 4.5THz, with 9THz commercial bandwidth systems entering the market, whereas the researchers used a bandwidth of 16.8THz. To do this, researchers combined different amplifier technologies needed to boost the signal power over this wider bandwidth and maximised speed by developing new Geometric Shaping (GS) constellations (patterns of signal combinations that make best use of the phase, brightness and polarisation properties of the light), manipulating the properties of each individual wavelength. The benefit of the method is that it can be deployed on already existing infrastructure cost-effectively, by upgrading the amplifiers that are located on optical fibre routes at 40-100km intervals. Lead author Dr Galdino, a Lecturer at UCL and a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow said: While current state-of-the-art cloud data-centre interconnections are capable of transporting up to 35 terabits a second, we are working with new technologies that utilise more efficiently the existing infrastructure, making better use of optical fibre bandwidth and enabling a world record transmission rate of 178 terabits a second. At such a fast speed, it would take less than an hour to download the data that made up the worlds first image of a black hole, which due to its size, had to be stored on half a ton of hard drives and shipped to an MIT observatory. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, demand for broadband communication services has soared, with some operators experiencing as much as a 60% increase in internet traffic compared to before the crisis. In this unprecedented situation, the strength and capability of broadband networks have become even more critical. Dr Galdino added: But, independent of the Covid-19 crisis, internet traffic has increased exponentially over the last 10 years and this whole growth in data demand is related to the cost per bit going down. The development of new technologies is crucial to maintaining this trend towards lower costs while meeting future data rate demands that will continue to increase, with as yet unthought-of applications that will transform peoples lives. Weather Alert ...Spotty Black Ice Tonight... Slick spots on area roads may persist overnight as temperatures continue to fall. Snow will linger across west Kentucky through about midnight then diminish. Untreated roads and bridges are most likely to see black ice development. Motorists should use caution if driving overnight. India crossed the one million daily testing milestone on Friday with a total of 10, 23,836 tests, according to the Union health ministry data. Early identification through testing, prompt and effective treatment through supervised home isolation and quality medical care, and innovative graded policy measures have resulted in almost 100% increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days, the health ministry tweeted on Saturday. In an interview with HT, Harsh Vardhan, the minister of health and family welfare, had underscored how the government was aggressively pursuing its targets. We have met our goal of doing one million Covid-19 tests a day at least six weeks ahead of target --- just as we have done in the past for other goals. When we promised to take testing up to 100,000 a day by May 31, we achieved that target by May 10. A few weeks go, I had promised to reach the one million a day mark in 12 weeks. And now look at our progress, he said in the interview. Also read: Covid-19 vaccine agreements in the works with candidates, producers, says Harsh Vardhan ICMR director general Balram Bhargava, in a recent briefing, had said the research body adopted an intelligent and calibrated approach to meet the testing requirement. If we look at overall testing numbers, then we are comfortably placed but there are certain states/regions that need extra attention. So we focused accordingly when building testing capacity. States where there were fewer labs were given priority to establish or upgrade existing infrastructure, Bhargava had said. All states in India are currently performing at least 140 tests per day per million population as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the minimum requirement for adequate Covid-19 testing. Most states are performing much higher numbers, with the national average being 580 tests per day per million population. Experts agree that it is important to keep the testing momentum high to know the exact disease burden. The more you test, the higher will be the number of infected that you will be able to identify. To curtail an infectious disease from spreading, one must be able to identify, through testing, as many infected individuals as possible in time so that they are isolated and put on treatment. It will also ensure they dont roam around freely within the community and transmit the infection, said T Jacob John, former head of the virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. The testing lab network in the country is also being continuously strengthened and currently consists of 1,504 labs. Of them, 978 labs are in the government sector and 526 are private labs. Covid cases in India are set to cross three million on Saturday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than three-quarters of Elko Daily readers who responded to this weeks poll think Nevadas decision to mail ballots to registered voters is a bad idea. Most of the remaining respondents said it didnt matter either way, while about 4% said the mail-in vote is better than voting in person and another 4% predicted the results would be totally accurate. The Legislatures move is based on the threat of COVID-19 being passed along at polling centers. Ballots will be delivered to the mailboxes of voters, just as the state did in June for the primary election. Nevadas approach raised the ire of President Trump, who filed a lawsuit earlier this month along with the Republican National Committee, claiming it raises the likelihood of voter fraud. Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, the only Republican state official to survive Nevadas blue wave in 2018, opposed the new legislation and is now seeking an emergency regulation to keep closer tabs on the ballot harvesting process, in which third parties can collect and submit ballots to county clerks. Before Assembly Bill 4, engaging in ballot harvesting was punishable as a felony, her office stated. The severity of the punishment associated with the act of ballot harvesting reflected the Legislatures longstanding recognition of the threat associated with allowing third parties to handle ballots on behalf of voters. In an effort to prevent ballot stuffing, Cegavskes proposed regulation calls for people to submit a written statement to her office if they turn in 10 or more ballots for other voters. The self-policing plan would need to be approved by Gov. Steve Sisolak. According to The Associated Press, ballot harvesting is widely practiced and rarely found to be abused in other states that allow it. Concerns also have been raised over the ability of the Post Office to handle the extra mail in a timely manner. Nevada is not one of the 46 states that received such a notice from postal officials, according to a report from KSNV, which said The USPS general counsel and executive vice president, Thomas Marshall, wrote Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske on July 31st that, under our reading of Nevadas election law, it appears that your voters should have sufficient time to receive, complete and return their ballots by the states deadlines. Other concerns were raised by the Public Interest Legal Foundation in Las Vegas, which claims almost one in five primary ballots were returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service, according to Clark County figures released to the Foundation. Voting by mail to prevent the spread of coronavirus might make sense if not for the fact that Nevada is also planning to conduct in-person voting at polling places across the state on Election Day. There are supposed to be fewer stations than normal, which means people will likely be crowded closer together than normal as they extend lines far past the scheduled end of voting. Thats what happened in June, significantly delaying results in races that did not have a clear-cut winner. Two and a half months out, the Nevada Secretary of States website still says polling locations are TBD (to be determined). The Trump and RNC lawsuit claims Nevadas polling plan is unconstitutional because there will be more in-person voting opportunities in Nevadas urban counties than rural ones, The Nevada Independent reported. While there is one Election Day polling place for about every 12,000 active registered voters in Clark County and one for every 11,000 active registered voters in Washoe County, the bill only requires one vote center for rural counties, some which have nearly 38,000 active registered voters, the report said. Apparently those plans have changed, as the Elko County Clerk reported this week all of the countys normal polling stations will be open on Nov. 3. Stay tuned for further developments as summer turns to fall. While election officials are doing everything they can to ensure every eligible voters voice is heard, there are so many moving parts at this late stage in the game that complications are bound to come up. If Election 2020 turns out to be an epic fail, we can always blame our shortcomings on the Russians. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Oh wow that is horrible and especially in this current climate!! I forget where but I remember hearing a few actors say how lucky they were to have that health plan and it saved a few times :( Reply Thread Link Thats so ducking grimey. Reply Thread Link Its like a single payer program where everyone benefits. Now whats that called... Reply Parent Thread Link If only we had a staunch supporter of socialized medicine in the presidential primary... Oh wait. Reply Thread Link fuck this depressed me so much Reply Parent Thread Link Welp. That sucks. Maybe shouldn't have voted Biden in as the candidate. Reply Thread Link genuine question, what does this have to do with Biden? Reply Parent Thread Link Bernie is an advocate of free healthcare Reply Parent Thread Expand Link He's said he will veto Medicare For All even if it did pass in the house and senate. Reply Parent Thread Link Im sure the odds are that out of the thousands of people who are losing their health insurance didnt all vote for Biden especially since Bernie Sanders won the California primary.... Edited at 2020-08-22 02:04 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link idk what this has to do with biden when ultimately, congress is going to be the ones making the laws and bernie being elected is not an automatic guarantee that single payer is happening if congress is still shit. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I love when you post comments like this and then are in the next roundup being all woe is me about your own life. It's delightfully pathetic. Reply Parent Thread Link Poor Sam Lloyd was this close to being in this mess, if he'd lived past April :/ Reply Thread Link Im doing a Scrubs rewatch and I get sad when hes onscreen. He was so good as Ted. Reply Parent Thread Link that's fucked Reply Thread Link That's fucked up Reply Thread Link that sucks Reply Thread Link Ohh shiiiit Reply Thread Link JFC Reply Thread Link bUt iF yoU LiKe yOuR HeAlThCarE yOu CaN kEeP iT!!! Reply Thread Link Thats fucked up. SAG members are more than just the famous celebrities we know/recognize. A lot of smaller/less popular/not rich actors (and their families) count on this :( Reply Thread Link Ganesh Chaturthi is a much-loved and much-awaited festival across India. This year, because of the hold that the pandemic has established over the people, celebrations are bound to be scaled down. Perhaps this is the time when people are feeling the most affected by the lockdown, as they are not able to celebrate the festival with customary fervour. For the first time in 86 years, the famous Lalbaug Cha Raja of Mumbai will not have a Ganpati idol. But the innovativeness of people knows no limits. It has been decided to conduct blood donation and plasma therapy drives for the entire duration of the festival. Heres a look at how Maharashtra and other places across the country are adapting to the changed situation and yet keeping to the spirit of the auspicious occasion. It is the time of the year when Lord Ganesha is welcomed into homes, temples and roadside pandals as a guest. Devotees start preparing for the 10-day-long festival weeks in advance. The pandals have themes and the decorations get more elaborate with each passing year. But the festive mood has been hit by the pandemic. With strict government guidelines in place, people are trying to find ways to celebrate with undimmed fervour, starting from August 22. Tinsel Town tones it down Bollywood celebrities, who normally celebrate Lord Ganpatis birthday in style and bring elaborate idols into their homes, are toning down the celebrations this year. Shilpa Shetty Kundra, who is known to host Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on a grand scale every year, will keep it modest this time. She brought an idol of Lord Ganesh into her home on Thursday. Chak De! India actress Vidya Malvade will be bringing the idol home after performing poojas with her family, while keeping the celebrations muted. We have been bringing Ganpati into our homes for generations, but this year will not be the same. We will be doing everything with devotion though. We generally invite 20 people every day during this time, but this year, we will not do so, and we will miss it, says the actress, adding, Only family members will be present. Actor Sonu Sood too has welcomed Ganapati Bappa into his home. This time it will be a more controlled celebration among family members, but yes, the feelings will be the same, he avers. We would like to make Ganpati feel special in our own way, says the Simmba actor. Sood also urged people to follow the prescribed norms. This time, try and help people in need with some medical, education requirements. Try to use the money you would have put into the celebration for someones heath. I think thats the best way to celebrate Bappa this year, he said. Eco-friendly fervour While Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with the greatest fervour in Mumbai, other places dont lag far behind. Though the festivities will be necessarily low-key this year, the devotion for the elephant-headed God will be the same. While some have planned online celebrations rather than inviting people home, others have ordered eco-friendly idols so that they can be immersed in water bodies at home, thus avoiding public gatherings. The eco-friendly Ganesha idol is smaller this year, so it can easily be immersed. We have created an artificial pond in our building where residents can immerse idols, says Sneha Anil Bharati. Its a new experience. My friends and relatives have decided to do an online celebration. We will be visiting each others Ganpati through Zoom or video calls. There will be no noise and environmental pollution this year, and women will have a little rest because they dont have to entertain guests the entire day, says Bharati. Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival where we ask Lord Ganesh to bless us with wealth and prosperity. But to enjoy these, we need to have good health, points out model and actress Mehreen Kaur. Considering the current pandemic, this time, we wanted the prayers to be directed at the health and wellbeing of the people. We pray that we win the battle against the virus, she adds. Every year, we invite a lot of friends and celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, but this time, the celebrations will be restricted only to my family at home. I will not be visiting any of my friends places either. Even close friends and extended families are wishing us digitally, Mehreen shares, adding that a fan has sent her a Seed Ganesha from Vijayawada and thats the idol they will be worshipping at home. However, Surekha Gawande, who has been bringing an idol home for over three decades, is sad that she wont have the opportunity to meet her friends and extended family. We usually have many friends and relatives visiting us. This is the only time when we get to meet everyone. We will be missing it this time. We will have a small celebration at home with only family members in attendance. There wont be much decoration but we will follow all the rituals from beginning to end, as per our family tradition, shares Gawande. For KGF star Yash, This year our celebrations may not be as grand as it used to be in earlier years. Nevertheless, our spirits are not dampened. Let this festival of Gowri Ganesh Chaturthi bring an abundance of happiness, good health and joy! Have a fun-filled festival and make sure you enjoy the modakas. A supportive hand from officials Several government bodies across the country are also trying to do their best to ensure that people in cities are able to take part in the festivity. Maharashtra being a hotspot for both the festival and COVID-19 cases, the Mumbai division of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has launched an initiative to help senior citizens to perform the Ganpati Visarjan ceremony easily. BJYM will arrange for large trucks with inbuilt artificial ponds to reach the doorsteps of senior citizens, so that the elderly can perform the rituals from the safety of their homes. Similarly, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has announced that it will procure and distribute 80,000 clay idols as part of efforts to ensure that people are able to celebrate the festival at their homes. Basic Guidelines Telangana l Celebrate the festival at home l No installation or immersion of idols in public places l Public celebration of the festival is prohibited Delhi l No large congregation, community celebrations or idol immersion at public places Maharashtra - All the mandals have to take prior permission from the concerned municipality or local authority for celebrations - Maximum idol height should be four feet for pandals and two feet for homes - Processions to mark arrival and immersion of idols will not be allowed - No crowds during daily aarti. Noise pollution norms must be followed Karnataka - One Ganesh Pandal is permitted per ward or village - Not more than 20 people are allowed at a time in pandals - No processions or immersing of idols in wells - Idol should be immersed at home - Devotees have to wear face masks and follow social distancing norms New Delhi: A day after Najeeb Jung resigned as Delhis Lt Governor, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met him at Raj Niwas in New Delhi. Kejriwal reached the LGs official residence around 8 AM on Friday and the breakfast meeting lasted for nearly an hour. Asked why Jung quit, Kejriwal said, He resigned due to personal reasons.On Thursday, Jungs office, without citing reasons for his sudden exit, said, he would be returning to academics. Jungs decision had taken political circles by surprise. Also read | Recurring discord, unprecedented acrimony mark Najeeb Jung's tenure as Delhi Governor Sources close to him had said on Thursday that his resignation has nothing to do with his acrimonious relationship with the AAP government over matters of jurisdiction and he was contemplating to quit for last few months. The Chief Minister was in Ranchi on Thursday when the news of Jungs resignation broke. Sh Jungs resignation is a surprise to me. My best wishes in all his future endeavours, he had tweeted. Kejriwal is scheduled to address a rally on demonetization at Jaipur at noon. Also read | Points of discord between Najeeb Jung and Arvind Kejriwal: A throwback For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. To the editor: Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution empowers Congress To establish Post Offices and Post Roads." This is referred to as the Postal Clause. Donald Trump in his continuous war on the American people is attempting to disrupt and destroy the U.S. Postal Service, one of the country's most beloved institutions, to suppress the vote in November's election and prepare to privatize it which is unconstitutional. Trump admitted last week that he opposed $25 billion in new funding for the agency because it could be used to expand ballot access. He is deliberately trying to deny the right to vote to voters who fear going to polling stations because of the pandemic that has been exacerbated by his mismanagement that has now killed more than 170,000 Americans. Trump installed new postmaster general Louis DeJoy to tear down the post office and now Dejoys controversial new policy changes (such as, taking out sorting machines, removing the blue mail boxes in many locations, eliminating overtime when there is a crush of mail activity, declaring ballots bulk mail that can be thrown away and telling the American people that their mail in ballots likely wont be delivered to be counted!) are all intended to deliberately slow voting by mail and also discourage people from voting by mail. DeJoy is pushing dangerous new policies that threaten to silence the voices of millions of Americans just months before the election at the behest of Trump. Couple this illegal attack on the USPS with Trump's plan to disrupt voting at the polls on Election Day and we will no longer live in a democracy. Trump plans to send a 50,000 man army to certain polling locations to intimidate voters and challenge all voters they deem unfit to vote. In addition, Trump is working with certain states to purge voter roles and to eliminate and reduce polling locations to ensure long lines to turn people away from voting. Trump and his regime continue their war on the American people and our democracy by attempting to destroy the USPS and the right to vote. GREG MAYVILLE Midland The Tripura government has ordered a probe after the names of 130 residents of a border village were included in Mizorams voters list, revenue minister NC Debbarma said Saturday. Phuldungsei village falls under Kanchanpur sub division in North District of Tripura, more than 300 km southeast of Agartala. The village has a population of more than 600. We have heard of the matter. We have already asked our higher official concerned to conduct a probe into the matter, Debbarma said. Kanchanpur sub divisional magistrate Chandni Chandran, recently wrote to North district magistrate Raval H Kumar after scrutiny of Mizorams voters list found that 130 residents of Phulungsei who hold ration cards of Tripura have been added in the neighbouring states voters list. She also stressed on the urgency of demarcating the exact boundary between the two neighbouring states incorporating the entire Phuldungsei Village Council in Tripura. The PWD road leading to Kawnpui border village of Jampui hill RD block is regarded as the boundary between Tripura and Mizoram in Phuldungsei where the eastern side belongs to Mizoram and the western side is Tripura. Traditionally Phuldungsei VC as a whole (despite Eastern side falling in Mizoram) has been accepted as a part of Tripura. Hence, the inclusion of the VC and its residents in Mizoram electoral rolls seems to be problematic, she wrote in the letter. There is an urgent need to demarcate the exact boundary between Mizoram and Tripura incorporating the entire Phuldungsei VC in Tripura, the letter reads. The village council elections in Mizoram are scheduled to be held on August 27. When contacted, Chandni said that the 130 voters are ration cardholders of Tripura but she could not say how many Tripura voters could be taking rations from Mizoram. District Magistrate of Mizorams Mamit District Dr. Lalrozama could not be reached for reaction as he did not take calls. Former Congress leader Pradyot Bikram Kishore Manikya Deb Burman said that the boundaries of Tripura are not negotiable and demanded that the state government deal with the issue firmly. We want investigation on how people can hold two voting cards in two separate states and also demand that our state government take strict measures to ensure that no territory is seen as a part of another neighbouring state, Pradyot wrote on Facebook. He also demanded the government should open a police outpost at Phuldungsei and cancel the election process and the illegal voting cards. Pradyot floated an apolitical organization under the banner The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) after resigning from Congress as its Tripura president in 2019. The Pune police have put in place a code of conduct for the Ganpati festival beginning Saturday. The guidelines have been issued for mandals as well as citizens in view of Covid-19. As part of the code of conduct, the police have banned any procession, while mandals have been barred from making temples. This year a code of conduct has come into place. There will be no procession or in-person darshan. To ensure that nobody violates the rules, we will deploy everyone available....There wont be any outside assistance from the state, said joint commissioner of police Ravindra Shisve. The police have also urged the citizens of Pune to follow the home immersion norms, as against the public immersion in artificial ponds and Mula-Mutha rivers. Pune has around 4,75,000 Ganapati idols on an average, according to the police. The 10-day festival, which commences on Saturday, will end on August 31. As a practice, on the last day, which attracts big crowds, the city administration builds special immersion ponds on popular spots. However, this year, the service will not be provided, according to the Pune mayor. For the immersion day, 7,700 police officials will be on the streets, according to joint commissioner Shisve. Ever since Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold2 at its Unpacked event, weve been counting the days until Samsung is expected to announce the full specifications and availability of the Galaxy Folds successor expected to happen on September 1. In the meanwhile, Samsung has updated its Bulgarian website with the self-branded cases coming for the Z Fold2. A Leather Cover comes in three colors: black, brown, and green. The brown one is the correct match for the Mystic Bronze color. The lining of the case is made from a soft microfiber texture. Leather Cover The other case is called the Aramid Standing Cover, and it has an integrated kick stand for watching content on the front display. This standing cover is only available in black. Aramid Standing Cover Like the Leather Cover, neither case offers protection for the front half of the phone. We wonder what the reason for ignoring the front display of the phone is. Samsung spent so much time and money developing a larger external display for the Z Fold2, so why offer cases that dont protect it at all? Samsung makes two-piece official cases for the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Flip. So, to give Samsung the benefit of the doubt, we are just going to assume that more cases with better protection are coming and they just havent been inadvertently posted to any of Samsungs websites just yet. Although the Z Fold2's official spec list isn't yet official, you can check out XDA's recently reported spec list. as well, check the Source links to see the revealed official Z Fold2's cases. Source: 1 2 Via San Francisco, Aug 22 : TikTok is reportedly preparing to legally challenge by early next week the first executive order signed by US President Donald Trump to prohibit its China-based owner ByteDance to do any business in the US, the media reported. According to a report in CNBC citing people familiar with the matter, TikTok plans to challenge the August 6 Trump order as early as next Monday. The executive order "directed the Secretary of Commerce to come up with a list of transactions involving ByteDance and its holdings that should be banned after 45 days". Trump issued another executive order on August 14, giving ByteDance an option to divest its TikTok business in the US within 90 days. "TikTok plans to argue that the Aug 6 executive order's reliance on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act deprives it of due process", said the report on Friday. In an executive order on August 14, Trump said: "There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance Ltd... might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States." Trump cited India's decision in June to ban several Chinese apps, including TikTok, in that order. It also authorised US officials to inspect TikTok and ByteDance to ensure the safety of personal data of nearly 80 million American users of the short video making app. The order came after Microsoft revealed its intentions to buy TikTok business in the US. Several other names of tech giants are floating around in the public domain, including Twitter, Oracle and now Alphabet, who may buy the US operations of TikTok. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Human Services said the state is poised to have one of the top census response rates in the country despite two tumultuous months of changing deadlines as determined by the Trump Administration. Illinois sits at a 69.1% self-response rate as of Thursday, up two points from its 67% self-response rate on July 19. The national response rate was 64.2%. The states 2010 census response rate was 70.5%, giving organizers hope of passing that mark by the Sept. 30 deadline a date recently moved forward one month by the Trump administration. Illinois currently has the seventh-highest self-response rate of any state in the U.S. and is the only state in the top 10 that has a population exceeding 10 million. Chicago also has the highest response rate for any city with a population over 2 million, according to the Illinois 2020 Census Office. Maximizing the census count is important, because the population count helps determine federal funding and the number of representatives the state sends to the U.S. House. The positive trend comes despite challenges posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and changing federal deadlines. The Illinois 2020 Census Advisory Panel discussed obstacles to self-reporting and shifting standards from the federal government at a regularly scheduled meeting Friday. This past month, as you all know, has been a month of many surprises for us at the census office, Oswaldo Alvarez, co-director of the Illinois Census Office at the IDHS, said. There were several contributing factors that led the office to reorder its timeline, including delays in in-person door-knocking and the Trump Administrations Aug. 13 announcement that the census portal would close Sept. 30 instead of Oct. 31. So at this point we are operating at the census office as if (Sept. 30) is the official deadline and thats it, until we are informed otherwise, Alvarez said. Because of that, there has been a lot of shifting that we have been doing at the census office. Additionally, a July 21 presidential memorandum seeking to exclude illegal immigrants from being counted as it pertains to Congressional apportionment also created confusion at IDHS. That memorandum has since been challenged in court, but, if implemented, would cost Illinois up to two seats in the House. For the 2020 fiscal year, IDHS was funding more than 360 non-profits and municipal governments for the purpose of increasing census self-response rates. But that number has dwindled to a little more than 250 for fiscal year 2021 due to the pandemic, shifting deadlines and other circumstances. Funds to those nonprofits are disbursed through 30 other non-profit organizations that serve as regional intermediaries, or RIs, which oversee 12 regions of the state and lead hyperlocal outreach efforts. Intermediaries include health-based agencies such as the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, community outreach groups such as Teens Against Killing Everywhere, and other organizations such as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. IDHS was allocated $29 million for the 2020 fiscal year to be used for census outreach, including nearly $26 million set aside for regional intermediaries. State agencies assisting in census outreach were allocated $2.3 million, while approximately $900,000 went to the University of Illinois at Chicago for technical assistance and data analysis. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, not all the funds were spent before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, so they were reappropriated for the current fiscal year. As of Friday, a little over $4.4 million remains unspent. We were nervous that it would be a lot more remaining than 4.4 (million), Marishonta Wilkerson, also co-director of the Illinois Census Office, said at the meeting. We thought it would be like 10 (million). But the RIs were creative, and they found different ways to engage their communities virtually and we are happy about that. Still, some areas of the state remain below their self-response target rates. As part of its August report, IDHS said many counties had self-response rates below 50 percent. As of July 29, Hardin, Calhoun, Henderson and Alexander Counties had the lowest response rates, with Hardin County in particular sitting at 31.9%, 10 percentage points fewer than the next lowest county. The governors office has asked us to do a final and bigger push in certain areas of population, so we are having our RIs gear up and do a big push, Wilkerson said. Additional canvassing, door-knocking in rural areas and in particularly the African American, Latinx and Asian areas. 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 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HADDONFIELD, NJ A Haddonfield woman in her 40s has died after testing positive for the coronavirus, Camden County officials announced on Friday. She is the seventh coronavirus-related death that has been confirmed in Haddonfield A Haddonfield man in his 70s was also among the 27 new county residents who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. As of Friday, there are 83 Haddonfield residents who tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 9,359 Camden County residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus with 554 confirmed deaths. New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, and we are continuing to wish a speedy recovery to everyone who has contracted this disease, Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. As we look forward to the fall, we should take stock of everything that we have learned about fighting this pandemic. Wearing a mask is the number one way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Large gatherings, especially indoors where there is little or no mask wearing, are extremely dangerous. Failure to be forthright with contact tracers inhibits our ability to prevent those who have been exposed to coronavirus from exposing others. If we can take these lessons and act on them moving forward, we will be much better off than when this crisis began in the spring. According to the Camden County Department of Health, there are 1,344 confirmed cases among residents at the county's long-term care facilities, with 314 deaths. Another 537 cases were reported among staff members, with three deaths. Trace investigations are underway in all new cases. Residents who are having difficulty coping with the coronavirus crisis can call the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Inc. at 877-294- HELP (4357) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for emotional support, guidance and mental health referrals as needed. For additional information and services, call Camden Countys Office of Mental Health & Addiction at 856-374-6361. See related: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know This article originally appeared on the Haddonfield-Haddon Township Patch Mr. Macias is one of the first people to test Europes new commitment to require member states to protect whistle-blowers. In his appeal, he is arguing that the law obligates Spain to safeguard him rather than punish him. Member states have until December 2021 to adopt the new law, but all E.U. citizens can already sue under it. This case should allow us to see how Europes political commitment to fighting corruption translates into practice in a country like Spain, said Fruitos Richarte i Travesset, a former Spanish judge who is now a law professor at the Rovira i Virgili University. Mr. Richarte i Travesset added that Spain needs to change not only its legislation but also its mentality, because every advanced society should encourage citizens to denounce fraud. Spains lawmakers have been debating how to strengthen the countrys anti-corruption laws since 2016, but have been unable to agree on how to do so. The most recent proposal by the Ciudadanos party was voted down by Parliament in June. Left-wing parties argued that the law, which targeted public corruption, did not go far enough in addressing corporate and individual fraud. Failing to fight political fraud and protect whistle-blowers undermines democracy because when people do not trust their institutions, they do not have faith in democracy, Edmundo Bal, a Ciudadanos lawmaker, said during Junes parliamentary debate over the thwarted proposal. WA taxpayers will foot the legal bills to defend Clive Palmer's defamation claim against Premier Mark McGowan. The Federal Court action, which was launched against Mr McGowan on Thursday, relates to statements he made outside Parliament condemning the Queensland mining magnate over his multi-billion dollar claims against the state. WA Premier Mark McGowan and billionaire Clive Palmer. Credit:The Age Although Mr McGowan said he would not be silenced by the proceedings, he stepped back from the personal invective he had levelled against Mr Palmer in recent weeks and revealed the government would pay for his legal defence against the businessman's defamation allegations. "The state engages a lawyer on my behalf to pursue the case. That's the way these things have always worked," he said. A teenager has been charged after allegedly chasing a little girl in a park before grabbing her sister around the neck. Kyle Torrance Duncalf, 19, allegedly terrorised a young family at the Des Penman Reserve, in Perth's suburbs, on Friday night. Dog walker Matthew Horgan said he leapt into action after hearing screams and witnessing a girl running away from a grown man. Duncalf allegedly chased a girl who is under the age of 15 before assaulting her younger sister and grabbing her neck (stock image) Duncalf allegedly chased a girl who is under the age of 15 before assaulting her younger sister and grabbing her neck. Bystanders called triple 0 and when police arrived the teenager was arrested and taken into custody. Mr Horgan claims Duncalf had been speaking incoherently and was shouting threats. The 19-year-old is accused of attacking two girl at Des Penman Reserve (pictured) in north Perth It was the family's first trip to the park (pictured) after having only recently moved to the area It was the family's first trip to the park after having only recently moved to the area. The dog walker said they were traumatised after the incident. 'They were pretty shaken up. They were crying, the mum was in shock I'm so glad the police arrived as soon as they did,' Mr Horgan said. He praised other bystanders who jumped in to help after witnessing the alleged attack. Western Australia Police described the attack as a 'serious incident'. Duncalf was remanded in custody after appearing at Perth Magistrate's Court on Saturday. The 19-year-old was charged with attempted murder and aggravated deprivation of liberty. He is facing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Duncalf will return to court on Monday. 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 New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is addressing a public rally in Almora, Uttarakhand at the University Campus college ground. In his address, the senior Congress leader is likely to continue his attack on the Prime Minister and respond to Modis remarks against him. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi battled it out over demonetisation and there have been a series of attacks and counter-attacks over the issue. A day after Rahul accused PM Modi of taking Rs 40 crore as bribe from Sahara before becoming the Prime Minister, the latter delivered a counter-reply. (Read full story here) Here are the live updates: #With your money, Modi ji wants to forgive this 8 lakh crore in loans #But when super rich don't pay loans, you call them defaulters and their debt Non Performing Asset #When farmers don't pay loans, you take away their land, houses #There is some 8 lakh crore in unpaid loans today by rich people #Don't say murdabad, they do that, we don't. This is Gandhi ji's party #This is suit boot ki Sarkar #He gave Vijay Mallya 1,200 crore ki toffee #He had said I'll put 15 lakhs in every account #Just 6% of black money is in cash. I don't know why PM Modi has made this 6% black money his target, not the 94% #94 percent of the black money is in Swiss Bank accounts, gold and land #99 percent Indians don't have black money #Under NDA, 1 percent of Indians have 60 percent of the wealth #Jaise Amitabh Bachchan ji ki film ka ek gaana tha, 'Ram nam japna gareeb ka maal apna' #They say notes ban is a surgical strike on corruption. But no, this is firebombing on Indias poor #PM Modi has divided India into two halves. On one side, India's super rich - 50 families, on the other side the 99% of India, including the poor, the honest, hard-working people. #PM Modi has forgiven 1.40 lakh crore in loans to 15 rich people but not farmers #Congress wants to obliterate corruption from India #Congress will support any step against corruption #Currency ban is an 'economic robbery' #Log toot jaate hain ek ghar banane mein, tum taras nahi khaate grehastiyan jalane mein #More than 100 people died due to notes ban, we were not allowed to stand for 2 minutes to mourn their deaths in Parliament Uttarakhand: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to address a public rally in Almora shortly. pic.twitter.com/KKmcmZY3yh ANI (@ANI_news) December 23, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. This article by Paul Szoldra originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. The Navy has seen an uptick in cases of sailors and Marines involved in human smuggling over the past year, a Navy official told Task & Purpose this week. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service "had an increase in documented cases involving human smuggling in fiscal years 2019-2020," said Navy spokesman Ensign Mohammad Issa, though he added that "during the last five years, there have been less than 30 total documented human smuggling cases" within the Navy and Marine Corps. The service made the disclosure when asked by Task & Purpose whether there had been an increase in human smuggling after a number of cases in Southern California made national headlines. Much of the increase can likely be attributed to Marines at Camp Pendleton, where investigators uncovered a human smuggling ring of two dozen active-duty service members in July 2019 after two enlisted Marines were arrested by Border Patrol agents with three immigrants in their backseat while driving in Jacumba Springs, a small desert town on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Marines, Lance Cpls. Byron Darnell Law II and David Javier Salazar-Quintero, later pleaded guilty to smuggling charges. Salazar-Quintero was sentenced to a year in jail, while Law was sentenced to 18 months. Both will receive bad conduct discharges upon their release. NCIS investigators later found that a total of two dozen Marines, mostly with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, were involved in the scheme. Many later received administrative or judicial action for alleged human smuggling or drug-related offenses, according to a Marine official. More recently, two San Diego-based sailors were found guilty in separate incidents involving smuggling in June. Petty Officer 3rd Class Jaiale J. Alvarado, an information systems technician assigned to the USS Bonhomme Richard, pleaded guilty on June 9 to charges that he transported "aliens within the United States" for private financial gain on two separate occasions near Jacumba Springs in Sept. 2019. Then, on June 30, Petty Officer 3rd Class Ralph Joseph T. Carolino pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy. Carolino, a boatswain's mate assigned to Naval Base San Diego, had conspired with a person he knew as "Ryan" to pick up and transport "individuals traveling on foot" near the border town of Tecate, Calif. on two separate occasions in June and July 2019 for private financial gain, according to a charge sheet provided by the Navy. Both sailors were sentenced to 45 days confinement, demoted, and given bad-conduct discharges. According to Issa, the Navy spokesman, all U.S. service members undergo training in combating trafficking in persons during their first year of service, which provides "the basic context on how to recognize and combat" human smuggling. The Navy removed it from its list of annual training requirements after 2018, the official said. Still, both Alvarado and Carolina completed the training that year, suggesting the inevitability that some will ignore the training to make a quick buck. "At the end of the day, everybody has their price," Alex Mensing, a project coordinator for Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a group that helps organize and support migrant caravans, told The New York Times. "And when you put people in charge of a system that enough people are trying to game, it's just bound to happen." Aside from training, Issa said NCIS "proactively combats these threats by conducting operations targeting human smuggling and trafficking where Department of the Navy personnel and their families live, work, and operate." "NCIS also formally briefs thousands of sailors and Marines each year on the significant threats and legal consequences faced by those who participate in such activities," he added. More articles from Task & Purpose: Slide from an Air Force brief shows airmen what white privilege looks like The Army is officially doubling down on a brand new sniper rifle Adorable photos of Coast Guard dogs Thor and Loki Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways said its award-winning loyalty programme Etihad Guest has launched exciting new offers for members to enjoy, from points transfers to discounted redemptions and more. Members who convert a minimum of 5,000 Etihad Guest Miles from other loyalty programmes between now and August 31 will receive one Tier Mile for every mile transferred, encouraging guests to help maintain or even upgrade their Tier status which will enable them to enjoy additional benefits, said a statement from Etihad Aviation Group. Points can be transferred from other loyalty programmes including, Air Miles, Citibank, Emirates NBD, Etisalat and First Abu Dhabi Bank, it stated. Chief Commercial Officer Robin Kamark said: "In addition to the many deals that Etihad Guest is unveiling, we are currently offering a massive sale on miles redemption with a 30% discount on GuestSeats, hotel stays and car rentals when booking with Travel Rewards, valid for travel until May 31, 2021." "Selected items on the Reward Shop are also discounted by 30%. We hope our members will enjoy taking part in these summer prizes, stated Kamark. UAE members who have the Etihad Guest mobile app will also save 30% when they redeem their miles through the app at Aldar malls across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain (WTC, Yas Mall, Al Jimi Mall) until August 27. In partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, members can take advantage of unbeatable brand discounts of up to 80% until August 31 across 21 malls participating in the summer-long Unbox Amazing promotion in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, said the statement. Additionally, 1,000,000 Etihad Guest Miles, among other prizes are up for grabs as part of a series of Shop & Win prize draws, it stated. Members who spend more than AED 200 at any of the 3,500 participating retailers with an eligible Etihad Guest Visa Payment card from Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Hilal Bank or First Abu Dhabi Bank, will be automatically entered into all four draws, the statement added.-TradeArabia News Service By Uma Nagarajan-Swenson August 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - This school year will be unlike any other. For starters, school districts across the country are grappling with budget cuts and pandemic safety. But theres something else, too: In the wake of a national uprising against police violence, many districts are rethinking what constitutes school safety. After the 2018 Parkland shooting, many districts rushed to put armed security guards and police officers in schools. That year, states allocated an additional $965 million to law enforcement in schools. The idea has been to keep children safe. But theres simply no proof that armed security officers keep children any safer in schools Parkland itself already had an armed officer on site. In fact, theres growing evidence these officers make many students less safe. For instance, Black students are 3.5 timesmore likely to be arrested at school than white students, despite exhibiting similar behavioral patterns. Low-income students are also disproportionately harmed. According to a massive 2016 study, the arrest rate in California schools where more than 80 percent of students rely on free or reduced-price lunch is seven times the arrest rate in schools where most students dont. These arrests do long-term damage. In whats known as the school-to-prison pipeline, students who are arrested at school, often for routine disciplinary issues, are more likely to find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system as adults. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter This pipeline is just one of the ways poor communities and communities of color are over-policed and hyper-surveilled nationwide. But now, that narrative is beginning to change. With the growing movement to defund police and many schools facing steep budget cuts public school districts are reckoning with police brutality inside the classroom. As a result, school boards nationwide, from Oakland to Phoenix to Minneapolis, have voted to remove cops from their schools and end contracts with police. Removing police is an important first step towards disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, but it needs to be part of a broader effort. After all, young people face the same racist policing outside their schools. As of a few years ago, Black youth were over five times more likely to be detained or committed to the prison system than white youth, leading to a lifetime of struggle. According to MIT research, 40 percent of people incarcerated as juveniles were locked up in adult facilities by the age of 25. Again, researchers have found no significant behavioral differences between Black and white adolescents: They are roughly equally likely to get into fights, carry weapons, steal, use or sell controlled substances, or skip school. Yet its mostly children of color who are criminalized for these behaviors, and the impacts are far-reaching. The school-to-prison pipeline is one of the most damaging aspects of mass incarceration in our country. Its welcome news that many districts are moving away from officers in classrooms, especially when students have enough to worry about with the pandemic. But schools parallel society at large, and the school-to-prison pipeline affects kids well outside the walls of the classroom. Efforts to defund the police must extend beyond those walls as well. Benjamin Little thought he was invincible. The 43-year-old retired Army staff sergeant survived a tour to Iraq in 2007 and multiple IED blasts, which left him with a traumatic brain injury, vision loss, hearing loss and post traumatic stress disorder. So when the pandemic began, Little said he wasnt the least bit concerned. I thought, if I get sick, Ill just take some NyQuil, drink some Theraflu and Ill get better, he said. But then when I got sick and was put on life support, Im thinking How could this happen? I live a healthy lifestyle. I dont smoke, I dont drink. I dont do drugs. I eat healthy. And here I am, fighting for my life. Little is one of 395 veterans and employees at the Tucson VA Medical Center to contract coronavirus since the pandemic began. As of Saturday, there were 14 active cases and 35 known deaths, the VA said. After contracting the virus and quarantining at home for about a week, Little returned to the hospital on Aug. 4 and was immediately intubated. My chest felt really tight and my girlfriend noticed that my color had changed. She said I looked bluish, he said. Within a half an hour or so of going back to the hospital, I was intubated. It was so fast. With no underlying conditions or complications, Little was taken off the ventilator just 4 days later and was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 14. Back at home, Little is battling the aftermath and long-term impact of the virus and is still relying on oxygen to help him breathe. The team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, investigating the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, reached the late actor's Bandra residence on Saturday. CBI officers arrived with forensic experts to recreate the sequence of events which lead to the Bollywoood actor's death. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his flat on June 14. On August 19, Supreme Court had handed over the Shanstant Singh Rajput death case to the CBI from the Mumbai Police. The next day CBI officers arrived in Mumbai to start their probe. The Mumbai Police was ordered by the SC to handover all evidence and statements recorded over to the CBI. CBI officers and forensic experts reached Rajput's resident in Mont Blac, Bandra at around 2:30 pm to conduct their investigation. "They reached the flat to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the actor's death," the official said. When the CBI officials and experts of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) arrived at Rajput's Bandra apartment, a huge crowd of media persons and other onlookers gathered at the spot. "Rajput's cook Neeraj and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani also accompanied the CBI team," the official said. According to him, the CBI officials recorded the statement of Pithani at the IAF guest house in Santa Cruz, where the visiting members of the central agency are staying. On Friday, they had also interrogated cook Neeraj at the guest house, he added. Meanwhile, another CBI team visited the state-run Cooper Hospital in the city on Saturday, where the autopsy on the late actor had been performed, another official said. They met the dean of Cooper Hospital, he said, adding that the officials will also meet doctors who carried out the autopsy. One more CBI team visited the Bandra police station to meet officials of the Mumbai police, who had investigated the actor's death, he said. This was the CBI team's second visit to the Bandra police station in connection with the case since it began the probe in Mumbai on Friday, the official said. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: AIIMS constitutes 5-member team to look into late actor's autopsy report Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case: CBI squad reaches Mumbai; here's the plan of action BERLIN, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's condition is very worrying after his evacuation to Germany for medical treatment on Saturday, said Jaka Bizilj, founder of the Cinema for Peace Foundation. "His health condition is very worrying," Bizilj, whose foundation sent the air ambulance that collected Navalny in Russia's far east, told journalists outside the Charite hospital in Berlin where Navalny was admitted for treatment. "We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk, he would have died," Bizilj said, adding that it would be up to doctors and Navalny's family to provide further information on his condition. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Steve Wright presentation Steve Wright EI5DD gave a presentation on the Galway Digital Radio Network via Zoom on 27-July-2020. It was well attended on the night with about 29 present with people not only from the Republic of Ireland but also from Northern Ireland and the UK. This same presentation was also given 14-July, with an equally large number of people attending from around Ireland. Credit to Steve Wright for putting together a very interesting presentation that was very well received by all who attended. The slide presentation with Audio may be found on: https://www.galwayradio.com/ JERUSALEM: The head of Israels coronavirus task force has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to ban an annual pilgrimage in which Hasidic Jews visit the central Ukrainian town of Uman over concerns the site may become a virus hotspot. Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews descend on Uman every Jewish New Year to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who revived the Hasidic movement and died in 1810. This year, Jewish New Year celebrations run from Sept. 18-20. The Ukrainian and Israeli governments have already issued a joint statement pleading with pilgrims to cancel their trips, but huge crowds are still planning to fly. Ronni Gamzu, Israels lead adviser on coronavirus, has now sent a letter to Zelenskiy, urging him to take action. A gathering of this sort, at such troubled times, is expected to generate mass events of infection of tourists and local Ukrainian residents, turning into a heavy burden on local medical systems, while thousands more are expected to come back to Israel and further spread the virus," Gamzu said in the letter seen by Reuters on Saturday. I urge you to enforce a ban on these celebrations this year, as part of the entire global communitys effort to stop this horrific pandemic," he said. On Friday Israel passed 100,000 reported coronavirus cases. It has recorded 809 COVID-19 deaths among its 9 million population. 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 Written by Lisa Alexander Aug 21, 2020 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( ) Mont Saint-Michel is a magical place. It's an island off the Normandy coast crowned with a majestic Gothic monastery. The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel has been a sacred pilgrimage destination since the 10th century. Today, Mont Saint-Michel still draws visitors who arrive by foot at low tide just as pilgrims did during the medieval era. The UNESCO-listed Mont Saint-Michel is one of France's top tourist attractions. This spectacular sight in the protected Bay of Mont Saint-Michel receives around 2.5 million visitors every year. There are many options for getting to Mont Saint-Michel and touring the site. You can choose from an organized excursion as a day trip from Paris, you can drive there, or you can take public transportation on your own. Deciding on the best way to get to Mont Saint-Michel depends on your interests and how you prefer to travel. Visitors arrive at the town of Beauvoir on the mainland (2.5 kilometers from Mont Saint-Michel) as the island of Mont Saint-Michel is not accessible to cars and other automobiles. Near the Visitor Information Center and parking lots in Beauvoir, there are pedestrian paths and a bridge that lead to Mont Saint-Michel. Tourists can either take a shuttle bus or walk along one of the pedestrian paths, then cross the bridge (which takes about 45 minutes). Strolling across the bridge offers the chance to admire fabulous views of Mont Saint-Michel. The Passeur (shuttle bus) picks up visitors at the Place des Navettes (near the Visitor Information Center) for a quick shuttle ride to Mont Saint-Michel. This free shuttle service runs frequently (between 7:30am and midnight) and takes less than 15 minutes to arrive at Mont Saint-Michel. The shuttle drop-off point is about 400 meters outside the ramparts that enclose the medieval city and abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues. 'I have never seen people so badly dressed in my life!' Fashion designer Carolina Herrera slates New Yorkers' 'horrendous' style New York is considered one of the world's most stylish cities, but Carolina Herrera hasn't been impressed with the fashion she's seen lately. 'If you look at the people walking around the streets of New York at this moment, it is horrendous!' the 75-year-old designer says in Haute Living's September issue. 'I have never seen people so badly dressed in my life! Its amazing the way they look! I dont know whyI dont know whats going onbut its really, really bad,' she says. Scroll down for video Not impressed: Designer Carolina Herrera, pictured at a New York City benefit in March, calls New Yorkers' fashion 'horrendous' Mrs Herrera, who resides in a town house on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is particularly put off by crop tops worn by those who really shouldn't. 'When you are very young and you have a wonderful figure you can pull it off, but whenever I see this style, its usually on the wrong person,' she says. 'I was sitting in traffic this morning looking at the people on the street, and I thought ... "Whats going on here?" Everybody is wearing the wrong clothes. Proportion is very important. Wear clothes that are flattering to your figure and appropriate for your personality.' Fashion criticism: Mrs Herrera, who says that 'everybody is wearing the wrong clothes,' might not approve of these New Yorkers, pictured outside of Bleecker Street Records in July Mrs Herrera, who recently designed Jessica Simpson's wedding gown, also counts Jessica Alba, Sandra Bullock and even First Lady Michelle Obama among her A-list clients. The elegant designer says that Mrs Obama is someone who does 'know how to dress for her figure,' as was the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. 'Everything she did, she did it with her own incredible style. She was the epitome of elegance,' she says of Mrs Kennedy Onassis, whom she worked with after launching her label in the early '80s. In 2011, Mrs Herrera told Harper's Bazaar that the style icon knew exactly what she wanted when it came to what she wore, and that she herself took inspiration from their meetings. She revealed: 'When I started, she came to me, and I dressed her a lot for those last years.' A-list client: Michelle Obama is seen wearing a Carolina Herrera gown at the state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande in February Mrs Herrera, who grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, launched her flagship Carolina Herrera brand in New York in 1981. She has long been an advocate for dressing appropriately for one's age and figure. 'It's about finding the style for the right figure or the right age. Sometimes you see women that don't realize that age is changing your style, and they don't change,' she told CNN in 2012. Three dozen Purdue University students were suspended for violating the schools social distancing rules and attending an off-campus party, CNN reported. Purdue University has been clear and consistent with our messaging to students about the Protect Purdue Plan and the expectations they would need to follow if they made the decision ot be on campus this fall, Dr. Katie Sermersheim, associate vice provost and dean of students, said in a statement to CNN. The Protect Purdue Plan is the schools guide to limit the spread of COVID-19. It states that each student assumes personal responsibility for their actions and any violations of this plan will be added to the code of conduct regulations. "Unfortunately, everything we have done -- the months of planning to give our students the opportunity to continue their educational pursuits in person -- can be undone in the blink of an eye -- with just one party or event that does not follow the rules and guidelines," Sermersheim's statement read. The organization that held the party and the students who attended it may appeal the interim suspension, CNN reported. Any sanctions will be made after a full hearing process. The university is located in Tippecanoe County which currently has 1,402 positive COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 21. Indiana has more than 84,000 cases statewide, according to CNN's map tracking coronavirus cases across the country. Classes start on Monday, and Purdue announced its plan for continued surveillance and testing of its 40,000 students. On-campus employees must undergo required weekly testing, CNN reported. 2 bodies found, 2 missing after Texas blast: The bodies of two missing crew members of a dredging boat were found Saturday after an explosion a day earlier in the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Two other crew members of the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd remain missing, the Coast Guard said. The explosion happened at about 8 a.m. Friday when the vessel struck a submerged natural gas pipeline, authorities said. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OPASKWAYAK CREE NATION Im up north, visiting family, when my favourite event happens: visiting. When I was a child, my mom would pile all of us in the car after dinner and we would go visiting ending up at some friend or relatives house, drinking tea and eating whatever they had in their pantry. Nowadays, this still happens, but less and less often as satellite TV, smartphones, and computers enter our lives. Visiting, however, is Manitobas first and best internet. Visiting is like enacting government, watching a movie and playing video games at the same time. Its where negotiations take place, decisions are made, and information (often gossip) is shared. Visiting is like enacting government, watching a movie and playing video games at the same time. Tonights session begins when a couple we havent seen for years arrives. Then, the neighbours "drop in." At some point, we call in some relatives from Vancouver via a laptop computer. Pretty soon, everything is on the table literally. Cookies. Cheese. Ham. A huge pot of tea. And, of course, conversation. We talk about chief and council, the mosquitoes, and share copies of funeral programs for people who recently died. Then, the discussion circles around to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cover U.S. President Donald Trump, a possible vaccine, and cancelled ceremonies. A debate ensues about whether conferences should be held in the community, and if elders should attend. Talk expectedly turns to the most important topic: children. Talk expectedly turns to the most important topic: children. Questions fly about sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, and babies. Answers come with stories, photographs, and calls to the children playing in the next room. As each child is accounted for, its hard to keep track of the laughter, smiles, and even a few tears. Then, as if in turn, everyone shares similar (and often embarrassing) stories of our own childhood. Discussions about children is where visiting almost always ends up in Indigenous communities. Its easy to think of this as just proud parents and grandparents, but this is really a discussion about the future. In Indigenous communities, the role of children are to carry forward culture, language, and history; everyone elses job is to share this with them. The more they learn, the more the future as a people is secure. This makes the protection of our children the most important job of our lifetime. In fact, a community that considered children in all decisions was said to "own itself" the Cree concept of dibenimiisowin. Children are, and always have been, the centre of an Indigenous future. This is why Canada tried so desperately to control such children in the residential school system. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES My daughters grandmother reminds us all we used to teach our children on the land, outside, often on the trapline. While there, children learned everything from math to science to story to song. So, tonight, the discussion arrives to whats coming in a few weeks: school. Indigenous families are used to school being an unsafe place, but the COVID-19 pandemic makes this event particularly triggering. This week, the province mandated masks for all students in Manitoba schools. Most First Nations schools, though, dont fall under provincial authorities. This means not only do First Nations educational authorities have to make their own health decisions, but fund safety equipment on their own taking away from other resources. This makes for some hard decisions. Some are considering delaying start dates; others are teaching only online. Some have no infrastructure, bandwidth, and therefore no choice. If the novel coronavirus pandemic has shown us anything, First Nations likely will choose stricter health protections over less (look at how local highway COVID-19 checkpoints have not stopped, for example), but this still all adds up to stress and worry for Indigenous communities. For people like my daughter (who is going to school in the city), this decision is out of my hands. She will have to wear a mask all day, in a reduced class size and in-person schedule, and we pray she will be OK. Indigenous families are used to school being an unsafe place, but the COVID19 pandemic makes this event particularly triggering. First Nations, however, dont have this luxury. On-reserve students face chronic underfunding challenges and federal policies that create poverty, health issues, and apathy so even with the best health choices and stringent checkpoints, they are at the mercy of others. Just like wearing face masks, the virus is only defeated if we all play our part. We all wear them or we all suffer the consequences. 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. By this point in the visiting, the laughter has given way to seriousness. Parallels are made with how our parents must have felt sending children to dangerous institutions, away from our protection. Anxiety leads to silence between each speaker. My daughters grandmother reminds us all we used to teach our children on the land, outside, often on the trapline. While there, children learned everything from math to science to story to song. "And we got by as a people," she says. "In fact, we were healthy and strong. Education is about our children living and learning about our lives." This is when I realize that its been happening already, all night. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs lives have changed drastically since they decided to step down from their roles as senior royals in January. As the two carve out a more independent role for themselves, secrets are coming to light about what life was really like for Meghan during her brief stint in the worlds most famous family. According to the couples new biography, Harry was furious over one palace aides treatment of the duchess in preparing for the Sussex wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Ben Stansall/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markles problems are being unearthed In January, Harry and Meghan made the decision to step back from their roles as senior royals. Though they had hoped to still support the queen, their want for financial independence led them to exit the family entirely. And ever since, details of the couples trying time within the Firm have been revealed. Outside the palace walls, Meghan had a difficult time winning over the public; she was constantly hounded by the press, and last fall, she and Harry filed a lawsuit against three major British tabloids. Court documents show that Meghan felt unprotected by the family during her pregnancy, and that seems to have only been the tip of the iceberg. RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are Pitching a Secret Project To Media Companies, Source Claims Harry was reportedly angry over Meghans treatment in choosing her wedding tiara In the couples groundbreaking biography, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, writers Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand unveil some interesting details about the tensions arising between Meghan and the rest of the family, as reported by Daily Mail. And one poignant moment occurred when Harry became furious at palace aides for not adhering to Meghans tiara request for her wedding. Its customary that royal women are able to wear a tiara on their big day. The queens dresser, Angela Kelly, reportedly gave Meghan a difficult time about which tiara she should wear for the wedding; Meghan was allegedly denied access to her tiara of choice, and Harry became furious at the queens aide, calling his grandmother to complain. Harry called tiara-gate a snub toward his wife. Ultimately, Meghan did not end up wearing her first choice for tiara; it was the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara worn by Princess Eugenie at her wedding several months later. Instead, Meghan wore the Queen Mary Bandeau tiara. Meghan Markle reportedly had issues with palace staff over her requested tiara. | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images RELATED: The Sussexes Moved to Santa Barbara Because Prince Harry Absolutely Hated LA, Insider Explained There have been rumors Meghan didnt get along with palace staff Meghans relationship with palace staffers was reportedly rocky from the start. In addition to Angela Kelly making Meghans life difficult, there were rumors that Meghan treated palace staff poorly, including sending emails to them as early as 5 a.m. with their tasks for the day. Rumors also swirled about Meghans relationship with Kate Middletons staff. The duchesses reportedly got into a tiff after Meghan gave Kates staff an attitude, though its unclear if the rumors are true. Harry and Meghan have been flying under the radar since moving to North America, though its suspected that Meghan and Harry had a hand in writing the biography. A megafire continues to rage across US state of California following record temperatures and dry lightning strikes. Californias lightning-sparked wildfires more than doubled in size into some of the largest in state history on Friday, with one blaze advancing to within a mile of the University of California, Santa Cruz (USCS). At least six people have died, 43 firefighters and civilians have been injured, and more than 500 homes and other structures destroyed as fires have burned an area larger than the United States state of Rhode Island. Firefighting forces were depleted as they fought around 560 blazes. Only 45 of 375 out-of-state fire crews requested by California had arrived, said a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The state has been hit by its worst dry-lightning storms in nearly two decades. Close to 12,000 strikes have sent fires racing through lands parched by record-breaking heat, forcing 175,000 to evacuate their homes, largely in Northern California. The lightning strikes, driven by record temperatures, were a consequence of climate change and more such storms are expected on Sunday, Governor Gavin Newsom told a Friday news conference. If you are in denial about climate change come to California, Newsom told the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. One of the hottest air temperatures recorded anywhere on the planet in at least a century, and possibly ever, was reached last weekend at Death Valley in Californias Mojave Desert, where it soared to 54.4 Celsius (130 Fahrenheit). Most of the fires are in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a complex of blazes east of Palo Alto and another in wine country south of Sacramento now the seventh and tenth largest in state history, respectively, according to Cal Fire. In Santa Cruz, a city of around 65,000, residents were told to have evacuation go bags at the ready. Bulldozers dug fire lines on the northern flank of the UCSC campus, around 4.8km (3 miles) northwest of the coastal citys boardwalk. Videos showed giant redwood trees, some over 2,000 years old, standing largely unscathed among the torched ruins of buildings in Californias oldest state park to the north. The fire continues to advance, and much of what will happen next depends on weather conditions such as wind direction and speed, UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive wrote in a tweet, after ordering the evacuation of the campus. With up to 20 separate blazes burning in some lightning-fire complexes, overwhelmed firefighters pleaded for more support. Were still understaffed for a fire of this size, said Daniel Potter, a Cal Fire spokesman, in reference to the Santa Cruz blaze. In the North Bay Area, four people died in a cluster of fires that have destroyed over 480 homes and structures in wine counties such as Napa, Solano and Sonoma, Cal Fire reported. A utility crewman died on Wednesday while on duty helping clear electrical hazards for first responders at the same fire, dubbed the LNU Complex. Earlier that day, the pilot of a firefighting helicopter contracted by the state was killed in a crash in Fresno County. A burning home is seen along Cherry Glen Road during the LNU Lighting Complex Fire on the outskirts of Vacaville, California, the US [Stephen Lam/Reuters] All our first responders are working to the ragged edge of everything they have, said California State Assemblymember Jim Wood. The largest fire, known as the SCU Complex, east of Palo Alto, more than doubled in size from Thursday to around 93078 hectares (230,000 acres), an area approaching the size of New York City. It is a joy to be in this celebrated, ancient city of Cape Coast, the capital of the Central Region and appropriately named for generations as the Athens of Africa, to undertake our activity of today launching of the NPP 2020 Manifesto. We are doing so in a region that gave us a massive endorsement in 2016, for which we continue to be grateful, and whose mandate we have done everything to fulfil. We are honoured by the attendance of no less a personage than the traditional landlord, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Oguaamanhene, who has chosen to grace the occasion with his presence. Osabarima, thank you for being here. Yda wo ase. Four years ago, on October 9, 2016, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presented to the Ghanaian people a Manifesto that spelt out a programme of what we would do in office, when entrusted with power at the elections. We called it CHANGE: AN AGENDA FOR JOBS, Creating Prosperity, Securing the Peace. We had spent a lot of time, and consulted widely, and were guided by the core values of our party in prioritising the solutions to the many problems that faced our country. I said, at the launch, that a Manifesto represented, for me, a solemn social contract between the electorate and the elected. I had entered into the contract by signing the document on my behalf and that of the NPP. By voting for us on 7th December 2016, the Ghanaian people had also signed their part of the contract, giving us the mandate to implement the ideas in the Manifesto. I said I fully understood the consequence of putting my signature to a contract. I know that some people do not accord much worth to a Manifesto, but I do, and we, of the NPP, have always taken our Manifestoes seriously, because we believe politics is serious business, and asking for the mandate of the people to govern is serious business. We believe that citizens must be treated with respect. Once given the mandate to govern, we are bound by the promises that we make to the good people of Ghana, and we set about translating the promises into concrete programmes. I said, when we were asking for the mandate to govern, that I want a Ghana where government is accountable to the electorate, not with artist impressions of projects and green books, but with cold facts and figures. Fellow Ghanaians, you would have noticed, therefore, that all the presentations that have been made today have gone into great detail in providing a clear accounting for what we have done in the three years and eight months we have been in office. I want to thank all the men and women who made these solid presentations. I take pride especially in two things that have characterised the implementation of our programmes: we have succeeded at equitable distribution, which means all parts of the country have been touched by our policies, and we have delivered value for money. I take pride in the fact that free SHS and free TVET have been delivered, and our young people, and their parents and guardians, know that they will no longer be forced to stop school at JHS level because of financial difficulties. It was not easily done, and, so, we intend to protect it, and prevent any so-called review, another word for cancellation. We have no reason to believe the NDC presidential candidates newly proclaimed conversion to free SHS and free TVET. For eight years, he and his party were loud in their assertions that they did not believe in free SHS and free TVET, they did not like the idea, they rubbished it at every opportunity, and they proclaimed that it would destroy Ghanas educational system. When they were in office, they had a hard time trying to run even their watered-down version of their so-called progressively free education. Then the former President said he would review it, and now we hear him say it has come to stay. Excellency, please try another one. Your credibility on this one is zero, free SHS, free TVET cannot be trusted in your hands. In much the same way, we would not risk putting agriculture under the NDC and its leader; they will once again leave the farmers on their own, without the support that is helping to make farming the profitable and fulfilling business it should be. And why would anyone imagine that an NDC administration, under the former President, would treat businesses any differently from what they did the last time around? Fellow Ghanaians, in spite of the unexpected and dramatic entry into our lives by COVID-19, and the subsequent worldwide devastation, we can demonstrate that we have set the economy on a strong foundation, and businesses will flourish. The virus has slowed us down, but it has not diverted us from the path of growth we have put the country on. It is interesting to note that the NDC in opposition is not able to take the lead in doing some of the things that are most often done first by parties in opposition. You might remember how long it took the NDC presidential candidate to find a running mate, and they have not yet got a Manifesto. I wonder what will happen the day they have a government to run as well. Or, maybe, it is simply showing the country they do not attach much importance to a Manifesto, nor should we expect that whatever is written in it would reflect their beliefs. Which presupposes, of course, that they now have or hold on to any firm beliefs, instead of bending in the direction of whatever they think is currently fashionable. We wish them luck with their Manifesto, whenever they are done with it. We, in the NPP, know from whence we came. We have never had any identity crisis, and our Manifesto always gives us the opportunity to reiterate our historic stand as the party of the rule of law, the party of good governance, the party of business, the party that builds and creates wealth, the party of social justice, and the party that cares for every Ghanaian. In other words, it helps to believe in something, to spend time and energy to think it through, and to get passionate and competent people to lead in the implementation of the programme. On the day of my acclamation as the presidential candidate of our party, for which I continue to express my deep gratitude to Almighty God and to the myriad of officials and the faithful supporters of our great party, I said that there was a clear choice before our nation, as the two main candidates could be adjudged on similar basis. The people of Ghana could decide who among the two had made a better job of governing our country as president. I know that the NDC presidential candidate, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, believes and says often that Ghanaians have a short memory. And he must hold strongly to this belief, otherwise, I doubt he would have summoned the courage to be seeking another term after the disaster that was his presidency. Ghanaians might have short memories, but not short enough for us to have forgotten the broken-down freezers, irons and other household equipment, thanks to the five years of DUMSOR. Our memories are not short enough to forget that the economy, under him, was such a wreck that there was a ban placed on all recruitment into our public services. Our memories are not short enough to forget that teachers taught for three years and were only paid for three months. Our memories are certainly not short enough to forget that he brought our entire financial services system to near collapse. I have heard him make the extraordinary claim that Ghanas economy was in tatters not because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but because of mismanagement. I doubt that he can recognise a well-managed economy, even if it slapped him in the face. Luckily for us, we do not have to rely on his judgement or assessment of the economy. But it is important to tell him, just in case there are others like him around that Ghana is, today, in a position to be able to provide one hot meal for JHS 3 students who are back in school in the midst of a pandemic, to pay for six (6) months the water bills of all Ghanaians, to subsidise the electricity bills of all Ghanaians for three (3) months. Indeed, we thank the Almighty that the pandemic did not strike under his presidency, when there was no money in the national kitty to pay teachers and nurses allowances. We are very much aware of the realities of the times. We know the havoc that COVID-19 has wreaked on our economies and livelihoods. I have asked our party members to keep these sensibilities in their minds in all they do, as they go about campaigning for votes. Adherence to the COVID protocols means we cannot resort to the traditional methods of campaigning, and I urge all of us to obey strictly these rules. We cannot have the traditional crowds and rallies, and wherever there are gatherings, we have to try to observe the social distancing rules. It has been said by the NDC presidential candidate that NPP policies lack sense. If running an emerging oil economy into the arms of the IMF, because of indiscipline in the management of the public finances, is sense, I am happy that the NPP has another concept of sense. If having sense means cancelling teacher trainee and nurses allowances is sense, I am happy that the NPP has another concept of sense. If having sense means recording the worst economic management statistics of modern times, with the lowest rate of growth of the last thirty (30) years, I am happy the NPP has another concept of sense. Having sense in the NPP means being able to take an economy growing at 3.4% to an economy that grew, on the average, for three (3) successive years, at 7% per year, before the pandemic, and was rightly acknowledged as one of the best performing economies not just in Africa, but also in the world. Having sense in the NPP means executing the Programme for Planting for Food and Jobs, which has led to the revival of Ghanaian agriculture from the doldrums of the NDC years, bringing in its wake bumper harvests and affordable food prices in our markets, and exports of significant quantities of foodstuffs to our neighbours. Having sense in the NPP means implementing policies which, according to the latest Ghana Living Standards Survey, has resulted in a decline in unemployment rates from 11.9% in 2015 to 7.3% in 2019. I am happy with and prefer the NPPs sense. Let me use this occasion to assure the Ghanaian people that, as President of the Republic, I will do everything within my means to ensure the peace and stability of our country in the run-up to, during and after the polls of 7th December 2020. The struggle of our forebears in the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition, to construct, at great sacrifice, a democratic, open, free system of government in Ghana, will not be jeopardised by me, and I am calling on all actors in the political space to join me to ensure the maintenance of the peace and stability of our country, and to conduct ourselves in a manner devoid of violence and ethnocentrism. The Ghana Project can best be achieved in unity, tolerance and mutual respect. Fellow Ghanaians, the NPP has, in 2020, one target and one objective only, that is to secure, with your support and the blessing of the Almighty, in free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections, another decisive victory on 7th December 2020 a victory that will give us a clear majority in Parliament and a first round presidential victory, and enable us to do four more years of advancing the peace, progress and prosperity of our nation for you. We have an excellent message, as set out in our Manifesto, LEADERSHIP OF SERVICE: PROTECTING OUR PROGRESS, TRANSFORMING GHANA FOR ALL, and as eloquently articulated by that brilliant Ghanaian, Mahamudu Bawumia, my most esteemed Running Mate and Vice President, which will protect our progress and continue down the path of social and economic transformation, on which all Ghanaians are now embarked. Fellow Ghanaians, the battle remains the Lords. It is four more years for Nana and the NPP to do more for you. May God bless the New Patriotic Party, and us all, and may God bless our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong. I 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 This week, Ellen DeGeneres attempted successfully? who can yet say? to turn the page on a bad chapter in the book of her career, one that began last month with a pair of BuzzFeed pieces alleging a toxic work environment on the set of her daytime talk-dance-and-presents fest "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," including sexual harassment and racist comments on the part of executive staff. (DeGeneres herself was accused only of allowing it to happen, and of being weird not wanting to be looked at or spoken to and such.) Two producers and a head writer have been let go, a reportedly teary DeGeneres announced Monday on a video conference call to staffers. Since the story broke, the star has made various statements of appreciation and remorse, taken responsibility, promised "to do my part" and "change and grow," and reiterated her original desire for a show that would be "a place of happiness no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect." The latest instance of employees increasingly speaking truth to employers, or speaking truth to reporters about employers, it has seemed especially fraught because of the host's nice-gal image, and the positivity she so assiduously cultivates. ("Be kind to one another" is her signoff.) That a celebrity one loves may not in fact be lovable feels like a betrayal, an insult added to injury. Some commentators swear that DeGeneres' awfulness has been an open secret for ages; it's not one I ever heard. But I loved her sitcom. In the olden, golden days of the Hollywood studio system, battalions of publicity agents labored to control a star's public image, to craft them into something at once glamorous and ordinary, thrilling yet unthreatening, with a heavy lid over even the intimation of any deviation from "the norm." Inevitably, the practice of selling the public personalities too good to be true ran into the business of revealing them as all too human gossip columnists and scandal mags like Confidential made this their meat and this tension exists to this day. YouTube swarms with videos meant to tell us that famous people are not who they want us to think they are. Celebrities Who Are Not Nice is a genre of its own usually the same small pool of suspects, hung on not always substantial evidence. DeGeneres gets whole videos to herself, many posted just this year as Ellen Disfavor Fever mounted: "Top 10 Times Celebs Clapped Back at Ellen." "Top 10 Most Awkward Ellen Moments," "Top 10 Times Ellen DeGeneres Got Exposed," "Ellen DeGeneres Is a Hollywood PSYCHO." The presenters strike a tone, usually unconvincing, between shock and concern, with a little snark sprinkled on top. (In the midst of all this, the news went around I can't say it was reliable, but it went around that "Late Late Show" host James Corden was being looked at to take over the "Ellen" slot, which occasioned a raft of comments that he is not supposed to be very nice either.) As for the moments in which DeGeneres' onscreen behavior is reputed to have "exposed" her true nature, viewers of the show have not deserted the host over her having been a little weird with Dakota Johnson about not being invited to her birthday party, or her attempt a dozen years ago, but hauled out in the latest round of bad press to force Mariah Carey to announce her pregnancy by trying to get her to drink Champagne on the air. None of the reports that I've read or watched mention the fact that Carey has been back to the show since. The notion that show business might not be all it's cracked up to be is a notion often put 'round by the business itself, in backstage comedies, dramas and memoirs. "All the sincerity in Hollywood you could stuff in a flea's navel," comedian Fred Allen famously remarked, "and still have room left to conceal eight caraway seeds and an agent's heart," which is a funny line, a frightening thought and easy to suspect is true, in part because we have heard that story for years. When the industry looks at itself, it is often askance. Whether the setting is the stage, a movie studio or a TV network, the characters are well known to us: meddling producers, tyrannical directors, impossible stars, bitter and cynical writers who go on to write with cynical bitterness of their experiences. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote 17 short stories about hack screenwriter Pat Hobby even as he was himself trying to make a go of screenwriting. To S.J. Perelman, who co-wrote two Marx Brothers pictures and "Around the World in 80 Days," Hollywood was "a dreary industrial town controlled by hoodlums of enormous wealth, the ethical sense of a pack of jackals, and taste so degraded that it befouled everything it touched." "The Bad and the Beautiful," "Barton Fink," "Swimming With Sharks" and "The Player" have all taken aim at Hollywood; "Network" took a scalpel to television news. Elia Kazan's 1957 film "A Face in the Crowd" with a pre-Mayberry Andy Griffith as a vagabond who becomes an influential national TV personality, his folksy charm masking utter disdain for his audience has been often mentioned as a metaphor for the Trump era. Griffith's character is brought down in the end by a hot microphone, as he dismisses them as "morons," "slobs" and "trained seals. I toss 'em a dead fish and they'll flap their flippers." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Television has also taken its business as a subject. Around the turn of the century, there were Darren Star's "Grosse Pointe," a wicked take on the production of his own "Beverly Hills, 90210," and Fox's acid "Action," with Jay Mohr as a studio head recovering from a catastrophic flop and Illeana Douglas as the child star-turned-prostitute he makes his head of production. Long before either, yet especially resonant in this moment, was the highly regarded, short-lived "Buffalo Bill," a resolutely hardhearted 1983-84 sitcom, with Dabney Coleman as the popular host of a local talk show, as awful offscreen as he is lovable on. In one episode, Geena Davis, as a production assistant, describes him cheerily to an interviewer, in words that might have been spoken yesterday, in a less chirpy tone, somewhere in this town: "Bill can be crude, and hateful. ... He doesn't mean to be as petty and prejudiced as he is, he just never really learned to like people. On the other hand, he's very nice to me, so there's hope. And lately, he never tries to get me into bed with him. ... This is all very therapeutic for me." That would play differently today, on television and in the world. TV hosts Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and Tavis Smiley, the last just ordered to pay PBS $2.6 million in damages, all lost jobs and status over sexual harassment. Lauer seems superficially to be the inspiration for Steve Carell's cashiered breakfast show cohost on Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show," currently nominated for a clutch of Emmys. The series was inspired by Brian Stelter's book "Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV," and it is indeed rife with scheming and double-dealing as characters strive to keep their jobs or move into someone else's, before a principled stand is finally taken. Working in TV, the series says, might break your heart or warp your values, but it is not beyond hope. No series captures this doubleness better than Garry Shandling's "The Larry Sanders Show," from back in the 20th century, a comedy set at a late-night talk show. We understand on a formal level that Larry lives in two worlds: onstage, with guests, where he is in control (shot on video), and anywhere else (shot on film), where he is not. Still, the character is too conflict-averse he literally turns away from confrontation and too needy to be an active tyrant. Shades of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," it's his producer, Artie (Rip Torn), who maintains the perimeter (and bullies him a little, deferentially). Most every character on the show lives at least a little bit in fear. Authenticity, and the lack of it, was a concern of Shandling's. Guest stars, appearing as themselves, played against their public image, sometimes in a negative way. DeGeneres was on that show, playing a version of herself; interestingly, in a pre-echo of DeGeneres' pressing Carey to reveal her pregnancy, she finds herself pressured by Larry to announce on camera whether she'll be coming out on television. (In life, she already had.) "Let's just be real," Larry says to Ellen during a commercial break, after a frustrating first segment, and when they come back she details how they slept together the night before. The chairman of Wexford County Council said the people of the south east should not allow themselves to be lectured to by a Trinity College professor who has called for the existing cath lab in Waterford University Hospital to be closed rather than having a new 24-hour unit built, a suggestion which was described as 'deeply insulting' by a Waterford TD. Cllr. Ger Carthy, a HSE paramedic said the suggestion made in an Irish Independent newspaper article by Dr. Brendan O'Shea, a County Kildare GP and Adjunct Assistant Professor in Public Health and Primary Care, is 'great news indeed for anyone living down on the Hook peninsula, Carnesore Point or Rosslare Harbour who will have to spend two and a half hours travelling in an ambulance to St. James' Hospital or Cork University Hospital when they are supposed to be in a cath lab within 90 minutes of the diagnosis of a stemi heart attack. 'As far as I'm concerned, the former government and the current government have let down the people of County Wexford and the south east who were promised a 24/7 cath lab. But all we're getting is smoke and mirrors and more reports and independent reviews. 'Dr. O'Shea would probably be better off lecturing in college than lecturing the people of the south east. It's alright for him sitting in a GP's office in Kildare when he's only half an hour from St. James' Hospital,' he said. Cllr. Carthy said the Government is well-represented in Wexford now by Deputies James Browne and Paul Kehoe and Senator Malcolm Byrne, with support from Independent Deputy Verona Murphy, and it is time that they delivered a 24-hour cath lab to the south east. 'Time is muscle. People have died because of this and they will continue to die unless action is taken,' he said. Responding to the comments by Dr. O'Shea, made in the course of a wide-ranging article about Ireland's 'flailing' health service, Waterford Independent TD Matt Shanahan said the remarks were 'deeply insulting' and represented a display of 'arrogance and ignorance' by those who profess to be speaking to national healthcare issues. Dr. O' Shea wrote: 'Half of our smaller acute hospitals need to be reconfigured as community facilities for frail, elderly patients. Specialised services need to be properly concentrated into viable and efficient high-capacity centres of competence - the only question regarding a Cardiac Cath Lab in Waterford is to close the current one, not build a second in a small centre. Angered by this view, Deputy Shanahan said: 'We cannot continue to sit quietly while comments such as those expressed by a supposed 'thought leader in national health configuration' continue to advocate health discrimination for south east patients. 'I find the comments of Dr. Brendan O'Shea regarding the pending Waterford Cath Lab build deeply insulting. They show an obvious lack of knowledge on his behalf on the subject he is referring to' said the Waterford TD. 'Is Dr. O'Shea aware that University Hospital Waterford is the regional category hospital for the 560,000 people who live in the south east? Does he know that when a second lab was subcontracted to UHW by the HSE from 2017 to 2019, the activity levels ranked it the third busiest cardiac cath lab suite in the counrty, despite operating only 39 hours per week as opposed to the give other centres being funded to operate 24/7? 'Does he realise that efficiency metrics in UHW are not being met in most other Category 4 hospitals nationwide and that years of ambulance transfer data demonstrates clearly the negative impact for acute heart attack in the south east when the UHW emergency cardiac access is closed which it is 128 hours every week? 'If Dr. O'Shea wishes to look for savings in the healthcare system, given his association with TCD perhaps it would be more appropriate for him to review the funding decision to build the new National Children's hospital in the wrong location, with a deficient service configuration and at a cost that will cripple the health budget for yearsto come. 'We in the south east have had enough of biased medical opinion that appears largely based on a lack of knowledge, centricity and allegiances to academic institutions and their interests rather than the needs of all patients countrywide. If Dr. O Shea would care to visit Waterford and the South East Cardiac Centre and speak to people inside and outside of HSE I have no doubt he would wish to revisit his remarks and revise his opinion immediately.' National Row over Ayush secy asking non-Hindi doctors to leave meeting CHENNAI, AUG 22 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 8/22/2020 12:21:29 PM IST DMK leader and Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi on Saturday demanded the suspension of AYUSH secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha for allegedly asking non-Hindi speaking doctors to leave a training session. In a tweet, Kanimozhi said, The statement of Secretary of the Union Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha that non-Hindi speaking participants could leave during a Ministrys training session speaks volumes about the Hindi domination being imposed. This is highly condemnable. She said: Govt should place the Secretary under suspension and initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings. How long is this attitude of excluding non-Hindi speakers to be tolerated? Agreeing with Kanimozhi, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, Not knowing English is understandable, but this arrogance of asking those who dont know Hindi to leave and insisting on speaking in Hindi is totally unacceptable. In a tweet in Tamil, DMK chief MK Stalin also called for action against the secretary, urging the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) to ensure that such incidents do not occur again. Condemning Kotecha for his act, Stalin said it was shameful on the part of the secretary to act in an uncultured and uncivilised manner. Stalin said a doubt has arisen in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu whether Kotecha was given a two-year service extension only to insult their language. Stalin, the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, said Kotecha has also threatened the delegates of the training session from the state. MDMK leader Vaiko and PMK founder S Ramadoss also condemned Kotecha. The virtual training session for master trainers was organised by the Ministry of AYUSH. (Natural News) If youre keeping tracking of criminal, lawless medical tyrants who are looking to mass murder human beings with experimental vaccines, add Dr. Norman Oliver to that last. Hes the State Health Commissioner of Virginia, and he has just declared that hes going to force vaccinate every single person in Virginia with a coronavirus vaccine. Since all the vaccines are skipping long-term trials in a rush to market, forcing every citizen to be injected against their will is actually a violation of fundamental human rights as established under the Nuremberg Code of 1947, which prohibits medical experimentation on human beings. Dr. Norman Oliver, it seems, wants to add his name to the dozens of U.S. scientists and doctors who have already been criminally prosecuted for crimes against humanity. [I]f we develop a vaccine that can prevent it from spreading in the community we will save hundreds and hundreds of lives, Dr. Oliver told ABC 8 News. Of course, he neglects to calculate how many hundreds or thousands of citizens in Virginia would be harmed or killed by forced vaccinations. Nor does he acknowledge any basic human right to say, No! to an unsafe, experimental medical intervention. The vaccine, it turns out, may very well kill more people than the coronavirus itself. Dr. Oliver says he will only mandate vaccines that are proven to be safe, but hes being deceptive, knowing that the entire medical establishment is utterly corrupt and will declare any vaccine safe if it earns sufficient profits for people in power. If theres one thing COVID-19 has exposed, its the utter fraud, corruption and criminality of the CDC, FDA, WHO and science journals like The Lancet, all of which have conspired to deprive the American people of safe and effective treatments such as hydroxychloroquine while pimping dangerous, unproven experimental vaccines such as the new mRNA vaccine from Moderna. Its all about profit and power, not public health. And if Dr. Oliver isnt smart enough to see the corruption right in front of his eyes, hes not qualified to be the State Health Commission for any state other than a state of insanity. As ABC 8 news says, Oliver believes that, in the case of COVID-19, public health takes precedent over choice. But this is misleading. Mandatory vaccines dont achieve public health. They achieve medical violence and coercion, though, which seems to be the real plan of Dr. Oliver. And the most fundamental principle of Western medicine, as described by the American Medical Association, is the concept of informed consent, which means that no doctor should force any medical intervention on any person without their consent. But if youre going to force toxic, dangerous injections onto a population, its important to disarm them first so they cant defend themselves against the tyranny of the medical police state. Hence the need for attacking the Second Amendment in Virginia. Not a coincidence that Virginia Gov. Northam tried to abolish the Second Amendment in Virginia before this vaccine mandate was announced Isnt it interesting that in nearly every city, state or nation where mandatory vaccines are being pushed, treasonous bureaucrats tried to take away citizens firearms first? Its not a coincidence. This is how genocide works: First they take your guns away so you cant defend yourself, then they send in the euthanasia teams who pretend to be administering vaccines. Anyone who resists is taken to a FEMA camp for labor camp internment or execution. This is the plan thats being rolled out across America. It all kicks into full action once the vaccine becomes publicly available, at which time tyrannical states like Virginia will go door to door, vaccinating citizens at gunpoint and arresting people who refuse to serve as human guinea pigs for Big Pharmas outrageously unsafe vaccine experiments. No doubt Gov. Northam will receive generous kickbacks from the vaccine manufacturers, just like legislators in California routinely receive. Understand that any bureaucrat who tries to take away your guns probably deserves to be confronted by armed citizens. Thats the whole point of the Second Amendment; not to shoot deer but to stop tyrants. And when tyrants try to destroy your right to self-defense while plotting to commit medical violence against your body through the use of forced vaccines, they are descending to the very definition of tyranny that our Founding Fathers sought to keep in check with the Bill of Rights. You have the right to self-defense. You are born with it as a gift from God; it is not granted by the state, and it cannot be nullified by any government. That right includes defending your body against a medical assault with a potentially deadly substance, which includes all vaccines. (Vaccines kill Americans every year, as the government admits at VAERS.HHS.GOV.) If Dr. Oliver attempts to assault you with a vaccine, you have every right under Virginia law and U.S. law to deploy tools of self-defense to halt that attempted violence and prevent that attacker from committing a felony assault against your person. Soon, the State of Virginia will come to learn that you cant assault citizens with vaccine violence without facing blowback from an armed citizenry. Prepare, fellow Virginians, to fight for your lives against the vaccine-wielding medical police state that wants you disarmed or dead. They will stop at nothing to take away all your rights and make you a slave of the Big Pharma-run medical fascism state of Democrat-infested Virginia. If you surrender to their demands, you will lose your liberty and your life. They might even deliberately administer more deadly vaccines to rural areas of the state in the hope of killing off as many patriots as possible. Do not submit to medical tyranny. Prepare to fight for your life in Virginia. This is not a drill it is your last chance to fight or die. He put aside the language of there is no blue America or red America, only the United States of America. He named essential elements of democracy, including the right to vote, a free press, a military with civilian leadership, and fidelity to facts and science and logic and not making stuff up. Such principles, Mr. Obama said, should not be partisan, but now they are. President Trump and those who enable him have shown that they do not believe in these things. Therefore, they must be defeated and driven out. It is almost as if a despairing Barack Obama during the Trump years has decided that if this be partisanship, so be it. Politics is war by other means. And winning this time means the survival of the nation itself. The former president told us that our democracy the American experiment is on the line in this election, that the Trump presidency has so soiled and corrupted the promise, sent it to the brink of self-destruction, that we have only 70-plus days to save it. Mr. Obama knows that the jeremiad is not a mere lamentation, but a cry for hope. He delivered both. And he spoke of our democracy struggling against them. Do not let them take away your power, he pleaded particularly to young voters. Mr. Trump and his minions, he said, are counting on your cynicism. Here was the altar call of the classic jeremiad come back to the faith, even if you are so young that you were not aware you ever had one. Learn from the dark past and those who survived it the reviled immigrants, religious groups and especially African-Americans, who all had reasons to quit on the promise but never did. The ultimate target of Mr. Obamas speech was young voters who do not turn out in large numbers. They are, he said, the missing ingredient. He insisted that our system of self-government can be harnessed to help them follow through on their conviction that everyone has equal worth. Police arrest stolen vehicle suspect who fled, entered occupied home The homeowner was able to get out of the home safely, but Aberdeen police are now negotiating the surrender of the suspect. Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Eldorado Gold Corporation Global Credit Research - 21 Aug 2020 Toronto, August 21, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Eldorado Gold 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. Eldorado Gold's B2 rating is constrained by its small scale (436 thousand gold equivalent ounces (GEOs) in 2019), concentration of production and cash flows at its Kisladag mine, high geopolitical risks related to their assets in Greece, and concentration of production in one commodity (85% of production is gold). However, the rating benefits from low leverage (1.8x at Q2/2020) and expected debt reduction as it repays its $200 million amortizing term loan over the next 2 years, long average reserve life of its assets (Lamaque has the shortest mine life of 7 years), and good liquidity. 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 Mining published in September 2018. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit. This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. 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The following is a release from the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is mobilizing in anticipation of severe weather from multiple disturbances in the Gulf. The above normal hurricane season includes twelve named storms with more anticipated. As the mid-way point of hurricane season approaches, the need for trained volunteers to help support in-person activities in the Texas Gulf Coast grows. Every single day, the American Red Cross helps people in emergencies, said Chester Jourdan Executive Director, American Red Cross of Southeast Deep East. Our vital work is made possible because of ordinary people who do extraordinary things. By signing up now, community members will be ready to answer the call to help when the need arises. Full information on volunteer opportunities is available here. SHELTER HELP NEEDED There is a special need for volunteers to support sheltering efforts. Because of COVID-19, the Red Cross is placing those needing a safe place to stay in emergency hotel lodging when possible. If hotel stays or single occupancy lodging like campsites or dormitories arent possible, then the Red Cross will open traditional shelters. To help keep people safe, we have put in place additional precautions and developed special training for our workforce. We need volunteers to help staff shelter reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information collection and other vital tasks to help those we serve. We have both associate and supervisory level opportunities available. HEALTH SERVICES SUPPORT NEEDED If you are an RN, LPN, LVN, APRN, NP, EMT, paramedic, MD/DO or PA with an active, current and unencumbered license, the Red Cross needs your support. Volunteers are needed in shelters to help assess peoples health. Daily observation and health screening for COVID-19-like illness among shelter residents may also be required. RNs supervise all clinical tasks. Roles are also available for Certified Nursing Assistants, Certified Home Health Aides, student nurses and medical students. We need volunteers who can provide care as delegated by a licensed nurse in shelters. This could include assisting with activities of daily living, personal assistance services, providing health education and helping to replace medications, durable medical equipment or consumable medical supplies. Be sure to review the CDC guidance for people who are at higher risk for severe illness, consult your health care provider and follow local guidance. Our number one priority is the health and safety of our employees, volunteers and the people we serve. For updates, follow the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast on Twitter and Facebook @RedCrossTXGC. You can also visit https://www.redcross.org/local/texas/gulf-coast.html or call 1-800-REDCROSS. Zareen Khan says people still assume Salman Khan helps her find work: "I cannot be a monkey on his back" Ukraines Health Minister Maksym Stepanov and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal are working on the creation of a powerful scientific center for vaccine development in Ukraine to prepare the country for possible new challenges, Ukrinform reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this to journalists during his working trip to the Mykolaiv region on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We have brilliant doctors, and it's true, but technically we were not able to create any vaccines from the point of view of science... We already have several enterprises that are ready to mass produce vaccines, and we are in talks with some countries that are developing vaccines ... If we manage to get a vaccine from one country or another, we are ready to produce it in large numbers, helping other countries, and above all helping Ukraine. But the global issue is the development of vaccines for the future. This task has already been set. The Health Ministry and the Prime Minister are gathering scientists. We will create a separate serious center and bring together the best scientists of Ukraine, so that we are ready for any future challenges," Zelensky said. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says that the society and the officials of Belarus need to find a "calm format of dialogue" with each other, since bloodshed is unacceptable. "As for the bloodshed certainly not. We reacted immediately. Whatever happens, the authorities and society must find a dialogue format. It does not matter which one, but not with clubs. Calm dialogue format and get out of this difficult the situation that continues in Belarus," Zelensky said in an interview with the Ukraine 24 television channel on Saturday afternoon. The president also said that he would not want something to affect our really friendly relations between Ukraine and Belarus. "We have very good relations, we have common families. The most important thing is relations between peoples, this is more important than relations between the government authorities. As everything is temporary in our life, I mean, between the authorities. All this is temporary," Zelensky said. The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) announced on Thursday evening it had called off a threatened strike by Sydney bus drivers next week. The stoppage, in Australias most populous city, would have been the largest action by any section of workers in the country since the COVID-19 crisis began. The cancellation of the strike is in line with the role played by the unions throughout the coronavirus crisis. They have sought to suppress every industrial and political struggle against the profit-driven official response to the pandemic. The unions also have imposed sweeping cuts to jobs, wages and conditions, facilitating the attempts of the ruling elite to force working people to pay for the economic breakdown triggered by the pandemic. The RTBU had announced on Tuesday that drivers covering three regions of the state-operated bus network in northern and eastern Sydney were considering a 48-hour stoppage that would have begun next Monday morning. In a letter to the New South Wales (NSW) state Liberal-National government, RTBU executives said the threatened strike was motivated by concerns over drivers safety amid the pandemic, as well as opposition to the privatisation of the few sections of the Sydney bus network that remain publicly-operated. The strike threat came after pictures emerged on social media and in the press of dozens of passengers crammed into peak hour bus services, despite ongoing community transmission of the coronavirus. In May, the NSW government imposed restrictions on passenger numbers, to justify the full resumption of services as part of a pro-business back-to-work campaign. Within weeks, it was revealed that the restrictions were a sham. Bus drivers had been instructed to pick up all passengers, and few additional services had been added. The consequence was ongoing overcrowding, especially during peak services. In July, the government abandoned even the pretence of mandated social-distancing on buses. In its letter threatening the strike, the RTBU had called only for masks to be made compulsory for passengers on overcrowded services. It requested that the government provide clarity around the enforcement of physical distancing on transport. As the WSWS warned last Wednesday, the tepid character of the demands was aimed at creating the conditions for the cancellation of the stoppage, if the government issued a reply promising to consider the union requests. That is what took place. On Thursday, the union had a closed-door meeting with government representatives at the pro-business Industrial Relations Commission, the first such conference in several months. One of the RTBUs chief complaints had been that the government had refused to meet with it throughout most of the pandemic. The NSW government promised the union it would conduct a review of safety measures on buses. The RTBU immediately hailed this worthless gesture, which commits the government to nothing, as a major concession. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who has spearheaded a push to privatise public transport and has overseen the destruction of hundreds of jobs across the states bus and rail networks, publicly thanked the union leadership for calling off the stoppage and described the meeting as constructive. A further gathering of government officials and union bureaucrats is slated to occur on Monday. Comments to the WSWS by a Sydney bus driver on Wednesday underscored the fraudulent character of the unions claims to be waging a struggle against the state government. The driver pointed to safety concerns, noting: I have operated my bus at full standing load. Because I cannot physically stop anyone, its not safe for me either. I make sure that no one is standing close to me. Thats all I can do. You cannot stop the virus like that, if people are standing close together. It could spread here quickly here as well, like it has in Melbourne. The driver said there had been no discussion within the RTBU about a campaign for increased safety measures. He said RTBU officials had not even mentioned the issue of safety at an August 14 union meeting to discuss the strike. Instead, the RTBU told workers that the strike would be directed against the further privatisation of bus services. In its public statements, however, the union called only for community consultation on the privatisation and a delay in its implementation until after the crisis was over. This brands the RTBUs threat to call a strike as a cynical manoeuvre, designed to dampen down mounting anger among bus drivers over its enforcement of the privatisation. The union only raised the issue of safety to provide the grounds for cancelling the stoppage if the government promised to review health measures. The RTBU was well aware that the government would make no concession, however worthless, on the issue of privatisation, which was not even mentioned in the announcement that the strike had been called off. As the Sydney driver noted, the union has already overseen the privatisation of most of the bus network and the plans to sell off what remains are far advanced. The government already announced the privatisation, the driver said. Once things are out on the market, the government is not going to roll back their decision. He added that the union did not negotiate very well with the government and had been unable to understand the drivers problems clearly. In 2017, when the NSW government announced it would privatise bus services in Sydneys inner-west and south, the union called for consultation and held only one token 24-hour strike. It proceeded to enforce the handover of the bus services to Transit Systems, a private company, without any further action. Last year, the NSW government revealed that it would sell off all remaining Sydney bus services, those in the citys north and east. The RTBU responded to the announcement, which threatens the jobs of 3,500 State Transit employees, 2,900 drivers and 200 maintenance workers, with appeals to the government and feckless community petitions. The RTBUs role in the assault on bus drivers extends over decades. It supported the previous NSW Labor government in 2004, as it commissioned the Unsworth review, calling for bus services to be based on a demand driven approach that would mesh private and public bus services for the first time. Buses throughout the west and southwest of Sydney are operated by private companies, which receive multi-billion dollar government contracts. More recently, the RTBU backed the sell-off of Sydney ferry services in 2012. In 2016, the union cautiously welcomed the privatisation of all ferry and bus services, along with a new light rail line, in Newcastle, a major regional hub north of Sydney. The record demonstrates that the union is an industrial police force, directly implementing the demands of governments and the massive corporations that dominate the transport sector. Bus drivers and other transport workers can defend their most basic interests, including to a safe working environment and a job, only through a rebellion against the union. New organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees, are required to organise a unified political and industrial campaign of all transport workers against the corporate offensive. Above all, the subordination of transport by governments and the unions to the profit interests of the corporations shows the need for a new political perspective, which rejects the domination of the financial elite over every aspect of society. That means fighting for a workers government that would implement socialist policies, including placing transport, along with the banks and major corporations, under public ownership and democratic workers control. Actor Sanjay Dutt has shared a photo with wife Maanayata from their home as they welcomed Ganpati for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Sanjay wrote that while celebrations arent as huge as they used to be every year, their faith in Bappa remains the same. Sanjay was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month and has started treatment in Mumbai. In his first social media post since the diagnosis, he wrote, The celebrations arent as huge as they used to be every year but the faith in Bappa remains the same. I wish that this auspicious festival removes all the obstacles from our lives and bless us all with health and happiness. Ganpati Bappa Morya. The celebrations aren't as huge as they used to be every year but the faith in Bappa remains the same. I wish that this auspicious festival removes all the obstacles from our lives and bless us all with health and happiness. Ganpati Bappa Morya pic.twitter.com/VDgMy86OKS Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) August 22, 2020 Earlier this week, Maanayata had clarified that the actor will be treated in Mumbai for now. For those asking, Sanju will complete his preliminary treatment in Mumbai. We will formulate further plans of travel depending on how and when the Covid situation eases. As of now, Sanju is in the best hands of our esteemed doctors at Kokilaben hospital. I request everyone, with my folded hands, to stop speculating the stage of his illness and let the doctors continue to do their work. We will update you all regularly with his progress. She had written that the family remained optimistic in face of the new challenge. To all of Sanjus fans and well wishers, I cant begin to thank you for the love and warmth you have shown him all these years. Sanju has been through many ups and downs in his life, but what has kept him going through every tough phase has always been your adulation and support. And for this, we will always be grateful. We are now being tested through yet another challenge, and I know, the same love and warmth will see him through this time as well, Maanayata said in her statement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON We had to scramble in a somewhat secret fashion, said Stacey, 24, who has produced some of Johnsons music. Not even I know where he is right now, but a couple of his work friends took it upon themselves to make sure that he is in a safe place. With celebrities from all corners of the world taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, it was only a matter of time before London-born actor Kiefer Sutherland did it too. The 47-year-old actor, who is famed for his portrayal of Jack Bauer in hit TV series 24, opted to do his bit for charity by taking part in the craze last week. The TV star took the opportunity to show off his chiselled physique and a selection of his tattoos by taking on the 'refreshing' challenge shirtless after reportedly receiving the nomination from a 24 crew member. Scroll down for video Keeping his cool! Kiefer Sutherland shows off toned torso and tattoos as he takes on the ALS ice bucket challenge According to The Mirror, Sutherland recently hinted plans for a new series of 24. He confessed: I'm missing Jack already, I love playing him. I can never say never, the role is in my blood. My biggest fear about bringing Jack back was, can we produce the standard that the fans have been used to? I still feel there are more stories to tell and lots of directions we can take. Latest craze: The actor posted his ice bucket challenge video on Twitter last week Tipping point: The 47-year-old star drenched himself in ice as he opted to go shirtless Hand on my heart there are no discussions about a new season at the moment, but I am sure there will be at some point. Meanwhile, fellow Hollywood hunk Josh Duhamel was recently taken by surprise after speaking out about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. He filmed a Twitter video, while on set for his upcoming new TV series Battle Creek, to explain why he couldn't accept the challenge - after being nominated by actresses Hilary Swank and Emmy Rossum. Huge splash! The social media craze, which has been backed by The ALS Association, sees people getting drenched in a chilly mixture of freezing cold water and ice cubes 'This is for @SMAitForward, Jack Merrill, Joe Carew, @HilarySwank & @EmmyRossum. #SMA #ALS #icebucketchallenge,' he captioned the clip. But amid his explanation of not being able to soak himself due to work duties, an unseen crew member decided to interrupt Joshs speech by pouring a bucket of ice water on his head. The social media craze, which has been backed by The ALS Association, sees people getting drenched in a chilly mixture of freezing cold water and ice cubes with an aim to raise money for sufferers of neurodegenerative illness Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Other stars to have taken part in the ALS ice bucket challenge include Oprah Winfrey, Cara Delevingne, and Niall Horan. On a mission: Josh Duhamel took a break from filming Battle Creek to respond to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Thursday By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: The state government has decided to increase the number of Covid hospitals from 138 to 287 to deal with the rising number of coronavirus cases. A decision to this effect was taken during a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday. Taking stock of the Covid-19 situation in the state, he directed officials to appoint doctors and specialists for the additional 149 Covid hospitals at the earliest, increase the pay of temporary sanitation staff recruited for Covid hospitals and other coronavirus-related programmes, and resolve lapses at hospitals, if any. Health department officials were asked to rate hospitals based on infrastructure, services provided and overall performance. The Chief Minister said the 287 hospitals must have all required facilities and medical staff. The standards maintained should be regularly monitored, he added. Jagan also stressed that Covid-19 call centres and help desks at hospitals should function efficiently. Apart from detailed information about treatment and other facilities, Aarogyamitra Help Desks should provide information about the Arogya Aasara scheme and ensure it is implemented effectively. Help desks should ensure patients get financial aid from the time they get discharged till the rest period advised by doctors ends, he said. Hygiene must be maintained at hospitals and nutritious food should be provided to patients, he added.Besides this, he said people in home quarantine, and those covered under Aarogyasri should be taken care of well. They should be given medicines and treatment in time, and the system to clarify doubts of patients and their relatives should function effectively. Services in hospitals should be streamlined in the way we ourselves expect when we go to a hospital for treatment, he told the officials. The referral protocol should be followed and implemented at the village and ward clinic level. A call centre to register complaints about Aarogyasri services should be launched and the toll-free number displayed prominently at all hospitals, he added. CM moots action against unnecessary referrals Jagan also asked officials to take stern action against those who make unnecessary referrals without first treating patients. Officials should make arrangements to hand over the cash incentive for women when discharging them after delivery, he said. The officials told the Chief Minister that plasma therapy is being provided at Covid hospitals and there have been no negative results so far. They explained that if any service is not available at a hospital, patients are referred to other hospitals. Patients dont have to go through the admission process again when they are referred to another hospital, they added. The officials said the Covid- 19 mortality rate in the state is 0.9 per cent, as against 1.9 per cent at the national level, and the recovery rate has risen to 72.29 per cent. As many as 57,58 tests are being conducted per million people in the state, and in Srikakulam district, the figure is as high as 87,754 tests per million. A special survey has been conducted in Anantapur, East Godavari, Krishna and Nellore districts to assess the spread of the coronavirus and the containment measures in place. Of the Covid-19 casualties in the state, 71.66 per cent were male and 28.34 per cent female. Late admission to hospitals was one of the main causes of deaths. Special Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy, health commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar and other officials were present at the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan announced, on Saturday, in a press conference, that it is impossible for the Government to ensure masks for all the children and professors in Romania, but that disinfectants and masks for children from poor families or children who forgot their masks will exist in every school in the country and that, furthermore, access to water and sewerage will be ensured. "There are disfavored categories which are beneficiaries of free masks on the part of the state, through the acquisition done by the Health Ministry. From the perspective of the Government, we are making money available to local public authorities, to make a minimal stock of masks and disinfectant materials in each school, for emergency situations, to call them so, the child forgets his mask at home, he's from a poor family, he ran out of masks, but it is impossible for the Government to ensure masks for all the children in this country, for all professors. So, government support goes to disfavored categories, on an acquisition finalized at the Health Ministry," said Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Tucan.According to her, the Government will earmark 50 million euro to public authorities, to acquire from these funds, masks and disinfectants for each school in the country."At the same time, we will reimburse 50 million euro to the local public authorities and county school inspectorates, for the acquisition of necessary masks and disinfectants in schools, once the school year starts. This decision to discount the acquisition of these products is in agreement with the decision regarding decentralization, which we took to include the choosing of scenario that schools apply once the school year starts and allows for a much faster acquisition and the presence of these products in schools. As you saw in the guide we have already presented publicly, we want the mask to be mandatory starting with primary school, both for pupils, as well as for teachers, which means that in each school there has to be a stock of masks so that if there are children from disfavored families, if they leave their mask at home, they can receive from the school also a sanitary protection product, such as the mask, but they should also disinfect, as this rulebook put into debate provides for," mentioned deputy PM Raluca Turcan.Raluca Turcan also said that children will benefit from toilets in education institutions around the country, even in localities with no running water and sewerage, where sanitary containers are to be installed.The Deputy PM also recalled that 750,000 children should receive, freely, from the state, a tablet or laptop, in order to be able to follow courses online. Turcan also said that the Government has provided to complete the number of 250,000 tablets already acquired by the Education Ministry by reimbursement of another 500,000 tablets and laptops, for the local authorities that acquire such devices for the start of the school year, in order to be prepared for the worst case scenario, that of online teaching.Raluca Turcan was Saturday in Sibiu, together with Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Adrian Oros. JUNEAU, Alaska - State prosecutors will not seek criminal charges against a Juneau police officer in the fatal shooting of a man last year, the Alaska Department of Law said Friday, refuting a claim that the officer had been formulating a plan to shoot the man. Attorneys representing Kelly Stephens parents last week requested the departments Office of Special Prosecutions re-evaluate its conclusion that the shooting by Officer James Esbenshade was legally justified. In a letter to Jack McKenna, a chief assistant attorney general with the special prosecutions office, family attorney Ben Crittenden cited an excerpt from a police report he said described in bone-chilling detail Esbenshade talking to himself and formulating a plan to shoot Stephens if he found him. The familys attorneys also cited video, taken from Esbenshades body camera, whose audio they had enhanced and transcribed. But the Department of Law on Friday said the statements in the video do not represent a premeditated plan to find and kill Mr. Stephens. Stephens had been accused of threatening a grocery store patron and swinging a long chain before the fatal shooting. Officers at the scene of the grocery store incident late on Dec. 28 did not find Stephens, according to a March review by McKenna. An excerpt of the police report released by the familys attorneys referenced Esbenshade driving around after conducting a witness interview after the grocery store incident and talking to himself, saying something similar to: you cant come at me with that, that is a deadly weapon. Id shoot you and drop you dead. The excerpt says Esbenshade later stated, you get one chance, you better make it good. Because when I get ahold of you... Thered be nothing left of you. When Esbenshade responded to a call of a shot fired near an apartment complex after midnight on Dec. 29, he had no reason to believe Stephens was involved, the Department of Law said Friday. According to McKennas review which drew from video, audio records, witness statements and photographs from the Juneau Police Departments investigation a man later identified near the complex as Stephens yelled expletives at Esbenshade and told the officer, I will kill you, as Esbenshade backed up. The review said Esbenshade had ordered Stephens to stop. The officer was retreating when he raised his gun, McKennas report said. It was not until after retreating for a full twenty seconds, while Mr. Stephens was yelling that he was going to kill the officer, that Officer Esbenshade fired a single shot at Mr. Stephens, the Department of Law said Friday. The department said the comments in the video could be viewed as the officer verbalizing how he would deal with a situation similar to what was alleged to have happened that night at the grocery store parking lot. Esbenshade declined to be interviewed about the shooting, according to McKennas March review of the case. Crittenden and an attorney who has represented Esbenshade did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday. The Department of Law said the Office of Special Prosecutions offered to meet with Stephens family about its recent request but they declined. The office then sent a response to their attorney, the department said. Stephens parents have filed a civil lawsuit against the Juneau police chief, the city and Esbenshade. Their attorneys said last week the lawsuit had not been served. Vietnamese citizens returning from Singapore at a quarantine facility in Soc Trang province (Photo VNA) Hanoi No new case of COVID-19 was reported over the past 12 hours, leaving the total number of cases in Vietnam at 1,009 as of 6am on August 22, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The tally included 667 locally-transmitted cases, with 527 cases recorded since July 25. Two more patients were given the all clear on August 21, bringing the number of recoveries to 547. There have been 25 fatalities. Among patients under treatment across the country, 41 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 61 negative twice and 35 negative three times. A total of 104,793 people who had close contacts with patients or came from pandemic-affected areas are being quarantined. The Ministry of Health is calling on people to install the locally-developed tracing mobile app Bluezone to help with the tracking of infection risks. Over 20 million downloads of the app have been recorded so far. Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning, has arrived in Berlin for treatment by specialists at the German capitals main hospital. A representative of the NGO that arranged the special flight confirmed that the plane had landed and that Mr Navalny was in a stable condition. Navalny is in Berlin, Jaka Bizilj, of the German organisation Cinema For Peace, told The Associated Press. He survived the flight and hes stable. He said all other information on the 44-year-olds health would have to come from his family and the German doctors now looking after him. After touching down shortly before 9am in a special area of the capitals Tegel airport which is used for government and military flights, Mr Navalny was taken by ambulance to Berlins Charite hospital. The hospital later issued a statement saying extensive tests were being carried out on Mr Navalny, and doctors would not comment on his illness or treatment until those were completed. Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. He was flown to Berlin on a plane organised by supporters, which was equipped with advanced medical equipment, and was accompanied by German medical specialists. When the plane arrived to collect him on Friday morning at his familys behest, Mr Navalnys doctors in Omsk initially said he was too unstable to move. His supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. Expand Close An aircraft carrying Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny arrives at Tegel Airport in Berlin (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An aircraft carrying Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny arrives at Tegel Airport in Berlin (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP) The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organised the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors had examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. Deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital Anatoly Kalinichenko then told reporters that Mr Navalnys condition had stabilised and that medics didnt mind transferring the politician, given that his relatives were willing to take on the risks. The Kremlin denied that resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was purely a medical decision. However, the reversal came as international pressure on Russias leadership mounted. It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian had been targeted in such a way or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it. Expand Close An ambulance believed to be carrying Alexei Navalny arrives at the Charite hospital in Berlin (Markus Schreiber/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An ambulance believed to be carrying Alexei Navalny arrives at the Charite hospital in Berlin (Markus Schreiber/AP) On Thursday, leaders of France and Germany said the two countries were ready to offer Mr Navalny and his family any and all assistance and insisted on an investigation into what happened. The most prominent member of Russias opposition, Mr Navalny campaigned to challenge Mr Putin in the 2018 presidential election but was barred from running. Since then, he has been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of the ruling party, United Russia. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption has been exposing dishonesty among government officials, including some at the highest level. But he had to shut the foundation last month after a financially devastating lawsuit from a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. Mr Navalny fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Thursday and was taken to hospital after the plane made an emergency landing. His team made arrangements to transfer him to Charite, a clinic in Berlin which has a history of treating famous foreign leaders and dissidents. Expand Close A stretcher carrying Russian dissident Alexei Navalny is transferred into an ambulance before being driven to the airport for a special flight to Germany (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A stretcher carrying Russian dissident Alexei Navalny is transferred into an ambulance before being driven to the airport for a special flight to Germany (AP) Dr Yaroslav Ashikhmin, Mr Navalnys doctor in Moscow, told the Associated Press that being on a plane with specialised equipment, including a ventilator and a machine that can do the work of the heart and lungs, can be even safer than staying in a hospital in Omsk. Mr Navalnys spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, posted pictures of what she said was a bathroom inside the hospital which showed squalid conditions, including walls with paint peeling off, rusting pipes, and a dirty floor and walls. While his supporters and family members continue to insist that Mr Navalny was poisoned, doctors in Omsk denied that and put forward another theory. The hospitals chief doctor, Alexander Murakhovsky, said in a video published by Omsk news outlet NGS55 that a metabolic disorder was the most likely diagnosis and that a drop in blood sugar may have caused Mr Navalny to lose consciousness. Expand Close Alexander Murakhovsky, the Omsk hospitals chief doctor, speaks to journalists (Evgeniy Sofiychuk/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alexander Murakhovsky, the Omsk hospitals chief doctor, speaks to journalists (Evgeniy Sofiychuk/AP) Another doctor with ties to the politician, Dr Anastasia Vasilyeva, said that diagnosing Mr Navalny with a metabolic disorder says nothing about what may have caused it and it could have been the result of a poisoning. Dr Ashikhmin, who has been Mr Navalnys doctor since 2013, said the politician has always been in good health, regularly went for medical check-ups and did not have any underlying illnesses which could have triggered his condition. Western toxicology experts expressed doubts that a poisoning could have been ruled out so quickly. Alastair Hay, an emeritus professor and toxicology expert from the school of medicine at the University of Leeds, said: It takes a while to rule things out. And particularly if something is highly toxic it will be there in very low concentrations, and many screening tests would just not pick that substance up. Like many other opposition politicians in Russia, Mr Navalny has been frequently detained by law enforcement and harassed by pro-Kremlin groups. In 2017, he was attacked by several men who threw antiseptic in his face, damaging an eye. Last year, Mr Navalny was rushed to a hospital from jail where he was serving a sentence on charges of violating protest regulations. His team also suspected poisoning then. Doctors said he had a severe allergic reaction and sent him back to detention the following day. Islamabad: After years of denial, the Pakistan government has finally admitted that fugitive underworld don and 26/11 Mumbai serial blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim is living in Karachi city. A Pakistan governments order has stated that Dawood Ibrahim, who is Indias most wanted terrorist, is residing in Karachi. The development is significant since Islamabad has for years denied that it has sheltered Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who has been accused of orchestrating the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts along with other terrorists. Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India to face the law of the land for carrying out the serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993 in which scores of people were killed and injured. India has asked Pakistan numerous times in past to hand over the fugitive underworld gangster to face trial for the crimes committed by him in the country, but Pakistan always denied. The Pakistan government issued a sanction order on August 18 proscribing 88 terrorists under the United Nations Sanction Resolution which also named Dawood Ibrahim. Through its August 18 order, the Pakistan government had put more curbs on 88 banned terrorist outfits which included Dawood Ibrahim - a United Nations-designated terrorist. Also Read: Indian security agencies reveal details of underworld don Dawood Ibrahims passports The tough sanctions would lead to the seizure of Dawood Ibrahim's properties and the freezing of his bank accounts. The order detailing him mentions his various aliases, his Pakistani passport numbers and his address in Karachi. Under the section on Dawood's various passports and their numbers, the order lists five passports issued in Pakistan. The Pakistan government's document mentions - White House, Karachi as Dawoods address. Dawood Ibrahim heads the D-Company and runs an organised crime syndicate. As per some estimates, up to 5,000 criminals are believed to be part of the D-Company. They are engaged in smuggling and trafficking and, according to some estimates, make about USD 2 billion (around 13,695 crore) every year from illegitimate activities. D-Company members smuggle contraband, arms and explosives with the participation of foreign agents during their ship dismantling operations, the report says. The Dawood gang is also infamous for extortion and contract killings. According to the US Treasury report, the D Company is the biggest operator of an international betting syndicate. Their betting syndicate derives strength from his hawala operation based out of Dubai. The US Treasury has frozen Dawood's assets and accused him of drug trafficking to Europe. Other controversial figures who have been banned by the Pakistan government are Hafiz Saeed Ahmad of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Mohammad Masood Azhar of JeM and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi etc. According to the details, the government has also seized the bank accounts and properties of the terrorists in the country. They have also been banned from travelling aboard, Pakistans Ary News reported. Pakistan has been on the Paris-based FATF's grey list since June 2018 and the Imran Khan-led government had been given a final warning in February to complete the remaining action points by June 2020. The FATF extended the June deadline to September due to the spread of coronavirus that disrupted the FATF plenary meetings. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, the Paris-based body could push the Imran Khan-led country onto the "Blacklist" along with North Korea and Iran. In this three-part series, TwoCircles.net profiles the three youth from Rajouri who were killed in an alleged fake encounter in Shopian district of Kashmir on July 18, and posed off as militants. While Army and Police have both called for an investigation, the families have maintained their innocence. In this series, TwoCircles.net correspondent Ayushi Malik pieces together the last moments the trio shared with their families. By Ayushi Malik, TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles Rajouri: It has been nearly two weeks of uncertainty for the families of three Rajouri youth who were allegedly killed in an encounter in Shopian district of Kashmir on July 18. The families, who recognized their kin through photographs on social media, are in a state of shock and grief. The family of one of the slain youth Abrar Ahmad (25) lives in village Tarkassi, around 25 kilometres from main town Rajouri. On approaching the house, wailing cries of the family members can be heard. Abrars father Mohammad Yousaf, who suffers from multiple ailments, is distraught. His worn-out eyes speak of agony as he remembers the last moments he spent with his son in Dhok a place at top of the mountains where they go in summers to graze their cattle. Abrar accompanied his father to Dhok for two days and helped him get settled there by grazing the cattle and collecting firewood for him. On returning, he went to visit his in-laws before leaving for Shopian. Jab yahan se gaya to apne sasural gaya aur jab jane ka time aya to sabne bola ki ja baap se milke aa par who darr ke nahi aya ki main janne nahi dunga. Mujhe dar tha corona ka, yeh to mere zehen main hi ni tha (When he left from Dhok, he went to see his in-laws. They told him to meet me before leaving for Shopian but he feared I wont allow him. I was scared of him contracting coronavirus but I would have never thought this would happen.) Abrar, left home with his sixteen-year-old brother-in-law also named Abrar on foot on July 16 looking for labour work in Kashmir. Carrying only Rs. 500, a pair of Chappals and a bottle of milk, which the family spotted in the videos of their rented room, he had left for Shopian. Abrars young wife Shareen Akhtar is still unable to come to terms with the unimaginable loss. She has lost two family members to the encounter, her husband Abrar and brother, also named Abrar. Talking with TwoCircles.net, Shareen said that her husband had given her Rs 1500 and his ATM cards before leaving and said he would take money from his brothers if needed. Jane se pehle bola ki agar main tumhare paas baithunga to mere bache aur tumhara pait kahan se pallunga? (Before he left he told me how can I feed you and my son if I stay here with you?), she shared. Downhill from the family home is the newly built two-room house Abrar was building for his wife and son. He built it with his own hands. Carrying the cement, bricks and sand on his shoulders, his grieving family said. Abrars sister Shabnam said that he had gone to earn money to finish construction on his house. Ghar abhi kacha hai. Usko plaster karane ke paise kamane ke liye hi gaya tha Shopian (The house isnt complete yet. He went to Shopian to make money so that he can get his house plastered.), said his father Yousuf. The newly built house is a stark reminder of their loss. A makeshift entrance is made out of a wooden ladder and sandbags leading to the front door of the newly constructed house. The windows on each side of the front door are draped with the trampoline. Abrars wife Shareen sits at the front door unable to come inside. The family shows me around the house consisting of a bedroom, kitchen, lobby, storeroom and a bathroom. In the lobby is a refrigerator young Abrar had gifted his sister Shareen. She is quick to add that he had promised to gift her a TV for the new house too. Young Abrar was a loving member of the family who would take care of the day to day needs of his sister. When his brother in law was away in Kuwait, he would bring her milk and ration almost every day for her, Yousaf said. Shareen takes out her husbands clothes, photographs and the marriage certificate with a blank expression. His clothes are hanging on the bedroom wall untouched, and so does the utensils in the small dimly lit kitchen. Unable to step into the bedroom, she stood in the drawing-room and showed me the yellow suit Abrar had brought for Anshu, who was playing and hopping around the house. Apne hathon se banaya hai ghar usne. Aur plaster karana chahata tha to kaise mana kar deta jane se (He built this home with his own bare hands. Now he wished to plaster it. How could I say no to him?), his teary-eyed father said. On July 17, Abrar called his wife and sisters back home informing them that the two had reached Shopian and rented a room. This was the last conversation that the two had with their families before their phones would go off. With no phone connection, this left the families wondering about their whereabouts. Thinking they must have been quarantined in Shopian as is the procedure for all travellers coming into Kashmir, the families waited for twenty-one days before finally filing a missing report at a police station 9 August. Yousaf said that on 10 August a journalist called him and after asking his sons name sent him pictures of the slain unidentified militants killed in Shopian. I recognized them instantly, he says. Shareen is besieged with grief. The couple had gotten married in April 2016 and she had given birth to Anshu, who unaware of the tragedy, chuckles playfully. Abrar, who was lovingly called Jaanu by his family, was a dedicated son who would work hard to support his family. Aijaz Ahmed, cousin of Abrar says that Ansh occasionally asks about his father, Janu Kahan Hai? (Where is Janu?). The family silences his queries with a packet of biscuits or a juice can. This wont distract Anshu for long, says Shareen, who feels apprehensive about sharing the news. The day Abrar left on 16 July, he gently kissed his sleeping son goodbye, said Shareen. Shareen grasps for air as she prepares herself to speak about his husband. She was in Dhok on 17 July with her in-laws when she and Anshu had last listened to the voice of her husband and young brother Abrar on phone at 1 pm in noon. Phone par bola ki hum (the trio) ikathe ho gaye hain. Khana bhi nahi khaya hai aur 3 din ka lockdown hai to raat main bat karta hu (He told her phone that they all are together, havent eaten yet and will talk later at night as there is a three-day lockdown there), he told his sister Naseem. At 5 pm on the same day, Shareen called them again but due to poor connection, the conversation was broken. She says that she heard someone ask Imtiaz that how many boys had he brought with him to which he answered his two brothers. Then my phone died, she says. The family waited for the mother, sister and wife of Abrar to arrive home and break the news to them. They were called home on August 11 on the excuse of conducting mandatory coronavirus tests. It was the same day authorities came to their home to take the familys DNA samples. Naseem feared her sister-in-law would have killed herself in Dhok had learnt about the killings there. She fainted when we told her, adds another cousin. To prevent her from seeing the photographs of dead bodies of her husband and brother, Naseem hid Shareens phone. Abrars mother Mallika Khatoon, who till now was listening silently to the conversation, broke down on seeing the gruesome picture of her son. Before leaving for Shopian, Abrar did not meet his mother afraid that she too like his father, would dissuade him from going. Mallika Khatoon is filled with regret as she didnt get the chance to talk to his son. The young Abrars face was first recognized by Mohammed Yousaf, and then they identified all three. Naseem shows me the same photograph and points towards Abrar and says, See, he is my brother and this is Bhabhis (Shareens), pointing at young Abrars body in the middle. The authorities have provided minimal information to the family about how the events resulting in the death of the trio unfolded and family is connecting the dots from media reports. Why were their faces burnt after they had died? the family asks. According to media reports, the owner of the orchard in Shopian was called after the encounter to identify the three young men. He, however, couldnt identify the bodies because their faces were burnt. In a news report, the owner had stated that the trio didnt appear to be militants from their outfits. Dekho na inhe kaise mara hai, pehle goliyon se fir chehara jal gaya hai (See how they killed them. First they shot them and then burnt their faces), remarks Shabnam, unable to look at the photograph. Dekho na inke hath dekho, ab humein jeene ka koi shauk nahi hai (See their hands. Now we dont have any will to live), she adds. Shabnam, the youngest sister of Abrar, told me that the loud wailing cries of the family broke the news to her but she convinced her mind otherwise. Later, she saw the photographs confirming her worst fears. Bhaiya sabse roz baat karte the. Woh baat karne ke bager reh hi nahi sakte the (He (Abrar) would talk to us every day, he couldnt even go a single day without talking to his wife, she says. While in Kuwait for work, Abrar would make video calls every day. When Abrars phone had gone off after 18 July, his sister feared that something bad had happened to him. My brother wouldnt go this long without talking with his family, she said. Taking out her phone, Shabnam says that she would call his brother Abrar everyday after July 18 but in vain. Jaane se pehle bhaiya bolkar gaye the ki apni bhabhi ka khyal rakhna, isko akele mat chorna (Before leaving, he told me to take care of his wife and child and never to leave them alone), she said. An eight standard drop-out, Abrar worked as a labourer in and around the village, his brother Zafar Iqbal, an army man, told me. He was trained in plucking ground nuts, a high paying job in Kashmir that would give him Rs. 1000 per day. He would do multiple jobs to make ends meet for the family of six his father Mohammed Yousaf, mother Mallika Khatoon, two brothers Javaid Ahmed and Shakoor Ahmed, and three sister Fareeda Begum, Naseem Akhtar, and the youngest Shehreen Shabnam, he said. The wrinkled face of Abrars father fills with a half-smile as he informs me that around 20 members of the family are currently serving the Indian Army including his brother as an honorary Captain. Reciting the popular patriotic Urdu song Sare Jahan Se Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara, Yousaf says, Hum gaya karte the school main (We used to sing this in school). My son is innocent. I am sure of it. I dare anyone to prove otherwise, he says. Abrar worked in Kuwait for four years, where he would do petty jobs, sending whatever money he made to his family back home. Yousaf said that he never took money from his son after he got married. Whatever he sent for the wife was spent on the house he built for his wife and son, he adds. In March, as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading throughout the world, Abrar returned from Kuwait. He had bought gifts for everyone. He brought watches for his sister and brother, blanket and clothes for his wife, son and mother, suit and Zaitoon (Olive) oil for my hurting knees, he said. Abrars 18-year-old cousin Aijaz Ahmed, said that Abrar was loved by all in his village. He would spend all his time working to take care of everyone around him. Thats why everyone who knew him became attached to his caring nature, he said. Hum sabka laadla tha woh, aur hum sab uske ladle (We all adored him and he adored all of us), said everyone in the room in unison. Abrars toddler son Anshu starts to sob and asks about his father. Yousaf says that Abrar wanted his son to get a proper education and a good job. All of it is gone now, he said. According to the village Chowkidar, Gulam Hussain, this is the first case of its kind in the village. Many young men leave from Tarkassi to work in Kashmir but after this incident they all are afraid. Hussain, a well-built man in his seventies, assures that no young man would ever pick up guns in these parts. I know every person personally. We all are men of patriotism and would never betray our nation. Abrar, a fine young man, would certainly not do so, he said. The family of Abrar have only one demand now the return of the dead bodies of their slain children and a judicial enquiry investigating the killings. Sitting under a peppercorn tree in the surrounds of the McClelland homestead, Davidson and the McClelland family discuss the possible challenges of the upcoming season. Davidson tells them, Ive got quite a few shearers that cant come over, and Im not the only one, everyone is struggling and it's going to become a major problem. Its all right at this time of the year, we will have to work six days a week to cover it. Im more worried about the ones down the line, how they are going to get through. Sheds down around Mortlake, Lake Bolac and Hamilton, those areas are the ones that are really going to feel it. This is the area of concern for McClelland, His family has 8000 hectares and shears 22,000 sheep in total across a couple of properties, but its his flock on his farm near Mortlake, which they usually shear in October, that's the worry. Things could get tight down there. The bureau is forecasting a wet September, and if contractors lose days or weeks due to wet weather, and wet sheep, thats when things will get serious. We will start to have issues with flystrike [a parasitic infestation] and animal welfare if the sheep dont get shorn. Our other problem is that most years we finish shearing and then were straight into harvesting the crop, which wont be able to wait. Shearer Halwan Fowler. Credit:Justin McManus In the 1800s there were 80,000 shearers in Australia and no personal trainers, and now there are 80,000 personal trainers and only about 3000 shearers, he says. Davidson chips in that he actually had a personal trainer contact him looking for a job. A woman has been texting me looking for work but were a bit worried that shes from Melbourne, and she needs to get tested and isolate. Id hate to get the blame for being the one who brought the coronavirus to Birchip. Until recently sentiment in rural Victoria suggested that they had avoided the worst effects of the pandemic. It was considered a city problem, the geographical isolation had protected them, and in terms of cases it has. McClelland's sister-in-law, Ros McClelland, a former doctor now working on the family property, says there have been no recorded cases of the virus in the shire. Farmer Leon Hogan says the first signs of the pandemic were shortages in fertilisers and crop chemicals. We had our own version of the toilet paper madness, he says. Hogan has been hit hard by the drop in lamb prices and is losing thousands of dollars a day. Israel-UAE deal a Trump coup, but his sights are set on Iran US President Donald Trump lost his bid to have the arms embargo on Iran extended at the UN The Israel-UAE agreement gives the United States a rare diplomatic success in the Middle East -- but it is Iran which President Donald Trump has in his sights, with a strategy that now shifts to the United Nations. The White House has lavished praise on a foreign policy coup which was sorely needed by a president seeking re-election in November who has little to show on the diplomatic front. "This is a dramatic breakthrough that will make the Middle East safer," chief US negotiator Jared Kushner told CBS. "It means less American troops will have to be over there." Under the US-brokered agreement, the United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed on Thursday to establish full diplomatic ties, making the monarchy just the third Arab country to recognize the Jewish state, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. "Assuming the deal works, it's the first time Israel has established normalized relations with any Gulf nation and for that reason it's significant," said Aaron David Miller, a former diplomat who served as Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. But, Miller cautioned, "don't blow this out of proportion. "I don't buy that it's on the same level of magnitude or accomplishment as Egypt or Jordan," said Miller, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is the UAE we're talking about. This is not the Arab world's most powerful nation like Egypt. This isn't even a country that has a contiguous border with Israel." Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council, another Washington think-tank, described the agreement as a "good move" but "not earthshaking in view of the covert ties the two countries have had for a very long time." - 'Vision for Peace' - Since taking office, Trump has pledged to apply his self-proclaimed deal-making skills to resolving the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Story continues He charged Kushner, his son-in-law, with the daunting task of hammering out Middle East peace. But the Palestinians have refused to play along with an administration seen as staunchly pro-Israel, and rejected the US president's "Vision for Peace" unveiled in January. Miller said the Israel-UAE normalization agreement does little to advance Trump's "vision" of overall Middle East peace. What's more, he added, "the administration's motivation has nothing to do with Israeli-Palestinian peace." "It's about domestic policy," Miller said. "This is about making the president look good, demonstrating some measure of competency and fulfilling at least some degree of what the administration claimed it would do from the beginning -- which is to make peace between Israel and the Arab world." Above all, Miller said, "it helps give rise to the image that there is an anti-Iran coalition." "But I'm not sure that's going to get very far," he continued, unless Trump can get other Arab countries such as Morocco, Bahrain and Oman to sign on. Trump has made it clear that his main objective in the Middle East is neutralizing Iran. He has called on several occasions for the creation of a NATO of Middle East nations, an alliance which has failed to come together. Since unilaterally repudiating the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Trump has also found himself isolated by other Western countries when it comes to the Islamic Republic. This isolation came to the fore at the United Nations on Friday when the Security Council rejected a US resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October. China and Russia had intended to veto the resolution even if it did pass. After the defeat, the United States may try to force the Security Council to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran which were lifted in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal. Washington has threatened to use a contested argument that it remains a "participant" in the nuclear deal -- the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- despite its withdrawal. And if UN sanctions are not extended, the argument goes, the United States can force their return if it sees Iran as being in violation of the JCPOA's terms. Slavin said that is unlikely to get very far. "The US is in a weak and legally dubious position on that and this proto-normalization between the UAE and Israel will have zero effect," she said. fff/cl/st He was seen with his hands all over a mystery brunette last week. And Gerard Butler was back at it again as he enjoyed a kissing session with his new love interest in California over the weekend. The 44-year-old actor - who is as well known for his colourful love life as he is for his movie roles - looked completely smitten with his female companion as they kissed and cuddled outside DAmores Pizza in Malibu. Day date: Gerard Butler was back at it again as he enjoyed a kissing session with his new love interest in California over the weekend The 300 star sported a casual outfit for the lunch date as he teamed a faded grey top with grey stars and striped shorts. He seemed to have come from a dusty location as his feet and sandals were covered in dust. Gerard shielded his eyes from the Californian sunshine with a pair of aviator shades as he took a break from his amorous display to take a call on the phone. Come here, you: The 44-year-old actor looked completely smitten with his female companion as they kissed and cuddled outside DAmores Pizza in Malibu Smitten: The 300 star sported a casual outfit for the lunch date as he teamed a faded grey top with grey stars and striped shorts His mystery girlfriend kept her look simple as she teamed a peach vest top with brown jeans which she held up with a brown belt. She added height to her look with brown boots while she left her locks naturally wavy. The brunette beauty seemed to be wearing minimal make-up with the pairs date as she was also seen speaking to the person on the other end of the phone. The Law Abiding Citizen star seemed to enjoying some time off after working on back to back films. Laid-back: His mystery girlfriend kept her look simple as she teamed a peach vest top with brown jeans which she held up with a brown belt Hands on: The brunette beauty seemed to be wearing minimal make-up with the pairs date as she was seen speaking on the phone Scruffy look: Gerard shielded his eyes from the Californian sunshine with a pair of aviator shades as he took a break from his amorous display to take a call on the phone. Gerard's action thriller London Has Fallen - about London under attack by terrorists - will hit theaters in October 2015. The sequel to Olympus Has Fallen will also include performances by Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Angela Bassett. He can also be seen in 2016 film Gods Of Egypt, starring as Set, god of the desert, storms, disorder, and warfare. Pucker up, baby: The actor was spotted indulging in a passionate kiss with the same girl last week in Los Angeles Relaxed: The Law Abiding Citizen star seemed to enjoying some time off after working on back to back films Meanwhile, Gerard was in London on Tuesday as he made an appearance at Westfield, White City, where he was unveiled as the new face of Boss Bottled. The Scottish star was dapper in a grey suit as he happily joked around for the cameras following the announcement that he will advertise the fragrance. He looked tanned and relaxed, sporting some facial hair, although there was no sign of his mystery lady. Who's the boss? Gerard made an appearance at Westfield, White City on Tuesday where he was announced as the new face of Boss Bottled Residents gathered at post offices in New Haven, Hamden, Bridgeport, Hartford and other communities in Connecticut Saturday, as they and people across the nation rallied for Save the Post Office Saturday. In Danbury, the event one of many organized across the nation was held virtually, one day after state Department of Public Health reported a spike in coronavirus cases in the city Friday night. The department declared a coronavirus alert for the city, which urges Danbury residents to stay home and avoid unnecessary outings. Speaking during the online event, state Rep. Bob Godfrey, a Navy veteran, said the right to cast a free and fair ballot had been enshrined in the blood and sacrifice of those that came before us. I think all of us just wont take it any more, the Danbury Democrat said. President Donald Trump has spent months casting doubt on the validity of mail-in ballots, suggesting they could be subject to fraud, and last week acknowledged that providing additional funding for the postal service would influence the services ability to handle millions of ballots. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously announced, then halted under criticism, plans to remove mail-processing machines and blue collection boxes from post offices around the country, among other operational changes, according to the Associated Press. DeJoy also cut overtime and other expenses that ensure prompt delivery of mail, resulting in a national slowdown of the service, according to the AP. In testimony before Congress Friday, DeJoy said the cost-cutting measures including removal in the late spring of mail-sorting equipment, some of it in Connecticut would not affect delivery of absentee ballots in the upcoming election. But on July 31, the U.S. Postal Service notified 46 states, including Connecticut, that it could not assure on-time delivery of absentee ballots under the states election timetables. Rallies were also planned at post offices in Fairfield, Norwalk, Simsbury, Bethelehem and Avon, organizers said on the website. The rallies were organized in connection with a national initiative from MoveOn.Org, the NAACP, the Working Families Party, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Teachers, among others, according to the website set up for the endeavor. John Goncalves, of the Danbury Democratic Town Committee, a 30-year employee of the United States Postal Service, said during Danburys event that DeJoy was intentionally abusing the postal service, an iconic American institution. He warned that if sorting machines and ballot boxes were not restored across the country, the damage to the election and the service had already been done. Speakers called on the public to sign a petition calling for DeJoys resignation and to email the USPS Board Of Governors and express that same desire. Najely, a young undocumented activist from Danbury, noted that people of color are already dealing with a disproportionate impact from the coronavirus, and thus are at greater risk. Taking away the ability to submit votes by mail, she noted, would force them to choose between risking their safety and raising their voice. This is dangerous. This is not a choice that people in a democracy should be forced to make, said Najely. Everyone should have a right to safe and fair voting. Some rally organizers said Saturday morning that they felt compelled to defend the ability of the post office to function effectively, given its central role in American democracy and life. I think the post office is a fundamentally important organization in the United States, said Henry Lowendorf, the organizer of the rally at New Havens Fountain Street office. It maintains communication, personal and business, and its under attack right now by the Trump administration. Max Hyre, the organizer of the rally at the Brewery Street post office in New Haven, said that Trump and other officials had focused inappropriately on the profitability of the postal service. The Post Office regularly carries checks, medication, love letters and Christmas cards, Hyer noted so many of the things that bind us together. And, given the global pandemic, its ability to handle ballots will potentially impact the well-being of residents, he noted. John Leary, who organized the rally at the Whitneyville post office in Hamden, said four of his uncles had worked for the Post Office in New Haven, including one who was the postmaster general in Fair Haven. I jokingly said theyre looking down and shaking their fist about whats going on with their legacy, said Leary. Those people that are attacking it right now are not interested in supporting the people served by the post office. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was among the participants at a rally in front of a post office in downtown Hartford. Donald Trump has two not-so-hidden agendas. No. 1, to privatize the Post Office. And No. 2, to sabotage the election. And hes pursuing both relentlessly and tirelessly, Blumenthal said. My goal is very simply to make sure that the Postal Service is preserved as a public institution accountable to us as Americans, not to a set of private shareholders. Bridgeport City Council member Maria Pereira, in a letter, called for state officials to take additional steps to ensure the viability of mail-in voting, including asking for additional drop boxes where residents can submit ballots, for ballots to be sent out more quickly to residents that request them and for Gov. Ned Lamont to issue an executive order requiring that all absentee ballots postmarked by November 3rd and received by Monday, November 9th are to be counted. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Senate Chairman Subpoenas Former State Department Staffer Linked to Ex-Spy Christopher Steele Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has issued a subpoena to a former State Department official linked to a controversial research dossier authored by British ex-spy Christopher Steele, which played a key role in the FBIs probe into debunked allegations of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to swing the 2016 election. Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, subpoenaed Jonathan Winer after warning earlier this month he would seek to compel former State Department employees to testify as part of the committees probe into the governments handling of the investigation into Russian election meddling, the Washington Examiner has learned. Among other issues, Mr. Winers admitted destruction of his records related to his contacts with Christopher Steele is concerning and deserves an explanation, Johnson told The Epoch Times in an earlier emailed statement. According to a Senate Intelligence Committee report released on Aug. 18, Winer destroyed records that Steele sent him. So, I destroyed them, and I basically destroyed all the correspondence I had with him, Winer was quoted in the report as saying about information that was on his personal devices, adding as justification that Steele wanted to keep his network of contacts secret from the Russian intelligence services. Winer, who was Steeles contact at the State Department, arranged a meeting for Steele in October 2016 with another State Department official regarding the former spys research on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. After Steeles memos were published in the press in January 2017, Steele asked Winer to make note of having them, then either destroy all the earlier reports Steele had sent the Department of State or return them to Steele, out of concern that someone would be able to reconstruct his source network, the Senate report stated. News of Johnsons subpoena comes as the Republican senator has faced criticism for not issuing subpoenas in the committees review of the probe into the Trump campaign. Johnson received the ability to issue subpoenas to persons of interest in the TrumpRussia probe in June, after the committee voted along party lines in June to grant him the power. Johnson issued his first subpoena on Aug. 10 to the FBI, requesting records related to the probe into the Trump campaign. The probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election morphed into an investigation into the Trump campaign, with the chief accusation being that members of the campaign colluded with Russian operatives to influence the election. Multiple investigations, including the probe led by then-special counsel Robert Mueller, yielded no evidence of any such criminal conspiracy, commonly referred to as collusion. Yet there have been multiple questions about the conduct of the probe into the Trump campaign, which carried the code name Crossfire Hurricane, with the set of alleged improprieties on the part of the intelligence community dubbed Spygate. Attorney General William Barr appointed John Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, in 2019 to examine the decisions that were made by government officials as they investigated ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Barr has challenged the idea that the FBI had a strong enough basis to launch its counterintelligence probe against the Trump campaign and gave Durham a mandate to review the actions taken by multiple agencies. Durham brought his first criminal charge on Aug. 14 against former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who stood accused of altering an email related to the surveillance of Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to then-presidential candidate Trump. Clinesmith pleaded guilty in federal court to a false statement charge. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Here are some of todays major headlines. Analysis: Kamala Harris defines her role: A prosecutor who will take the fight to Trump for the people As Kamala Harris made history Wednesday night, she defined the role she hopes to play as Joe Bidens running mate: the defender of the voiceless, the vilified and the forgotten Americans who have struggled under four years of President Donald Trump. Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny hospitalized after suspected poisoning: spokeswoman Russian opposition leader and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny was unconscious and on a ventilator in a hospital Thursday in Siberia after falling ill from suspected poisoning, his spokesperson said. Kamala Harris officially becomes the first Black woman to be a major partys vice presidential nominee California Sen. Kamala Harris made history Wednesday night as the first Black and South Asian woman to accept a major partys vice presidential nomination, promising to be a champion for the voiceless and forgotten Americans who are struggling in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis. Seven takeaways from the DNCs third night The nations most prominent Democrats on Wednesday night sought to instill a sense of urgency in voters that was absent four years ago, when Donald Trump was elected President. US suspends Hong Kong extradition treaty over new security law The United States government has officially suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over concerns that the Chinese governments new national security law is eroding the citys autonomy. Australias Qantas says international flights unlikely to resume before July 2021 Australian carrier Qantas Airways announced Thursday that its unlikely to resume international flights before July 2021, as it suffers heavy losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Apple helped the US government build a top secret iPod, former engineer says David Shayer was sitting at his desk in 2005 when his bosss boss at Apple asked him to take on a special assignment for the company: help the US Department of Energy build a top secret iPod. Why the Mali coup could worry Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron A coup in Mali, West Africa, could have ramifications far beyond its borders, threatening to further destabilize across the region and jeopardizing counter-insurgency efforts led by France and the United States. SpaceX is now a $46 billion unicorn SpaceX, the Elon Musk-led company that recently became the first business in history to send astronauts into Earths orbit, is parlaying its successes into big money. Trump cancels Goodyear tires as he campaigns against cancel culture President Donald Trump is calling on his followers to not buy Goodyear tires, despite previously railing against cancel culture, after an employee posted a viral photo of a company policy banning Make America Great Again and other political attire in the workplace. UN joins global condemnation of Mali coup The United Nations has joined global condemnation of the military takeover in Mali, which saw President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita forced to resign. The UNs Security Council echoed similar calls by regional bodies for the immediate release of all government officials and the restoration of constitutional order. Obama to blast Trumps reality show presidency Barack Obama will accuse President Donald Trump of treating the White House like one more reality show, in a speech to the Democratic convention. The former US president will say his Republican successor hasnt grown into the job because he cant. Coronavirus: Germany record highest cases in months BBC News They call it the fifth season: from November through to February, south and western Germany celebrates Carnival. Revellers, decked in bright fancy dress, drink, sing and party in packed halls or crowded streets. But theres now fierce debate over whether this cherished tradition can go ahead at all as the number of new daily infections continues to rise. Apple first US company to be valued at $2tn Tech giant Apple has become the first US company to be valued at $2tn (1.5tn) on the stock market. It reached the milestone just two years after becoming the worlds first trillion-dollar company in 2018. Its share price hit $467.77 in mid-morning trading in the US on Wednesday to push it over the $2tn mark. Airbnb puts stock market launch back on the table Airbnb has announced plans to list on the stock market as concerns over the impact of the coronavirus ease. The short-term letting platform previously planned an initial public offering (IPO) for earlier this year but it appeared to be on hold. Airbnb is now moving forward after filing confidential registration documents with US market regulators. Trump says QAnon followers love our country after Facebook cracks down on violent groups Trump once again declined to denounce the conspiracy theory group QAnon, which believes he is masterminding a plot to oust pedophiles in the highest reaches of government and politics. Not only that, he side-stepped a question about whether he was indeed taking on such an outlandish mission. Hackers can now clone your keys just by listening to them with a smartphone Every time you unlock your front door, your key whispers a small, but audible, secret. Hackers finally learned how to listen. Researchers at the National University of Singapore published a paper earlier this year detailing how, using only a smartphone microphone and a program they designed, a hacker can clone your key. Facebook announces its cracking down on both QAnon and Antifa One is a conspiratorial pro-Trump movement that believes Hollywood celebrities and the Democratic Party run a global, satanic child-sex-trafficking ring. The other is a protest movement featuring antifacist activists who sometimes get a bit violent when defending communities, like Charlottesville, Virginia, from white supremacists. Facebook is cracking down on both. Star-studded Disney+ murder mystery Death on the Nile gets its first trailer All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. You might not be familiar with Hercule Poirot. The fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie was originally brought to life by actor David Suchet in the long-running British TV series, Poirot. " " With coinsurance, you and the insurance company share the costs of treatment. Photographer: Artmann-witte | Agency: Dreamstime.com The term "coinsurance" is used in several different types of insurance, from property to health. The basic concept of coinsurance, also known as percentage participation, is that you and your insurance company share the risks. In health insurance, this usually translates into the insurance company paying a certain percentage of your health care bills, while you pay the remaining percentage. Of course, it is not as straightforward as this simple definition. Depending on the type of plan, you may be responsible for a different percentage of your bill. In some cases, you may not be expected to pay any coinsurance. Also, there are usually caps on out-of-pocket fees, which includes coinsurance that you have to pay before the insurance company starts paying 100 percent of your bill. Advertisement Before we fully explain coinsurance, you'll probably want to take a look at How Deductibles and Co-pays Work. Co-pays and coinsurance are often -- incorrectly -- used interchangeably. A co-pay is a specific amount that you are required to pay at the time of each doctor's visit. It is not a percentage of the doctor's fees, like coinsurance is. Depending on your plan, you may have to pay both coinsurance and a co-pay for a given doctor's visit. Also, co-pays are usually not applied to an out-of-pocket expenses cap. These caps are a total of the deductible and coinsurance payments. Once you meet the out-of-pocket expense cap, health insurance plans pay for 100 percent of your health care costs until the lifetime cap is met. A lifetime cap basically amounts to how much the insurance company is willing to spend on your health care in your lifetime. Therefore, once you reach the lifetime maximum cap, your insurance runs out. These caps are often in the millions, and most Americans do not normally reach them. A deductible, on the other hand, refers to the amount of money you have to pay before your insurance company pays for any health benefits. Once you meet this amount, your insurance benefits go into effect. Your company will either begin paying for 100 percent of your doctor's visits, or your coinsurance amount begins, with you paying a percentage of the bill. Some insurance plans don't have deductibles, and others have specific coverage, such as preventative care, that can be used even before you meet the deductible. The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, has reiterated his determination to reposition the nations defence and security architecture towards addressing the prevailing security challenges. The Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the Minister, Mohammad Abdulkadri, in a statement on Saturday, said that Mr Magashi stated this during a symbolic ceremony marking his one year in office. Mr Magashi also expressed the governments resolve to continue to sustain the task of building a robust defence sector that would ensure sustainable peace and security in the country. He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to serve the nation, adding that the task was work in progress in the delivery of his mandate in the years ahead. Mr Magashi also commended the president for his unflinching support for the armed forces in tackling insurgency, banditry and other security challenges in the country. READ ALSO: The Minister assured that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. He enjoined the Service Chiefs and heads of other security agencies to continue to raise the bar of patriotic service to the nation, adding that security was a collective responsibility of all Nigerians. He thanked members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and stakeholders in the national security callings for being parts of the success story of his 365 days in office. (NAN) TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Itafos (TSX-V: IFOS) (the Company) provided today an update on Itafos Condas previously announced reduced scope plant turnaround and announced a disruption in sulfuric acid supply to Itafos Conda from Rio Tintos Kennecott mine. The Company previously announced its decision to conduct a reduced scope plant turnaround at Itafos Conda during July 2020 as part of its risk mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduced scope plant turnaround focused on inspection, testing and preventative maintenance of critical equipment. Itafos Conda completed the reduced scope plant turnaround with no environmental releases or reportable injuries. The Company further announced today that Itafos Conda has been experiencing a significant disruption in sulfuric acid supply from Rio Tintos Kennecott mine. Itafos Conda fulfills approximately 40% of its sulfuric acid requirements from volumes produced internally and approximately 60% from a combination of volumes received from Rio Tintos Kennecott mine under a long-term supply agreement and volumes procured from other third party producers. On August 18, 2020, Rio Tinto announced that its Kennecott mine in Utah has experienced delays to the restart of the smelter. According to the announcement, such delays to the restart of the smelter are due to unexpected issues that appeared following planned maintenance. Rio Tinto further announced that they are working closely with their customers to limit any disruptions and expect to have the smelter fully operational in two months. The Company has been and will continue working to mitigate potential adverse effects of the disruption in sulfuric acid supply to Itafos Conda from Rio Tintos Kennecott mine. In addition, the Company is evaluating the overall expected impact of such sulfuric acid supply disruption and expects to provide an update on its guidance for 2020 in parallel with reporting its Q2 2020 financial results and operational highlights. Story continues About Itafos The Company is a pure play phosphate and specialty fertilizer platform with an attractive portfolio of strategic businesses and projects located in key fertilizer markets, including North America, South America and Africa. The Companys businesses and projects are as follows: Itafos Conda a vertically integrated phosphate mine and fertilizer business with production and sales capacity of approximately 550kt per year of monoammonium phosphate ( MAP ), MAP with micronutrients ( MAP+ ), superphosphoric acid ( SPA ), merchant grade phosphoric acid ( MGA ) and ammonium polyphosphate ( APP ) located in Idaho, US; Itafos Arraias a vertically integrated phosphate mine and fertilizer business with production and sales capacity of approximately 500kt per year of single superphosphate ( SSP ), SSP with micronutrients ( SSP+ ) and approximately 40kt per year of excess sulfuric acid located in Tocantins, Brazil; Itafos Farim a high-grade phosphate mine project located in Farim, Guinea-Bissau; Itafos Paris Hills a high-grade phosphate mine project located in Idaho, US; Itafos Santana a vertically integrated high-grade phosphate mine and fertilizer plant project located in Para, Brazil; Itafos Mantaro a phosphate mine project located in Junin, Peru; and Itafos Araxa a vertically integrated rare earth elements and niobium mine and extraction plant project located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. For more information, or to join the Companys mailing list to receive notification of future news releases, please visit the Companys website at www.itafos.com. Forward Looking Information Certain information contained in this news release constitutes forward looking information. All information other than information of historical fact is forward looking information. The use of any of the words intend, anticipate, plan, continue, estimate, expect, may, will, project, should, would, believe, predict and potential and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking information. This information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking information. No assurance can be given that this information will prove to be correct and such forward looking information included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. Forward looking information is subject to a number of risks and other factors that could cause actual results and events to vary materially from that anticipated by such forward looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those risk factors set out in the Companys Management Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.itafos.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risks, uncertainties and assumptions are not exhaustive. The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date of this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. For further information, please contact: Itafos Investor Relations investor@itafos.com www.itafos.com SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. When it comes to wearing masks for public safety, Saratoga Springs city officials arent horsing around. Elected officials, community leaders, and business owners came together on the steps outside City Hall on Friday afternoon to reveal a new mask-up Saratoga Springs campaign. City Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan spoke to how the idea for the sign campaign came to fruition. Weve been talking about if for a little while at our city council meetings and finally brought a group together of community leaders, business owners, city hall officials, who are all represented here today, Madigan remarked. You can see it follows sort of a traditional Victorian theme, Madigan continued on the theme of the signs. We worked with Baker Public Relations on this theme. We all came together, outlined a theme and they helped us with the overall design. We really wanted to represent Saratoga Springs to the best extent of what we believe we are possible, Madigan added on the collaboration for the concept. The signs, which are being placed throughout the city, depict messages of public safety with a connection to signature iconic symbols of Saratoga. Among some of the messages on the signs are: mask-up Saratoga Springs, health, history and horses, dont horse around, practice social distancing and stay one horse length apart, stay on Pointe, wear a mask, and spring for cleanliness and wear a mask. There are simple steps that we can all take to protect ourselves, our loved ones, our city, our downtown, our vital businesses, Madigan said. Thats wearing a mask, washing your hands or using hand sanitizer and of course, social distancing, Madigan added on basic hygiene measures everyone should practice to remain healthy. Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly also commended the work put into the campaign. I think its a great thing to do for the city and I thank our community for joining in on this, Kelly remarked. It is all about keeping Saratogians and our visitors healthy. So we all want to be aware that we still have to keep wearing our masks and that wearing our masks will keep our downtown vibrant, Kelly added on how she hopes the campaign will benefit the health and economy of the city. In addition to the mask-up Saratoga Springs signs being placed throughout the city, Madigan noted the city will also have a second phase of their campaign, which encompasses social media tips and reminders, as well as public service announcements from community leaders and healthcare workers. Another batch of humanitarian aid arrived on May 27 from South Korea to Uzbekistan via a charter flight of Uzbekistan Airways, Trend reports citing Kabar. The cargo includes 20 multifunctional medical beds with a mattress and a semi-automatic mechanism. The cargo was formed with the support of the South Korean company Myung Sung Placon. WASHINGTON Deploying a little-known National Guard reconnaissance plane in four American cities to monitor protests this spring did not violate rules against the military collecting intelligence on citizens, a Pentagon report has concluded. But the report by the Air Force inspector general found that National Guard officials failed to obtain prior approval from Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper to use the planes because they mistakenly believed they were not intelligence aircraft, which require high-level signoff. The inquiry was prompted by lawmakers who expressed concerns to Pentagon officials that the use of the aircraft, RC-26B surveillance planes, in late May and early June may have violated the civil liberties of the mostly peaceful protesters demonstrating against police brutality and systemic racism. Mr. Esper responded by ordering an investigation, which was conducted by Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said, the Air Force inspector general. The Air Forces action came after the Pentagons top intelligence policy official told Congress that the nations military intelligence agencies did not spy on American protesters during the wave of nationwide demonstrations. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Natalia Cano (Agence France-Presse) Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico Sat, August 22, 2020 10:00 516 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fb1d6d 2 Entertainment Los-Cogelones,Mexico,rock-band Free With a unique blend of punk rock, Aztec instruments and indigenous lyrics, five brothers from a struggling suburb of Mexico City are using music to preserve their cultural heritage. "It has been an adventure," said Victor Hugo Sandoval, 31. "What we wanted when this dream of having a punk band started was sex, drugs and rock and roll, but things just happened as we went along." At a recent rehearsal for Los Cogelones in the capital city's Nezahualcoyotl district, the wail of guitars and thunder of drums mixed with the soothing sounds of a conch shell. The brothers, wearing traditional Aztec garments, sing in a combination of Spanish and the indigenous Nahuatl language, while young music students accompany on drums and brass instruments. "In 2012 we began to incorporate prayers like our Mexica (Aztec) grandparents did, and we integrated pre-Columbian instruments into this mix of our present and native past," Marco Sandoval, the 33-year-old drummer, told AFP. "We like to share music with the kids ... because it's our heritage," said Alberto Sandoval, 30, who plays indigenous instruments like the huehuetl, a tubular drum. Read also: Dozens of Mexican centenarians beat coronavirus Grown from adversity Los Cogelones are among Mexican bands seeking to preserve ancestral culture through rock, heavy metal or blues. The band was formed in 2009 in the El Sol neighborhood of Nezahualcoyotl, named after a pre-Hispanic poet and ruler. When their parents moved to the area the roads were unpaved and the houses made of flimsy sheets of metal. Neza, as it is known, "is a place that grows from adversity," said Victor Hugo. Today the district of 1.2 million remains a tough place to live, with high rates of crime, including violence against women, and a dearth of basic services. The harshness of life there is reflected in the songs of the brothers, whose uncle introduced them to the music of punk bands like the Ramones as well as the Nahuatl language. The neighborhood has been hit hard by the coronavirus, with around 860 deaths and 5,600 confirmed cases in the district. The outbreak forced the band to postpone live performances of its debut album "Hijos del Sol" (Sons of El Sol) that was released in July. But they have already had a taste of fame. Late last year in the capital's main public square, near what was once the main temple of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, the band performed its song "500 Years," which touches on discrimination and racism. The epidemic has also impacted their weekly Aztec ritual dance in the district's main square. Police recently intervened, citing measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. The brothers ignored them and continued to dance, believing the authorities' real intention was to clear the area to facilitate drug dealing. "Days like these remind us that the struggle is not over. We live in eternal resistance," Marco said. The state health department reported 1,581 fresh Covid-19 positives within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits on Saturday, taking the progressive positive count to 87,862 and 40 new deaths took the death toll to 2,289. While PMC reported 1,577 new cases in the city taking the progressive positive count 82,170 cases and 33 deaths took the final death toll to 1,950. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Currently, there are 14,874 active cases in the city of which 804 are in critical condition, with 488 on ventilators and 316 without ventilators. Also, there are 2,608 patients undergoing oxygen treatment. The civic body carried out 6,891 tests on Saturday which took the cumulative test numbers to 3.97 lakh. While 1,427 people were discharged after being declared as cured which the final count to 65,346. Details of the deaths reported include 11 from Sassoon General Hospital, five each from Sahyadri hospital and Yash hospital, two each from Naidu hospital, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Bharati hospital, one each from Universal hospital, Inlaks and Budhrani hospital, Global hospital, Morya hospital, Poona hospital and Parmar hospital. Thirteen deaths of those from out of the district were reported from city hospitals which includes five from Sassoon General Hospital, two from Kashibai Navale hospital, one each from Columbia hospital, Vishwaraj hospital, Sana hospital, Inlaks and Budhrani hospital, Universal hospital and Poona hospital. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In this article German emergency personnel walk past the army ambulance which transported Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny on August 22, 2020 at Berlin's Charite hospital. John MacDougall | AFP | Getty Images Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning, arrived in Berlin on a special flight Saturday for treatment by specialists at the German capital's main hospital. A representative of the NGO that arranged the flight confirmed that the plane had landed and that Navalny was in stable condition. "Navalny is in Berlin," Jaka Bizilj, of the German organization Cinema For Peace, told The Associated Press. "He survived the flight and he's stable." He said all other information on the 44-year-old's health would have to come from his family and the German doctors now looking after him. After touching down shortly before 9 a.m. at a special area of the capital's Tegel airport used for government and military flights, Navalny was taken by ambulance to the downtown campus of Berlin's Charite hospital. Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. When German specialists arrived aboard a plane equipped with advanced medical equipment Friday morning at his family's behest, Navalny's physicians in Omsk initially said he was too unstable to move. Navalny's supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organized the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. Deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital Anatoly Kalinichenko then told reporters that Navalny's condition had stabilized and that physicians "didn't mind" transferring the politician, given that his relatives were willing "to take on the risks." The Kremlin denied that resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that it was purely a medical decision. However, the reversal came as international pressure on Russia's leadership mounted. An air ambulance took off from the Siberian city of Omsk on August 22, 2020, carrying Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to Germany for treatment of a suspected poisoning, after a day-long standoff over his medical evacuation. Dimitar Dilkoff | AFP | Getty Images Medical crews work to ensure one of the women critically injured in an overnight vehicular crash that is safely loaded into a Flight for Life helicopter. A Blackhawk scanned the crash site from several angles before going in over the ridge to retrieve the second victim from the car's wreckage in a rescue operation that temporarily shut down Independence Pass Thursday. More than two dozen Republicans broke with the president and backed the bill, which passed 257-150. Democrats led approval, but the legislation is certain to stall in the GOP-held Senate. The White House said the president would veto it. Facing a backlash over operational changes, new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his "No. 1 priority" is to ensure election mail arrives on time. But the new postal leader, a Trump ally, said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made. He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election. DeJoy is set to return Monday to testify before the House Oversight Committee. "The American people don't want anyone messing with the post office," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chair of the Oversight Committee and author of the bill. "They just want their mail." But Republicans countered that complaints about mail delivery disruptions are overblown, and no emergency funding is needed right now. "It's a silly, silly bill," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. Smoke Over Don Pedro View Photo The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Mother Lode and the Stanislaus National Forest through 11 PM tonight. The threat of isolated dry thunderstorms will end in the Central Valley later this morning, but remain possible in the foothills and mountains through this evening. Lightning from dry thunderstorms will have the potential to start new fires. Dry thunderstorms may also produce gusty wind. There is a high probability of fire starts with any lightning. Rapid spread of fire is possible depending on terrain and local wind conditions. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Additionally, an Air Quality Alert has been issued for Tuolumne County and Mariposa County, as well as Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the Central Valley portion of Kern County. The Air Quality Alert will remain in effect until most of the numerous regional fires are extinguished. Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and increase risk of respiratory infections. Residents are advised to use caution as conditions warrant. People with heart or lung diseases should follow their doctor`s advice for dealing with episodes of unhealthy air quality. Additionally, older adults and children should avoid prolonged exposure, strenuous activities or heavy exertion, as conditions dictate. For additional information, call your local Air District office. In Tuolumne County, 209-533-5693. In Mariposa, 209-966-2220. In Modesto, 209-557-6400. Fresno, 559-230-6000. Bakersfield, 661-381-1809. Imperial Valley News Center Proclamation on 100th Anniversary of the Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment Washington, DC - On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment to our Constitution was ratified, securing the right to vote for women and marking a monumental step toward the more perfect Union envisioned by our Founders. This milestone in American history was the product of the tireless efforts of suffragists and other advocates for womens rights, who steadfastly pursued their vision of a more just and equal society. In the early days of our Nations fight for independence, future First Lady Abigail Adams penned a letter to her husband, John Adams, urging him to remember the ladies as he fought to preserve the fledgling United States. She advised him that if particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation. In the decades that followed, bold trailblazers like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Forten Purvis, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper carried forward and fought for the fundamental right of women to vote. The road to suffrage was long and challenging, but the faith, fortitude, and resolute determination of those committed to this noble cause brought about a victory that continues to inspire today. As we commemorate this historic event, we also celebrate the incredible economic, political, and social contributions women have made to our Nation. As President, I am committed to building on these accomplishments and empowering all women and girls to achieve their fullest potential. As part of this effort, in February of last year, my Administration launched the Womens Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, the first whole-of-government effort to advance womens economic empowerment around the globe. My Administration also released our Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security in June of last year to increase the political participation of women at home and abroad, recognizing that womens participation in conflict resolution and ending violent extremism can set the course toward a more peaceful world. We are also prioritizing the safety and well-being of women and girls through our commitment to combatting sex trafficking and empowering survivors, who are disproportionately women, and through Operation Lady Justice, the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. My Administration also understands that empowering women means implementing an economic agenda that enhances freedom and creates opportunities for women and working families. As part of this effort, the historic 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the Child Tax Credit, and I signed legislation that provided for the largest ever increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which will help ease the burden of child care borne disproportionately by mothers. Additionally, in December of last year, I signed legislation providing for 12 weeks of paid parental leave for Federal employees. As I have since my first day in office, I continue to call on the Congress to pass a nationwide paid family leave program. My Administrations unprecedented investment in working families is already paying dividends. Womens unemployment in the United States reached the lowest level in 65 years. And in 2019, women filled 71 percent of all new jobs in the United States. Today, as we celebrate a major step forward for our Nation, we pay tribute to the countless women, known and unknown, throughout our history who struggled for equality. In doing so, we recommit to ensuring our Constitution is faithfully upheld so that all Americans can pursue their dreams and fulfill their God-given potential. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 18, 2020, as a day in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth. DONALD J. TRUMP Volunteer Dexter Hollier fills out postcards encouraging voters to mail-in ballots during the 2020 elections on August 15, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Voters in North Carolina sent mail-in ballot request forms that feature President Trump's face on them, with the words "ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE DEMOCRATS SILENCE YOU?" The mailout by the North Carolina Republican Party asks for "immediate action" to "ensure your right to securely vote Absentee." "The irony is very thick and definitely not lost on me," one voter who received the brochure told CNN. Trump has previously also said that using mail-in voting is less secure than absentee voting, even though the two terms refer to the same method of using the mail to deliver ballots. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Voters in North Carolina are receiving absentee ballot request forms that feature President Trump's face on them even though the president has continuously criticized mail-in voting in the run-up to the November election. The mailer, which was sent by the North Carolina Republican Party, requests "immediate action" to "ensure your right to securely vote Absentee." Related: The rise and fall of USPS It features a picture of a smiling Trump, with the words: "ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE DEMOCRATS SILENCE YOU?", followed by "ACT NOW TO STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP." Voter Chandler Carranza of Gaston County, who received the mailer earlier this week, told CNN that his wife asked him: "Is this a joke?" when she opened the brochure revealing Trump's face. "The irony is very thick and definitely not lost on me," Carranza said, according to CNN. "Trump has been saying mail-in ballots will bring fraud to the election but absentee ballots are legit. Which is it? It can't be both ways. I laughed because if the campaign actually took information from other times they have reached out to me, they'd know I won't vote for Trump despite being a registered Republican," he added. Carranza is not the only person who received the mail. Other people in the state have taken to social media to report being sent the same brochure. Story continues The president has criticized mail-in voting for months, baselessly asserting that it will lead to voter fraud. Trump has also said that using mail-in voting is less secure than absentee voting, creating confusion about the difference between the practices. While every state uses a different term, both mail-in voting and absentee-voting mention the same method of using the mail to deliver ballots to voters, The Washington Post clarified. Deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign, Thea McDonald, told CNN that the mailer shows how the campaign "is working to ensure voters in every state know how their state's sorting system works so that every eligible voter can cast their ballot and have their vote counted." "President Trump has consistently and rightly said that where a voter cannot make it to the polls, they should request an absentee ballot," McDonald said, according to CNN. "The president has also correctly distinguished between chaos-ridden universal mail-in voting systems, like the one that led to California's train wreck primary, and traditional absentee mail voting systems, like the tried and true system in North Carolinaa distinction Democrats and many in the mainstream media purposely ignore to sow confusion," McDonald added. This week, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and some GOP Senators publicly broke with Trump by endorsing mail-in voting as a safe and secure method. "I want to assure this committee that the Postal Service is fully capable and committed to delivering election mail securely and on time," DeJoy said in his opening statement to the US Senate on Friday, according to Business Insider. "That sacred duty is my number one priority between now and Election Day." Read the original article on Business Insider Steve Bannon was arrested on board a yacht named the Lady May on Thursday. REUTERS/Nathan Layne/File Photo; Courtesy of EJ Greenspan; Taylor Nicole Rogers/Business Insider One-time Trump campaign adviser Steve Bannon was arrested on fraud charges aboard a $28 million yacht off the coast of Connecticut Thursday. The 151-foot-long yacht, called Lady May, features a rotating living room and sleeps 10. Lady May is owned by a billionaire on China's most-wanted list. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Former Trump associate Steve Bannon was arrested on fraud charges Thursday aboard a $28 million yacht. The vessel where the arrest took place, a 151-foot long yacht owned by an exiled Chinese billionaire, is just as remarkable as federal prosecutors' allegations that Bannon was a part of a group that used a campaign to raise funds for a wall on the US/Mexico border to defraud donors out of millions of dollars. Bannon pled not guilty to the charges. Keep reading to learn more about Bannon's arrest aboard the Lady May. Steve Bannon, a longtime associate of President Trump, was arrested by US Postal Inspection Service agents Thursday. Federal prosecutors allege Bannon and three others used a campaign to build a border wall to defraud donors out of millions of dollars, but Bannon has pled not guilty. Related: The rise and fall of USPS The arrest reportedly took place aboard a luxe yacht called 'Lady May.' The boat was in the Long Island Sound off the coast of Westbrook, Connecticut at the time of Bannon's arrest. The Lady May. REUTERS/NBC New York Source: Business Insider Bannon was spotted on the vessel Wednesday, the day before his arrest, Fox61's Ben Goldman tweeted. Source: Ben Goldman/Twitter The 151-foot long vessel is owned by Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui. Guo is a friend of Bannon's and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government who is wanted on charges of fraud, blackmail, and bribery in Beijing. The Lady May. REUTERS/NBC New York Source: Business Insider, Washington Post A video tour of the Lady May posted on Instagram by its broker shows the yacht's luxe interiors, including five staterooms that can sleep up to 10 guests and 8 crew members. Story continues Source: Moran Yachts/Instagram The interior features a salon with furniture on a rotating platform so guests can "maximize the stunning views" and glass doors that open onto the bar area on the vessel's aft deck, per Burgess Yachts. Source: Moran Yachts/Instagram Lady May has been up for sale since 2016, with an asking price of $27.9 million. Source: Moran Yachts/Instagram Bannon likely won't be reboarding the Lady May or any other yachts any time soon. A condition of his $5 million bond is that he can't travel on private planes or yachts without the court's permission. The Lady May. REUTERS/NBC New York Source: Business Insider Read the original article on Business Insider Longtime harness racing industry participant William Gerald Moore (Gerald or Gerry) passed away on August 19, 2020 in his 83rd year. Gerald was born in Ancaster, Ont. and lived there his whole life until he moved to Moncton, N.B. in 2012 to live with his son and family. An avid Standardbred horseman, Gerald was well-known in the harness racing industry; he owned and trained harness racing horses. He was the "man behind the hanging shoe" according to the Hamilton Spectator and built and repaired harness racing carts. Gerald is survived by his daughter Gayle (Vince Swales), his son Arthur (Corrine May), grandson Finley Moore, and nieces Terri and Anne. He was predeceased by his wife Jane (nee Neil), his sister Patricia, and his parents William (Bill) and Margaret (Peggy). Special thanks to the Neil family for looking out for Gerald over the years, and for people who were like family including Mr. and Mrs. Doug Fields and Nancy and Mike Holmes. The Moore family also thanks the staff at Moncton Hospital for their incredible work and kindness. Cremation has taken place. When its safe to do so, Art and Gayle will bring Dad home to Ancaster to reside beside Mom. Arrangements entrusted to Fergusons Funeral Home, 1657 Mountain Road, Moncton (506-858-1995). In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice. Online condolences for the family may be shared on Fergusons Funeral Home Facebook page or at fergusonsfuneralhome.com. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Gerry Moore. SAUBLE TOWNSHIP The Lake County Sheriffs Office is currently investigating a drowning on Sauble Lake #1 late last week. Shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, Lake County Central Dispatch received 911 calls about an overturned kayak on the Sauble Township lake, according to a post on the sheriffs office Facebook page Saturday morning. Witnesses reported they heard a subject yelling for help and then saw a kayak overturned in the lake. Residents of the lake and rescue personnel attempted to locate the operator of the kayak, but were unsuccessful. Recovery operations extended into the late night Wednesday and the next day. Just before 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, the dive teams located a 66-year-old man in roughly 10 feet of water. The recovery process was a multi-agency cooperative effort. The Lake County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Mason County Sheriff's Office, Oceana County Sheriff's Office, Newaygo County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police, Irons (S.E.E.) Fire & Rescue, Norman Township Fire, Mid-Michigan Medical Examiner Group, Lake County Central Dispatch, Lake County Sheriffs Reserve Division, and neighbors who live on Sauble Lake #1. The incident is still under investigation and names are not being released at this time. If you have any information that may assist with the investigation, contact Det./Lt. Nixon at 231-745-2712. 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. Advertisement Steeped in history, Madresfield Court is far from your ordinary family home. The property, set in the Worcestershire countryside, has been in the family of its current owner, Lucy Chenevix-Trench, for 900 years. And yet Lucy and her husband Jonathan have transformed the vast stately pile into a welcoming retreat for their four children: May, Jack, Evie and Max. Their story is one of the 12 told in Old Homes, New Life: The Resurgence of the British Country House, written by Clive Aslet and photographed by Dylan Thomas, which opens the doors to some of the country's most majestic manors that remain in private ownership. Here, in an extract shared exclusively with FEMAIL, Aslet and Thomas explore Madresfield's history - and how Lucy and her family came to call it home... Lucy Chenevix-Trench's family have been at Madresfield Court, in Worcestershire, for 900 years. She is pictured with husband Jonathan and their four children - May, Jack, Evie and Max The couple faced a significant challenge after arriving as the house had not had young children living in it for 100 years. Pictured, Evie, Jack and Max The home's pre-war occupants, the 7th Earl Beauchamp and his family, inspired Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. Pictured, Madresfield Court's exterior Lucy Chenevix-Trench's family have been at Madresfield Court, in Worcestershire, for 900 years. When I visited it for Old Homes, New Life: the resurgence of the British country house, illustrated by the photographer Dylan Thomas, I found it a deeply romantic house: readers of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited will see it through misty eyes, because its pre-War occupants, the 7th Earl Beauchamp and his family, inspired the story. Unlike some film representations of Brideshead, though, Madresfield is not ostentatiously grand, having evolved in what Lucy's husband Jonathan calls a 'somewhat random and organic manner,' as and when money permitted over the centuries. Today the overarching priority at Madresfield is family life. 'We still have three out of four children at home,' explains Lucy. 'That will change, but for now we feel very strongly about its being a family home.' Lucy was 23 when her mother, Lady Morrison, went to live at Madresfield, having inherited from an uncle. Pictured, a hallway in Madresfield Court The book tells how the home has evolved from the height of opulence, to an 'not ostentatiously grand' family home. Pictured, a chapel within Madresfield Court (left). Right, May, Max and Lucy As lovers of ballet, the Chevenix- Trenches are working with the Birmingham Royal Ballet to offer retreats where artistic teams can work on new ballets. Pictured, a chapel within Madresfield Court Lucy was 23 when her mother, Lady Morrison, went to live at Madresfield, having inherited from an uncle. While Lady Morrison did a lot of work to the main rooms, when Lucy and Jonathan arrived in 2012 with four children - May, Jack, Evie and Max - under ten, they still faced a significant challenge: the house had not had young children living in it for 100 years. 'Fortunately, Madresfield is not really grand,' says Lucy; 'it's charismatic, a bit whacky, certainly unusual, and full of surprises but in many ways an easy house to fit into. You don't feel you need to live up to something.' Their most important change was to the kitchen, which was relocated into the main part of the house. It meant that it was more natural to use the whole house, parts of which might otherwise have been shut up. Lucy is the 29th generation of her family to live at Madresfield and for 40 days every year the doors of the house are thrown open to the public. Pictured, a living room in Madresfield Court Pictured, a bespoke stained glass window in the hallway of Madresfield Court featuring the names of Lucy and Jonathan's four children, May, Jack, Evie and Max The listed buildings officers were sympathetic and now, says Jonathan, 'the only disadvantage is that we don't use the front door as much we do the school run from the back door.' This has the charm that the children leave across a covered bridge, whose windows contain stained glass quarries showing their dates of birth. 'Old Homes, New Life: the resurgence of the British country house' by Clive Aslet and Dylan Thomas. Published by Triglyph Books, www.triglyphbooks.com, 50 For 40 days every year the doors of the house are thrown open to the public. Initially Lucy was not sure what she would make of it. 'We thought, 'O my goodness, people wandering around in the middle of our house! We didn't have that in our cottage in Hungerford.' We now feel there's a positive pleasure in sharing the house and its history. It all works very well, and we in turn learn a huge amount from our visitors.' And there are also other ways of sharing the house. As lovers of ballet, the Chevenix- Trenches are working with the Birmingham Royal Ballet to offer retreats where artistic teams can work on new ballets. Another project is to farm some of the estate themselves. 'It's not prime arable land but excellent for grass.' The idea is to produce 'really top-quality, slow grown beef. We'll just have them eating this wonderful grass that grows so well here, naturally improving the soil as they go. Our whole focus is on improving the environment.' Lucy is the 29th generation of her family to live at Madresfield. Both she and Jonathan are very aware that ultimately they are just curators or guardians of the house and the wider estate. 'These estates and houses are an important part of the culture and heritage of our country. We'll do our best to make helpful changes and leave a positive legacy on what we have been lucky enough to manage. But in the end, we're just passing through'. An extract from 'Old Homes, New Life: the resurgence of the British country house' by Clive Aslet and Dylan Thomas. Published by Triglyph Books, www.triglyphbooks.com, 50. Celeb hacker 'on the run': FBI investigates as mystery man who calls himself 'OriginalGuy' claims responsibility for stealing hundreds of stars' nude photos Man claiming to be in charge of group of hackers who stole nude celebrity pictures is on the run Posted early on Monday morning to confirm his part in the hack Then thanked supporters before announcing he was changing location Another man, Bryan Hamade, 27, denied he was the source of the leak on Monday He tried to sell intimate pictures of Jennifer Lawrence in return for Bitcoin He posted images on Reddit and allegedly tried to sell them for $100 each But he was forced to deny that he was original hacker users identified him Admitted he had been an 'idiot' and that photo he had tried to sell was fake The chief hacker who organized the theft of private nude pictures of actresses including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton has gone on the run. The anonymous individual, who sparked the scandal on Sunday after dumping dozens of naked photographs of female celebrities onto the 4chan online forum, took to the deep web where the images are thought to have first been posted a week ago to say he had to move location. In an apparent attempt to evade the authorities, he said he would be relocating as he thanked his supporters who apparently shared the images on AnonIB before they were reposted on forum 4chan on Sunday. Jennifer Lawrence has reported the stolen image to the authorities, and the FBI is investigating amid an international hunt for the hacker. Scroll down for video Confirmation: This post is apparently from one of the hackers who stole dozens of nude pictures from actresses including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton The hacker, who is referred to by other posters as the 'original guy', also appeared to confirm that the hacking was a conspiracy involving more than just one individual and 'the result of several months of long and hard work'. In the post thread written just after midnight on Monday and first reported by Gawker, the anonymous hacker said that he will be moving to another location before seeming to threaten to upload more compromising images - asking for bitcoin (BTC) donations from those willing to pay to see. 'Guys, just to let you know I didn't do this by myself,' wrote the deviant hacker. 'There are several other people who were in on it and I needed to count on to make this happened (sic). 'This is the result of several months of long and hard work by all involved. We appreciate your donations and applaud your excitement. 'I will soon be moving to another location from which I will continue to post.' And in a statement issued on Monday afternoon, the FBI confirmed that it had begun an investigation. 'The FBI is aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter. Any further comment would be inappropriate at this time.' Scroll down for video Selfies leaked: Jennifer Lawrence was the victim of a hacker who posted more than 60 revealing images of the actress online This comes as it was revealed the hacked nude photographs leaked online of actresses including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton have been traded on the Internet for at least a week and could be just the tip of the iceberg of stolen celebrity pictures. Exchanged on the deep web black market and deviant message boards specializing in stolen 'revenge porn' photography, the compromising pictures have been used as a currency of sorts among perverted members of these forums. Indeed, in the aftermath of Sunday's mass dumping of naked pictures, these boards have descended into anarchy and infighting, with a civil war erupting between those who leaked the pictures and those furious their sordid, secret game has been thrown into the public eye. Worringly for the general public is how simple the posters make their privacy theft seem - and raises the frightening prospect that Apple's iCloud used by millions is not safe for anyone to store sensitive information on. In the days before the stolen images were uploaded en masse to the 4chan anonymous image-sharing forum on Sunday, the Internet had been awash with claims by web-perverts that they were trading in the embarrassing photographs. Among these boasts were that the hackers had accumulated pictures of at least 100 celebrities - and were biding their time before releasing them all online. However, these outrageous claims seemed to originate not on 4chan, but the pornographic image board, AnonIB, which focuses usually on pornographic photographs of non-celebrity women. During the last week according to Gawker and DeadSpin, threads dedicated to Jennifer Lawrence that claimed to contain genuine images of the naked actress began to flood AnonIB - now proved to be real following the actresses confirmation that the pictures are indeed her. According to those with knowledge of the threads on AnonIB and 4chan, the hacking of the nude pictures from Apple's iCloud was not a sudden smash and grab raid on the privacy of the women, rather collected over time until the list of their alleged victims stood at 101 in total. Almost a week ago: These posts taken from AnonIB reveal the beginnings of boasts in updates which refer to Jennifer Lawrence and a 'major win' Boasts: The posts from one week ago are in reference to Jennifer Lawrence's nude pictures being traded online on AnonIB Disbelief: Some posters openly questioned whether the Jennifer Lawrence threads were really genuinely showing pictures of the star Realization: On Sunday it dawned on users of AnonIB that the images being peddled for the past week online were in fact genuine It also seems that the hacking may not even be down to one individual, but may in fact be the work of a number of people, claims Gawker and DeadSpin. Denial: Georgia software engineer Bryan Hamade has claimed he has been falsely identified as the hacker online by reddit The first sign that pictures of Jennifer Lawrence might be online was a post from AnonIB user on Tuesday 26 August that claimed a 'major win' for hackers looking for nude pictures of the Oscar winner. However, many other posters on the anonymous board were skeptical that the pictures were of Lawrence, 24, until a slew of claims made by different posters all popped up on the board with the same revealing pictures. One in particular bragged that he was 'ripping iclouds' - which is allegedly how the pictures were stolen. However, in the posts the individual claims that the pictures have been online for some time - possibly weeks - which adds credence to the claims they possess the nude images of dozens more celebrities. One person named online as a hacker by reddit users, has already come forward to deny any allegations against him. Bryan Hamade told MailOnline that he was categorically not behind any hacking of celebrities private pictures and has not released any to the public. He claims that he was identified after he lied to a reddit user to try and get bitcoins from them with a photoshopped picture of a celebrity. This lie caused suspicion to fall on him and a huge reddit investigation reminiscent of their incorrect efforts to name the Boston bombers was launched. 'I am not the original leaker,' said Bryan to MailOnline. 'I only reposted one thing that was posted elsewhere and stupidly had my network folders visible.' Mr Hamade tried to sell intimate pictures of actress Jennifer Lawrence (left) in return for the internet currency Bitcoin. Kate Upton (right) was among the list of victims whose accounts on iCloud were allegedly hacked into Hacked: Mary Elizabeth Winstead tweeted that nude photographs of her were taken with her husband 'years ago in the privacy of our home' In an effort to cast the blame elsewhere, Bryan said that he believes the images released on 4chan may not have been leaked by the person or persons who stole them. 'The real guy is on 4chan posting intermittently,' said Bryan. PHOTO LEAK: THE THEORIES Find My iPhone flaw Reports suggest a specific flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service may have been to blame. Code was spotted on software development site Github, that would have allowed malicious users to use brute force to gain an accounts password on Apple iCloud, and in particular its Find my iPhone service. Social engineering The hackers may have also used social engineering techniques to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on other information. This includes email address, a mothers maiden name, a date of birth, and more - all of which is easier to find out about celebrities than the everyday user. If a celebrity uses the same password across accounts, this would be then make it relatively easy for someone to hack if they had the right information. Google Drive hack In June, Google announced its Drive service had a flaw that meant private information was at risk from hackers. Google patched the flaw in June, but the large number of victims in the 4chan leak also suggests that the hack may have begun months ago at the time of this flaw. Dropbox flaw Similarly, in May, a flaw was found in Dropbox accounts that could have given unauthorized access to accounts. 'He's most likely the one behind it but it does seem the photos passed around to multiple people before being leaked, so it may just be someone who has them and didn't hack to get them. 'I'd never in a million years know how to hack into any of the accounts listed. '4chan just attacked me because they like to attack anyone in situations such as this.' This comes as it was claimed a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' function of Apple's iCloud service may have helped a hacker to steal nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and '100 other celebrities', it today emerged. The hacker claims he or she broke into stars' iCloud accounts, including those of the Hunger Games actress, Kate Upton and Rihanna, before publishing them on 4chan, the image-sharing forum. A list of the alleged victims of the hack - 101 in total - has also been posted online; most of whom have not seen any photographs leaked by the hacker. A spokesman for Oscar winner Lawrence confirmed to MailOnline the photos of her are genuine. 'This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence,' the emailed statement read. Following the publication of the images of Sunday night, experts have voiced their concerns over how the hacker managed to access them. Now, reports suggest that a specific flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service may have been to blame. Despite the story breaking last night, Apple is still yet to confirm or deny whether its software was the target of the hacking. These images were reportedly stolen from iCloud accounts and include private images of Jennifer Lawrence and Kelly Brook. It is not clear how the hacker gained access to the images, although reports state a flaw was discovered in the Find my iPhone service that would have left it open to a 'brute force' attack A variety of theories - including a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service as well as 'social engineering' techniques - have begun to circulate in a bid to explain what might be to blame for the hack. The phone photos, reportedly obtained through the widely-used online service, were published on 4chan, the anonymous image-sharing forum. A list of the alleged victims - 101 in total - posted by the hacker has also appeared. Apple has not commented on the leak, but has previously stressed how important its customers privacy is. The firm's iCloud service secures data by encrypting it when it is sent over the web, storing it in an encrypted format when kept on server, and using secure tokens for authentication. This means that data is protected from hackers while it is being sent to devices and stored online. This suggests the hackers were able to obtain the login credentials of the accounts, and pretend to be the user, in order to bypass this encryption. Earlier today The Next Web spotted code on software development site Github, that would have allowed malicious users to use brute force to gain an accounts password on Apple iCloud, and in particular its Find my iPhone service. Brute force, also known as 'brute force cracking', is a trial-and-error method used to get plain-text passwords from encrypted data. Just as a criminal might break into, or 'crack' a safe by trying many possible combinations, a brute-force cracking attempt goes through all possible combinations of characters in sequence. In a six-letter attack, the hacker will start at 'a' and end at '//////' Find My iPhone helps users locate and protect their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac - if its ever lost or stolen. The hackers may have also used social engineering techniques to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on other information they could find. If the leak didnt come from iCloud accounts, they may have originated from other cloud devices such as Google Drive. In June, Google announced its Drive service had a flaw that meant private information was at risk. The flaw was patched, but the large number of 4chan victims suggests the hack may have begun months ago This includes email address, a mothers maiden name, a date of birth, and more - all of which is easier to find out about celebrities than the everyday user. In May, iPhone and iPad users were being targeted by hackers who were remotely locking their devices and demanding ransom money in return. Ransomware attacks, in which criminals remotely gain access to a device and hold it hostage, arent new, but they have traditionally targeted laptops and PCs. In this latest mobile attack, the hackers were controlling gadgets by breaking into customers' iCloud accounts and remotely locking the devices using the Find My iPhone feature. AM I AT RISK? If a flaw in the iCloud service was to blame, any customer could have been at risk. iClouds My Photo Stream feature uploads new photos to the cloud as soon as the device is connected to Wi-Fi; this is to keep photos synchronized across all your devices. Disabling this option prevents photos automatically being uploaded. Be aware that deleting a photo from a device does not mean it has been deleted from your online storage account. The photos may also appear in photo streams on other devices, and any phone or tablet that is synced with that iCloud account. This means you should delete photos from all of these areas if you want to get rid of them permanently. In order to make your private data more secure, you should cherry-pick the data you store in the cloud and know when the data is set to automatically leave your device. You should also choose a hard to crack password, and not use that password on any other account. Stefano Ortolani, security researcher at Kaspersky Lab told MailOnline: The leak is still under scrutiny, so it is not clear at this stage if cloud services are to blame, or if those are just files somehow leaked from a private collection. The security of a cloud service depends on the provider. However, its important to consider that as soon as you hand over any data, including photos, to a third-party service, you need to be aware that you automatically lose some control of it. This is also the case for when you upload something online. 'In order to make your private data more secure, you should cherry-pick the data you store in the cloud and know when the data is set to automatically leave your device. For example, iClouds My Photo Stream feature uploads new photos to the cloud as soon as the device is connected to Wi-Fi; this is to keep photos synchronised across all your devices. Disabling this option prevents photos automatically being uploaded. Actress Mary E Winstead confirmed photos on 4Chan were hers, but stressed that she had deleted them long ago. But, when photos that have been uploaded to iCloud are deleted from a phone, they are not necessarily deleted from the online storage. Apart from iCloud, the photos also remain on the users Photo Stream, which would also be available on other devices with which the photos streams were share, such as an iPad or iPod touch, or devices synced with the same iCloud account. If the leak didnt come from compromised iCloud accounts, they may have originated from other cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox or similar. In June, Google announced its Drive service had a flaw that meant private information was at risk from hackers. The security flaw occurred when a file was uploaded to Google Drive, was stored in its original format and contained links to third-party websites. In this instance, if a user clicked on the embedded link, the administrator of that site could potentially obtain information about the URL of the original document exposing it to hackers. Google patched the flaw in June, but the large number of victims in the 4chan leak also suggests that the hack may have begun months ago at the time of this flaw. Similarly, in May, a flaw was found in Dropbox accounts that could have given unauthorised access to accounts. Facing attack over the alleged rise in crime graph in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday dubbed the Opposition as a bigger danger to law and order, asserting that there has been a drastic fall in criminal cases since 2016. They talk about law and order, (but) they are a bigger danger to it. The state has already been saved from criminals and the work on it would continue more effectively, the Chief Minister told the legislative assembly while submitting to it figures since 2016 to show that crime has come down in the state. Since 2016, cases of dacoity have come down by 74.5 percent, loot by 65.29 percent, murder by 26.43 percent, rape by 38.74 percent. These are the figures showing a decrease in crime, said Adityanath. Even the National Crime Record Bureau data shows the state's figures are much better than other states, Adityanath told the House, adding that state also lodged the highest number of FIRs (1,434) in cases of triple talaq and 265 arrests were made as it was serious on the issue of women security. Going all out against the Opposition, he alleged that bereft of issues, their frustration was being manifested in their raising such matters as they are not ready to debate on relevant issues. Making a special mention of the Samajwadi Party and Congress, he alleged they want the release of "the two Khans". Though the CM did not take names, he apparently referred to SP leader Azam Khan and Gorakhpur paediatrician, Dr Kafeel Khan, both of whom are presently in jail. Kafeel has been booked under the stringent NSA. The chief minister also asked his party MLAs to keep up the good work and speed it up during the remaining one and a half years before the next Assembly polls. Cautioning them to stay clear of all (Opposition) conspiracies, the chief minister asked his party MLAs to apprise people of the government's achievements. You have to show that you have done more work in your constituencies in five years which could not be done in 20 years, he told the MLAs, adding the Opposition will not be able to match them in their hard work. On the issue of handling COVID-19 pandemic, Adityanath presented the state's data and compared it with that of Delhi to stress that despite massive population and several challenges, UP's fatality and infection rates were low. On steps taken by his government to extend relief to people, especially migrants and students during the pandemic, he also referred to the bus controversy involving the Congress party and said an attempt was made to mislead people by giving registration numbers of scooters in place of buses. The Opposition indulged in negative politics in the time of crisis, presented wrong data. Gave registration numbers of scooters in place of buses, it was an unpardonable crime, he said. The Congress members had already left the House in protest by then. Lauding legislators' efforts in helping people amid the pandemic, he said the state also lost his two ministers to the virus. He also mentioned about the foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya earlier this month, saying there is happiness all over the country because of this historic step and stressed that the Opposition has also started talking about Ram, through Parshuram, but there is no difference between the two. The laying of the foundation stone for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will be presented before the country and world in a big way, he said. They are the ones who had opened fire on the Ram bhakts.they talked about tilak-taraju and said wrong things about the society, Adityanath said attacking the SP and BSP. The Kaduna State Government on Saturday said that it has relaxed curfew in Kauru and Zango Kataf Local Government Areas of the state. The Commissioner for Internal Security & Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said this in a statement in Kaduna. Mr Aruwan said that security agencies had advised the state government about the persisting danger of attacks and reprisals, especially in Zangon-Kataf LGA. READ ALSO: However, the security assessments also acknowledged that there were promising signs of serious efforts at rapprochement between the Atyap, Hausa and Fulani communities of Zangon-Kataf Local Government Area. As efforts to diminish perils to communities and promote peace continue, the Kaduna State Government has accepted the recommendation to relax the curfew in Kauru and Zangon-Kataf LGAs. Curfew hours will now be from 6.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m., effective from today (Saturday, August 22). According to him, this decision completes the relaxation of the 24-hour curfew imposed from June 11, to help contain security challenges initially in Kauru and Zangon-Kataf, but later extended to Kaura and Jemaa Local Government Areas. (NAN) Da Nang to test all of its 2,200 foreigners for Covid-19 A medical staff takes samples from a foreign man for Covid-19 testing in Son Tra District, Da Nang, August 21, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Dong Phuong. Da Nang has begun to test the nearly 2,200 foreign workers and stranded tourists for Covid-19. On Friday the Da Nang Center for Disease Control and medical staff in Son Tra District took samples from 362 people living in An Hai Dong and Man Thai wards. Both real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Elisa tests are being done. Ngo Van Dinh Hoai, deputy director of the Son Tra District Medical Center, said there are some language barriers since most of the foreigners are from China, Japan, South Korea and Spain. "City authorities will take samples from all foreigners living or stranded in the city," Hoai said. Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on Thursday that the biggest outbreaks, in Da Nang, Quang Nam and Hai Duong, have "basically been brought under control," with the number of new cases markedly dropping of late. Da Nang authorities have decided to continue social distancing indefinitely, limiting gatherings to two people and household shopping to once every three days even as the city recorded 369 infections since July 25. They have speeded up mass testing in high-risk areas. The health ministry said the city has so far tested 86,000 people. Vietnams Covid-19 count is now 1,009, including 25 deaths. Seven Virginia Tech students were suspended Thursday after local law enforcement alerted the university to reports of large groups of students gathered off-campus. Virginia Tech remains steadfast in its commitment to expect all members of our community to follow all public health guidelines issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dean of Students Byron Hughes said in a message posted on Techs website Thursday afternoon. He noted that public health guidelines which include a recent Blacksburg ordinance limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people are necessary to keep people safe. Should the Dean of Students Office, the Virginia Tech Police Department, or the Blacksburg Police Department need to respond to concerns about noise violations or disruptive parties, a referral will be made to the Office of Student Conduct for their follow-up, Hughes wrote. Recent off-campus incidents that have occurred over the past week have resulted in seven students being placed on interim suspension. Updated 23/08/2020 at 17:10 Three of the four men arrested during yesterday's protest have been charged and will appear in court next month. The other man was released without charge pending a summons. Anti-lockdown and anti-mask protesters gathered at the Custom House to protest current Covid-19 measures. The protest began at 2pm with a large number of people attending the event. Sleeping beauty! Kim Kardashian cradles a napping North as she makes low-key arrival in London with husband Kanye West She's notorious for wearing designer gear even when she's running errands. But Kim Kardashian ditched her high-end look and focused on mummy duties as she arrived in London on Tuesday. After jetting into the UK capital from Los Angeles, the 33-year-old remained in the same simple blue and white striped shirt and ripped white jeans combo she has boarded her flight in. Scroll down for video Keeping it casual: Kim Kardashian ditched her usual high-glamour look on Tuesday as she arrived in London Her simple look was at odds with her choice of accommodation - the reality TV queen is staying at Claridge's, one of the city's most expensive and exclusive hotels. The beauty craddled her adorable one-year-old daughter, who was fast asleep in her mother's arms after their long-haul flight, while toting a Chanel clutch valued at $1,450. The sleeping tot had even been dressed to match her style-conscious mother, wearing a pair of black and white striped jeans Following behind was Kim's rapper husband Kanye West - who had kept his flying gear casual, sporting an oversized grey hoodie, moss green trousers and tasseled suede moccasins. Fast asleep: Little North had zonked out on her mother's shoulder after their long-haul flight from Los Angeles Nap time: The one-year-old took no notice of the busy London traffic as she enjoyed a sleep following the famous family's arrival in the capital Rest: The tired tot will get a good rest at Claridge's, one of London's top hotels Kim has landed in the UK for the launch of her latest fashion collection with Lipsy on Wednesday. The line is her fifth collaboration with the brand as part of the Kardashian Kollection and will hit stores on October 29. Meanwhile, the couple is also believed to be heading to the annual GQ Men of the Year awards, which take place on Tuesday night at the Royal Opera House. The prizegiving comes after Kanye was the cover star of the publication's August issue. Daddy duty: Kanye kept a close eye on his two favourite girls as they made their way into the exclusive hotel Busy: The rapper also looked tired as he arrived in London. He's due to attend the GQ Men of the Year awards at the Royal Opera House on Tuesday night As they prepared to take-off from LAX on Monday, Kim had sported the same blouse teamed with ripped white jeans and strappy brown heels. She accessorized with her usual oversized black sunglasses and a simple gold necklace featuring her daughters nickname: Nori Seeing stripes: The 33-year-old reality royalty sported the same blue and white blouse teamed with ripped white jeans and strappy brown heels at LAX on Monday Daddy's girl! The 37-year-old hip hop artist showed off his softer side as he planted an affectionate kiss on his daughter's cheek as they headed toward security The Stronger hitmaker showed off his softer side as he planted an affectionate kiss on his daughters cheek as they headed toward security. The day before, Kim watched her husband headline Budweisers Made In America Festival in downtown Los Angeles. The raven-haired beauty put on an eye popping display in a skintight leather dress at the concert where Kanye touched on their relationship. 'For me to be in a very publicized interracial relationship is not a joke, he said. It's something that should be treated with respect cause were all in this together. Styling at a young age: 14-month-old North rocked black and white trousers with a solid black T-shirt, black boots, and a little studded black purse Meanwhile, Kim recently discussed how her daughter is starting to take after her in the beauty department. North likes to brush her own hair, the reality star told WWD. You start with a brush and then you have to get a second brush [for her]. Right when you get it all perfect, she takes the brush and starts doing it herself. I just started using our oil because I needed to slick it [her hair] back and make it stay. Precious cargo: Kim carried an outfit in a black sheath and a black shopping bag Finishing touches: She accessorized with her usual oversized black sunglasses and a simple gold necklace featuring her daughter's nickname 'Nori' I just use a drop of it, but then she brushes it and likes to mess it all up. And since her first child came into the world, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has become less high-maintenance. Ever since I had the baby, there was at least four months I went without make-up or hair products. I loved it. You can kiss your baby and you can snuggle. I am less on the make-up since I had a baby for sure because it makes it hard to kiss. Growing up! Kim recently discussed how North likes to brush her own hair Supporting her man: The day before, Kim watched her husband headline Budweiser's Made In America Festival in downtown Los Angeles Motherhood has also affected her professional choices. When you have a family of your own, it makes you really only pick the projects that you would love to take the time out from your own family to spend doing, so it has to be something worth it for us that we are passionate about, she said. Things come all the time like this drink, this restaurant, this store opening, and some things just dont make sense. Keeping it casual: The Stronger hitmaker donned a grey sweater over an olive green shirt, moss green trousers, and brown moccasins New Delhi: In a bid to decongest the roads, the government may allow registration of vehicles only after production of parking space availability certificate to the authorities. Speaking at an event in Delhi, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu also said that in future, permission would not be given for any construction unless it has a provision for toilets. "In future, it would be mandated (that) no permission would be given to any construction without a toilet...no car or vehicle should be registered without adequate parking space availability certificate," Naidu, the Union urban development minister, said. Underlining he was "very keen" to put in place such riders for vehicles' registration, Naidu said that his ministry was in discussions with Surface Transport Ministry in this regard. "I am holding discussions with Nitin Gadkari and also sensitising the states. We are moving in that direction (to get such a mechanism implemented)," he said. Earlier, Naidu also launched 'Google toilet locator' that would help people search toilets in Delhi-NCR as well as Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The Minister said the Google platform offers over 6,200 public toilet locations, including their availability in shopping malls, hospitals, bus/train stations, petrol pumps and metro stations. Naidu said the objective of achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status for cities and towns entails not only construction of toilets but also ensuring the regular usage. Urban development ministry has partnered with Google and August Communications to provide location of toilets on Google Maps Platform. "We have already collated community and public toilet data in 5 cities of NCR (Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida) and two cities from MP (Indore and Bhopal). In fact, the Delhi-NCR region alone has more than 5,100 toilets listed," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Majority of black, Hispanic Americans support universal basic income; most whites oppose: poll Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As support for guaranteed or universal basic income grows across America, a recent survey from the Pew Research Center says a majority of black and Hispanic Americans support monthly $1,000 payments from the federal government for all adult citizens regardless of work status. Most white Americans dont back it. The survey of 11,001 U.S. adults, which was conducted online between July 27 and Aug. 2, showed that a slim majority (54% of Americans) overall oppose UBI payments. The opposition was concentrated among white Americans, Republicans, upper and middle income households and older adult Americans. Some 73% of black Americans and 63% of Hispanic adults support the idea of UBI from the government compared with just 35% of white adults. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take lives and disrupt economies in the United States and around the world, some groups argue that giving Americans a guaranteed income, which was a major platform issue for former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, has become necessary. "We have people in our community who work 60 hours a week and still scrape by to feed their children and pay their rent," Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minnesota, who supports UBI as a simple, scalable and equitable solution for families and local economies, told NBC News. "Whole neighborhoods that are in deep poverty and doing the best they can." In June, a coalition of 16 city leaders from across the country led by Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton, California, launched Mayors for Guaranteed Income. Economic insecurity isnt a new challenge or a partisan issue. Wealth and income inequality, which have long plagued our country, continue to grow. Even prior to the pandemic, people who were working two and three jobs still couldnt afford basic necessities. COVID-19 has only further exposed the economic fragility of most American households, and has disproportionately impacted Black and Brown people, the website explains. This is our New Deal moment: everyone deserves an income floor through a guaranteed income. In the Pew survey, younger adults in both the Republican and Democrat parties and those with lower incomes expressed higher levels of support for the federal government providing a UBI for all adult citizens. In his 2018 book, The War on Normal People, Yang, who founded Venture for America, an organization that helps entrepreneurs create jobs in cities like Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, argued that normal Americans who represent a majority of the population would be vulnerable to unemployment due to increased displacement from jobs by automation and technological advances. To prevent the inevitable widespread squalor, despair, and violence that would result from millions of workers being permanently displaced by technology, Yang suggested a UBI of $1,000 a month. The call for UBI in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic isnt just limited to the U.S. Kanni Wignaraja, United Nations assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Asia and the Pacific, suggested last month that global governments should offer citizens UBI as part of a strategic sustainable economic policy. It is time to add a new element to the policy packages that governments are introducing, one we know but have abandoned: Universal Basic Income (UBI). It is needed as part of the package that will help us to get out of this yawning pit, she wrote. The naysayers, and there are plenty, will point out that it wont work because no country can afford to regularly dole out money to every citizen. They will argue that we will run unsustainable deficits, which cannot be financed. This is a valid concern. But the alternative will result in a greater surge in inequality, increasing social tensions that would cost governments even more and open countries to heightened risk of societal conflict. On Wednesday, the Times of London reported that Germany launched that countrys first systematic experiment with an unconditional UBI in which a group of 120 people will each receive just over $1,400 monthly for three years to put them just above the poverty line. The experiment is being funded by about 140,000 private donors. The group will track their attitude and behavior change through regular surveys. So far the debate has resembled a philosophical salon at best, and a religious war at worst, Jurgen Schupp, who will lead the study, according to German outlet Der Spiegel. On both sides, it is characterized by cliches: critics claim a basic income would make people stop working and lie on the couch with fast food and streaming services. Supporters say people would carry on with meaningful work, become more creative and pro-social, and rescue democracy. Some 90% of the participants in the study have opted to continue working. By Christine T. Tjandraningsih, KYODO NEWS - Aug 22, 2020 - 14:55 | World, All Yulianus Junin, an 18-year-old on a remote Indonesian island, was not the best in his class. Nor did he come from a financially stable home. But that didn't stop him from dreaming of going to university and improving his family's circumstances. To realize that dream, Junin, who had just graduated from high school, would walk almost every day to a forest 2 kilometers from his remote village in Watu Lanur on eastern Indonesia's Flores Island. There, he would climb a 5-meter-high jackfruit tree to catch a phone signal and study for a couple of hours with materials he downloaded to his simple smartphone. Junin had no other choice. Like millions of other students living in isolated, remote areas across Indonesia, he found access to the internet to be a luxury. Many of these students cannot afford to buy smartphones. Even if they can, getting a good signal is a constant challenge. They often have to climb trees, go up hills or sit on rooftops. "Signals on the tree are stronger," Junin said recently upon arrival on the resort island of Bali, where he took a nationwide entrance examination for public universities. Telephone interviews with him from his village had been stymied by bad signals. When the Indonesian government started to impose a "study at home" policy in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, many students from remote parts of the country faced the harsh reality that poverty and underdevelopment block their access to education. They have been forced to undertake remote learning without computers or sophisticated smartphones. Knowing that all of her students have Facebook accounts, Junin's math teacher Bernadeta Serlin had shared school materials online and asked them to send their tasks and homework back to her via the social media service's messenger app. But she realized that something was wrong when her students were late sending their homework back or didn't send it at all. "Not all of my students have a smartphone or computer...and those who don't have to borrow one from their friends," the 35-year-old teacher said. Most of her pupils' parents work as farmers at coffee, coconut and banana plantations with a monthly household income of less than $41. So, for many, buying a smartphone would not be the first thing that comes to mind. A similar problem has vexed Avan Fathurrahman, an elementary school teacher in the village of Batuputih Laok on Madura Island, off the northeastern coast of Java Island. "The majority of my students don't have smartphones to do online learning because their parents are poor. If they have a phone, they only have simple mobile phones, which are not smart," the 40-year-old said. Most of his pupils' parents also work as laborers in rice fields. They must leave very early each morning and only return late in the afternoon, making it almost impossible for them to be there for their children while they study at home. Some parents are also illiterate. "Even when they are at home, they can't do anything for their children because they can't write or read," Fathurrahman said. Not being able to teach their students from a distance, both Serlin and Fathurrahman resorted to a measure not recommended by the government during the pandemic -- visiting their students at home. The decision was a big dilemma for Fathurrahman. "On one side, I have to obey the government's decision regarding working and studying at home. But after some time, I realized that I couldn't do that because of the limited resources available to my pupils," he said. Most of them do not even have TVs. This means they cannot watch lessons broadcast on a state-owned television network to help students without smartphones or internet access, or who cannot get good cellphone signals. Every day, riding her motorcycle and carrying a whiteboard and some sheets of paper, Serlin visits four of her students at their homes. An average of three students gather in each home to study together from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday to Friday. The teacher is responsible for 35 students, which means each student gets only one math lesson less than an hour long every other week. She has less face time with them when it rains and the roads are bad. Fathurrahman has buzzed around on his motorbike since late March to reach his pupils. On his way from house to house, he also braves slippery, muddy roads when it rains, and is sometimes forced to park and walk. When the weather is good, he can travel to eight to 11 students a day for a 20-to-25-minute lesson each. But during bad weather, he can only visit five to seven students because access to their houses is not good and worsens in bad weather. Many of his students are bored of studying at home, so he carries with him some encyclopedias and children's books they can borrow. Meanwhile, to entertain younger children, he tells stories using a doll called Kia. Data from the Ministry of Education and Culture shows that as of April, 40,779 elementary and high schools across the archipelago did not have access to the internet, while 7,552 or about 3 percent did not have electricity. "My village only had an electrical grid installed in February and until that month, we used kerosene pressure lanterns or generators," Junin, the 18-year-old, said. According to Statistics Indonesia, only 54 percent of students between five and 14 years old have access to the internet and only 24 percent have computers. The coronavirus pandemic, coming on top of the digital gap, has left disadvantaged students further marginalized when they are forced to study online. While agreeing that online learning is appropriate during the pandemic, Fathurrahman and Serlin believe there needs to be some flexibility involved. "The policy needs to be adjusted because students, like my own, come from low-income families and live in far-flung, remote areas," Fathurrahman said. With that in mind, both he and Serlin have taken it upon themselves to find their own solutions so that their students don't lose out even more. SOMERS Roughly 89 percent of the shoreline of Flathead Lake, excluding islands, is in private ownership and off-limits to people without lakefront property. There are less than 20 public access points for the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, which has 185 miles of shoreline. With surging public use for boating, fishing, swimming and picnicking, thousands of visitors are funneled to just a few beaches while much of the rest of the lake has No Trespassing signs posted. But now, thanks to the generosity of a longtime local family, a huge new waterfront state park could be possible. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to acquire 106 acres of currently private land to the east of the town of Somers, on the northern shore, in an effort to promote conservation and public access. Dillon Tabish, a regional information and education program manager for FWPs Region 1, calls it a once in a lifetime opportunity. "This property has been identified as a significant undeveloped portion of the north shore of Flathead Lake and would complement habitat protections already in place along the lakeshore, he said. "This project is a rare chance to provide more public access to Flathead Lake." The site would be "suitable for a variety of recreational offerings and amenities, such as trails, hand-launch boat access, benches, picnic tables, restrooms, waterfowl viewing, educational vignettes and more," according to Tabish. The land is owned by the Sliter family, which owns Sliters Lumber and Buildings Supply in Somers. It includes marshy flat areas, forested hillsides and beaches. "For decades, our family has been working towards a vision of formal public access at Somers Beach, explained Andrew Sliter. "This beautiful place on Flathead Lake has been enjoyed by residents and visitors for generations. We couldnt be more excited about the collaboration with FWP and Montana State Parks on this proposal. Its clear he and his sister, Andrea Sliter Goudge, both fourth-generation Montanans, have a deep affection for the property. On a recent tour with the Missoulian, they spoke in reverent tones about how when the lake is low in the spring, an immense sandy beach opens up with views of snowcapped peaks. Its a place that many people have used for decades, some not knowing they were technically trespassing. Its hard to tell people 'no' when they ask, Andrew Sliter said. Obviously, theres tremendous demand from a seasonal basis. Its a great spot to bring a family and picnic." With much of the rest of the lake covered in houses, 229 bird species are known to use the north shore of the lake for migration and nesting purposes, according to Laura Katzman, a land protection specialist with the nonprofit Flathead Land Trust. She said her organization has been working with the Sliter family for a decade on the project. Paul Travis, the executive director of the Flathead Land Trust, said the acreage of the land declines to about 55 acres when the lake is at full pool, but its amazing year-round. If you had come out in April you would see 500 people on that beach, he said. To me thats unsustainable. We need better and more management for that site. You dont find hardly any pieces of this size without any development on them that potentially arent going to be for sale in the future. The ability to conserve it and put it in the publics hands, thats a rare opportunity. Travis said its close enough to Somers to allow people to access it easily. There are folks that dont want to see that piece sold off to a developer, he said. It could certainly be subdivided and developed with homes, which would be the worst-case scenario for birds and the Flathead. Andrew Sliter said he and his family dont want that to happen either. I think the community of Somers, for sure, and the historical use kind of pulls at our heartstrings a little bit, Andrew Sliter said. While being actively engaged in the lumber and building materials supply business, we value Montana for its special places like everybody else does. And in our minds, this is a pretty special place." He said it makes sense to him and his family to allow a public agency to maintain it and allow access. "Reserving this for public access, both from a historic standpoint and a personal standpoint, from Andrea and myself to our other stakeholders, we love the idea of partnering with someone like FWP, State Parks, someone that can actively manage a little park better than a little lumberyard can. Andrea Sliter Goudge said her grandparents, Everit L. Sliter and Grata Sliter, founded the Peoples Mercantile in the 1930s in Somers. Eventually, the Montana Power Company started parting with land around the lake. My grandmother thought this was an opportunity to protect some of the property where the family had their home and storefront, she said. And so she was really the mastermind behind purchasing most of the property that we hold now. The family also acquired other pieces from Burlington Northern Railroad Company. They are hoping to install a unique gravel shoreline on portions to impede erosion caused by the dam on the lake. The real estate market has been hot in the Flathead Valley for quite some time, and developers almost assuredly would be licking their chops to keep the shoreline as private property for someone else. Weve been approached with a lot of visions for this site, and for decades our familys intention has been to preserve this site for public access, Andrea Sliter Goudge said. Getting consensus from all of our family members has not been an easy process. There are a lot of stakeholders. So to be able to get consensus among our family that this is the right thing to do, and they are all shouldering behind it, has been an important journey for all of us." The family has worked with the nonprofit Flathead Land Trust and FWP to get to the point where the Montana State Parks Board has voted to move forward with the project. Essentially, FWP would purchase the land using a pending Land and Water Conservation Fund grant and required matches from Parks Earned Revenue or General License Fund money. An appraisal will be completed in September of 2020, but an initial appraisal valued the land at about $2.8 million. First, though, FWP is seeking public input on the proposal and the deadline is Sept. 12. "The exact nature and location of amenities and hours of operation have not yet been determined, Tabish noted. "Extensive scoping and public comment will determine the future development of the park through a separate assessment. As a result, FWP has not determined whether the site would include an overnight component or provide day-use only. FWP recognizes site management and staffing of the site will be crucial to addressing initial concerns about the proposed park." Katzman, the land protection specialist with the Flathead Land Trust, is excited about the possibilities for recreation and wildlife habitat on the north shore of the Flathead. But, she said, its important to note that the Sliter family is making that happen for future generations. "Its really nice of them to be patient and stick with this vision, she said. The family is very important to the whole Flathead Valley, not only hardware stores but theyve got a park (named after their great grandfather) in Bigfork and are important to the history of the valley. Theyre very generous and giving." The public comment period for this draft Environmental Assessment will extend for 30 days beginning Aug. 14, 2020. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., September 12, 2020, and can be mailed to: Somers Beach Acquisition EA; Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; 490 N. Meridian Road; Kalispell, MT 59901 or sent by e-mail to: Stevie Burton at Stevie.Burton@mt.gov Copies of this Environmental Assessment will be available for public review at FWP Region One headquarters in Kalispell; the Montana State Library in Helena; and on the FWP web site ( http://fwp.mt.gov ) under Public Notices. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 0 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. Israeli tanks shelled Hamas military positions hours after its army said rocket was fired at southern Israel. Israeli tanks shelled Hamas positions early on Saturday, hours after it said a rocket was launched at southern Israel. A statement from the military said the Israeli tanks targeted Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip in response to Fridays fire. The rocket, which set off sirens in southern Israel, was intercepted by air defences without causing any casualties or damage, it said. Gaza security sources told AFP news agency Israeli tank fire targeted Hamas observation posts east of Rafah and east of Khan Younis, causing no casualties. Israel has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6 in response to the launch of balloons fitted with firebombs, or, less frequently, rockets. 200820055250980 It also suspended fuel shipments and closed its border crossings with the Gaza Strip last week in response to the attacks, resulting in the only power plant in the Gaza Strip being shut down for lack of fuel. It also restricted the fishery zone on Gazas coast. The Gaza Strip has a population of two million, more than half of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank. The Palestinian territory has been under a devastating Israeli blockade since 2007. An Egyptian delegation was trying to broker a return to an informal truce. Egypt has acted to calm repeated flare-ups in recent years to prevent any repetition of the three wars Israel and Hamas have fought since 2008. Israel captured Gaza from Egypt in the 1967 Six-Day War, but unilaterally pulled out its army and evacuated its settlements in 2005. Israel, however, continues to control much of Gazas borders, with the rest under Egyptian control. His further research, he said, convinced him that Tulsa should be the setting for his Watchmen story set in the present day but in an alternate reality about racial injustice and white supremacy. For Watchmen, he wrote an epic scene set during the massacre, featuring an attack full of gunfire, fires being set and people being herded down Greenwood Avenue amid random violence and death. In a video Lindelof addressed to the Centennial Commission, the writer-producer said that he tried to be respectful in depicting the massacre in the first episode and that he was proud that more people around the world had learned about the events following the premiere. Saying in the video that Black Wall Street was not just a horrible loss but also an amazing achievement, Lindelof urged others to donate to the Greenwood Rising project. If someone like Damon Lindelof, an outsider to Tulsa, can be so inspired, then we, too, can muster additional energy around fundraising needed to complete the world-class facility, said Phil Armstrong, Greenwood Rising project director, in a letter to potential donors. Chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Marcus Samuelsson began working on his latest cookbook, The Rise (Voracious, Nov.), three years ago. A celebration of Black cooking, the book brings together chefs, food writers, and activists to share their stories and recipes, and emphasizes the diversity of the Black American experience. There wouldnt be American food without the contributions of Black people, Samuelsson says. [This book] is an opportunity to give authorship and recognition. The Rise arrives at a moment of racial reckoning in the U.S. more broadly, and in food media specifically. In May, cookbook author and Instagram star Alison Roman was placed on temporary hiatus from her New York Times column after mocking the achievements of Marie Kondo and fellow cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, both women of color. Weeks later, Adam Rapoport resigned from his position as editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit after a 2004 photo of him in brownface surfaced, which in turn opened up a public discussion about pay inequity in the magazines test kitchen. Subsequently, four on-screen personalities of color declined to participate in the brands popular video series, and the magazines only two Black editorial staff members quit. This moment is important; the world is watching, says Samuelsson, who on August 17 was named Bon Appetits first brand advisor. To be able to uplift Black stories of craftsmanship is important. I feel honored and privileged. PW asked authors and editors alike: What does it mean to be publishing a cookbook at this moment? Their answers reflect the complexities of representation that people of color face when navigating a white food world. Past, present, and future Samuelsson hopes readers use The Rise not only as a cookbook but as a gastronomical Green Book, a reference to a Jim Crowera guide for Black road-trippers. The annual publication catalogued Black-owned businesses around the country, directing motorists to establishments that served them. Black storytelling about entrepreneurship always has to be done differently, he says. His book features some chefs that you may know and some youve never heard of. It doesnt matter. Were here as a force in American food, and we rarely have had a chance to write our history and tell our stories. Samuelssons editor, Michael Szczerban, is attuned to the fact that books like The Rise are being published at a time when readers are hungry for content that celebrates BIPOC creatives and their cuisines. Its strange to say these issues are timely when the fact of authorship being taken away from Black cooks in America is basically as old as America, he says. As v-p and editorial director at Little, Brown imprint Voracious, Szczerban recognizes his power in the food media ecosystem. Theres still so much more work to be done to be a part of an equitable food system, which includes media and publishing, he says. His goals include significantly increasing BIPOC representation among our authors, and incorporating changes to our editorial process to include new standards for inclusivity. Like Samuelsson, Wilson Tang, who owns New York Citys Nom Wah Tea Parlor, among other eateries, celebrates his communitys past and presenthis century-old Chinatown restaurant as well as its Chinese immigrant neighborsin The Nom Wah Cookbook (Ecco, Oct.). Chefs of color need to stick together and push forward and not back down, Tang says, citing another fall release, Xian Famous Foods by fellow New York City restaurateur Jason Wang (Abrams, Oct.). We are all Asian American, Tang says. We have to keep telling our stories. Conversations about the immigrant experience are necessary, both in the past and the present, in food media. Tangs coauthor, Joshua David Stein, who is white, has considered his position in the industry as recent events have unfolded, asking himself, How can I be of service? Its important to me that I dont enter these spaces uninvited. For the book, he says, I talked to so many people in the community. My role was to help Wilson find a container for his stories, not for me to come in and dictate them. Hawa Hassan (see q&a), coauthor with Julia Turshen of In Bibis Kitchen (Ten Speed, Oct.), is also careful about the opportunities she accepts to promote and represent her work, albeit from a different angle. Her sentiments reinforce those of other authors PW spoke with for this piece. Ive had whole conversations about this: dont involve me because its trending right now, she says. If you want to do real work together and you want to give me equity in that space, Im happy to develop things with you. But I dont want to be at your table because you want to add color. Dodging stereotypes, pushing boundaries In I Cook in Color (Running Press, Oct.), Atlanta chef Asha Gomez includes recipes inspired by her many global influencesItalian, Thai, and others. In contrast, her first cookbook, 2016s My Two Souths, leaned on her South Indian heritage and upbringing. Whats often expected of me is that I should cook the foods of my ancestral homesmy mothers kitchen, my grandmothers kitchens, she says. Youll ask Nigella Lawson for a chicken tikka masala recipe, but you [wont think] to ask me for a marinara recipe, which Ive been making for over 25 years. I Cook in Color better reflects her personal, everyday style, Gomez says. This book is about breaking that stereotype of immigrant chefs, who are expected to stay within certain parameters when it comes to cooking, she says. Though her agent raised an eyebrow at the concept, she says, her editor and publisher embraced it. Mely Martinez, author of The Mexican Home Kitchen (Rock Point, Sept.), avoids the word authentic both on her blog, Mexico in My Kitchen, and in her book, a compilation of 85 recipes first published on the web; she opts for traditional instead. Authenticity is a fraught concept, she says; Martinezs goal is to share Mexican cuisine as its cooked at home, particularly with readers whose only exposure to Mexican food might be in restaurants. The author, a Dallas resident who has lived in several Mexican states, highlights the diversity of home cooking across the country. This is one of the reasons for the blog [and the book]I wanted to write about our food, so that my son would have these recipes, too. The Flavor Equation (Chronicle, Nov.) is blogger and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Nik Sharmas second cookbook after 2018s Season; in it, he brings a scientists sensibility to the kitchen. Science isnt only something that happens in a lab or reserved for people who are working in a chefs kitchen with access to tools, he says. This book is for anybody whos interested in whats happening in the kitchen, regardless of their experience in science or food. Sharma, who was raised in India and immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult, noticed there was little in the way of cooking science books about South Asian food. Not that this book is about South Asian food at all, but examples of South Asian technique and ingredients are in this book when relevant, he says, citing his examination of the hows and whys of paratha making. The examples that are drilled into us are so Western. An emulsion doesnt have to be a mayonnaise or aioli. It could be something else, like toum. He often feels an onus on writers like him to represent their entire communities, but hes very direct in pushing back on those expectations, whether from those in publishing or his readers. Leyla Moushabeck is in an atypical position in the industry: shes cookbook editor at Interlink, which is family- and immigrant-owned and run. Her father, Michel, who immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon and is of Palestinian descent, and her mother, Ruth, who is British, founded the company in 1987 because theyd found few books that represented Arabs or Palestinians in a positive light, let alone their political perspective, Moushabeck explains. From a really young age, it was instilled in us that books were [one of] the strongest weapons that we had to combat the marginalization of our people, of our voices. Interlinks fall releases include Aegean by Marianna Leivaditaki (Sept.) and Parwana by Durkhanai Ayubi (Oct.), which illuminate the cuisines of Crete and Afghanistan respectively, bringing international voices to the U.S. market. Moushabeck also cites a backlist title, The Immigrant Cookbook (2018), which raised awareness for how essential immigrants are to the American restaurant industry and the food world in general. I think that food can achieve a cultural interaction thats really enriching, she says. But sharing a meal is just a starting point. Its not going to rebalance the imbalances of our society as a whole. If we dont consider the cultures and experiences behind the foods that we love, and also whos given the platform to represent them, then were only getting a small portion of the picture. Pooja Makhijani is a writer and editor in New Jersey. Below, more on cookbooks. Just Like Bibi Used to Make: PW talks with Hawa Hassan With In Bibis Kitchen (Ten Speed, Oct.), Somali-born home cook Hassan shares the stories and recipes of grandmothers from eight African countries. Life of Pie: Cookbooks for Fall 2020 This season, bakers push the boundaries of pie making, with varied crusts, unusual fillings, and eye-catching design. Keep Calm and Carrot On: Cookbooks for Fall 2020 Vegetable-centric cookbooks, authors and editors say, are not a trendtheyre a movement. The court sentenced Joseph James DeAngelo under a plea deal that called for him to be sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms without possibility of parole, plus 15 life terms with the possibility of parole Sacramento: A former California police officer dubbed the Golden State Killer told victims on Friday how he was truly sorry" before he was sentenced to multiple life prison sentences for a decade-long string of rapes and murders that terrorized a wide swath of the state. Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, pleaded guilty in June to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges under a plea deal that avoided a possible death sentence. The punishment imposed by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman means DeAngelo will die in prison for the crimes committed between 1975 and 1986. Before sentencing, DeAngelo rose from a wheelchair, took off his mask and said to the court: I listened to all your statements, each one of them, and Im truly sorry for everyone Ive hurt. DeAngelo also publicly admitted dozens more sexual assaults for which the statute of limitations had expired. Prosecutors called the scale of the violence simply staggering, encompassing 87 victims at 53 crime scenes spanning 11 California counties. So many were his victims that Bowman sentenced DeAngelo in a university ballroom large enough to hold the survivors and their families, after an extraordinary three days of hearings in which they told in often heart-rending detail how he had upended their lives. DeAngelo sat silently through those hearings, expressionless in a wheelchair that prosecutors contended is a prop to hide his still vigorous health. He eluded capture for four decades until investigators used a new form of DNA tracking to unmask and arrest him in 2018. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty, but settled for a life term given Californias moratorium on executions, the coronavirus pandemic, and the advancing age of DeAngelo, his victims, and witnesses they needed to make their case. Bowman sentenced DeAngelo under a plea deal that called for him to be sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus 15 life terms with the possibility of parole and eight years for other enhancements. Tom Casetta, who runs G-Town Radio, a low-frequency station that serves Germantown, poses for a portrait at the station on June 9, 2020. The station was one of 12 groups to get funding from the Philadelphia COVID-19 Community Information Fund. Read more Twelve Philadelphia media organizations received $750,000 from a group of journalism supporters earlier this summer to help cover the COVID-19 pandemic. This second round of grants under the Philadelphia COVID-19 Community Information Fund was announced in mid-June. It provides aid to organizations that exemplified the funds four focus areas in news around public health and economic relief, news created by and intended for diverse communities, the need for media organizations to work better with the communities they cover, and news addressing systemic infrastructures behind social inequities. The latest grants ranged from $40,000 to $100,000 for each organization. Among the awardees are the Pennsylvania Prison Society, which received $70,000 to provide information on how incarcerated people are being affected during the pandemic, and AI for the People, which will use $50,000 to partner with Little Giant Creative to reduce the spread of disinformation about the pandemic targeted toward Black Philadelphia residents. The 10 other grants included $50,000 for Big Picture Alliance, $50,200 for Comadre Luna Collective, $100,000 for G-Town Radio, $50,000 for M&G Associates LLC, $100,000 for Media in Neighborhood Group, $60,000 for New Mainstream Press Inc., $55,000 for Nueva Esperanza Inc., $40,000 for Supportive Older Womens Network, $50,000 for the Initiative for Better Gun Violence Reporting, and $75,000 for the Plug. These grants come after the initial announcement of the fund in April, which committed over $2.5 million to Philadelphia-area media organizations to aid coverage of the pandemic. The fund was created by the Independence Public Media Foundation, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism (the nonprofit that owns The Inquirer), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund. The first round of grants under the fund, totaling $1.75 million, included Resolve Philly, WHYY, WURD Radio, and The Inquirer. TikTok plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration to challenge its executive order banning transactions with the video app in the U.S., the company said Saturday. TikTok said it strongly disagreed with the concerns raised by President Donald Trump as he ordered on Aug. 6 to ban the app from the U.S. within 45 days. He subsequently gave it a 90-day deadline to divest its U.S. operations. What we encountered instead was a lack of due process as the Administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses, a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system. TikTok didnt say which court it plans to use. The company added that it tried to work out a solution to address the U.S. concerns for almost a year. Trump made the order under a 1977 law that lets the U.S. president declare a national emergency in response to an unusual and extraordinary threat, allowing him to block transactions and seize assets. TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance Ltd., has been fielding interest in its operations in the U.S. and a handful of other countries. Microsoft Corp. has publicly confirmed its interest to buy TikToks business in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Other companies, including Oracle Corp. and Twitter Inc., have also emerged as potential bidders. Reuters previously reported on TikToks plan to file the lawsuit as soon as Monday. Separately, an employee lawsuit against the proposed U.S. ban, independent from the companys official legal response, is being funded under crowdfunding campaign. Read more about: Frank Dariano and Sharon Mensah had planned to marry on July 5, with 50 guests in attendance, at a resort in Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. But they canceled the wedding shortly after shelter-in-place orders were issued in San Jose, Calif., their hometown. Our plans really went south as the pandemic started cracking down on international travel, said Mr. Dariano, an administrative assistant at an outpatient rehabilitation center in Sunnyvale, Calif. Things got even worse when their venue refused to refund their $8,300 deposit. We didnt feel it was right to lose our deposit when no services had been rendered, said Ms. Mensah, 36, a high school therapist in Sunnyvale. When pleading with the venue led to a dead end, the couple consulted a lawyer in Canada, who reviewed their contract and negotiated with the resort for a full refund. Our lawyer helped us identify a gray area in our contract and gave us a leg to stand on, and we managed to get our deposit back, Mr. Dariano, 33, said. But its sad we had to hire a lawyer. On July 25, the couple had a small wedding ceremony in San Jose with their immediate family. Many couples have wrestled with a vendor over receiving a refund or a credit after the coronavirus crisis derailed their wedding plans. But there are steps you can take to arrive at a solution thats fair for both parties. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Is Hindi imposition not real? At a time when the National Education Policy of the Centre has come under intense scrutiny, allegedly for trying to thrust Hindi on States that dont speak the language, it has come to light that government Yoga and Naturopathy doctors from Tamil Nadu were asked to leave a webinar organised recently by the Union Ministry of Ayush if they do not understand Hindi. The three-day virtual training programme for master trainers was conducted August 18 to 20, say participants. Around 350 people from different States participated in the webinar, among them 37 were from Tamil Nadu. None of them knew Hindi, which was the medium of conversation in most sessions. The Yoga masters trained by the ministry go on to train other instructors, who get posted at Ayush Wellness Centres, said one practitioner from Chennai. However, most sessions were held in Hindi. On the third day, Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, also started delivering his address in Hindi. When people who could not follow him requested that he speak in English, he told them they could leave the webinar, and that he would speak only in Hindi. He said he does not know to speak English well, the practitioner added. In an audio clip shared on social media Rajesh Kotecha is heard saying, I congratulate you all for attending the meeting. Those who dont have interest can leave the meeting as I will speak in Hindi only as I dont know English very well. The doctors asked what is the use of conducting training programmes when they dont understand what was taught. Despite repeated attempts by Express, Ayush officials could not be reached for a comment. 37 from Tamil Nadu The three-day virtual training programme was conducted from August 18 to 20. Around 350 people from different States participated in the webinar, among them 37 were from Tamil Nadu. None of them knew Hindi, which was the medium of conversation in most sessions. Highly dangerous weather conditions that are expected to arrive in Northern California on Sunday morning threaten to compound the devastating fires that plague the region as resource-strapped firefighters struggle to control the crisis. The lightning-sparked blazes burning on all sides of the Bay Area, as well as parts of the Central Coast, remain mostly uncontrolled, straining the states firefighting capacity. Four people have died and tens of thousands have fled, with hundreds of homes lost and many more threatened. More than 1 million acres have burned, and two of the fire complexes now rank among the largest in California history. Many more could ignite in the coming days, fueled by strong winds and potential lightning strikes anticipated by forecasters. On Saturday, officials were particularly concerned about the western front of the LNU Complex fires in Sonoma County, where flames are burning close to the bucolic Dry Creek Valley wine region and the lower Russian River. The eastern front of that complex has burned around Lake Berryessa in Napa, Solano, Yolo and Lake counties. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday that the state has secured a major disaster declaration from President Trump. The presidential declaration will free up federal resources to provide fire victims with assistance for housing, unemployment and other services. It will also help state, tribal and local officials fund their emergency response and recovery, the governors office said. The National Weather Service has issued a red-flag warning of extreme fire danger from 5 a.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday, stretching from Sonoma County all the way through Monterey County. Those are the same places where, just one week ago, the current wildfires began after 12,000 lightning strikes hit California a highly unusual occurrence. More bad weather from the remnants of a hurricane that fizzled off the coast of Mexico threaten to bring frequent lightning strikes and gusty erratic outflow winds to much of the northern half of the state in the coming days, the weather service said. These erratic gusty outflow winds can lead to potentially dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior on existing wildfires while additional lightning strikes may result in new wildfire starts, forecasters said in a written warning. Its a nightmare scenario for Cal Fire, which has already deployed 96% of its fire engines. Even one more fire is too many fires, said Cal Fire assistant deputy director Daniel Berlant. With the potential of more lightning-sparked fires being in the dozens to hundreds, it is going to be a significant issue if we have more large, damaging fires. Two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department were dramatically rescued on Friday night after flames from the advancing Woodward Fire in Point Reyes National Seashore trapped them on a ridgeline. A helicopter crew with the Sonoma County sheriffs office braved gusty winds and rescued the two simultaneously with a 100-foot line. One trouble spot lies in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the growing CZU Lightning Complex fires had scorched 67,000 acres and were 5% contained as of Saturday evening. Its a freaking war zone. Its unbelievable. It looks like a nuclear bomb hit, said resident Dave Clarke, standing on a deserted Acorn Drive on Saturday afternoon. Since Tuesday, the CZU complex tore through parts of Boulder Creek, a mountain community just shy of 5,000 people, sparing some homes and torching others, even on the same street. Scott Lipperd, a retired firefighter, helped Boulder Creek Fire Protection District beat back a fire burning from Thursday night to Friday night around the perimeter of his property. Hes lived in the house for 30 years and the valley for 50, and has never seen anything like this in his lifetime. The last major fire was 1947. Its worst-case scenario, he said. Were looking at 70 (to) 80 years of undergrowth, thats fuel for it, and a lot of growth and houses. He said he and his family got lucky with the weather and a slow-burning fire coming down the ridge that never reached the house. The neighbors three doors down werent so fortunate. The remains of one structure that backed up to the woods was smoldering Saturday afternoon, small flames still flickering, and the only thing left was a stone fireplace and chimney. In Sonoma County, worsening weather was expected to test the limits of one edge of the Walbridge Fire, the western arm of the LNU complex. Firefighters were preparing an exhaustive stand to keep the flames from reaching the heart of Dry Creek Valley, famous for its picturesque vineyards where farmers grow Zinfandel grapes to make world-renowned wine. Rick Hutchinson, 65, drove a red Honda Civic to check on his business, Amphora Winery on Dry Creek Road. The air was thick with smoke and at least three helicopters flew overhead. Though the winery was safe, Hutchinson couldnt believe his home county was again besieged by fire after it endured the 2019 Kincade Fire and a series of devastating fires in 2017. This time around, the coronavirus pandemic added an even more apocalyptic layer to the snow-like ash that fell from the sky. Look at this, Hutchinson said. We are standing in the middle of this darn thing and theres a damn plague going on at the same time. The fires southern end has threatened Guerneville, Rio Nido and other Russian River towns, prompting large-scale evacuations. But the towns themselves had so far appeared to escape widespread destruction as of Saturday afternoon. The entire LNU complex, including its distinct eastern piece centered around Lake Berryessa, as of Saturday evening had burned 325,128 acres and was 15% contained. Those fires had destroyed 845 structures and damaged 231 others. In its western Sonoma County portion, the complex has torn through the rugged and vast forest west of Healdsburg. Known for its towering redwoods that stretch across a massive expanse until it reaches the Pacific Ocean, the area long lured residents and visitors attracted to its serene beauty. One of them is Gordon MacDonald, who is accustomed to navigating hairpin turns and a steep gravel incline to reach his remote Venado property. But the fire added potentially deadly obstacles. Every few hundred yards, MacDonald slowed his beige Ford pickup to a creep, either to limbo under the drooping power lines or to stop altogether and haul redwood branches out of his path. He and his partner, CathAnnette Stelter, were on a discovery mission: searching for a moment to see whether their hilltop home was claimed by the blaze. I dont know how anything could survive this, Stelter said as MacDonald tugged a fallen gate out of the road. In a minutes drive, it was confirmed. The couple stood in awe for a moment before taking stock of the charred rubble. There was the bamboo shower. The spot where MacDonald built a 16-foot picnic table out of a fallen redwood. The benches made of madrone. Most of the furniture was built right here, MacDonald, of Mill Valley, said of his former second home. Ive been working on it for 12 years, real hard. The couple had been swimming in the pool just last Sunday before evacuating that evening. The pool, along with an orchard and MacDonalds prized possession, his tractor, was untouched. We were hoping we had the miracle, Stelter said. Im going to cry all the way home. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, a wildfire in Tuolumne County that for a time had threatened San Franciscos power and water delivery infrastructure was also a concern. But officials said Saturday the critical infrastructure is safe now. Throughout the fire areas, air quality remained poor. A spare the air alert has been extended through Wednesday. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Emily Fancher, Steve Rubenstein and Lauren Hernandez contributed to this report. J.D. Morris, Mallory Moench, Sarah Ravani and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com sravani@sfchronicle.com megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com In 2015, when Hawa Hassan, a Somali-born home chef in Brooklyn, began drawing up plans for Basbaas, her line of locally sourced, gluten-free, and vegan hot sauces and chutneys, she knew shed also want to write a complementary cookbook. In order for me to have a conversation about food from my part of the world, it was going to be really important to spell it out for the audience I was trying to attract and introduce to these foods, she says. Five years later, Ten Speed is releasing her debut cookbook, In Bibis Kitchen (Oct.), coauthored by Julia Turshen. It tells the stories and shares the recipes of grandmothers (bibi in Swahili) from Somalia and six other coastal East African countries plus South Africa. How did In Bibis Kitchen come together? Everyone passed on the book except for Ten Speed. To publishers, Africa seems far and not interesting; the lens through which our stories are seen is that of white editors and white publishers. Ten Speed bought this book based on the cornerstones of an African girls story. They trusted that it could be done. It was important for me to demystify African foods in the West. African cuisine feels very far from [the Western] palate, but thats not true. Which recipe are you most excited to share? We have a fish with coconut sauce that has tomatoes and cloves and yellow onions and curry from Mozambique. My intention was to show that these foods are not hard to come by and theyre not hard to make. Most of these ingredients are in your pantry and your refrigerator, and youll find nothing in this book that takes 20 to 30 steps to make or has ingredients that are hard to find. What do you want readers to take away from the book? My number one goal in all the work I do is preserving community through stories. No one was talking to older women about food; no one was keeping those stories. One thing white people ask is how I found all these people. I think that they dont understand the depth of community, and what it means to share. This book honors these women and their stories through their recipes. These stories dont get told at this level if there is no personal connection. I hope that people walk away from the book and not only cook for each other but are also inspired by what took place in this book. What does it mean to have a book out now, at this moment of reckoning in food media? Its not a fleeting moment. I hope that its everlasting. I hope that this book becomes a blueprint of what can be done, and I also hope that it opens up the doors for other people [to write similar books]. I ultimately did this book so that people who look like me can have opportunities. Return to the main feature. Coronavirus testing in the United States has remained at reduced levels even as schools reopen and cases continue to climb. The average number of tests on a given day is currently 14 percent lower than its high on July 29, despite the total number of known cases rising 26 percent1.2 million infectionsover that same period. It is estimated that, to fully map the spread of the pandemic, one of the critical pieces of information to actually contain the disease, the US would need to perform 610 million tests per day. It currently does about 700,000. Nurse Debbi Hinderliter (left) collects a sample from a woman at a coronavirus testing site near the nation's busiest pedestrian border crossing, August 13, 2020, in San Diego [Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull] Just over seven months have now passed since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the US. At the time, there were 580 known cases worldwide, most of them confined to Wuhan, China, and 41 confirmed deaths. In the interim, more than 23 million people have been infected and 801,000 human lives have been lost. The lions share, nearly 5.8 million cases and more than 179,000 dead, have occurred in the US. The start of the decline in testing came in the weeks after US President Donald Trump declared, With smaller testing we would show fewer cases! While top US health officials sought to downplay Trumps comments, there has been no explanation for the decline in testing since the end of July. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and head of the Trump administrations testing strategy, instead claimed last week that the amount of testing is appropriate for the spread of the virus in the country. Giroir and those who support the Trump administrations position are largely basing themselves on the overall decline in the positivity ratethe number of tests returned that confirm a case of the coronavirus compared to the total number of tests performed. This was at about 9 percent in July and has fallen to just above 6 percent now. What Giroir papers over, however, is that 6 percent is still too high to claim that the virus is contained. The World Health Organization has issued guidance stating that the positivity rate should remain below 5 percent for 14 days as one of the major criteria for stopping the spread of the disease. Moreover, the state-by-state breakdown of the positivity rate reveals that the national average is being weighed down by multiple states in the northeast that were able to suppress the virus early on. New York, once the world epicenter of the virus, now has a positivity rate of 0.8 percent, indicating that the majority of cases are being detected, allowing for adequate contact tracing and quarantine measures to hunt down the virus and stop its spread. Similar scenarios exist in other states including Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In contrast, Mississippi has a positivity rate of nearly 20 percent, indicating that the pandemic is currently spreading in that state well beyond the ability of local health authorities to track. Every day, there are several hundred recorded cases in the state, and there have been an average of more than 20 deaths per day since July 26. The situation is similar in Nevada, which has a coronavirus positive test rate of 17.2 percent, and has suffered more than 700 new cases a day since July 3 and more than 10 deaths a day since July 22. This is particularly concerning since the state is home to the popular Las Vegas casinos and resorts which have been reopened for business and are being visited by tourists from all across the country. All told, 12 states, mostly in the south and west, currently have a positivity rate higher than 10 percent, and a further 21 states stand at 5 percent or higher, indicating that the pandemic is spreading largely out of control in the majority of the country. Even if the positivity rate was decreasing uniformly across the nation, it would still not yet be a time to celebrate. Nearly 50,000 new cases and more than 1,000 new deaths are recorded each day. Three statesCalifornia, Texas and Floridaall currently count more than 500,000 total infections since March. Twenty-eight states report more than 500 cases each day, and 24 report at least 10 daily deaths. While the Trump administration has raised the cost of mass testing as an impediment, it was reported yesterday by the Wall Street Journal that there are billions of dollars that have already been allocated that could be used for this purpose. In April, $25 billion was allocated for COVID-19 testing, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, of which at most 15 percent has been used. This suggests that testing across the country, especially where it is needed most, could vastly increase without incurring further expenses. One of the other issues in testing is that the chemical reagents needed to perform the more common type of tests in the country are in short supply. There has never been a coordinated national plan to combat the virus, and as such local, state and federal agencies and governments are in constant competition to acquire the necessary tools to determine whether a given sample from a patient is positive or negative. Compounding the problem, the current free tests can often take a week or more to be processed. While there are more expensive and quicker tests, they can cost in the range of $100 and are not generally covered by health insurance companies. As a result, workers are faced with two choices: pay a large out-of-pocket expense to get results quickly or wait and possibly be spreading a deadly disease unknowingly for days. There may, however, be some relief regarding the dismal US testing situation. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization for a new, inexpensive and quick saliva test developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health. The tools and chemicals needed to perform the test are much more readily available, cost about $5 per test, and return results in about three hours. The method is largely considered very scalable. It remains to be seen if such a technique will actually be deployed in practice. The FBI has identified dozens of suspicious websites that look like official election websites but are not legitimate and could be used to interfere with the 2020 vote, according to a Department of Homeland Security bulletin sent to state and local officials across the country and reviewed by Yahoo News. The URLs of those websites are close imitations of state and federal election websites, and could be used to spread wrong information on how to vote or for election interference or influence operations. The FBI between March and June 2020 identified suspicious typosquatting of U.S. state and federal election domains, according to recent FBI reporting from a collaborative source, the Aug. 11 bulletin says. The FBI is warning of typosquatting, suspicious websites that look like official government sources, ahead of the 2020 presidential election. (Yuri Gripas/AFP via Getty Images) Typosquatting refers to websites that are set up to mimic a real or official website, using misspellings or similar domain names, hoping to lure in internet users who accidentally enter the wrong address. These suspicious typosquatting domains may be used for advertising, credential harvesting, and other malicious purposes, such as phishing and influence operations, says the DHS bulletin. Users should pay close attention to the spelling of web addresses or websites that look trustworthy but may be close imitations of legitimate U.S. election websites. A DHS official told Yahoo News registering these doppelganger domain names may not be nefarious but they are concerned they could be the initial preparatory step by criminal and foreign adversaries planning to carry out a range of different types of attacks on the presidential election. This comes as the U.S. intelligence community says Russia, China and Iran are attempting to meddle in the upcoming election. Earlier this month, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released information warning of several countries, including Russia, China and Iran, which are seeking to influence the 2020 elections. And on Wednesday, Bill Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said Cuba, North Korea and Saudi Arabia are also working to influence the U.S. election with information operations, cyberscoop reported. Story continues In the middle of a pandemic, and as Congress and the public worry the postal system will be overwhelmed, some states are still scrambling to implement changes to their voting process and voters are going online to find out how to cast their ballot for president. But the lack of standard use of dot-gov and decentralized nature of U.S. elections can make it hard for voters to know what information and sources to trust. Someone attempting to go to a county website for information on voting could get redirected to a site set up to steal personal financial information or credentials, explained Lawrence Norden, Director of the Election Reform Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. And of course, disinformation. Something may be set up to basically get voters the wrong info on how to vote, Norden said. Lawrence Norden says that some malicious websites will steal personal information while posing as official sources. (Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival) We are also worried about all these sites spoofing election night reporting, he said. The websites addresses flagged by the FBI include names that appear to reference voting in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and among others. Many end in dot-com, others in dot-net, just like many official elections websites. This makes it harder for people to tell if theyre clicking on the real government website or a close approximation that could give them bad information or install malware on their computer that steals all their data. This is especially a problem for those searching for voting information from their mobile phone, where its harder to see a websites full address before clicking on it. Some states and counties do use dot-gov but many other local and state election websites end in dot-com, dot-net, dot-org, dot-us domains anyone can buy. A dot-gov domain involves an assessment by the government and indicates its a legitimate site. A bipartisan bill to usher along states and counties move to dot-gov has been sitting on the Senate floor since January. It specifically speaks to the issue of elections, and cites a 2018 study from security company McAfee that found most county websites in swing states did not use dot-gov addresses. More than 90 percent of counties in Minnesota, Texas, Michigan and New Hampshire were on non-dot-gov sites, and Ohio and Mississippi were both over 85 percent non-dot-gov. Ohio has since moved to dot-gov, and the percentage of counties nationwide using dot-gov has increased since then, according to a June 2020 update from McAfee. Colorado made the move from dot-com to dot-gov in 2018 after noticing that someone had purchased a domain name very similar to their official voting portal, then govotecolorado-dot-com, said Trevor Timmons, chief information officer for Colorados Secretary of State. (The states official election portal is now govotecolorado.gov.) Govotecolorado2018-dot-com was purchased by someone else who isnt us, and when we saw that, we called the FBI, he said. That website never went live with any content, but if it had, it could have thrown the election into chaos. Moving all states election websites to dot-gov like this would mitigate some, but not all, of the risks associated with these fake election sites. The FBI declined to comment, referring questions to DHS, which declined to comment on the record. Its not just a government issue, a DHS official, who asked not to be named to discuss sensitive security issues, told Yahoo News. Campaigns run on their own infrastructure, with their own websites, their own email service. Only after the election does the transition team for the incoming administration get set up with dot-gov addresses. In the meantime, election security researchers in the run-up to the elections are also seeing domain names and websites pop up mimicking candidates or party or surrogate websites. Its a very volatile environment, said Kacey Clark, Threat Researcher, Digital Shadows, who has done research on presidential candidate-themed typosquatting sites. You can definitely see how these could easily confuse users. She found dozens of recently registered websites that appear to be associated with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, she told Yahoo News. Many appear innocuous, others appear to be sources of information and could be nefarious depending on what content appears. The ones that redirect or attempt to download an extension are the most concerning thats how malware could be installed. Some appear to support one candidate but redirect to a website supporting their opponent. Democratic presidential nominee, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L), and vice presidential running mate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, hold a news conference after receiving a briefing on COVID-19 in Wilmington, Delaware, on August 13, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Like the election websites doppelgangers, these fake candidate websites could be used for criminal purposes, or even just to mislead voters. Not all of these typosquatting sites are set up for bad purposes, the DHS official emphasized. Its unknown how or even if the sites flagged by DHS or others like McAfee and Clark will ultimately be used, which is why its so critical for states to have backup plans in place, said Norden, the elections expert at NYUs Brennan Center. Unfortunately, we dont know what we dont know, Norden said. Those backup plans, thats what Im worried about now, he said. Theres still time, but we are running out of time. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology says only names and health status of consenting users will be shared with employers. The app hopes to get businesses back on their feet without the fear of COVID-19 spreading on their premises on reopening since the lockdown. (Photo | Pixabay - Markus Winkler) New Delhi: Aarogya Setu has rolled out a new feature that will enable organisations to get the health status of their employees or any other user, provided they consent to it, an official release said on Saturday. With more than 15 crore users, the app hopes to get businesses and the economy back on their feet, using a new feature called Open API Service to help allay fears about reopening. The app purportedly alerts business owners to COVID-positive employees, if users consent to sharing their health status. No doubt, businesses and organisations are likely to mandate the sharing of ones health status as a prerequisite to getting back to work, in order to minimise the risk of the virus spreading to others. Business entities registered in India that have more than 50 employees can use the feature to query the Aarogya Setu application in real-time to get the health status of their employees or any other Aarogya Setu user, the release said. The Ministry of Electronics and IT says the open API (application programme interface) that will help businesses access this data will only provide the Aarogya Setu status and name of the Aarogya Setu user with their consent, and will not divulge any other personal data. Registration for the new service can be done at openapi.aarogyasetu.gov.in. Since its launch on April 2, Aarogya Setu has traced more than 6.6 million contacts through Bluetooth and found that 27 per cent of those who have been tested were COVID-19 positive, the release said. The police on Saturday arrested all six peopled allegedly involved in the gang rape of a 45-year-old woman, a crime that took place about a fortnight back in rural Patna. The matter came to light after the video of the rape surfaced on social media on Friday. The Gaurichak police station of the state capital filed a case late Friday night. Patna SSP Upendra Sharma and City SP (East) Jitendra Kumar enquired about the matter. All the six accused, identified through video footage, were arrested from their houses. They have been booked under various sections of the IPC and IT Act. The woman, a domestic help, was on the way to her village when the incident took place. After she got off from an auto-rickshaw, one of the accused offered her to drop her home on his motorbike. The man driving the motorcycle took her to an isolated place where the others joined him. All of them took turns to rape her. The accused filmed the crime on mobile. On the same night, they dropped her near her home and threatened to kill her family members if she spoke about her ordeal. After the video went viral, the police traced her. She was brought to a police station, where her statement was recorded. In her statement, she said all the accused were drunk and that they forced her to consume liquor. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rain-hit villagers living in some rehabilitation camps in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district are worried about their future as they have lost their livelihoods with their cultivable land getting submerged under floodwaters. With the monsoon ending next month, their anxieties are on the rise as they fear the administration will stop feeding them from September. There are 1,155 villagers, living in nine relief camps in Munsiyari, Bangapani and Dharchula subdivisions of the district at present. These areas were hit by heavy rains recently in which 21 people were killed in separate incidents of house collapse and flooding in different villages and hundreds were rendered homeless. We have distributed a total of 2.26 crore of relief money amongst the affected and are taking care of all their daily needs till the monsoon fury lasts," Pithoragarh District Magistrate V K Jogdande said. "The government fulfils formality of relief after providing Rs 1.19 lakh for construction of houses and Rs 20,000 per hectare for washed out lands. Even if we construct houses somehow, what about our livelihood that depended on cultivable land washed away by rivers, said Bhagat Singh, a former Gram Pradhan of Mawani village under Bangapani subdivision. Netra Singh, a villager living in tents near Baram rehabilitation camp, said he is afraid of his future livelihood as his half an acre of cultivable land has been washed away by the floodwaters. We used to grow rajma, pulses, potato and other marketable crops in that land and earn up to Rs 50,000 per annum, but with our entire land having been washed away by a tributary of the Gori river, we have left with no livelihood," said Netra Singh. Durga Singh Mehra, a resident of Kultham village, said he lost his seven nalis' (a local unit of area measurement) of cultivable land in the 2013 disaster and settled in nearby Patoti village with help from the government relief money. But, he said, that too got washed away in 2018 forcing him to settle in Sarmioli village and the house there too got washed away in July 2020. My family lost traditional occupation of cultivating Rajma and potato supported by the rearing of sheep after our land got washed away by the river. I am now working as a labourer in Border Road Organisation since 2014, said Mehra. SDM Bhagat Singh Phonia of Munsiyari and Bangapani subdivisions has said a total of 184 nali' (9.2 acres approx) of cultivable land has been washed away by deluged rivers and rivulets due to heavy rains and cloudbursts this year in Munsiyari subdivision alone. The villagers where the cultivable land has been washed away are Josha (32 nali), Tanga (24 nali), Pakuli (18 nali), Gaila Pathar (13 nali), Sera Suraidhar, (26 nali), Bansbagar (14 nali), Senar Pangti (19 nali), said Phonia. In Bangapani subdivision villages, a total of 22 nali of cultivable land has been washed away, though we have sent details of the washed away lands by rivers, at present, there is no provision to allocate washed away land to farmers, besides giving them a one-time compensation, he added. Experts say being settled near rivers and rivulets, most of the villages in Munsiyari Dharchula and Bnagapani subdivisions are prone to land erosion too. Due to drastic changes in Himalayan weather after 2013, more and dense rains are occurring in the region, resulting in washing away of houses, lands and deaths of villagers, said Pradeep Kumar, the state government geologist deputed in the district. According to Kumar, out of 51 villages, he geologically surveyed in last seven years, 25 are not worth living while 23 need protective measures, two have been ordered shifting to safe places, while two others have been shifted. The villages of Josha, Dhapa and Tanga which we surveyed geologically this year, are not worth living and should be relocated immediately, said the geologist. According to Pithoragarh district magistrate, a total of 662 disaster-hit families in Dharchula, Munsiyari and Bangapani subdivisions in the district figure in the rehabilitation list. These families have been shifted to safe places under provisions of 'owner-driven constructed houses' (ODCH) scheme aided by disaster funds and chief ministers' relief measures, said Pithoragarh District Magistrate Jogdande. (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.) John Boadu, the General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NDC) says the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has delayed in launching their manifesto because they are waiting to copy ideas from the NPP. According to him, even though the NDC gave hints two months ago that their manifesto is ready and submitted to the party executives, they have been unable to launch because they have no fresh ideas. They announced two months ago that their manifesto is ready but they have not been able to launch, Obviously they are waiting for us to launch our manifesto so they can copy as usual, since they have no original ideas. Well, we have launched so they are free to copy, Mr Boadu said in his address at the partys ongoing manifesto launch at Cape Coast in the Central region. For persons other than members of the partys National Council who wish to participate in the event to join the feed, such persons are encouraged to converge at the various regional offices of the party where the proceedings will be projected on large screens, the party statement said in a statement. The NPP will today, August 22, 2020, in Cape Coast, outdoor its 2020 manifesto ahead of the upcoming December 7 general elections. The outdooring will be held virtually in accordance with the COVID-19 safety protocols with only a few dignitaries of the party invited for the launch. The party in a statement issued on Friday, August 21 said Zoom platforms will be made available to all patrons and executives of the party to join the launch. The ruling NPP said it is optimistic that the policies, outlined in its manifesto will grant the Akufo-Addo administration another four-year mandate by the Ghanaian populace. The manifesto committee was chaired by Madam Oboshie Sai Coffie. Members include Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Sammi Awuku, Lord Commey, Evron Hughes, Kwabena Abankwa Yeboah, Collins Nuamah, Robert Kutin Jnr, Kate Gyamfua and Abibata Shanni Mahama. 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 The employees were not symptomatic, according to a release from the center. The workers were a nurse, a housekeeper and maintenance worker. All 300 employees are required to wear personal protective equipment such as face coverings, the release said. Employees are also screened for fever and other symptoms at the start of their shifts. Citing those measures, president and chief executive officer Jason Cronk said he was optimistic employees had not spread the virus to any residents. The communities include assisted living, memory support, a skilled care center and rehabilitation. All residents are screened every eight hours and monitored for systems. Those in the independent living section are asked to self-monitor. On Friday, no residents or other employees reported any symptoms of the virus, according to the release. Residents underwent nasal swab testing Friday, with results expected in 48-72 hours. Employees will now get a nasal swab test weekly. The state reported running 1,067 tests between Thursday and Friday, for a total of 208,627 tests since the start of the outbreak. The number of tests does not mean that many people have been tested, as an individual may be re-tested several times. Snatching of ballot boxes and late arrival of electoral materials were the bane of Saturdays local government election in Ondo State. Outright snatching of materials was witnessed in Karibo, Apoi Ward 2, in Ese-Odo Local Government area, where the materials were carted away on Friday night. Efforts by the youth in the area to prevent the snatching of the materials resulted in a clash between them and the thugs, with attendant injuries and damage of properties. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the hoodlums, in spite of the intervention, still succeeded in carting away some materials. In Akure South Local Government Area, Unit 19, Ward 4, at Omolere Primary School in particular, some hoodlums stormed the venue after voting had commenced and carted away the voting materials. A female party agent of the Social Democratic Party(SPD)at the unit who refused to mention her name said she had earlier been called by some political parties at the polling unit to take some financial inducement to allow them perpetrate the act. I was offered N30,000 to allow them take away the ballot box, but I told them am a Christian and I cant sell my conscience, the woman told journalists. Before I know it some set of people on a bike came in suddenly and carted away the ballot box, including the unused ballot paper, she said. Voting materials also arrived late in many polling units in Akoko North-East and some parts of Akure North local governments. Delay As at 9a.m., Ward 9 in Oba-Ile, Akure South was yet to get materials to the polling units for voting to commence. Although some security operatives had been deployed, the ad hoc staff of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission were yet to report to the units at the time. Voting was also delayed in Akoko North East, as units were yet to get materials as of 12p.m. The turnout for the election was expectedly low, as the polling units had few persons turning out to vote. READ ALSO: However, the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, while casting his vote at his Unit 6, ward 5 Ijebu-Owo at 10.44am, said the election was peaceful and met his expectations. He said the election was a huge success and that the turnout was impressive. Also, the Chief Whip of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olayemo Adeyemi, said he was impressed with the turnout of voters. The Peoples Democratic Party is not participating in the polls, as it had withdrawn from the election, citing issues of credibility. The Social Democratic Party withdrew its participation a day to the election after its members were violently attacked in Idanre. The Zenith Labour Party, which was looking good to do well at the polls, also withdrew its participation after it raised concerns of violence against its members and fairness on the part of the ODIEC. ODIEC Spokesman, Rotimi Olufemi, when contacted on the issues, said his office was yet to receive details on the developments on the field. He said only field reports would indicate the true position of process so far. INVERMAY, Sask. - People could always tell when Aaron Ogden entered a room. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2020 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. INVERMAY, Sask. - People could always tell when Aaron Ogden entered a room. The 19-year-old had a big presence, said his father, Mark Ogden. He was a prankster, a one-of-a-kind character who would sit and talk to anybody as if he'd known them for years. Aaron Ogden is shown in this undated handout image supplied by his family. People could always tell when Aaron Ogden entered a room. The 19-year-old had a big presence, said his father, Mark Ogden. He was a prankster, a one-of-a-kind character who would sit and talk to anybody as if he'd known them for years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO "He wasn't afraid to make friends," Ogden, 50, said in a phone interview. "This is just the way he was. "Really easy to talk to." People remembered the young man's outgoing personality at his funeral this week. He died in a Calgary hospital last Saturday after collapsing on a run. His father, a trucker, was able to be by his son's side. He said a major blood clot had formed around a stent placed in his son's aorta. The stent was necessary after he survived a serious highway accident on his way to work last year. "It was a miracle, really." Ogden said while in hospital before his death, his son told him he was supposed to go for a CT scan in June while still living in Saskatchewan near Yorkton. It was a routine checkup on the stent, but the appointment was postponed because of restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic and never rescheduled. "I didn't think nothing of it at the time, but I mulled it over ... as we watched him decline," Ogden said. "It hit me. He was trying to tell me: 'This shouldn't have happened.'" The father believes that had his son's scan not been cancelled, doctors might have found the blood clot in time. Ogden wants all postponed hospital procedures done immediately. "People's lives are being lost," he said. "These COVID rules are way too far." Ogden believes the Saskatchewan Health Authority bears responsibility for his son's death. "Somebody needs to be held to account." The health authority halted hundreds of non-urgent surgeries, procedures and diagnostics in March to brace for the pandemic. Two months later, when the government felt it had a handle on the spread of the novel coronavirus, it announced the resumption of health services would be staggered. "Emergency and urgent patients are the priority for services, including diagnostic imaging," said Corey Miller, vice-president of provincial programs at the health authority. "The determination of the priority is based on the evaluation of the referring physician in consultation with the patient." Miller said they are reviewing Ogden's case and have reached out to his family. He said the health authority is working through the backlog of exams that were delayed during the first few months of the pandemic. More than 1,500 CT appointments which had been booked were postponed, he said. Ogden questions why something like a CT scan couldn't be performed in Yorkton, where the risk of COVID-19 was low. As of Friday, health officials reported five active cases in the region, which has only seen 33 infections in total since the pandemic hit Saskatchewan. Cheryl Camillo, a professor with the University of Regina's Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, says speaking generally, delaying non-essential services to respond to COVID-19 was the responsible thing to do because the virus was new and spreading quickly. "The risks are that some people don't get the essential and urgent services because so much of the workforce and the resources of the health system move towards responding to COVID," said the health systems researcher. "It's very human for people to get frustrated because health care is something that is so personal." She says another risk of scaling back is that people can lose confidence in a health system some may perceive as having overplanned for the pandemic. Health officials are in the tough spot of having to prepare for the worst case scenario and what could be a rapid change in case numbers, she says. During the pandemic Camillo's own grandmother died in a long-term care home in the United States from isolation and depression, she says. "I suffered an individual loss of my otherwise pretty healthy grandmother, but despite how profoundly sad that makes me, I understand and would defend the care home's decision to lock down. "It is the responsibility of public health officials to protect public health. By Stephanie Taylor in Regina This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2020 Rhea Chakrabortys visit to mortuary is very suspicious as she had no relationship with Sushant Singh Rajput on the day of his death, and there is a possibility of tampering with evidence, said lawyer for the late actors father Vikas Singh on Friday. Rhea going to mortuary is very suspicious as she had no relationship with Sushant Singh on day of his death. In what capacity was she allowed to see the body of Sushant? I believe she was taken from the backroom. Without showing grief, without sobbing, without breaking down, clearly exposes her mind that she was probably wanting to accept the blame of his death and she has no regret of it. She had no affection for Sushant, Singh told ANI. He also raised fingers at Mumbai Police that how the state police gave her access to the mortuary. Mumbai police will have to answer how did they allow her to enter before post-mortem. There is a possibility of tampering with evidence, he said. On Friday, two Mumbai police officials on Friday visited the residence of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput in Bandra. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had on Thursday said, Of course, we will cooperate, when asked if they will cooperate with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team investigating the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. On August 19, while holding that the FIR registered in Patna over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was legitimate, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to investigate the case. The apex court also asked the Mumbai Police to hand over all the evidence collected so far in the case to the CBI. The state of Maharashtra refused the option to challenge the order, Justice Roy said. The CBI has registered an FIR against Rhea Chakraborty and others in connection with the actors death after the Centre accepted Bihar Governments recommendation to transfer the probe in the matter from Patna. An FIR was registered in Patna on a complaint filed by KK Singh, Rajputs father, under sections related to abetment to suicide. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. (ANI) College Connect, a partnership between four Higher Education Institutions, is launching a new campaign based on their mission to increase student diversity. AIT, Dundalk IT, DCU and MU are working together with community organisations and groups to reach the most underrepresented students and connect them to higher education courses. The It Can Be You campaign encourages people to take that first step towards higher education by directing them to information and resources that will help them begin their journey. The campaign will also promote stories of students who overcame difficult circumstances to enter higher education and now want to inspire others to do the same. It Can Be You is expected to increase the number of students from a range of communities, including Irish Travellers, lone parents and students from one-parent families, young people who have been in care of the state, people with disabilities, protection applicants (such as refugees or asylum seekers), people with previous convictions, people from lower socio-economic groups, first-time mature students and further education award holders. Education changes lives, said Anthony Burrowes, Community Connector for College Connect. There are many different factors involved for people to be able to make that first step towards higher education, and in developing student diversity as a whole. College Connect is the bridge that recognises these needs, developing community partnerships that are rooted in the beliefs of transformational education. You might be facing challenges accessing the right information, but well show you the resources available to help empower you. No matter what your circumstances are, get in touch with us today at collegeconnect.ie to begin your journey. Cassie Hunt, a 22-year-old student, advocates for people to contact College Connect. I can speak to the incredible impact that higher education has had on my life, said Cassie. I grew up in Darndale and both my parents struggled with addiction. This meant that my story seemed to be mapped out for me already, but Ive now completed my undergraduate degree and Im beginning a masters this year. It can feel impossible to make that first step, but College Connect will be by your side and will connect you to lots of additional supports when you get to college, especially through the Access office. As well as highlighting the many alternative routes available to higher education, College Connect is leading the way in Community Needs Analysis (CNA), a style of peer-led research designed to give a voice to groups that are often unheard while finding out what the community needs. The partnership carried out an action research project in 2019 with the Pathways Education Centre for Prisoners and Former Prisoners to find out how to better support people with previous convictions progress to college, and more importantly, to see what needed to be changed. The findings from this CNA were communicated largely through visual art and spoken word. We believe educational opportunities are for all, said Burrowes. We will continue creating links that ensure that no matter what your circumstances are, you will have access to the information and resources to support you in your journey to and through higher education. I was an adult before I knew I had a 'country' accent. My ear being unattuned to anything but the broad west-midlands vowels and dropped consonants of my green and sparkling home, I believed myself to be uninflected, urbane, quite a refined annunciator. But no one in the Limerick city factory where I worked, 25 miles from the village of my birth, had a clue what I was saying. Nor, for the first few weeks at least, could I decipher the crackle and whip of the Limerick tongue. But I soon fell into an easy accommodation between city and hinterland, and Limerick's glorious urban drawl became music to my ears. Things took a turn for the worse communicatively once I entered the literary milieu. A very refined and elegant lady berated me at a festival early on for (single-handedly) bringing paddywhackery back into Irish letters. "Paddywhackery?" says I. "Yes! PADDYWHACKERY!" she screeched, and pointed a long finger at my guilty heart. She picked my book up from her seat so she could throw it on the ground. The book looked perfectly innocent lying there, but she went to town on it. "Foulness," she spat. "You have the English all laughing at us again. For all the wrong reasons. You're a disgrace to literature, and a disgrace to Ireland." "Ah now," I said, in my book's defence, in my own defence, in defence of the Ireland that lay beyond her pale. "Go handy." I had more amiable and fruitful congresses with the upper classes a little further on in my career. I had lunch in Paris with an English ex-pat who was so posh she thought the queen was a bit common. The first thing she said to me after I'd shaken the ends of her fingers was: "Mwawah waw waw waw mwaw." There was an upward inflection at the end of the closing 'mwaw' that I took as interrogatory and so I smiled and nodded, and then I panicked a bit and said something that probably sounded to her rarefied ears like "Hurdy burdy burdy boo." "Mwaw haw haw haw haw," she replied good-naturedly. Read More As with all things, a bit of patience and perseverance paid off handsomely, and we were attuned to one another's vernacular rhythms and vocal ranges before dessert came around. I remembered to stay in the verbal slow lane, to separate my syllables, to broaden my vowels and sharpen my consonants, and she knocked a few registers off of her blueblood twang. We had a right laugh for a finish and we stayed in touch. Mostly by email, in fairness. Some time later, she asked me to read a short story she'd written, set in rural Ireland, and she'd nailed the vernacular. I was really impressed, and oddly touched, by the effort she'd put into getting it right. One of the first foreign reviews of my first novel was on an American blog called Books and Bowel Movements. "The Spinning Heart," the blogger declared, "is the worst book ever written." Not a great start. She went on to defend her hyperbolic thesis admirably, pointing out all the myriad ways in which The Spinning Heart was more bowel movement than book. What she thought was her coup de grace, though, turned out to be one of the best compliments I've ever been paid by a critic. She said she'd heard people praise "this guy" for his use of demotic language. This wasn't to be praised, she said, because there was no achievement in it. "He's just using the slang and grit of his own people." I love that. The slang and grit of my own people! Beautiful. That made up for her assertion that, of all the tens of millions of books that have been written since first we carved symbols into stone, that my innocent little debut was the worst. I asked if it could be put on the paperback cover. "Donal Ryan writes in the slang and grit of his own people," would have been a really cool blurb. 'Books and Bowel Movements' mightn't have looked as good, but I'd still have been proud of the quote. Anyway, I bear her no ill-will, and I still quote her a lot, nearly a decade later. The vernacular language I mostly use in my fiction is my own, so I'm happy I have it right. I sometimes pull my punches when I venture past north Tipp or Limerick city, the places I've lived my whole life. I play it a bit safer, neutralising my characters' voices, ascribing benign and ubiquitous linguistic tics, sometimes veering into cliche or caricature before catching myself and pulling back to the straight and narrow. I do this because I know that hearing or seeing your accent represented on stage or screen or on the page can easily feel like being mimicked, and I well know how that can feel like being scorned and belittled when it's done badly or carelessly or clumsily. My publishers even commission sensitivity readers to reduce as much as possible the risk of causing offence. In my novel Strange Flowers, there's a meeting of two middle-aged couples at a hotel in the Irish midlands in the 1970s. Paddy and Kit Gladney are caretaker farmers from the fictional townland of Knockagowney, near Nenagh in Tipperary. Their counterparts, Barney and Delilah Elmwood, are Jamaicans from Notting Hill, London. They have a short but profound conversation. It takes up very little space in the book, but I gave it a lot of thought. If these people had met in real life and spoken in their true voices, without modifying their speech, the Gladneys' drawling Tipperary hillside lilt would have met the Elmwoods' rapid cockney-creole patois in a confluence of confusion and embarrassed smiling and nodding. It might have taken time and effort for them to tune into each other, to arrive at the knowledge that they were strikingly similar - proud, prayerful, loving, faithful, hard-working people. I couldn't bear to subject them to the pain of it. I was putting them through enough in their stories as it was! So they speak clearly to each other, they complete their fateful transaction, and they part company; and maybe I'll live to regret not writing them more gradually into their accord, not allowing in that particular scene the glory of their tongues' full flight. Video of the Day Because our ways with words are precious and should be protected and celebrated; we should be proud of the shapes of our utterances, the way we tilt and bend and squeeze and extend our syllables to make language our own, the peculiarities and peccadilloes with which we adulterate and pad and caress our sentences. Just as we each create our own subjective universes through our singular consciousnesses, we each create our own languages through the individual ways we engage with words. Lots of people sound the same, sharing lexicons and speech patterns particular to places and demographic positions and professions and various communities and subsets of communities and friendship groups and all the multitudes of commonalities you could think of, but we each of us have our own unique way of sounding, or of being silent. It's nearly impossible to replicate a human voice in a perfectly faithful way as a writer of fiction, but when it's done as well as it can be done, it makes fiction real, lets characters properly live, lets them whisper and shout and sing to the reader from the page. There are truths about our common experience latent in the rhythms of our tongues, about our histories and our presents and all the complexities of our human condition, and if the differences in the ways we shape our words force us to slow our speech and to listen more intently, and to lean in to consider more closely what the person before us or next to us is actually saying, then language is achieving its noblest purpose: closing the gaps of understanding between people. The differences between us sometimes throw the things we share into sharpest relief. 'Strange Flowers' by Donal Ryan is out now (Transworld, 14.99) New Delhi, Aug 22 : State-run power generation company NTPC proposes to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary to house its growing renewable energy portfolio so that more focus is brought into the business that holds the potential of being the next growth engine for the company. The company, which had installed a generation capacity of close to 63,000 ME, proposes to have 32,000 ME of renewable energy capacity under its hold by 2032. It already has 5,000 MW of commissioned renewable energy projects in its fold under the developer-mode model. The NTPC has secured a bid from NITI Aayog and Disinvestment department DIPAM for its new renewable energy subsidiary and proposes to carve out the new entity soon after taking the board's approval and shareholders' nod. The capital structure of the new subsidiary will be worked out later. "...concurrence had been obtained from NITI Aayog, Government of India (GoI) and Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India, for formation of a wholly-owned subsidiary for NTPC renewable energy business. The aforesaid wholly-owned subsidiary will be incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013," NTPC informed the exchanges on Friday. NTPC shares jumped 4.75 per cent to close at 105.95 at the close of trading hours on the BSE on Friday. The new subsidiary will help the company to bring more focus on renewable operations and quickly achieve the target it set for expanding green capacity. Of the 32,000 MW renewable energy capacity, nearly 10,000 MW of solar capacity is proposed to be commissioned till 2022. The aim is to take up renewable capacity to 30 per cent of its total operations by 2032. The company is also looking at expanding hydro operations and setting up 2,000 MW of nuclear capacity. The NTPC Group has achieved more than 100 billion units (BUs) of cumulative generation in the current financial year, reinforcing the group's commitment towards excellence in operations across its plants. With a total installed capacity of 62.9 GW, the NTPC Group has 70 power stations, comprising 24 coal, 7 combined cycle gas/liquid fuel, 1 hydro, 13 renewables along with 25 subsidiary and JV power stations. The group has more than 20 GW of capacity under construction, including 5 GW of renewable energy projects. His fiancee Georgia Love revealed earlier this week that they might be forced to cancel their wedding for a second time due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But on Saturday, Lee Elliott showed he was in good spirits as he made a joke while the gorgeous couple popped out for groceries. The 38-year-old plumber shared a selfie of himself and his journalist girlfriend donning face masks to Instagram. Safety first: On Saturday, Lee Elliott and Georgia Love (both pictured) appeared in good spirits while donning face masks in Melbourne 'They said all you needed to go to the supermarket was a mask,' he captioned the post. 'They lied, everyone else had clothes on,' Lee joked. In the image, the couple wrapped their arms around each other and rugged up against Melbourne's winter weather. Jokes: 'They said all you needed to go to the supermarket was a mask. 'They lied, everyone else had clothes on,' the 38-year-old plumber joked in an Instagram post Georgia donned a silver face mask, white beanie and black puffer jacket. While, Lee wore a black face mask with a black windcheater. The outing came after Georgia revealed they may be forced to cancel their nuptials for the second time this year. Heartbreaking: On Tuesday, Georgia revealed her ongoing wedding nightmare after admitting they might be forced to cancel their nuptials again The couple, who met on The Bachelorette in 2016, had to nix their lavish Italian dream wedding due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. And now their dreams of a Tasmanian trip down the aisle appear to be in jeopardy, too. 'So like HOW FUNNY IS IT when you cancel your Italy wedding and book it for Tasmania instead and then the Premier shuts the borders til at least December,' Georgia shared on Twitter. Devastated: Georgia shared her disappointment to Twitter after Tasmania announced they were closing their borders to non-essential travellers until at least December 'HAHAHAHAHA OMG SO FUNNY IM TOTALLY FINE!!!!!' she added. The Premier of Tasmania, Peter Gutwein, made the announcement on Tuesday, saying it allowed sufficient time for the COVID-19 situation in Victoria to be brought under control following a surge in cases of the deadly respiratory disease. In June, the journalist told the Ben Rob & Robbo show that the couple had been forced to change the location of their wedding to Tasmania due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plan B! Georgia planned to hold the big day in Tasmania after being forced to cancel her Italian dream wedding due to international travel restrictions 'We were planning on a wedding for Italy next year so in 2021,' she said. 'But we've gone back on those plans, so we figured there's just too many "what-ifs" in the world at the moment.' The television presenter added that even if international travel opens, the couple still plan to hold their nuptials in Georgia's home state of Tasmania instead. 'Even if Italy is fine by then we do not want to put it on our family and friends that they have to find the money to do so in such uncertain times with people losing their jobs,' she added. Georgia chose Lee in the finale of The Bachelorette in 2016 and the pair announced their engagement in 2019. Though sceptical, people wait in awe to see whether new Government will implement its main pledges Great interest in what will happen to outcome on probe on terror attacks on Easter Sunday and Central Bank bond scam Blackout gives early black marks to Government Crisis over Sumanthiran aggravates in TNA; delegation meets Indias envoy and obtains assurance on national question Riding on the high waves of a landslide victory, it was another historic week that saw the launch of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP)-led Governments plans to consolidate power, define policies and forge ahead for the coming five years. It began with the first meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday. In the cabinet room, once the well of the house in the former Parliament overlooking the Indian Ocean, new faces mingled with old faces. The building also serves as the Presidential Secretariat. It was the same when the government parliamentary group met at Temple Trees, the official residence of the Prime Minister in the afternoon. The events were capped on Thursday afternoon with a policy statement which President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made to Parliament. Earlier, in the morning, the House met to unanimously elect Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena as Speaker, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya as Deputy Speaker and Angajan Ramanathan as Deputy Chairman of Committees. The three events this week brought the curtain down on a Parliament then dominated by the Yahapalana regime. That the Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe government went through the same rituals after being voted overwhelmingly to power in January 2015, both at the presidential and August 2015, parliamentary elections, is now another old chapter. Yet, memories were revived among most Sri Lankans as they saw and heard of this weeks events. Those who went left behind some important political landmarks, a handful of achievements, colossal blunders and a litany of bribery and corruption cases that were enough for students of politics to ponder over for years to come. Pledges of utopian ideals of mountainous proportions were made and the deliveries were mice like. Public confidence eroded like a deadly drought evaporating vast swathes of water. Former President Sirisena inherited the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leadership after he assumed office. He headed a team of party loyalists and the internecine battles with the main partner, the United National Party (UNP), grew exponentially. At the end of the tenure, he had to return to the Mahinda Rajapaksa fold, though he ousted Rajapaksa earlier, and contested on the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ticket. He and 13 others now represent the SLPP and the only exception is Angajan Ramananthan, SLFP MP from the Jaffna district. Just last Wednesday, UNP leader Wickremesinghe was ambushed at the party headquarters, Siri Kotha, by a group of monks led by the Ven. Thiniyawela Palitha Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Nalandaramaya in Nugegoda. He was appointed by the then Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake as a Director of Lanka Hospital. The Thera was accompanied by the Ven. Bopitiye Dhammissara Thera. They asked Wickremesinghe to appoint former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as the party leader immediately. When Wickremesinghe said that these were matters to be discussed at the partys Working Committee, the monks had thrust an already prepared document and asked Wickremesinghe to sign it. The document said he was giving up the party leadership to Jayasuriya. Wickremesinghe had thrown the document and walked away. The sum effect of all this today is the absence of a strong voice from the opposition. Key issues thus go unchallenged, like for example Mondays countrywide power blackout from seven to twelve hours, depending on the area. Energy Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, declared it was the result of human error by one person. The parlance is similar to those used when there is an air crash caused by pilot error. Such tragedies, however, are known to cause hundreds of deaths. The blackout led to billions of rupees in losses and a multitude of difficulties to people. Like the Sinhala adage of being gored by a bull after a fall from a tree, came the power cuts, causing further hardships. In such situations, the danger is when it comes to fulfilling pledges President Rajapaksa made in his policy statement to Parliament on Thursday. Those relating to smaller industrial development sectors and civilian homes require an uninterrupted supply of power. When it is not there, there is no water since it cannot be pumped. That a government is unable to manage such a situation, one need hardly say, drives away foreign investors and even tourists causing an exceptionally large measure of instability. Most importantly, it undermines public confidence. The provision of electricity is not only an important public utility service but also one that has profoundly serious national security connotations. It is true that Alahapperuma has held office only for five days but that was enough time to assess what has happened with the help of his own officials. The best example that illustrates the situation is the strong action taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Similarly, he struck hard at the illegal drug mafia and cracked down on the criminal underworld pushing his popularity to a peak. He won accolades for being a doer. They do diminish to some extent by shock blackouts and power cuts that cause immense hardships to the people. Their confidence in them chips away. Not just because they are kept in the dark but also when they do not know what had gone wrong. Imagine if it happened on the election day or when ministers were sworn in? It is well known that for decades; successive governments have not been able to cope with the countrys power requirements. The projects, however, produced millionaires who benefited from those costly but burdensome projects through kickbacks. Even without blackouts or power cuts, vast areas of Nugegoda that includes the residence of President Rajapaksa, are subject to breakdowns every week. Constitutional changes It was the new Justice Minister, Ali Sabry, who last Wednesday introduced a three-page Cabinet Memorandum titled Draft Bill for amendments to the Constitution. He noted that the 19th Amendment, approved by Parliament in 2015, contributed to the steady increase in shortcomings in the 1978 Constitution. It was widely believed, he said, that there were adverse consequences to national security, economic development, and day-to-day life. One of the special features in the 19A was those intended to take effect after a future election. The 19A was certified on May 15, 2015. Hence, the effective date was after Parliamentary election was held. He asserted that this was a gross under estimation of the sovereignty of the people to amend the supreme law based on the outcome of an election. The reference was to the presidential election in January 2015. As is well known, two lawyers, both parliamentarians together with former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, were the prime movers of the 19A. They were Abraham Sumanthiran, a frontliner of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Jayampathy Wickremeratne, a onetime leftist campaigner, who has since taken up a job in Switzerland. They were also key players later in failed efforts to draft a new constitution. Sabry, who was in the cabinet room for the first time, said the provisions of 19A (Clauses, 9, 15, 28, 29, 30 and 31), due to take effect from the elections (on August 5) were causing adverse consequences. These provisions, Sabry said, relate to paragraph (1), article 46 of the Constitution. Though somewhat technical, the clauses he referred to give an idea of Sabrys assertion of the underestimation of the countrys sovereignty. The references are made briefly to place matters in context though it may be less relevant to the average reader. Clause 9- THE EXECUTIVE THE CABINET OF MINISTERS 42 (1) There shall be a Cabinet of Ministers charged with the direction and control of the Government of the Republic. (2) The Cabinet of Ministers shall be collectively responsible and answerable to Parliament. (3) The President shall be a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and shall be the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers. (4) The President shall appoint as Prime Minister the Member of Parliament, who, in the Presidents opinion is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament. 43 (1) The President shall, in consultation with the Prime Minister, where he considers such consultation to be necessary, determine the number of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministries and the assignment of subjects and functions to such Ministers. (2) The President shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint from among Members of Parliament, Ministers, to be in charge of the Ministries so determined. (3) The President may at any time change the assignment of subjects and functions and the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers. Such changes shall not affect the continuity of the Cabinet of Ministers and the continuity of its responsibility to Parliament. 44. (1) The President may, on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint from among Members of Parliament, Ministers who shall not be members of the Cabinet of Ministers. (2) The President may, in consultation with the Prime Minister where he considers such consultation to be necessary, determine the assignment of subjects and functions to Ministers appointed under paragraph (1) of this Article and the Ministries, if any, which are to be in charge of, such Ministers. (3) The President may at any time change any assignment made under paragraph (2). (4) Every Minister appointed under paragraph (1) shall be responsible to the Cabinet of Ministers and to Parliament. (5) Any Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers may, by Notification published in the Gazette, delegate to any Minister who is not a member of the Cabinet of Ministers, any power or duty pertaining to any subject or function assigned to such Cabinet Minister, or any power or duty conferred or imposed on him by any written law, and it shall be lawful for such other Minister to exercise and perform any power or duty delegated notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the written law by which that power or duty is conferred or imposed on such Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers. 45. (1)The President may, on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint from among Members of Parliament, Deputy Ministers to assist Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers in the performance of their duties. (2) Any Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers may by Notification published in the Gazette, delegate to his Deputy Minister, any power or duty pertaining to any subject or function assigned to him or any power or duty conferred or imposed on him by any written law, and it shall be lawful for such Deputy Minister to exercise and perform any power or duty delegated notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the written law by which that power or duty is conferred or imposed on such Minister. Section 15 Article 62 of the Constitution is hereby amended by the repeal of paragraph (2) of that Article, and the substitution therefor of the following paragraph:- (2) Unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, every Parliament shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer, and the expiry of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of Parliament. Section 28 Article 111D of the Constitution is hereby repealed, and the following Article substituted therefor:- 111D. (1) There shall be a Judicial Service Commission (in this Chapter referred to as the Commission) consisting of the Chief Justice and the two most senior Judges of the Supreme Court appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council. (2) Where the Chief Justice and the two most Senior Judges of the Supreme Court are Judges who have not had any judicial experience serving as a Judge of a Court of First Instance, the Commission shall consist of the Chief Justice, the senior most Judge of the Supreme Court and the next most senior Judge of such Court, who has had experience as a Judge of a Court of First Instance. (3) The Chief Justice shall be the Chairman of the Commission. Section 29 Article 111E of the Constitution is hereby amended by the repeal of paragraphs (5) and (6) of that Article and the substitution of the following paragraphs therefor:- (5) The President may grant to any member of the Commission leave from duties and may appoint subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council, a person qualified to be a member of the Commission to be a temporary member for the period of such leave. (6) The President may, with the approval of the Constitutional Council, and for cause assigned, remove from office any member of the Commission.. Section 30 Article 122 of the Constitution is hereby repealed. Section 31 Article 123 of the Constitution is hereby amended by the repeal of paragraph (3) of that Article. This deals with determinations of the Supreme Court. Sabry told ministers that ahead of the presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had sought a mandate from the people to introduce a new Constitution. He won that. Again, at the parliamentary election on August 5, a two-thirds win by his government further consolidated his mandate. The voters had endorsed Saubagye Dekma (or Vistas of Prosperity). Sabry said that the removal of the 19A was a long felt need and they should amend it or submit new points as a priority basis. Nevertheless, he declared that a new Constitution would be imperative after changes in the 19A were carried out. Such a move, he pointed out, should take into consideration the electoral system and the disparity created in education and health due to functions of the Provincial Councils. He also said the Government should address the inefficiency created in the field of taxes, licences, and the legal framework due to devolution. He recommended to ministers a scientific study in this regard and offered a three-pronged proposal: = The terms of Parliament and the President should be limited to five years. = Limiting the number of terms of President to two. = Appoint an expert committee to prepare a Constitution suitable to the country. For this purpose, he said, a 20A would have to be introduced. Minister Wimal Weerawansa raised issue about a time frame during which the 20A could be introduced. It was pointed out to him by a colleague that it was a complicated situation. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella (now government spokesperson) and Minister Udaya Gammanpila (co-Cabinet spokesperson) expressed the view that the Justice Minister had not spelt out details of what was intended. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, however, said matters could not be delayed and they should proceed. Premier Rajapaksa said it should be made clear that the 19A was being rescinded except for some provisions. Those being retained relate to the Right to Information law and a few other provisions. The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the Legal Draftsman (LD) to draft proposals on the three recommendations. Justice Minister Sabry will advise the LD and appoint an Expert Committee to draft a new Constitution. He will submit it for the Attorney Generals approval and publish it in a Gazette thereafter. A five-member ministerial committee Prof. G.L. Peiris, Dinesh Gunawardena, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Ali Sabry and Udaya Gammanpila has been appointed to study representations regarding the proposed new constitution and make recommendations to the Cabinet. Another significant change the Government proposes through the new 20A is to rescind constitutional provisions that prohibit Sri Lankans, who are dual citizens, from contesting elections. This is on the argument that such citizens enjoy all the rights of fellow citizens and it was wrong to deny them the right to take part in the electoral process. The move, highly-placed government sources hinted yesterday, will also see the return of Basil Rajapaksa to Parliament. At present he serves as the head of a Presidential Task Force on resurrecting the economy besides being the Presidents Special Envoy. These sources said that Jayantha Ketagoda, now a staffer at the SLPP office in Battaramulla, will resign to make way for Basil Rajapaksa once the 20A is introduced in Parliament, possibly within two or three months. The 19A introduced a clause to amend Article 91 of the Constitution. Accordingly, it said that a citizen of Sri Lanka who is also a citizen of any other country is not eligible to be an MP. Basil Rajapaksa is likely to receive the earlier portfolio he held under President Mahinda Rajapaksa Economic Development. Whether it would be accompanied by other portfolios is not immediately clear but what is now known is that he will play a key role in economic development and related matters. With this in mind, he is likely to move to the Treasury complex where an office is being prepared for him. At present, he functions from Temple Trees. Keeping MPs happy Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa chaired the first meeting of the government parliamentary group at Temple Trees. He announced that the Cabinet had that morning given approval to provide jobs for 50,000 graduates. He told the MPs that they would have to be selected from the poorest of the poor and was part of a programme to recruit 100,000 graduates to the state sector. He also announced that the Government would introduce a 20A to replace most provisions of the 19 A. Premier Rajapaksa also told them about the Vote on Account that was tabled on Friday. He told MPs to be ready for the debate on August 27 and 28. In February, this year, the previous Yahapalana governments MPs stymied efforts by the SLPP-led alliance to move a Vote on Account to obtain an additional Rs 367 million for government expenditure. The move will be a precursor to the introduction of the governments first budget after the 20A takes effect. Allowing MPs to recommend poorest of the poor nominees for jobs would no doubt strengthen their positions in their own electorates. This is particularly at the time when Provincial Council elections are held. Presidents policy statement President Gotabaya Rajapaksas eight-page policy statement to Parliament was focused almost entirely on domestic matters and did not refer to external relations or foreign policy issues. If he had enunciated foreign policy issues, it would no doubt have been a good opportunity to have drawn the attention of members of the diplomatic community present in the Speakers Gallery. Noting that 6.9 million people have given a decisive mandate to him, he declared that the historic mandate (at the parliamentary election) received by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has proven that people were impressed the way we have governed during the past nine months despite obstacles. In what seemed an acknowledgement of a larger majority of Sinhala Buddhist votes his SLPP-led government polled, he asserted, In accordance with the supreme Constitution of our country, I have pledged to protect the unitary status of the country and to protect and nurture the Buddha Sasana during my tenure. Accordingly, I have set up an advisory council comprising leading Buddhist monks to seek advice on governance. I have also established a Presidential Task Force to protect places of archaeological importance and to preserve our Buddhist heritage. Whilst ensuring priority for Buddhism, President Rajapaksa said, it is now clear to the people that freedom of any citizen to practice the religion of his or her choice is better secured. Responding obviously to criticism over the structuring of new ministries and their titles, he said in order to overcome both local and global challenges and revive the economy, we will have to adopt new ways of thinking. Out of the box thinking is required in order to meet economic challenges. This time, the ministries have been formed with this thought in mind. He admitted that due to the shutting down of tea factories, tea estate owners had encountered a number of difficulties and pledged to re-start them. He noted that an unstable Parliament that cannot take firm decisions and succumbs to extremist influences very often is not suitable for the country. He said whilst introducing a new constitution, it is essential to make changes to the current electoral system. While retaining the salutary aspects of the proportional representation system, changes will be made to ensure stability of Parliament. Eradicating corruption, he said, is a core responsibility of all of us. He pledged, I will not hesitate to enforce the law against those who are involved in fraud and corrupt actions, irrespective of the status of any such perpetrators. Commenting on the Constitution, he said it has been amended 19 times since its introduction in 1978. He said, As people have given us the mandate we wanted for a constitutional amendment; our first task will be to remove 19th amendment to the Constitution. After that, all of us will get together to formulate a new constitution suitable for the country. In this, the priority will be given to the concept of one country, one law for all the people. He did not fail to refer to the security situation of the country, which he said, was badly dented after the attacks on Easter Sunday. Stressing that the prime policy of our government is national security, he said, we have restructured the security apparatus and intelligence services, eliminating the fears of the people. There was also a subtle word of caution. President Rajapaksa said he will review the progress of the Governments goals that are implemented through ministries. I will not hesitate to effect necessary changes, he added. On Friday, there was a debate on the Presidents policy statement. Gajan Ponnambalam, the Jaffna districts newly elected MP, who represents Ahila Ilankai Tamil Congress (All Ceylon Tamil Congress), in his speech accused the Sri Lanka armed forces of violating international laws and committing war crimes. State Minister Sarath Weerasekera raised a point of order. He said no one had made such accusations. However, Deputy Chairman of Committees, Angajan Ramanathan, who was in the chair ruled that there was no point of order. Then, Mahinda Samarasinghe said that the ruling violated Standing Orders. The former Minister who had led Sri Lanka delegations to the UN Human Rights Council and a parliamentarian for 26 years, pointed out that he Weerasekeras objections should have been accepted. He argued that no one could mislead Parliament. The episode is no doubt a forerunner to what Ponnambalam, a hard-line MP from the North would raise in the future together with his colleague, former Northern Province Chief Minister and now parliamentarian, C.V. Wigneswaran, a former Supreme Court judge. Sarath Fonseka (SJB Gampaha district) was critical of the speech made by former President Maithripala Sirisena. He had referred to pests attacking cultivations and other mundane issues. He charged that Sirisena had not explained why he did not hurriedly return to Sri Lanka from Singapore after the massacres on Easter Sunday in April last year. Fonseka, a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee that probed the matter said, Sirisena had declared there were no flights. However, the committee made inquiries and found that there were both SriLankan Airlines and Singapore Airlines flights available if he in fact wanted to return immediately. Crisis in Tamil National Alliance More than two weeks after the parliamentary elections, fissures in the TNA continue. The tussle is between Abraham Sumanthiran and Sivanayakam Sritharan on the one hand and a group comprising Mavai Senathirajah, Selvam Adaikalanathan and Dharmalingam Siddharthan on the other. On Friday, a TNA delegation had a 90-minute meeting with Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay at the India House, his official residence. A TNA statement said, The High Commissioner congratulated the Tamil National Alliance on being returned to Parliament and assured Indias continuing commitments to finding a resolution to the Tamil national question in Sri Lanka. Although the statement did not say so, Baglay had also advised the alliance members to remain united. However, a more significant event took place at a meeting in the evening at the Colombo residence of TNA leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan. The group opposed to Sumanthiran urged Sampanthan to remove Sumanthiran from his posts as spokesperson of the alliance and its Parliamentary group. Though Sumanthiran was invited, he did not attend the meeting. TNA sources said Sampanthan had agreed to heed the request, a move which would continue the factional battle. Now that a Cabinet of Ministers is in place and there is a functioning Parliament, the focus turns on the government again. The new Government has to not only deliver but do so in keeping with the pledges it made. An area of greater interest is how it is going to deal with the outcome of ongoing investigations, particularly into the massacres on Easter Sunday last year and the Central Bank bond scandal. Though sceptical, the public wait in awe. President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko has demanded that the leadership of the Ministry of Defense take all measures to protect the territorial integrity of the country, paying special attention to the western part. The head of state made the relevant statement Saturday, visiting the military shooting range near Grodno, News.am reported citing BelTA. Also, the Belarusian president stated that color revolutions were being used against his countryand by the use of external factors. Furthermore, Lukashenko announced the obvious military support of the West to the Belarusian opposition, which, according to him, is evidenced by the relocation of NATO troops to the borders of Belarus. Aleksandr Lukashenko added that he considers the Western countries support of the Belarusian opposition as a direct intervention into the situation in Belarus. Saturday McNeese, John. Funeral with military honors, 11 a.m. Saturday at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville. Visitation, 10-11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Masks and social distancing required. Wendt, D. Patricia Silvernail. Graveside service, 11 a.m. Saturday at Fernwood Cemetery. Daws Family Funeral Home in Roodhouse is in charge. Winn, Neil William. 1 p.m. Saturday at Hendricker Funeral Home in Mount Sterling. Live-stream available at hendrickerfuneralhome.com. Visitation, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial with military honors, Versailles West Side Cemetery. Face masks and social distancing required. Sunday Clark, Beth Ann. Graveside services, 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Mount Sterling Catholic Cemetery. Hendricker Funeral Home in Mount Sterling is in charge. Monday Stucker, Mary Marie. Graveside service, 10 a.m. Monday at Jacksonville East Cemetery. Williamson Funeral Home is in charge. Wednesday Smith, Retired Master Sgt. USAF Russell G. 11 a.m. Wednesday at Wood Funeral Home in Rushville. Visitation, 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Interment with military rites, Rushville City Cemetery. Norway finance minister summons central bank chief over wealth fund crisis FILE PHOTO: Nicolai Tangen, appointed as the new CEO of the Norges Bank Investment Management attends a news conference, in Oslo By Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's finance minister on Friday met with the central bank governor to try to defuse a crisis over the appointment of a wealthy businessman to run the country's $1.1 trillion (834 billion pounds) sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest. Norges Bank said in March that Nicolai Tangen would become CEO of Norway's rainy-day assets from Sept. 1 while maintaining his own 43% stake in a hedge fund, triggering a backlash from a public watchdog and from parliament. Tangen's ownership in London-based AKO Capital posed a potential conflict of interest even though the hedge fund stake would be placed in a blind trust, parliament's finance committee said. Tangen has ruled out divesting his stake in AKO, which he founded. The minority government takes its instructions from parliament as Norway is a parliamentary democracy. The central bank, which runs the wealth fund, is independent of the government. "This is a serious case that affects the trust and reputation of the fund," Finance Minister Jan Tore Sanner told reporters after the meeting, alongside Governor Oeystein Olsen. "It was important for me to clarify parliament's expectations, my expectations and the way forward," said Sanner. The central bank's board will meet on Monday to discuss the situation with Tangen, Olsen told the same news conference. "Tangen is still very motivated to do this job and this (the ongoing situation) has strengthened his motivation," Olsen said. Asked whether he, Olsen, had considered resigning, the governor said he had not. Tangen declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. DEADLOCK The unprecedented deadlock between the central bank's executive board and its watchdog, known as the supervisory council, must be broken by the government, a finance committee in parliament said in a unanimous opinion earlier on Friday. The committee said Tangen cannot have holdings or interests that could create or appear to create conflicts of interest with the oil fund and "weaken the fund's reputation and trust". Story continues Secondly, Tangen cannot have holdings or interests that weaken, or can weaken, the "oil fund's work on tax and transparency". Finally, "these conditions must be in place before he (the new CEO) takes up his job," Hadia Tajik, a lawmaker from the opposition Labour party and a member of the finance committee, told reporters. Finance Minister Sanner said he saw "room for manoeuvre" in the position taken by the finance committee, without saying what form a resolution could take. (Editing by Hugh Lawson and Barbara lewis) North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, in a rare moment, agrees that economic shortcomings need to be addressed as soon as possible. A congress set to be held next January will hold the blueprint for North Korea to rise despite hardships. All these goals will be set to be completed in five-years-time to kickstart some improvements for the weakened economy of the ruling party's leadership. According to the Workers' Party, they stated that the national economy is not getting better with all the problems besetting it. Examples of it are U.S. sanctions, COVID-19 pandemic, and floods that have ravaged North Korea. Most off-putting are the goals that were set for people's welfare but heavily delayed, which in their opinion, does not speak highly of the current leadership of Kim Jong Un, reported AP News. In 2016, Kim revealed the first five-year plan for development that included North Korea's power generation, agriculture, and manufacturing products that were rolled out the last Workers' Party congress. The past 36-years, it has been the only one of its kind. The KCNA reported on Thursday, the party's decision-making Central Committee met on Wednesday to discuss problems in the national economy that Kim accepted. He cited the many factors that have influenced the current conditions that should be addressed. Experts have said the coronavirus affected the goals of Kim when a lockdown was done and it lessens Chinese trade by a big chunk. To North Korea, China is one of its major allies and the money train, economic slowdowns were inevitable. The workforce has been limited by the threat of Infection. Also read: Kim Yo Jong Authorizes Using Nuclear Weapons Against the US With Kim Jong-Un's Support South Korean leaders were holed up in briefing last Thursday, and the stress on Kim has made him delegate powers to chosen cadre of selected officials. One of these is Kim Yo Jong who will be dealing with foreign policies of the U.S. and North Korea, cited 9News. Lawmaker Ha Tae-keung mentioned that the National Intelligence Service is not always precise when it comes to the analysis of North Korea's secretive inner circle. He added that Kim Jong Un's rule is firm and absolute. Despite the speculation from the NIS, and alleged health problems, his sister successor, all the guessed are not valid. Kim Byung-kee, lawmaker also went to the INS briefing and said that North Korea's foreign reserves are not as robust. One reason is that border controls, anti-virus expenses that lessened economic activity was a good contributor, cited Star Tribune. During the affair, the INS kept quiet and did not answer comments. In the past weeks, Kim Jong Un fired his premier who performed badly in combating COVID-19 and restoring the damages caused by the floods that killed precious crops estimated at 100,000 acres. But Kim chose to deal with it without foreign help, confirmed Pique News Magazine. Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst with South Korea's Sejong Institute said the congress is scheduled when COVID-19 is less virulent. Cross-border trade should be revived, and if North Korean health can be overhauled with more funds. Related topic: Tension Builds Up as North Korea Blows up Border Liaison Office, Will South Korea Retaliate? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Countries in the Asia Pacific region are in the forefront of bearing the onslaught of climate change. During the last three decades, 45% of the world's natural disasters have occurred in this region, which is vulnerable to floods, cyclones, earthquakes, droughts, storms and tsunamis. While climate change affects everyone but impacts of climate change-related events are not gender-neutral. Women and girls are more vulnerable and disproportionately impacted due to pre-existing gender inequalities that are perpetuated by patriarchal beliefs. These inequalities are exacerbated during times of disasters. Biplabi Shrestha, Programme Director at the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), cites some of the gendered impacts of natural disasters as revealed by numerous studies done by ARROW: "In Bangladesh, even upon receiving early warning sirens women did not immediately seek refuge at cyclone shelters. Instead they stayed back to manage the household and to safeguard their assets and livestock. There is also the added burden within the households and girls drop out of school to help gather energy, food and water for the family. Early age marriage is used as a coping strategy in many poor communities in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos and Nepal, despite child marriage being legally banned in them. During any disaster, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence within family increases. Also, women and girls are more exposed to sexual violence in shelter camps. Gender ascribed rules and household food hierarchy systems existing in most communities lead to food insecurity and malnutrition of women and girls. It also prevents women and girls from accessing healthcare services, especially sexual and reproductive health services. As a result, maternal mortality rate goes up, and so do unwanted pregnancies, because of unmet need for contraception and lack of access to safe abortion." Natural disasters adversely impact maternal health and uptake of family planning services. However, two studies conducted by Population Council - one in Cambodia and another in Pakistan - show some very interesting results to the contrary. A study on the 2013 massive floods in Cambodia, done by Dr Ashish Bajracharya, Deputy Director (global country strategy), Population Council, suggests that floods did not affect maternal health and family planning services uptake and outcomes, perhaps because flooding in Cambodia is endemic. So resilience and adaptation is likely high through years of experience. Also maternal health service seeking behaviours might particularly be inelastic to shocks. Another study done by Dr Zeba Sathar, Country Director, Population Council, Pakistan, on the impact of 2010 floods in 3 districts of Pakistan found that women's involvement in both agricultural and non-agricultural work increased (as more men migrated in search of work) and they were forced to come out of complete 'purdah'. Their health-seeking behaviour and family planning use also improved in comparison to the dismal baseline figures. This could possibly be linked with greater exposure and access to health services provided by responding organizations. In fact unmet need for family planning and maternal mortality ratio are two important indicators of the general status of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across cultures in the region and give the scale of challenge in each country. The global targets, that are a part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are to (i) achieve universal access to family planning services - that is unmet need for family planning should decline to zero by 2030, and (ii) reduce global maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Achieving these targets will not only contribute to good health and wellbeing for women and girls but also lead to gender equality. But perhaps it might be more realistic to achieve the goal of reducing unmet need of family planning to 10% instead of zero by 2030, feels Dr Adrian Hayes, Honorary Associate Professor, School of Demography at Australian National University. He shares some interesting data on these two indicators for some countries of the Asia Pacific region: "As per estimates of UN Population Division, the unmet need for family planning target of 10% has already been reached by some countries of the region including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Iran, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. But others have still a long way to go. In South Asia, only Bangladesh is expected to reach the 10% threshold by 2030, while Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, and Maldives are likely to miss it and remain around 20%. Similarly, in South-East Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar appear likely to just miss the 10% target by 2030. In the Pacific Islands there are many countries with higher unmet need at 20% or more in 2020." Then again, at least 12 countries of the region currently have high maternal mortality rates of 120 or more, with Afghanistan topping the list at 638, followed by Myanmar (250), Bhutan (183), Bangladesh (173), Nepal (186), Laos (185), Indonesia (177), Cambodia (160), India (145), Papua New Guinea (145), Timor Leste (142), Pakistan (140) and Philippines (121). However, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand boast of having the lowest maternal mortality rates of 15 or less for the last 20 years. Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam China, Mongolia, Fiji and Samoa too have reached maternal mortality rates of less than 70. So while progress has been fairly good on these two indicators in some countries of the region, programmes in few South-East Asian countries need a dose of revitalisation to realise them by 2030. However, many countries in South Asia and the Pacific need major reforms in policies and programmes to make family planning services accessible to all women and to also reduce maternal mortality. Biplabi rues that though sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender find a place in international agreements, there are no accountability frameworks within them to ensure that countries respect, protect and fulfil their commitments to basic human rights, which get further violated in times of crisis. There is lack or absence of gender mainstreaming and sexual and reproductive health and rights in most countries' climate-related policies and programmes. Women are made invisible in environment and climate-related discourses. This again perpetuates the vicious cycle of inequality for women and girls. Noelene Nabulivou, co-founder of Diverse Voices and Action for Equality (DIVA) stresses upon the important linkages between sexual and reproductive health and rights and climate change, between disaster risk and response and elimination of violence against women and protection of LGBTQI human rights. She says that sexual and reproductive health and rights are central to any development response to pandemics (like COVID-19) and all natural calamities like floods and cyclones, because it is the body where the damage and human rights violations are felt most. All said and done, there is a very clear linkage between climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights but it is often neglected. For Adrian "the response to climate change should be rooted in sustainable ways. We cannot achieve the SDGs without resolving the looming crisis of climate change. Also as sexual and reproductive health and rights are an essential component of sustainable development, they are directly impacted by climate change." All these deliberations took place during the fifth online session of the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR10 Virtual). Undoubtedly, improving sexual and reproductive health and rights in Asia and the Pacific region will contribute to not only realising the vision of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, but also help in resolving anthropogenic climate change. Shobha Shukla CNS (Citizen News Service) (Shobha Shukla is the founding Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a noted health and gender justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Media Network to end TB & tobacco and prevent NCDs. Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla) Boston police said Saturday that a 24-year-old store clerk who was shot last month has died following a five-week fight for his life at a local hospital. Homicide unit investigators were notified of Tanjim Siams death on Saturday afternoon, police said in a statement. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of Siams death. Tanjim is no more. We are sorry to be bearers of sad news. A battle for an innocent life is over, read a post on a GoFundMe page previously started for the victim. Officers received a call for a person shot near 18 Shawmut Ave. in Roxbury at 9:13 p.m. on July 14 and located Siam suffering from gunshot wounds, police said. On Aug. 7, an arrest warrant was issued for the suspect in the shooting, 25-year-old Stephon Samuel of Lynn. Samuel is charged with armed robbery by means of a firearm, armed assault with intent to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and armed career criminal level one, police said. Earlier this month, police said Samuel was already in custody at the Plymouth County House of Corrections on unrelated charges. Siam worked at the M & R Convenience store on Shawmut Avenue after moving to the Boston area from Bangladesh just a few months ago, according to the GoFundMe page. The gunman wanted cash, and cigarettes. Siam complied with the orders, but the gunman shot him in the head, execution style. Nearly every penny Siam made, he sent it back home to his family in Bangladesh so they could have a better life, the page reads. As of Saturday, the fundraiser has gathered $82,781 of a $100,000 goal, which the page says will help pay for medical expenses and to assist Siams parents and 6- and 14-year-old brothers. It is arguably the BBCs most right-on current affairs programme, but Newsnights lack of ethnic minority presenters and reporters has resulted in it being nicknamed Newswhite. While the Corporation has pledged to improve diversity and better reflect its audiences, Newsnight does not have a single non-white journalist who appears in front of the camera. Indeed, the only ethnic minority reporter on the show in the past four years was Secunder Kermani, who left in 2018 to join BBC News, while BBC Breakfasts Naga Munchetty filled in as a presenter for 12 weeks in early 2017. The revelation comes just days before Newsnight editor Esme Wren is due to appear at the Edinburgh TV Festival to lead a session entitled Reporting Racism: TV Journalism And Black Lives Matter. Emma Barnett joined Newsnight as part of the all-female reporting team in March ast year The only ethnic minority reporter on the BBC's flagship show in the past four years was Secunder Kermani (left) Naga Munchetty (right) filled in for 12 weeks in early 2017 A BBC insider told The Mail on Sunday: Newsnight is the most sanctimonious programme on television, yet they have a terrible record when it comes to racial diversity. You have Emily Maitlis claiming to be right-on, yet the show she presents is staffed, on screen anyway, by 100 per cent white people. 'To say it has been noted within the industry would be a huge understatement. Everyone is talking about it and its nickname is Newswhite. As well as Ms Maitlis, who won plaudits last November for her eviscerating interview with Prince Andrew over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the programme is presented by Kirsty Wark and Emma Barnett. Others who regularly appear on screen include political editor Nicholas Watt, UK editor Katie Razzall and policy editor Lewis Goodall. All of them are white. Newsnight is no stranger to controversy. Only last week Goodall was accused of bias after writing an article about the exams crisis for Left-leaning magazine The New Statesman. Under the headline How a Government led by technocrats nearly destroyed a generation of social mobility, he wrote: We cannot know the extent of Dominic Cummings involvement in this sorry episode, and it may be that he was not part of it at all. But his approach encapsulates a method of governing that was on full display throughout. Emily Maitlis won plaudits last November for her eviscerating interview with Prince Andrew The article was approved by the BBC, which said it fell within its impartiality guidelines. However, the Corporation ruled that a 53-second monologue by Ms Maitlis lambasting Mr Cummings for flouting lockdown regulations earlier this year had not met the required standards of impartiality. Her introduction to the programme on May 26 began: Dominic Cummings broke the rules. The country can see that and its shocked the Government cannot. She added that the public mood was one of fury, contempt and anguish. A spokesman for Newsnight said last night: Newsnight has an off-air team which exceeds the BBCs target of 15 per cent black, Asian and minority ethnic people, but we know we still have more work to do, both on and off screen, and are fully committed to doing so. George HW Bush was in trouble. It was July 1988 and Michael Dukakis, the Democratic candidate for president, was on a roll after his partys convention in Atlanta. A Gallup poll showed Bush trailing by 17 points. But he had a road map to victory. One month earlier, Bushs top aides had gathered at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, deliberately out of sight and away from campaign headquarters, to review a thick binder of polling and focus group data. The campaigns research showed that Dukakis record was not well-known and that some of his liberal positions, in particular supporting prison furloughs and opposing the death penalty, could swamp him in a general election. Using the plan laid out in that room, the Bush campaign proceeded, as Lee Atwater, the campaign manager, put it, to strip the bark off the little bastard, beginning in force with Bushs hammer of a speech at the Republican National Convention in August through Election Day. Bush not only overcame Dukakis summer polling advantage, but defeated him handily: by a margin of 53% to 46%. He won 40 states. In many ways, with Atwater as its dark prince of strategy, the Bush campaign of 1988 marked the birth of the modern-day negative campaign. Most memorably, Republicans plastered Dukakis, then the governor of Massachusetts, with the case of Willie Horton, an African American man who raped a white Maryland woman and stabbed her boyfriend while on a Massachusetts prison furlough program. As President Donald Trump faces similarly daunting poll deficits in his contest with Joe Biden, he is running one of the harshest campaigns since Bush defeated Dukakis, and Republicans are looking back at the 1988 race as a beacon of hope in a bleak political landscape. For all of the differences between the Democratic nominees in 1988 and today, Dukakis collapse in the face of an onslaught by Bush has long stood as a lesson in how quickly public opinion can change, how summer polls can prove ephemeral and how an artfully executed party convention can help turn around a struggling campaign. As Republicans gather in the coming week to nominate Trump for a second term, the president and his political and media allies have torn into Biden and particularly his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, including making racist and sexist attacks. There is a direct line between the hard-edge campaign Bush ran portraying Dukakis as a far-left liberal and the racial undertones personified by seizing on Horton and the Trump campaign that is emerging today. Bush, then the vice president, won in 1988 by moving that summer to aggressively define Dukakis, who was held up in Massachusetts being governor, as an Ivy League elite who was out of touch with the nation. Bush invoked the hot-button issues in particular, taxes and crime that have repeatedly proved effective against Democrats, the same ones Trump has embraced against Biden and Harris. Im not the most enthusiastic Trump supporter in the world, but I tell my friends who are, its not hopeless, said Charlie Black, who worked as a senior adviser to Bush. Theres plenty of ammunition for Trump to work with. The question is, do they have a disciplined enough candidate to do that? But if the 1988 race offers a cautionary tale for Biden, there are some critical differences between that race and the current campaign that is now moving into high gear as Democrats finished their convention last week and Republicans step on to the mostly virtual stage. Biden is far better known than Dukakis was and he has shown a resilience to caricature that Dukakis did not have. Trump is viewed unfavorably by a big swath of voters, in no small part because of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 175,000 people in the United States and devastated the economy on his watch. His lack of credibility with many Americans has undercut his ability to deliver an attack. The nation is more pessimistic than it was when Dukakis faced Bush, who as Ronald Reagans vice president was effectively running as an incumbent. A New York Times/Siena College poll in June found 58% of respondents said the nation was headed on the wrong track. In the fall of 1988, a significantly lower 46% of registered voters said the nation was going in the wrong direction, according to a Washington Post/ABC News Poll. This is going to be tricky for them: Biden is a pretty well-known quantity, said Susan Estrich, who was Dukakis campaign manager. The way you usually burst balloons is paint the other guy as a risk. Dukakis, proud and disdainful of politics, refused to believe these kind of attacks would hurt them, and did not heed the advice of his staff that he fight back. He allowed Bush to define him before Labor Day. I made this dumb mistake not to respond, Dukakis said in a recent interview. And I paid for it. This death penalty thing: Im from Boston. Hes from Houston. Massachusetts had the lowest homicide rate in America. Most people even in Massachusetts didnt know that. In what might prove to be the most important difference between 1988 and today, Biden has been far more aggressive in repelling Trumps attacks. They have run a good campaign, said John Sasso, who was Dukakis senior strategist. They know what to let go by. They seem to know what is not credible in this barrage of accusations and distortions and they dont bite on it. Yet one of the lessons of the Bush campaign was that many voters do not begin to pay close attention to a race until late in the summer. Biden has picked a running mate, Harris, with a more liberal record and less experience in national politics, which may give Trump more of the target. And Bidens lead over Trump is not as large as the Dukakis midsummer advantage; the president is certainly within striking distance of victory, particularly in some battleground states. The similarity is that Biden is committing to an awful lot of progressive, socialist, whatever-you-want-to-call-it ideas in order to unify his party, Black said. Trump, he said, could use Bidens alliance with Sen. Bernie Sanders to portray his Democratic rival as an out-of-touch liberal much the way Bush portrayed Dukakis as an out-of-touch liberal even though Biden and Sanders disagree on many issues. Still, Black said, Republicans should only have so much hope. Most political pros would rather be in the position of being ahead at this point than that far behind, he said. The turning point was the convention Bush was struggling when he arrived at the Republican convention in New Orleans in mid-August. He was trying to buck history by leading his party to a third consecutive term in the White House. He was behind for a couple of reasons, said Janet Mullins Grissom, who was Bushs deputy national political director. He spent eight years as vice president and the solid Reaganites were always suspicious of Bush 41 for not being conservative enough. And he endured a lot of lousy press coverage that was a caricature of him. The turning point was the convention, Grissom said. That was our reintroduction of Bush and our first real opportunity to define him without filters. People saw him through the convention, the convention speech. No new taxes. Kinder, gentler. The glowing reintroduction of Bush set the table for the attack. The campaigns plan to bring down Dukakis was unambiguously telegraphed in Bushs acceptance speech, mixed in with all the talk about a kinder, gentler nation. Bush listed all those positions Dukakis had taken that his aides had reviewed at the hotel room in Washington. Should public schoolteachers be required to lead our children in the Pledge of Allegiance? Bush said, in just one example, as he informed his audience that the governor had vetoed a bill that contained exactly that requirement. My opponent says no but I say yes. On the campaign stump and television, in mailings and radio advertisements, Bush used Dukakis record to make him a threat to middle-class voters. Bush used the governors own words against him, such as being a card-carrying member of the ACLU. His opponents even raised questions about Dukakis mental fitness, decades before Biden faced the same. Conservative groups were circulating rumors, with no substantiation, that Dukakis was hiding the fact that he had been treated for depression. As the summer came to an end, Reagan was asked if Dukakis should release his medical records. Look, Im not going to pick on an invalid, he said. Reagan later said this was a failed joke, but by design or not, it succeeded in thrusting the rumor to the center of public attention. Dukakis called a news conference to say he had never struggled with mental illness. But in his most devastating attack, Bush seized on the case of Horton, which was Exhibit 1 in the case he made against Dukakis and his liberal criminal justice policies. The furlough program became a staple of Bushs attacks on Dukakis, and in many ways, came to define the 1988 contest. The Bush campaign produced an advertisement attacking the Massachusetts furlough program that showed a series of prisoners walking through a revolving door, but did not mention Hortons name. But an advertisement produced by an independent political action committee included an ominous black-and-white picture of Horton. Dukakis not only opposes the death penalty, the announcer said. He allowed first-degree murders to have first-degree passes. Atwater denied any connection between the Bush campaign and the campaign that featured the photograph of Willie Horton. Dukakis never believed that. And whatever the case, Atwater had always made clear that Willie Horton was key to a Bush victory. If I can make Willie Horton a household name, well win the election, he said. For the Trump campaign, the lessons of 1988 seemed to have been absorbed even before Democrats finished their convention. On Thursday, in remarks in Pennsylvania hours before Bidens convention acceptance speech, Trump launched a new attack on Harris that had direct echoes of Willie Horton. As district attorney of San Francisco, Kamala put a drug-dealing illegal alien into a jobs program instead of into prison, Trump said. Four months later, the illegal alien robbed a 29-year-old woman, mowed her down with an SUV, fracturing her skull and ruining her life. Through the summer, the Dukakis campaign was lulled by the polls that showed him heading for victory. And Bush operatives had learned from to consultants in Massachusetts who had run campaigns against Dukakis that he would stay silent if attacked. Estrich said Dukakis rejected her idea that he lead the Democratic convention in the Pledge of Allegiance, a move she told him could blunt the attacks. Dukakis allowed the Bush operation to define him during that period in a distorted way, Sasso said. Bush was a genial product of Connecticut, and he told his advisers he considered negative campaigning distasteful. But when they warned him it was the only way he would win, he took their direction with so much gusto that he all but apologized for the tenor of his campaign after he won. It took weeks for Dukakis to reach that point. At the end of October, Dukakis embraced what had been Bushs central line of attack. Im a liberal in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman and John Kennedy, he said. It was too late. While Trump may face a steeper hill, there are a number of avenues that Republicans see as a way to reprise the Bush comeback. He is portraying Biden as a captive of the left. He is demonizing Harris. He has seized on episodes of civil unrest in places like Chicago. But as the Democratic convention ends and the Republican one is set to begin, time is growing short. The problem for Trump is he has yet to find his Willie Horton, as it were, Estrich said. But hes looking. Adam Nagourney c.2020 The New York Times Company Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:09:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the water situation of the Yangtze River, comprehensive renovation of waterfronts, as well as ecological and environmental protection and restoration while visiting the Xuejiawa ecological park in Ma'anshan, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) HEFEI, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has stressed upholding reform and opening up as well as high-quality development while making greater progress in accelerating the building of a better Anhui. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour in east China's Anhui Province from Tuesday to Friday. Efforts should be made to implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, implement the new development philosophy and follow the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, Xi said. The country should uphold reform and opening up as well as high-quality development, deepen supply-side structural reform, and fight the "three tough battles" against major risks, poverty and pollution, he said. Xi called for efforts to ensure stability on six fronts and security in six areas, secure a victory in completing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and win the battle against poverty. Efforts should also be made to achieve greater success in the establishment of a new development pattern that takes the domestic market as the mainstay and allows the domestic and foreign markets to boost each other, and make further progress in accelerating the building of a better Anhui, Xi said. Braving the scorching heat typical of August in the regions between the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers, Xi visited the cities of Fuyang, Ma'anshan and Hefei from Tuesday to Friday. The tour brought Xi to sites at the front line of flood control, rural areas, enterprises and a revolutionary memorial hall, where he visited and consoled flood-hit residents and personnel fighting floods. Xi inspected work on advancing economic and social development while keeping regular COVID-19 containment measures in place, stepping up flood control and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and preparing for the country's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). On Tuesday afternoon, he visited the Wangjiaba floodgate in Funan County of Fuyang City, where he was briefed about work on the flood control in Anhui and on the floodwater diversion through the Wangjiaba floodgate on July 20, the first such diversion via the floodgate after an interval of 13 years. At an exhibition hall on flood control, Xi learnt about in detail the Huaihe River management history and the flood control work in the river valley. Xi then went to a luggage and bag company nearby to learn about Funan County's work on shaking off poverty through employment and preventing people from falling back into poverty due to floods. He had a warm conversation with workers there. Xi expressed his hope that companies in flood-hit zones will overcome difficulties to recover losses to floods. He required local Party committees and governments at all levels to deliver greater support to flood-affected companies and help them through hard times to ensure employment for flood-hit and impoverished people. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, expresses his regards to those fighting the floods at the front line, including military personnel from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force, at a section of a dam in Feidong County of Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi later went to Limin Village in Caoji Town and visited a "zhuangtai," a residential structure on raised ground with higher elevation that functions as a safe haven from river floods. Walking into the fields, Xi learned about post-flood production recovery from the working villagers and stressed that it is necessary to adjust measures to local conditions, step up planting, minimize disaster losses, and strive for a good harvest in autumn. Xi also visited the villagers' homes to learn about their family income, flood-incurred damage, and the resumption of production. "I am very concerned about the flood-affected people and came specially to visit our fellow villagers this time. I am relieved to see your life gradually returning to normal with the help of the Party committee and the government and your own efforts to actively engage in production," Xi told villagers. Xi went to Ma'anshan City on Wednesday morning and inspected the comprehensive renovation of waterfronts, ecological and environmental protection and restoration, and the implementation of the 10-year fishing moratorium in the Yangtze River. He stressed that only by protecting the ecology well and giving full play to the ecological advantages can high-quality development be realized. Xi also urged promoting well-coordinated environmental conservation and avoiding excessive development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In Ma'anshan, a city built and thrived by steel, Xi visited Magang Group, a subsidiary of China Baowu Steel Group, to learn about the situation of business operation. Inspecting the workshops and greeting the representatives of the workers, Xi encouraged the company to seize the opportunities brought by the country's further reform of state-owned enterprises and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta to enhance market competitiveness. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi went to the county of Feidong in the provincial capital of Hefei, where he inspected a dam in a wetland-turned flood storage area near the Chaohu Lake. Since the flood season started this year, the lake has seen its highest water levels ever recorded. Xi stressed efforts to restore wetlands' functions of flood water storage and ecological conservation. He also called on the southern part of China to continue its flood control and disaster relief efforts, while reminding the northern part of China to guard against possible floods to protect people's lives and property. On the dam, Xi met people fighting the floods at the front line and consoled families of those who died in the line of duty. Xi sent his regards to all those battling floods across the country. Xi lauded all the frontline officials, members of the public and military personnel from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force for their will, courage and solidarity. "Our Party and the people thank you!" Xi said. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi also visited the Anhui Innovation Center in Hefei, where he commended the progress the province has made in advancing technological innovation and developing emerging industries of strategic importance. Visiting a memorial hall marking the PLA's campaign to cross the Yangtze River during the Chinese People's War of Liberation, Xi stressed efforts to always stay true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission and always be a loyal servant of the people. On Friday morning, Xi heard work reports from the Anhui provincial Party committee and the provincial government. He affirmed the accomplishments made by Anhui and encouraged the officials and people of the province to achieve more. Xi stressed work on flood control, disaster relief, and post-disaster reconstruction, as well as support for disaster-stricken enterprises on production and work resumption. Priority should be given to assisting poor residents affected by the epidemic and floods, so that they will not fall back into poverty because of the disasters. Xi pledged to arrange several major projects in coordination with the country's 14th Five-Year Plan that are fundamental and pivotal to the security of rivers and lakes, the ecological environment, and urban flood control. He also underlined the need to deepen agricultural supply-side structural reform to improve the quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of the sector. Xi stressed strengthening and improving the real economy and transforming and upgrading traditional industries, while developing emerging industries of strategic importance. He pledged efforts to accelerate the development of the manufacturing industry into a more digitized, intelligent, and internet-powered one, making the industrial and supply chains more stable and modern. Efforts should also be made to develop core technologies, Xi said, adding that the breakthrough and leading role of the reforms must be given full play. Stressing the importance of integration and high-quality development, Xi called for further deepening the integration of key areas, and promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Xi underlined sticking to a people-centered development philosophy, and rolling out more supportive measures on aiding enterprises, cutting their burdens, stabilizing jobs, and expanding employment. Efforts should be made to ensure jobs for key groups, including college graduates, migrant workers, veterans, and those affected by disasters, Xi said, urging the effective implementation of policies benefiting enterprises to protect and stimulate the vitality of market entities. China should continuously advance the alignment of poverty elimination and rural vitalization to promote the all-round vitalization of poor regions, Xi said. The people are the foundation of the Party's governance, Xi said, noting that the fight against COVID-19 and floods have once again proved that, as long as the Party governs for the people and relying on the people, it will be ever-victorious. Xi stressed making vigorous efforts to guard against formalism, and ensuring that no place will be out of bounds, no stone left unturned, and no tolerance shown in the fight against corruption. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) The more relaxed general community quarantine means doing away with passes, but most local governments in Metro Manila are keeping the requirement to limit the movement of people outside their homes. More than half of the countrys coronavirus disease cases are in the capital region even as it eased to GCQ as officials cited the need to reopen the economy. Local ordinances were announced to contain the spread of COVID-19. Of the 17 local governments, ten require residents to present quarantine passes to enter markets, malls and other commercial establishments. These are: - Caloocan - Las Pinas - Malabon - Mandaluyong - Navotas - Paranaque - Pasay - Pateros - Quezon City - Valenzuela Caloocan has a color-coded system to limit movement per day: orange passes for Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., and only until 1:30 pm on Sundays; green passes on the same time slot Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and 1:31 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays; while those with white passes can go to work anytime. The cities of Manila, Makati, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Pasig, San Juan, and Taguig no longer require quarantine passes, except for residents in areas under localized lockdown. Under the GCQ guidelines released by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the policy-making body on the COVID-19 response, people 21 years old and below and 60 and above should not go out, except for indispensable cases to obtain or provide essential goods and services. Mass gatherings, including religious services, are limited to ten people. An 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew is also in place in the metropolis. The Philippines is known for imposing the longest and most restrictive lockdown since the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine in March. Restrictions have been eased but the entire country remains under varying levels of community quarantine. The country has the most coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia with over 182,000 cases. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- By highlighting societies worst flaws and battering economies, the coronavirus pandemic has fueled protests across the globe. In Thailand, thats been compounded by discontent with continued rule by the former head of the military junta and harassment of government critics. The result is the largest pro-democracy rally since a coup in 2014, spearheaded by a growing student-led movement that has strayed into the countrys taboo subject its monarchy. Adequately tackling their grievances, especially in the depths of a recession, requires flexibility and imagination. Thailands leaders have shown proof of neither. Protesters will need much broader support to push the government beyond constitutional tinkering, and into real concessions. The prospect of a slow economic recovery may sharpen minds. Never far from the surface, discontent has simmered since a disputed election last year, which the opposition says was managed to ensure former junta leader Prayuth Chan-Ocha stayed at the helm as prime minister. Upstart party Future Forward, including some of the governments most vocal critics, was later banned. Making matters worse, Covid-19 has badly squeezed a $500 billion-plus economy that relies heavily on tourism and manufacturing exports. Incidents like the decision to drop a hit-and-run case against the heir to the Red Bull fortune have fueled concerns about flaws in the justice system. In recent weeks, demonstrations on university campuses have grown and spread to high schools, where students are raising the three-finger salute inspired by the Hunger Games series, a symbol of resistance. Sundays gathering alone brought out more than 10,000 protesters in Bangkok. Online dissenters are far more numerous.The government has arrested some protest organizers but is otherwise proving restrained. Thats promising, given the countrys grim track record when it comes to suppressing dissent. Thammasat University, one of the gathering points, saw a violent crackdown in 1976, when students were shot and beaten to death in an incident that ushered in one of Thailands frequent spells of military rule. The current softer approach, though, doesnt mean that national leaders will yield, or that violence isnt still possible.Indeed, its hard to see how the two sides can compromise. Prayuth has little incentive to concede much. There is no question that in a country where genuine grassroots protests are rare even mass demonstrations are more commonly driven by political leaders the persistent crowds are unsettling. But this is not yet a movement overrunning the streets. More importantly, it's also not a Belarus-style national movement: Thailands inequitable society remains deeply polarized. Conservatives, the ruling party, the military and tycoons remain loyal to the status quo.The protesters demand the dissolution of parliament, a new constitution and the protection of human rights. Some also want to impose limits on the monarchy, a fraught issue that risks confrontation with lese majeste laws that can land offenders with long prison terms. The requests include making the institution accountable, removing the king from politics, and overseeing his spending. Thats a gamble and will be near-impossible. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been assertive since ascending the throne in 2016. Even raising this forbidden issue, though, has made it easier for pro-establishment voices to dismiss the entire movement as wild-eyed radicals. Story continues Prayuth is playing for time, promising talks and potential changes to the constitution. The prospect of tackling the real problems for democracy in the current charter, such as the military-appointed senate, is distant. As commentator Ken Lohatepanont points out, dabbling with the provisions governing constitutional alterations is no guarantee of actual change, and has the added benefit of making it impossible to dissolve parliament.Two things bear watching. One is the unknown long-term effect of the current economic predicament. Thailands reliance on visitors and exports means second-quarter gross domestic product shrank just over 12% from a year earlier the worst decline since the Asian financial crisis in 1998, and enough to cause widespread pain. That may keep Thais at home, wary of rocking the boat, or push them onto the streets. The bigger question is what this will do for the countrys tycoons, who currently have no incentive to peel away from Prayuth and the system. If protests continue, adding to other drags on consumption and international investor interest, they could begin to apply a little pressure. The second, says Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University, is that while short-term change is hard to envisage, the movement has begun to open up the discussion on topics long closed to Thai society. Thats most obviously the monarchy, but also lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, abortion, the rights of students in a patriarchal education system that imposes strict rules even on hairstyles, and more. Its not a revolution, but it could be a start. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities and environmental, social and governance issues. Previously, she was an associate editor for Reuters Breakingviews, and editor and correspondent for Reuters in Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia. 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. Beijing has announced it will stage a naval exercise in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of drills held amid ongoing tensions with the US. Saturdays announcement came a day after it said it would stage a separate exercise in the Yellow Sea. Hainan Maritime Safety Administration announced that the waters southeast of Hainan island would be sealed off for an exercise running from Monday until Saturday. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. The United States has also been conducting a series of exercises in the region and on Friday the USS Ronald Reagan and its carrier strike group returned to the South China Sea for a series of air defence exercises after a joint drill with Japan. The US Navy also sent a destroyer, the USS Mustin, through the Taiwan Strait following the exercise with Japan in what America said was a demonstration of its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. This week CNN also broadcast rare footage provided by the US Navy showing a reconnaissance plane flying over the South China Sea. The PLAs Eastern Theatre Command said on Wednesday that the military was on high alert to protect Chinas territorial integrity and sovereignty, and monitor US activity. Meanwhile, Vietnamese and Chinese media have reported that China has recently deployed fighter jets and at least one bomber to the disputed Paracel Islands. China has stepped up the number of drills in the region in recent months. The USS Ronald Reagan took part in a joint exercise with the Japanese navy. Photo: EPA-EFE On Friday, the PLA said it would stage an exercise off the cities of Qingdao and Lianyungang starting on Saturday and finishing on Wednesday. The exercise follows two live-fire drills in the East China Sea earlier this month. The exercise follows the joint US-Japanese exercise involving the Ronald Reagan strike group, Japans Ikazuchi destroyers and two US B-1B bombers. Shanghai based military expert Ni Lexiong said China wanted to send a strong signal to the US, adding: We are also preparing ourselves for potential wars in the future. This article Chinese military plans another South China Sea drill first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. MINSK, Belarus (AP) - Authorities in Belarus blocked more than 50 news media websites that were covering weeks of protests demanding that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko resign but protesters still turned out again Saturday, some forming a chain of solidarity in the capital. The Belarusian Association of Journalists reported the shutdowns Saturday, which included sites for the U.S.-funded Radio Liberty and Belsat, a Polish-funded satellite TV channel focusing on neighboring Belarus. The state publishing house has also stopped printing two top independent newspapers, the Narodnaya Volya and Komsomolskaya Pravda, citing an equipment malfunction. Protests unprecedented in Belarus for their size and duration broke out after the Aug. 9 presidential election, in which election officials say Lukashenko won a sixth term in a landslide. Protesters allege the officials results are fraudulent and are calling for Lukashenko to resign after 26 years in power. Police responded harshly to the protests at first, arresting 7,000 people and beating many of them. But the police crackdown only widened the scope of the protests, and now anti-government strikes have been called at some of the country's main factories, former bases of support for Lukashenko. Some police have posted videos of themselves burning their uniforms and quitting in disgust at the government's response. In an enormous show of defiance, an estimated 200,000 protesters rallied Aug. 16 in the capital, Minsk. Lukashenko's main election challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has called for another massive show of opposition this Sunday. "We are closer than ever to our dream," she said in a video message from Lithuania, where she took refuge after the election, knowing that some previous presidential challengers in Belarus had been jailed for years. A woman kneels on the ground as people create a human chain during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Public shows of support for Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, have been comparatively modest. A pro-government rally in Minsk on Aug. 16 attracted about a quarter as many people as the protest march. On Saturday, only about 25 people showed up for a bicycle ride to support the president. On Saturday, hundreds of women dressed in white formed a human chain in Minsk as sign of protest. Another demonstration in the evening was attended by 3,000 people. "Threats, intimidation, blocking no longer work. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians are telling him 'go away'' from all corners and squares," said Anna Skuratovich, one of the women in the chain. Protesters say they are fed up with the country's declining living standards and have been angered at Lukashenko's dismissal of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as his decades of repressing dissent. "Lukashenko can't propose anything other than tears for the USSR, bans and truncheons," said Tatian Orlovich, in the crowd at the evening protest. Lukashenko alleges that the protests are inspired by Western forces including the United States and that NATO is deploying forces near Belarus' western border. The alliance firmly denies that claim. The 65-year-old leader renewed the allegation Saturday during a visit to a military exercise in the Grodno region, near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. "You see that they are already dragging an `alternative president here," he said, referring to Tsikhanouskaya. "Military support is evident - the movement of NATO troops to the borders." Lukashenko later spoke to a rally of several thousand supporters in Grodno, where he threatened to close factories that are on still strike as of Monday. Strikes have hit some of the country's major companies, including vehicle and fertilizer manufacturers, a potential blow to the largely state-controlled economy that has been struggling for years. Authorities on Friday threatened demonstrators with criminal charges in a bid to stop the protests. Investigators also summoned several opposition activists for questioning as part of a criminal probe into a council they created with the goal of coordinating a transition of power for the former Soviet republic of 9.5 million people. ___ Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this story. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting with the leadership of power structures and law enforcement in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Authorities in Belarus have detained a factory strike organizer and threatened protesters with criminal charges in the latest response to massive post-election protests challenging the country's authoritarian president. Lukashenko accused the United States of fomenting the unrest and vowed Friday to ensure a quick end to the protests demanding his resignation after 26 years. (Andrei Stasevich/Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting with the leadership of power structures and law enforcement in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Authorities in Belarus have detained a factory strike organizer and threatened protesters with criminal charges in the latest response to massive post-election protests challenging the country's authoritarian president. Lukashenko accused the United States of fomenting the unrest and vowed Friday to ensure a quick end to the protests demanding his resignation after 26 years. (Andrei Stasevich/Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting with the leadership of power structures and law enforcement in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Authorities in Belarus have detained a factory strike organizer and threatened protesters with criminal charges in the latest response to massive post-election protests challenging the country's authoritarian president. Lukashenko accused the United States of fomenting the unrest and vowed Friday to ensure a quick end to the protests demanding his resignation after 26 years. (Andrei Stasevich/Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian Army rocket launchers are on a position during a military exercise near Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. On Saturday, Lukashenko renewed the allegation during a visit to a military exercise in the Grodno region, near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. (Andrei Stasevich/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, right, speaks to an officer as he arrives to attend a meeting with military officials in Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Some hundreds of women formed a line of solidarity in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Saturday in protest at the police crackdown on demonstrators following the disputed election that handed current president Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. (Andrei Stasevich/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrives to attend a meeting with military officials in Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Some hundreds of women formed a line of solidarity in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Saturday in protest at the police crackdown on demonstrators following the disputed election that handed current president Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. (Sergei Shelega/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, speaks to high rank officers as he visits a military exercise near Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. On Saturday, Lukashenko renewed the allegation during a visit to a military exercise in the Grodno region, near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. (Andrei Stasevich/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) People listen to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a rally in his support in Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. On Saturday, Lukashenko renewed the allegation during a visit to a military exercise in the Grodno region, near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. (Leonid Shcheglov/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a rally in his support in Grodno, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Some hundreds of women formed a line of solidarity in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Saturday in protest at the police crackdown on demonstrators following the disputed election that handed current president Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. (Maxim Guchek/BelTA Pool Photo via AP) A woman holds up a poster during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. The poster reads: "I don't want my children to live in North Korea". (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Young girls play with a phone during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Belarusian opposition activist Olga Kovalkova waves with flowers during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A woman pushes a wheelchair as people create a human chain during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Nina Braginskaya holds a historical flag of Belarus during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Musicians entertain people that gathered for a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A woman walks past a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) A woman waves with flowers as people create a human chain during a protest in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. Demonstrators are taking to the streets of the Belarusian capital and other cities, keeping up their push for the resignation of the nation's authoritarian leader. President Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 26-year rule in a vote the opposition saw as rigged. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) An inadvertent return last week during typical horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations in Chester County that spread into Marsh Creek Lake has caught the attention of those interested both in energy and environmental policy, including me. Here is what I learned. Drilling mud, as it is called, is used in the HDD process and sometimes rises through natural crevices in the earth onto the surface of the ground. Since inadvertent returns are a reality of HDD, energy industry members have intentionally engineered drilling mud to be non-toxic, comprised of water and bentonite clay, which meets regulatory standards. Bentonite clay is a benign mineral, making its useful in minimizing the environmental impacts of HDD operations, and is a primary component in lipsticks and face creams as well as other at-home items. About 8,000 gallons of this drilling mud seeped into a local stream that feeds into Marsh Creek Lake, ultimately clouding the water. Some anti-pipeliners had made erroneous charges that drinking water had been impacted; however the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) found no impacts to local drinking water or aquatic life in the lake and noted that reclamation operations are already underway. But because determinations made by the DEP dont square neatly with the anti-pipeline collectives narrative, there has been a real effort to suggest the Marsh Creek Lake incident is much worse than reported, and part of some broader danger. These activists are in effect trying to shutter an industry that has been good to the Commonwealth. The Chester County Commissioners have even joined the fray and surprisingly turned on the DEP. The Commissioners signed two letters to Governor Wolf, the most recent one demanding that the Mariner East pipelines permits be revoked. The first letter, sent August 12th, asked that the Governor suspend the operation and construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline indefinitely until independent third party experts, not hired by Sunoco or employed by DEP, are given complete access to the site to conduct an honest evaluation as to whether Sunocos installation methods are in fact safe. The real message here is: the DEP is no longer to be the respected, professional authority on environmental protection because the regulator didnt make a determination in step with the commissioners opposition to Mariner East. A second review therefore must be conducted by a body thatll produce a finding more in-line with their views. I consider the Commissioners as friends and colleagues as a former Commissioner myself. But their approach runs counter to how the DEP was treated during my tenure as a Chester County Commissioner. While it was known then as the Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), there was a real respect for the agency that superseded personal agendas. I may not have always agreed with the DER, but I always tried to find ways to constructively work with the agency instead of going around them. As opposed to working constructively with the DEP and the pipeline developer, it appears that the Commissioners prefer to achieve policy by letters and press releases. What the commissioners are demanding now, if used across the entire environmental fabric of issues, would make progress difficult and dragged out at length, and moreover undermine the legal and environmental authority of the regulatory agencies. Should elected officials and anti-pipeline activists in southeast Pennsylvania be successful in stigmatizing and undermining the development of the Commonwealths natural resources and accompanying infrastructure it will be their very neighbors that pay the costs. Studies have shown the natural gas boom to have saved Pennsylvania households and families billions on their energy bills over the last decade. Alongside consumer savings, the industry has grown tremendously and now supports over 300,000 jobs. Others may remember CNNs coverage of forty employees of the Braskem polypropylene plant at Marcus Hook that lived on site for weeks to increase production to meet skyrocketing demand as COVID-19 spread; polypropylene is a natural gas derivative central to manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE). The costs of outspoken anti-pipeline rhetoric are real. Hyping emotion around the Marsh Creek Lake incident has needlessly increased anxieties about pipelines and undermined public trust in Pennsylvanias DEP. Chester County and southeast Pennsylvania at large could benefit from taking a second to pause and reflect on all aspects before utilizing disproportionate measures when incidents occur. Earl Baker is a former three term County Commissioner and two term Senator of Chester County. He chaired the Labor and Industry Committee in the Senate. He writes on business topics including energy, healthcare and infrastructure, and remains active in the Chester County Chamber. Navalnys wife believes the delay was to allow whatever substance is in his system to degrade and to make identifying it more difficult. Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been transferred to a hospital in Berlin to receive emergency treatment for suspected poisoning. Russian doctors had initially said he was too sick to be moved from a hospital in the Siberian City of Omsk, but they changed their position late on Friday. Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane reports from Berlin. Mumbai, Aug 22 : Actor Sanjay Dutt is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in a simple manner with family this year. The actor tweeted a picture on Saturday featuring him with wife Maanayata, standing in front Ganpati decorations at home. "The celebrations aren't as huge as they used to be every year but the faith in Bappa remains the same. I wish that this auspicious festival removes all the obstacles from our lives and bless us all with health and happiness. Ganpati Bappa Morya," he captioned the image. Fans of the actor, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, left positive messages in the comment section. "The celebrations will be bigger when you will win your battle. Like all the battles you have won in life, this one will also be victorious. With His blessings, no obstacles will be there. The poison will turn into medicine," wrote one Twitter user. Another wrote: "Wishing and praying for your speedy and complete recovery Sanju Sir.... Take Care, Stay Safe and Stay Happy Always...Bappa always be blessed upon you and your family." On August 11, Dutt, who was hospitalised recently due to breathing problem and chest discomfort, shared that he was taking a break for medical treatment. A few days ago, Maanayata had said in a statement that the initial treatment of the actor would continue at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The family would consider going abroad for further treatment when the Covid pandemic situation eases. Latest updates on Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2020 International Pak imposes sanctions on Mumbai attack terrorist Islamabad, Aug 22 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 8/22/2020 12:45:22 PM IST Pakistan has imposed severe financial curbs on global terrorist, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, over a decade after he masterminded the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in which over 160 Indians had died and 300 had been injured. The cash-starved nation that has been ignoring for years Indias demand to bring the chief conspirators of the ghastly attack to justice, is reportedly trying to wriggle out of the Grey List of the terrorist-financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force or FATF. In 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists had launched a coordinated attack on Mumbai, indiscriminately shooting at innocent civilians at several locations. 9 had been killed by the security forces in operations that stretched for several hours; one - Ajmal Kasab - had been caught alive and was executed in 2012 following a court trial. Lakhvi was briefly jailed by Pakistan but later released on bail despite India furnishing evidence of his involvement. Another mastermind Hafiz Saeed had also remained under house arrest before being set free. Freeze, without delay and without prior notice, the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of these individuals, undertakings and entities, a Pakistani executive order against Lakhvi read. The terrorist will also be banned from travelling abroad. The Paris-based FATF had put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 for not taking concrete action to arrest terror financing in the country. It had asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, the body could push the Imran Khan-led country onto the Black List along with North Korea and Iran. Earlier this month, the Pakistani Parliament had cleared four bills linked to the conditions set up by the FATF. News Agency PTI has quoted a report from Pakistan daily The News that in compliance with the new terror list issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently, the government has put sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), JeM, Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, al-Qaeda, and others. The paper reported that Saeed, Masood Azhar, Mullah Fazlullah (alias Mullah Radio), Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Hakeem Murad, wanted by Interpol, Noor Wali Mehsud, Fazal Raheem Shah of Uzbekistan Liberation Movement, Taliban leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Ibrahim and his associates are on the list. A week or so after his administration helped broker the normalization of UAE-Israel ties, US President Donald Trump was focused again on the Middle East, promising a new course in US-Iraq relations in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Respect In introducing Kadhimi at the White House on Thursday, Trump referred to the prime minister as a very highly respected gentleman all over the Middle East, and respected very much by our country, too. Kadhimi, also the head of Iraqs National Intelligence Service, is an independent in a country thick with well-worn ethnic and sectarian political alliances and loyalties. He assumed the premiership in May after two other candidates failed to muster support following the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in November 2019. Kadhimi took the job out of a sense of service, not entitlement. Upon taking office, he found nearly empty government coffers. His inbox included the COVID-19 pandemic, plummeting oil prices, nationwide protests demanding jobs and change and the intrusive role of Iranian-backed militias. Although Kadhimi does not command a large or dominant political bloc, he has integrity, and that counts big time in Iraq. In order to pursue his reform agenda, he moves with an unusual combination of purpose, caution and consensus. And he is moving, pressing ahead with early parliamentary elections next year, and advocating political and economic reforms to secure Iraqs future, including reining in rogue militias that attack US personnel, and assassins who kill activists and protesters, as Shelly Kittleson reports. The prime minister of course has his critics and opponents among the various political blocs, some of those have already criticized his outreach to Washington. Many in Iraqs parliament, including his adversaries, are also his friends, relationships forged in the days of opposition to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The protesters are giving Kadhimi a chance. Iraqis know Kadhimi is working for his country. You can disagree with his policies; you cant question his motives. Kadhimis partnership with Iraqi President Barham Salih, another independent champion of reform, has given Iraq the prospect and hope of change, with all the caveats that come amid Iraqs many challenges at home and in the region. Iraq as bridge, not battlefield In the region, Kadhimis line is that Iraq should be a bridge, not a battlefield. Sovereignty is at the core of his message. Iraqs borders must be respected. Regional scores to which Iraq is not a part should be settled elsewhere. His objective is to forge constructive relationships with all of Iraqs neighbors. Kadhimi has given priority to boosting ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Expect further progress on Iraq-GCC electricity and energy investment and cooperation, which has advanced with US help. Iraq-GCC conversations might, and should, also address billions in debt forgiveness from neighboring Gulf states that date to the Iran-Iraq war more than three decades ago. While the Gulf states that made the loans arent asking for repayment, the loans remain on the books and a drag on the Iraqi balance sheet when Baghdad deals with international creditors. In expanding ties with the Gulf, Kadhimi says he is not looking to take sides against Iran. He wants good and normal relations, and an end to militia attacks on US forces in Iraq. Kadhimi was in Iran earlier this month and was received by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. Although Iran officially backs Kadhimi, its intrigues in Iraq are many. Open for business Under Kadhimi, Iraqs stock as a destination for investment has gone up. The prime minister said this week that Iraq is "open for business," and indeed some serious business was done in Washington this week. The United States put money on the table to show its commitment to Iraq. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $204 million for food, clean water, and health care, an urgent boost to help Baghdad manage its dire economic crisis. In addition, $8 billion in energy deals were signed with US companies Chevron, General Electric, Honeywell, Baker Hughes, Stellar and others. These agreements will be noticed in the Gulf, as Iraq seeks to accelerate investment there. US forces: Stay or go? The United States and Iraq are managing the continuing presence of US forces in Iraq probably better than expected. The United States has about 5,200 troops in Iraq to combat the Islamic State, but also as a signal to Iran. The US troop presence is unpopular among certain constituencies in Iraq, and, for Kadhimi, can be both irritant and deterrent with regard to Iran. In the United States, American forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere represent the "endless wars" that many on both the left and right wings want to bring to an end. If the expectation was that the United States and Iraq would announce a timetable for withdrawal this week, then they had it wrong going in. But Kadhimi needed something to show his critics, and he and Trump found a kind of common ground. Kadhimi made clear that Iraq does not want the United States to participate in combat missions, but does seek a sustained "train and equip and intelligence partnership to keep the heat on the Islamic State. Trump, for his part, said that he wants to eventually withdraw all combat troops. The Trump-Kadhimi joint statement following the meeting reaffirmed the long-term security partnership and shared interest in defeating the Islamic State. Kadhimis position on US troops may not be enough for his political adversaries, as Ali Mamouri writes, but the Washington meetings reflected a shift in the US and Iraqi approach to security. Relationships matter For Trump, as in the Middle East, relationships matter. He and Kadhimi hit it off, and that matters for how Trump does diplomacy. We have become friends, Trump said. I think our relationship now is better than ever before. There was a glimpse of how that might play out in calming a slide in Iraq-Turkey relations. Recent Turkish drone strikes in Iraq have killed Iraqi border guards, as Fehim Tastekin reports. Kadhimi termed the strikes "unacceptable," and Trump immediately volunteered that the Iraqi prime minister "has my ear" if he wanted Trumps help with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Perhaps the conversation will also continue about Iran, where the United States is seeking to maintain the UN embargo on arms sales. An escalation in US-Iran tensions is bad news for Iraq, making Kadhimis many challenges that much harder. Trumps personal connection with Kadhimi, and the new US investment in Iraq, may allow Iraq to factor more prominently into how decisions on Iran may play out in Iraq. Day by day, the death toll and acreage total climb as fire officials deliver the grim news. A trio of fire complexes have combined to burn more than 831,000 acres of California and the complexity of the situation has only been fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Extreme fire growth has caused the SCU Lightning Complex to become the second-largest fire in California history, and the LNU Lightning Complex now ranks as the third-largest in the state's history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires leap above Butts Canyon Road on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, as firefighters work to contain the blaze in unincorporated Lake County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) "California is battling two of the largest fires in our history and has seen nearly 600 new fires in the last week caused by dry lightning strikes. These are unprecedented times and conditions, but California is strong -- we will get through this," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release last weekend. The fires burning across the state have claimed seven lives in the last week, according to The Associated Press. Nearly a quarter of a million people were placed under evacuation orders and warnings, the AP reported. On Aug. 22, President Donald Trump approved of a disaster declaration regarding the fires. Doing so allowed for federal funding to be granted to affected individuals in Lake, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Yolo and Solano counties. Federal aid will also be granted to state, tribal and local recovery efforts. Thomas Henney, left, and Charles Chavira watch a plume spread over Healdsburg, Calif., as the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Throughout the state, the majority of the fires were ignited by a "historic lightning siege," according to Jeremy Rahn, a spokesperson for Cal Fire. Story continues As if the infernos weren't enough of a problem, firefighting crews are historically undermanned this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The LNU Lightning Complex Fire is already the third-largest fire in California's fiery history and shows no signs of slowing down. The blaze has consumed over 370,000 acres as of Aug. 29. Spanning across five countries and having destroyed 1,080 structures and damaging 272 more as of Saturday, the group of blazes is expected to continue to continue growing rapidly, according to Cal Fire. "Significant fire growth is expected throughout the rest of the operational period," the organization said in its Sunday night update last weekend. "Extreme fire behavior with short and longe range spotting are continuing to challenge firefighting efforts." During a news conference, Solano County Sheriff Thomas Ferrara said the fire had completely destroyed at least 222 homes, while many others were left severely damaged. Photos from in Solano County capture the widespread devastation and complete ruin left in the wake of deadly wildfires. (AccuWeather/Bill Wadell) Monterey Herald reporter Tom Wright reported that seven firefighters have faced injuries, one being a bee sting that caused anaphylactic shock. All injured firefighters have since been treated and released. The LNU Lightning Complex is comprised of three fires: The Hennessey Fire, which is the largest and has burned over 315,000 acres and is at 39% containment, the Walbridge Fire which has scorched over 55,000 acres and is 42% contained and the Meyers Fire, which has burned another 2,360 acres and is 99% contained. Combined, the fires are 41% contained at more than 373,000 acres. Between the three fires, five confirmed fatalities have been reported, both civilian and fire personnel, according to CalFire. For many residents, evacuations became dire and immediate due to rapid growth. In Vacaville, AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Waddell spoke with residents of the smoke-choked town. "It's awful and you can still see the air quality," Jennifer Jones-Prothro told Wadell. "So many people are losing their homes. It's devastating." The dreadful air quality was emphasized by satellite images showing the smoke traveling hundreds of miles into the Pacific Ocean and registering at levels recognized as "very unhealthy" and "hazardous" in the central and northern parts of the state. Smoke from the Californian wildfires drifted over the Pacific Ocean last week and was shown via satellite images. (Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies) The SCU Lightning Complex fires have charred hundreds of thousands of acres farther south. In totality, the blazes have scorched over 374,000 acres, as of Saturday. The blaze is spanning the counties of Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus and is currently at 40% containment. Air quality concerns have also been rampant in the southern half of the state. A charred vehicle is parked in front of a home after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire went through Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) In San Joaquin Valley, an air quality alert was raised by officials. According to ABC30, a reading of particulate matter from the city of Merced showed air quality levels hitting Level 5 on Wednesday, meaning residents should avoid all outdoor activity. Meanwhile, the CZU Lightning Complex fires have burned over 83,000 acres and destroyed nearly 900 structures while firefighters have gained 29% containment as of Aug. 29. Burning in Santa Cruz and southern San Mateo County, the fires have forced the evacuation of more than 48,000 people. A structure is damaged by the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire in Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Bonny Doon, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Early Friday morning, firefighting crews had to make frantic rescues of numerous residents in the San Mateo area who refused to evacuate. "I know they're trying to do the right thing for their property and their neighbors, but in the long run it's created a bigger problem for the first responders," Chief Mark Brunton said, according to The Mercury News. "Because of that, it took our firefighters away from the firefight to rescue them and put first responders and firefighters or law enforcement brothers and sisters into danger to rescue them out of that situation." Peter Koleckar reacts after seeing multiple home burned in his neighborhood after the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed through on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Bonny Doon, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) On Sunday officials announced that there had been one civilian fatality due to the CZU Lightning Complex fires. "Firefighters are making progress, however it's the weather conditions that really are not working in our favor," Berlant stated in the update. AccuWeather meteorologists aren't forecasting for conditions to grow any more favorably for firefighters in the short-term. In addition to continued heat in the Southwest, the risk of dry thunderstorms sparking new lightning-induced wildfires will be on the increase into midweek. The extreme heat had been a contributing factor to the difficulty in containing the fires over since the past weekend. Firefighters make a stand in the backyard of a home in front of the advancing CZU August Lightning Complex Fire Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) "It was those triple digit temperatures that made it so difficult over the weekend in the beginning part of the week to battle these fires," Berlant said. "That combined with the winds and dry conditions." Berlant noted, however, that the most concerning factor going forward was the potential for more dry lightning during the beginning of the week, setting fire personnel "on high alert." Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of the Archdiocese of Blantyre, in Malawi, has expressed joy over progress made in the establishment of Kuwala FM, a diocesan Catholic radio station of the Archdiocese. Esther Nyanja - Malawi The Archbishop of Blantyre, in Malawi, has urged parishioners to own the Archdioceses upcoming Kuwala FM radio station and ensure its sustainability right from the onset. Archbishop impressed with progress Archbishop Msusa was speaking, this week, during an interface meeting with Kuwala FM taskforce members at the Archbishops House when they presented a progress report of the radio project. Archbishop Msusa said it was inspiring that the Archdiocese has embarked on the ambitious project. I am impressed with the commitment of the taskforce team and the progress made so far. We can hope the radio station will hit the airwaves soon, the Archbishop said. Broadening channels of evangelization He added that it is his wish that the radio would be sustainable without depending on him as Archbishop. Christians need to start embracing the idea of having a radio station in the Archdiocese. We can succeed if we work together on this project. It is not my radio station but ours. The success of this important project lies in the hands of all of us, he said. Archbishop Msusa said the main agenda of the radio station is to broaden channels of evangelization within the Archdiocese and beyond. Describing the radio project as a landmark, Archbishop Msusa said he was grateful that what started as a mere dream is now becoming a reality. He pledged full support to the project and urged parishioners to pray for the successful launch of the project. Kuwala FM will be on air soon Archdiocese of Blantyre Communications Coordinator, Father Frank Mwinganyama commended the Archbishop for the support he is rendering to the project, urging others to emulate the generous gesture of the Archbishop. He also assured the Archbishop that in the next three months, Kuwala FM would hit the airwaves. All preparations for studio refurbishment, equipment purchases and co-siting agreements are at an advanced stage, Father Mwinganyama said. He added that the radio station is expected to reach out to more than 2.5 million Christians in the Archdiocese of Blantyre and surrounding areas. A growing Catholic media presence The Church in Malawi already has Radio Alinafe of Lilongwe Archdiocese, Radio Tigabane of Mzuzu Diocese and Tuntufye FM of Karonga Diocese. Other Catholic media houses in the country include Radio Maria Malawi, Luntha Television and Montfort Media in the Diocese of Mangochi. The Roanoke Times RICHMOND A Plexiglas box separates a senator recovering from a surgery from his peers scattered around a museum. Hand sanitizer is stationed on their tables. Senators are wearing masks sometimes. The 100 members of the House of Delegates are crowded into a video chat. The General Assembly is back for an unusual special session, and no one knows how long it will last. We dont even know, said Speaker Eileen Filler- Corn, D-Fairfax, saying legislators need to remain flexible. Several days into a special session, the Senate had met in person for three days and advanced legislation while the House of Delegates had yet to debate any bills. At this rate, the session likely will last at least through the first week of September. Its kind of ridiculous, said Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke. We dont know what the General Assembly is doing and what the plan is. Governing in the age of the coronavirus pandemic has presented numerous hurdles for how to do business while staying safe. More than a quarter of the legislators are older than 60. For the first time since the General Assembly formed 400 years ago, the House of Delegates is going to meet virtually, with its 100 members scattered across the commonwealth in their living rooms, kitchens and home offices. The bottom line is Ive always been about the health and safety of the members and staff, Filler-Corn said. The House will reconvene Monday to conduct all of its business online. Filler-Corn said it was unknown whether the lawmakers would return to Richmond in person for the rest of the special session, but it still was a possibility. The House spent the better part of Tuesday, its first day, haggling over parliamentary rules and Filler-Corns authority to shift proceedings online. Republicans blocked Filler-Corns push to move to virtual immediately, so now there is a lag of when the House can begin its work. The House has had to meet briefly every day online since the session started. This has provided it the opportunity to work out some technical kinks. On the first day, a Republican delegate posted on Twitter he was unable to join the video call and published a screenshot of the video program notifying him the chat room had reached attendance capacity. Others complained about having issues joining the video chat or weak internet causing a disconnection. Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, raised the issue of delegates not displaying themselves on video like they were supposed to. Im not sure we have proper protocol to govern these scenarios yet, Gilbert said. Democrats have remained optimistic these wrinkles will get worked out in the next few days before they start digging into their work. Lawmakers have filed more than 200 bills, an unusually high number for a special session, an event that typically lasts just a few days. Changes to the biennium budget are a must-do, and the main reason Gov. Ralph Northam called the General Assembly back. The legislature usually convenes in January, for 60 days in even-numbered years and 45 days in odd-numbered ones. The rough start has caused some uncertainty about how the session will proceed. The Senate decided Thursday to go home for a few days so the House could catch up. The senators especially were concerned about the two chambers both controlled by Democrats not operating in unison because it will be tricky to work on the budget if the chambers are passing different bills with fiscal effects. Were trying to figure it out, and well probably figure it out after we finish, said Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, who still is recovering from an open-heart surgery from months ago so is sitting in a Plexiglas box. Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, asked Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, if House Democratic leaders have been communicating with him about the House schedule. They have not, Saslaw said. Filler-Corn said in an interview she has been in regular communication with Senate Democratic leadership. They do not have the experience, and they have demonstrated that on making effective and efficient leadership, Norment said about the House, which came under the control of Democrats this year. If you look back on previous leaders in the House of Delegates, no matter what party they were, they had years of experience in having worked through the legislative process. Serving in the General Assembly is a part-time job. Some lawmakers said they told their bosses they had no idea how long they would be gone. Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Washington, said he blocked off two weeks from his job as director of strategic initiatives at K-VA-T Foods, parent company of Food City grocery stores. He said the uncertainty of whether he has to return to Richmond in person complicates things when the commute is five hours. Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, is a gynecologist, so many of her patients schedule appointments with her months in advance. Its an incredible honor to serve in the Senate, but the disregard for peoples schedules by constantly changing what were doing and not knowing what is going on is incredibly frustrating, she said. The Senate had its own hiccups as it adjusted to have online committee meetings. Senators remained seated at their tables at the Science Museum of Virginia. People signed up to offer public comment on the bills. On the one hand, this provides people the opportunity to provide their thoughts without having to possibly travel hours to Richmond to testify in person. But Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, observed people waiting in the queue to speak were dropping off, and he worried it was due to peoples internet connectivity. At a few points, senators said someone texted them their support for a bill because they dropped off the call. McDougle also voiced frustration people had to sign up a day in advance of the meeting which in some cases was before the list of bills being heard is published. During a normal legislative session, people sitting in the room during a meeting stand up and wait in line to speak and dont have to sign up in advance. Its incredibly frustrating you cant sign up simultaneously when the committee is being held, McDougle said. Republicans have complained Democrats set an agenda that is limiting debate. Democratic leaders already have indicated its unlikely theyll hear all the Republican bills. Dunnavant complained there is little flexibility for lawmakers to access COVID-19 relief funds to support ideas the Northam administration hasnt put forward. If I spend so much time listening to my constituents and how to help them, and I cant help them because I have no access to the relief fund, I cant properly represent them, she said. Meanwhile, legislators got agitated about bills submitted dealing with intricate issues. They said those needed to wait until a regular session. When a bill from Edwards about getting rid of mandatory minimum sentences came up for debate, Democrats and Republicans urged the Senate to hit the pause button. This is a complex subject, said Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City. I dont think its appropriate to do it in a glib fashion. Revival of exports a sign of economic recovery View(s): Exports surpassing US$ 1 billion in July is an indication of the economys revival. Maintaining and accelerating this export momentum would ease the countrys balance of payments that has been adversely affected by the shortfall in workers remittances and negligible tourist earnings. This revival in exports after six months is also important as it is an initial sign of an economic recovery that would increase employment and incomes. First half Exports exceeded one billion US dollars in January this year but dipped during the next five months. Consequently total exports were only US$ 4.4 billion in the first half of the year compared to US$ 7 billion in the first half of 2019. This 26 percent decrease was mainly due to the global economic recession. Exports in July The increase in exports to US$ 1.1 billion (US$ 1.09 billion) was achieved by increased exports of tea, sea food, garments and rubber manufactures. The latter two were not the usual items in these categories. They were new products for personal protection from COVID-19. Tea exports Tea exports that constituted 12 percent of total merchandise exports in July, increased by 16 percent from that of July 2019. Tea exports in June 2020 too were 1.4 percent more than in June 2019. This improvement in tea exports is attributed to higher demand for tea from Turkey and Russia. Tea production has to be increased to ensure an expansion in the tea export surplus to meet international demand and bolster our export earnings. PPE Earnings from exports of apparel, textiles, rubber and rubber-based products grew significantly during July 2020 owing to higher demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, protective suits, surgical gloves, and similar goods. These PPE related exports amounted to US$ 115 million in July 2020. The diversified rubber and textiles exports demonstrate the innovative capacity of the private sector. They would need to keep responding to changing international demand and emerging new export opportunities. It is crucial that imports of raw materials are not restricted as the countrys manufactured exports are dependent on imported raw materials. Conversely, the reduction of tariffs and para-tariffs on imported materials and reduced electricity costs could enhance exports. Projection Monthly average exports of US$ 1 billion in the next five months would result in annual export earnings of US$ 10.5 billion in 2020. This is only about US$ 0.5 billion less than last years export earnings of US$ 11 billion. Taking into account the leap in exports in July, there is every prospect of the 2020 export earnings exceeding last years US$ 11 billion to reach US$ 12 billion, if the current global demand continues and perhaps improves. One must however be cautious in expecting this as the global containment of the pandemic is still distant. Trade deficit Such an improved export performance, with the curtailment of non-essential imports and reduced intermediate and capital imports could reduce the trade deficit this year to around US$ 6 billion. If this was to be achieved, it would ease the balance of payments that is seriously weakened by the drop in workers remittances and loss of earnings from tourism. Export prospects The significant improvement in exports in July lends hopes for a revival of Sri Lankas export dependent economy. However, the initial gains in exports have to be consolidated and strengthened to expand exports significantly. The development of new products demanded by the changed conditions and aggressive marketing in new markets are crucial to achieve this. On the other hand, there are demands for merchandise from countries that have revived. A case in point is the surge in demand for expensive jewellery from the rich classes in China. This is a new market for the countrys depressed gem and jewellery trade. Caution The upturn in exports should be viewed cautiously as the world has not recovered from the pandemic and reversals in international demand are possible. The increase in tea exports in June and July is an encouraging sign. It has been achieved by an improvement in prices and an increase in export volumes. It is therefore critical that the countrys tea production too increases to enable an increased export surplus. BOP benefit If the upturn in exports in July could be enhanced in the next five months, it would be an immense benefit to the balance of payments. With the continued reduction in imports, the trade deficit could then be reigned in to around US$ 4 billion. Such a reduction in the trade deficit is crucial as two of the strengths in the balance of payments, workers remittances and earnings from tourism have been eroded. Conclusion Hopefully the trade dependent Sri Lankan economy is on the road to recovery and the global containment of the pandemic and the global economic recovery is not far off. It is vital that these gains in trade are not frittered away by imprudent public expenditure that increases imports. On the other hand, import restrictions should not impede export manufactures. City of Laredo and Webb County officials announced seven new cases of the novel coronavirus Saturday, the smallest number of positives seen in a single day since June. Officials also announced one additional death due to the virus. With the added cases, the Laredo area has a total of 10,094 recognized cases of coronavirus. The total number of deaths increased to 219. The 219th death was a male Webb County resident in his early 30s. The last time Laredo had lower than Saturdays reported cases was when only one was confirmed on June 2. The city has reported single or double digits in cases in four of the past six days, but the previous 20 days featured 18 days with triple figures. Laredo was last below 50 cases with 39 on July 26 and last below 20 cases with 18 on June 28, and both days were Sundays which routinely feature lower totals. The previous eight Saturdays featured triple figures seven times with an average of 178.5 cases over that stretch. The Laredo area has 934 active cases, while 9,098 people have recovered from the virus. The test positivity rate sits at 34.5% as of Saturday for the City and County. In Laredo, all persons considered recovered from previous infections must pass a mandatory 14-day quarantine period as opposed to the 10-day quarantine currently recommended by the CDC. As of Saturday, 29,806 tests for coronavirus have been submitted in Laredo. There are 157 people hospitalized with the virus, an increase of three from the previous day. There are 63 people in the ICU due to coronavirus. Earlier this week, officials reported seeing a glimmer of hope regarding the spread of COVID, and especially with the number of hospital beds now available for virus patients at local hospitals. Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino said earlier this week that he was cautiously optimistic in regards to the hospital capacity, but he stressed the battle against the coronavirus is not over. Nuevo Laredo reported numbers late Saturday evening. The City surpassed 2,000 cases as it announced an additional 23 positives. The new cases brought Nuevo Laredo to 2,022 total cases. Along with the additional cases, the City confirmed two new deaths Saturday. Nuevo Laredos death total sits at 241. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Milwaukee: As the host city of this year's Democratic National Convention, Milwaukee was supposed to have been the bustling epicentre of American politics during the past week. Instead, the city's downtown streets resembled a ghost town. Concrete barriers and fencing were erected to block off traffic from the Wisconsin Centre, the conference venue where the convention is technically taking place. But such precautions weren't really necessary. During the convention there has usually been only a handful of protesters outside the venue rather than the throngs usually encountered at such an event. Because of concerns about the coronavirus, the Democrats scrapped plans to hold a traditional in-person convention. The Trump campaign has been trying to stir up anger at the decision in this key battleground state, paying for electronic billboards around town that read: "Where's Joe?" Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice-presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris are joined by their partners, Jill Biden and Douglas Emhoff, at the Democratic National Convention. Credit:Bloomberg On Thursday night US time, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and his running mate Kamala Harris, accepted their nominations with speeches from Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. Meanwhile, a large contingent of "Bikers for Trump" crashed the Democrats' non-existent party by gathering outside the Wisconsin Centre. The decision to move the event online came as a blow to local businesspeople in Milwaukee, who had already been hit hard by the pandemic-induced recession. "We had been planning the biggest, best summer ever," a Milwaukee bartender sighed this week, looking out at a sea of empty tables. An Uber driver lamented: "I was already counting the money before it hit my pocket." On the third night of the convention, only one speaker appeared at the Wisconsin Centre: the state's Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Advertisement Meanwhile, a crowd of around 200 people was gathered outside the the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. It had been announced earlier in the day on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) that Barack Obama would deliver his convention speech from there, and fans had come out in the hope of catching a glimpse of the former president. Some of them had not been in a crowd since the pandemic began, but wanted to participate in the moment. Like most other convention speakers, Obama could easily have filmed his speech from the comfort of his home. But he travelled to the museum to make a point. Philadelphia is regarded as the birthplace of American democracy: both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed there. Obama picked it as the backdrop to his speech in order to emphasise his core message: democracy itself is at stake in this election. Urging Democrats to participate in the November election, Obama warned supporters that Trump "will tear our democracy down if thats what it takes to win". "Do not let them take away your power, dont let them take away your democracy," Obama said. "I am also asking you to believe in your own ability - to embrace your own responsibility as citizens - to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure." Advertisement Befitting its setting, Obama's speech was itself a historic moment in American political history. In living memory no former president has delivered such a scathing denunciation of a successor. It has been a long-standing norm of US politics that ex-presidents avoid criticising those who follow them. But Obama decided that in the era of Trump and COVID-19, such niceties are out-of-date. "Donald Trump hasnt grown into the job because he cant," Obama said. "For close to four years now, hes shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves." Obama's speech came two nights after another headline-grabbing convention address: the one delivered by his wife Michelle. In her widely praised speech at the Democrats' 2016 convention, the former first lady famously said: "When they go low, we go high." She did not mention Trump by name, referring to him only in veiled terms. Searing: former US first lady Michelle Obama speaks during the virtual Democratic National Convention. Credit:Bloomberg It was different this time around. The Becoming author said she still stood by the dictum, but added a caveat: going high does not mean keeping your mouth shut. Like her husband, she stressed that she does not just disagree with Trump's policy decisions but considers him fundamentally unfit for high office. Advertisement "Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country," Obama said, in her harshest comments yet about the President. "He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us." The urgency of the Obamas' speeches showed how high they believe the stakes are for the election. And how, despite Biden continuing to hold a lead of around eight points in the polls, they by no means believe that a Trump defeat is guaranteed on November 3. 'Nobody cares to tune in' As well as officially confirming the presidential candidates, the Republican and Democratic conventions have provided the parties a priceless opportunity to spruik their message to voters. Since 1968, a candidate's share in the national polls has increased by an average of 5 percentage points after their party's convention - a sizeable bump. Loading But the poll bounces have gotten smaller over recent years - a product of increased polarisation and the fact Americans have far more viewing options than they used to. Going into this year's conventions there was widespread scepticism about whether either party would get an increase in the polls. The pandemic means that Americans have a lot on their minds, and it was assumed the absence of a live audience would make for less compelling television. Advertisement This year the main commercial broadcast networks have carried just one hour of the Democrats' two-hour broadcast. It seems their scepticism of viewer interest has been justified. The six biggest TV networks averaged a combined total of 19 million viewers during the 10pm hour on night one of the convention - a 25 per cent drop on the same timeslot in 2016. Ratings for the second night dropped by a similar amount although, reflecting changing media habits, digital streaming has increased. Nevertheless, Republicans and conservative media figures leapt upon the ratings drop as evidence that Democrats are not enthused about their party's nominee. "The main thing to realise is the reason the ratings are down is Biden isnt exciting," right-wing talkback host Rush Limbaugh said. "Nobody cares to tune in." Even in the host city of Milwaukee, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age struggled to find many people who had watched the event live. Most people had just heard snippets of the speeches on the radio and TV news. Hits and misses Which is not to say Democrats have been distraught about how the experiment had gone. Advertisement Flash The United States has no rights to restore United Nations (UN) sanctions on Iran as it has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal and failed to honor its obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. The United States continues its "dangerous" steps in the UN Security Council in hope of realizing its own anti-Iranian plans, the ministry said in a statement Friday on the U.S. "illegal actions" to restore lifted sanctions against Iran. All this happens after the U.S. administration officially pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and for more than two years has "rudely and shamelessly" trampled on its own obligations, the statement said. "The United States has eliminated itself from the JCPOA membership and thereby deprived itself of the rights and opportunities to use the mechanisms stipulated in the deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231," the statement read. "We are convinced that the path of escalating tensions around Iran is erroneous and dead-end. We call on the United States to make a choice in favor of reasonable decisions, not to deprive itself of the opportunity to reach agreements with Iran," it added. Libya's UN-recognised government announced a ceasefire across the country on Friday and called for demilitarising the contested strategic city of Sirte, raising hopes for peace in the more than nine-year-old conflict. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) also called for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held in March, and for an end to an oil blockade imposed by rival forces since earlier this year. As Al Jazeera reports, GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj "issued instructions to all military forces to immediately cease fire and all combat operations in all Libyan territories", a statement said. Al-Sarraj added the ultimate aim of the truce is to impose "full sovereignty over the Libyan territory and the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries". There was no immediate response from eastern forces military commander Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). However, Haftar agreed on an Egyptian initiative in June that included a ceasefire. Halt military intervention Aguila Saleh, speaker of the pro-Haftar Libyan parliament, called on all parties to adhere to the truce. Saleh said the ceasefire will prevent foreign military intervention in Libya. The truce will make the strategic city of Sirte a temporary seat for a new presidential council to be guarded by security forces from various regions in the country, said Saleh. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - who has backed Haftar and threatened to deploy troops across the border into Libya - welcomed the ceasefire declarations, a statement said. As did the UN Support Mission in Libya, which called for the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya. Both sides of the conflict are supported by thousands of mercenaries. Sami Hamdi, editor-in-chief of The International Interest, a current affairs analysis magazine, said the announcements raised the prospect of peace in the North African nation after a number of failed ceasefires. "I think this is the first time in the entire Libyan conflict whereby we have military stalemate, the military dynamics are equal," Hamdi told Al Jazeera. "This time as a result of Turkish intervention, the western side, the GNA ... has enough power to prevent Haftar from marching westwards. "This ceasefire has a very good chance of lasting because the cost of a potential battle is so high and if an individual faction decides to launch a battle by itself it would find itself obliterated," he added. "Now, we are seeing a new phase in the negotiations between Turkey and the other foreign powers. All the dynamics suggest that all the foreign powers prefer some sort of peace at least for the foreseeable future." Oil-rich country Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival east and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Haftar launched an offensive in April 2019 trying to capture the capital, Tripoli. But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied fighters, with Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of Tripoli and other western towns. The GNA was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed after a series of military offensives by forces loyal to Haftar. The chaos in the oil-rich country has worsened in recent months as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year. Haftar is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt and the UAE in a broader regional struggle over political Islam, is the main patron of the Tripoli forces, which are also backed by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. She was forced to cut her seven-week holiday short by two weeks and fly back to the UK in accordance with air bridge rules ahead of her return to work. And Holly Willoughby ensured she kept herself busy while self-isolating at home on Saturday, as she shared a stunning selfie and a snap of herself preparing sushi. The This Morning presenter, 39, looked radiant in a frilly rainbow mini dress as she held up her camera to show her followers the ensemble Wow! Holly Willoughby ensured she kept herself busy while self-isolating at home on Saturday, as she shared a stunning selfie and a snap of herself preparing sushi She captioned the snap: ' Had to share this one with you... you know how I love a rainbow dress! Thank you @beach_flamingo for this absolute beauty.' Elsewhere, Holly smiled for the camera as she rolled out her sushi tubes, before cutting them up into segments and placing them on a plate. Holly opted for very light touches of make-up to highlight her radiant complexion and wore her signature blonde locks loose in natural waves. Later in the day, Holly threw her support behind pal and ITV alum Dermot O'Leary as she reshared his post after he had his wedding ring stolen. Domestic goddess: Elsewhere, Holly smiled for the camera as she rolled out her sushi tubes, before cutting them up into segments and placing them on a plate Shocking: Later in the day, Holly threw her support behind pal and ITV alum Dermot O'Leary as she reshared his post after he had his wedding ring stolen Help! Holly also posted a picture of the man believed to have stolen Dermot's treasured possessions as well as the police appeal. Dermot, 47, made an emotional plea to his followers and friends after a man stole the ring and a crucifix from a locked gym locker while he was in a class. Holly also posted a picture of the man believed to have stolen Dermot's treasured possessions as well as the police appeal. Holly is currently doing her best to recharge her batteries ahead of returning to work after she was forced to cut her family holiday to Portugal short. Earlier this week, Holly shared a snap of herself donning an aura amethyst crystal which she credited with 'rockin' and rechargin'' her. The multi-coloured necklace, which Holly wore with a white vest top, was a gift from her friend and clairvoyant Emma Lucy who said she made it with the star in mind. Crystal: Holly is doing her best to recharge her batteries ahead of returning to work after she was forced to cut her family holiday to Portugal short Sharing Holly's photo, she wrote: 'The amulet was made with your aura in mind - crystal hand charged and programmed in white light for auric protection and magnification as you can learn to do in your own time in my new book 'You are a Rainbow'. 'When we tap into the magic of our energy within and without us - we can truly up vibe our lives and those that we love around us.' Holly styled her blonde locks into an updo for the snap while she also donned a simple gold necklace. The handmade necklace, made in conjunction with jeweller Roxanne First, will come in handy for Holly as she prepares to return to work after her holiday was cut short. Present: The multi-coloured necklace, which Holly wore with a white vest top, was a gift from her friend and clairvoyant Emma Lucy who said she made it with the star in mind Last week it was revealed that Holly was forced to end her seven-week family holiday to go into quarantine so that she can return on time to host This Morning. The TV presenter had planned to fly home from the Algarve at the end of August for her summer break. But UK government Covid-19 restrictions mean all passengers returning to Britain from Portugal must self-isolate for 14 days. As a result, the TV star has flown home a fortnight early and will quarantine with her husband Dan Baldwin and their three children at their London home to be back on screens by September 7. Emma wrote: 'The amulet was made with your aura in mind - crystal hand charged and programmed in white light for auric protection and magnification' A source told MailOnline: 'Holly accepts that she has to go into quarantine and will follow the rules but she isn't happy losing two weeks from her holiday. 'The summer break is her chance to re-charge after a hectic period and to spend time with her family. After all the stresses of the pandemic she had been looking forward to relaxing as long as possible. 'Instead of seven weeks away she has had to make it five but it's what she's had to do to keep the This Morning team safe and to ensure she returns to the show on time.' A source close to Holly said of the arrangement: 'Holly isn't ''unhappy'' to be returning, but happy to do what is necessary to keep everyone safe'. Family first: Holly jetted off with husband Dan Baldwin and their three children Harry, 11, Belle, nine and Chester, five - but had to cut their holiday short to self-isolate under new government guidelines The UK government introduced the 14-day quarantine period for travellers to the country on June 8 when a coronavirus spike hit with an infection rate of almost 50 per 100,000 population, one of the highest in Europe. They flew to Portugal soon after her last appearance on This Morning on July 10 with Eamonn Holmes and his wife Ruth Langsford, both 60, filling in. Friends say Holly cherishes the summer break as she gets to spend more time with her family away from the commitments of filming ITV's This Morning. The strain of presenting during the pandemic showed when Holly penned an emotional farewell from TV last month. Returning to work: The source explained that Holly was disappointed but it's what 'she's had to do to keep the This Morning team safe and to ensure she returns to the show on time' She had continued to present the popular daytime program with Phillip Schofield, 58, working with producers to ensure the show went ahead as normal. Holly took to Instagram before her summer break to express her thanks to the This Morning team and the viewers who tuned in during lockdown. She said: 'Thank you thank you for staying with us over the last 109 days... When we began this new way of broadcasting, we had no idea how long we would be able to come in, or whether it would be our last time broadcasting from the studio during lockdown. 'The team have adapted and had plan a, b, c and d in place just in case... Some days we didn't know If we'd have the content to fill the show, but somehow we always managed it and even had a few laughs along the way. Quality time: Holly had planned to fly home from the Algarve at the end of August after taking a summer break with husband Dan and their children 'You see us, but we feel that you are there with us, every single show... @thismorning holds a mirror up to life and reflects the mood of what we are all feeling.' Holly added: 'I can't thank our team enough! @martinfrizell1, Emma, all the production who came in. 'The production team who worked from home, crew, the TM family and fellow presenters who are consistently brilliant, but mostly to @schofe for metaphorically holding my hand and reliably being socially distanced shoulder to shoulder with me... By Andrius Sytas VILNIUS (Reuters) - Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya sees herself as a symbol of change whose role is to help deliver new elections as President Alexander Lukashenko will have to quit sooner or later, she told Reuters on Saturday. Speaking in Lithuania where she and her two children have fled for security reasons, Tsikhanouskaya said she felt duty-bound to do what she could to support protesters in her home country but would not run for president again. "During the campaign I didn't see myself as a politician but I pushed myself forward," she said. "I don't see myself in politics. I am not a politician." Tens of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets for nearly two weeks to protest against what they believe was a rigged Aug. 9 presidential election. They want veteran leader Lukashenko to quit so new elections can be held. Tsikhanouskaya, who ran in the election against Lukashenko after her husband, a well-known video blogger, was jailed, said fate had handed her a role that she had no right to forsake. "It is my fate and my mission, and I don't have the right to step away. I understand that I'm in safety here, but all the people who voted for me in Belarus ... need me as a symbol. They need the person they voted for. I couldn't betray my people." She has been making regular video appeals to try to keep up the protests' momentum. She said she had also fielded phone calls from world leaders who had asked her how they could help. None gave concrete promises to support her, and none said they regarded her as the president-elect. "I understand that they have no right and possibility to interfere in internal affairs of our country ... I asked everybody to respect the independence of our country, the sovereignty of our country", she said. 'SOONER OR LATER' When asked which countries had called, she referenced Canada, the United States, Britain, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and others. Story continues Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has close ties with Belarus, had not been in touch, and Tsikhanouskaya said she would not attempt to reach him herself. "I don't have anything to ask him about, just (to respect) sovereignty," she said. "Any future relationship with Russia or other countries would be decided by people and by the new president." Tsikhanouskaya said that Lukashenko's authority was badly damaged and that things would be different in Belarus, even if he managed to cling to power for now. Lukashenko said on Saturday he would close factories that have seen worker protests, the Russian RIA news agency reported, his latest attempt to quell a wave of opposition rallies since the contested elections. "Belarusian people have changed during this year. The Belarusian people won't be able to accept him as the new president, and will not allow him to treat him as they did before," she said. "I'm sure that sooner or later he will have to leave." (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by David Clarke) What just happened? Universities are becoming an increasingly popular -- and seemingly profitable -- attack surface. The University of Utah is the latest educational institution to be accosted by a ransomware attack. While the "unknown entity" who perpetrated the attack hasn't been identified, it's likely the same ransomware gang responsible for similar attacks on other universities as of late. In a statement provided on its website, The University of Utah disclosed that it paid $457,059.24 in order to mitigate the ransomware attack. The university said that it "decided to work with its cyber insurance provider to pay a fee to the ransomware attacker" in an attempt to prevent sensitive data from being released online. In summarizing the timeline of the attack, the university stated that on Sunday, July 19, 2020, the universitys Information Security Office (ISO) was notified of an attack on the College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) servers. Data on the CSBS servers had been encrypted by an attacker, and was no longer accessible by the college. The CSBS servers were immediately isolated from the rest of the network and the internet, while the university performed an investigation and notified law enforcement. It has since been determined that roughly .02 percent of data stored on the servers was compromised in the attack. The affected data included potentially sensitive information on employees and students. The university's Information Security Office worked with an external firm specializing in ransomware attacks to resolve the incident, and is reporting that no other IT systems on campus were affected. The University of Utah paid extortionists almost half a million dollars after a ransomware attack on some of its computer servers and is now telling students, staff and faculty to change their university passwords.https://t.co/bYahZ8o32x The Salt Lake Tribune (@sltrib) August 21, 2020 The University of Utah is just the latest higher education target for ransomware attacks, as both Michigan State and the University of California at San Francisco have also recently suffered ransomware attacks. It's usually recommend that ransomware targets don't crack under the pressure to pay. However, in some cases, victims will opt to a pay a ransom in an attempt to mitigate the fallout. In the case of the University of California at San Francisco, the college opted to pay a ransom fee of $1.14M to secure confidential research files. Regarding the University of Utah, paying the ransomware fee was likely cheaper than the potential litigation resulting from a data breach affecting staff and students. In all of the above mentioned cases, the NetWalker ransomware gang is believed to be responsible. It's estimated that NetWalker has amassed more than $25M as a result of ransomware attacks this year alone. Ransomware attacks continue to rise and are becoming both more sophisticated and costly. Image credit: Michael Gordon Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 21:44:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Casualties were feared after an explosion rocked the western part of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan on Saturday, eye witnesses said. "The blast occurred near a political party office in Kart-e-Parwan locality, along a four-line road connecting Kabul airport with the Intercontinental Hotel roughly at 5:25 p.m. local time," witness Hajji Ahmad Farshad told Xinhua. The explosion was followed by gunshots and the area was cordoned off by the police, the witness added. "The road was too busy at the evening rush hour and there is fear of casualties. The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggered panic," he said. "The explosion took place in Police District 2 this evening. More details will be shared with media after more information comes," the capital police tweeted. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far. Earlier on Saturday, a military officer and a civilian were killed and four people were wounded in a shooting attack in the city where three separate sticky bomb explosions also occurred in different locations. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:30:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A village chief explains how "Tolou Keur" project will be done in Belvedere, Senegal, August 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Eddy Peters) The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surged to 1,158,217 as the death toll from the pandemic rose to 26,968, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surged to 1,158,217 as the death toll from the pandemic rose to 26,968, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Friday. The number of people who recovered from their COVID-19 infections rose to 881,495 as of Friday, said Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, in its latest situation update. South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases, which hit 599,940. The country also has the highest number of deaths related to COVID-19, at 12,618. Egypt came next with 97,025 confirmed cases and 5,212 deaths, followed by Nigeria with 50,964 cases and 992 deaths, Africa CDC said. Ghana and Morocco also represent the fourth and fifth spot in terms of positive cases, 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, it said. On Thursday, the AU had launched a flagship campaign to intensify the continental fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic toward protecting African economies and livelihoods amid the easing of lockdowns. The newly launched continental initiative, dubbed "Africa Against COVID-19: Saving Lives, Economies, and Livelihoods Campaign," mainly envisaged protecting borders and travelers, economies and livelihoods, as countries ease lockdown and resume economic activities, the AU announced on Thursday. The initiative was launched jointly by the AU Social Affairs Commission, Infrastructure and Energy Commission as well as the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) during weekly virtual news briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC, said during the virtual briefing that as AU member states begin to ease lockdowns and reopen, "it is critical to prepare Africa for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic." Pedestrians and cyclists wearing face masks move along a street in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, June 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Yan) Noting "sign of hope" in terms of decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Africa during the past week, Nkengasong, however, emphasized the need to avoid "prevention fatigue," and further intensify precautionary measures, such as the use of masks, social distancing as well as increase COVID-19 testing. Recalling the continental Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing in Africa initiative that was launched on June 4 that envisaged testing 10 million COVID-19 targets across the continent, the Africa CDC Director stressed that more than 10.2 million tests have been conducted so far across the continent, exceeding the initial target. According to figures from the Africa CDC, South Africa, Morocco and Ethiopia are among the African countries that have conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests. Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, also said during the virtual briefing the need to expedite investments in the energy infrastructure sector, as she emphasized that challenges associated to the energy sector is greatly hampering the public health sector. Noting that only 28 percent of health facilities in Africa have reliable sources of energy source, the AU Infrastructure and Energy Commissioner stressed that the need "to speak in one voice and turn around this crisis in Africa to do things better for the wellbeing of our people." Amira Elfadil Mohammed, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, on her part also emphasized the need to exert concerted efforts as a continent towards mitigating the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The heartbroken mother of Daisy Coleman revealed that her daughter killed herself shortly after learning she couldn't have children and that it was likely she couldn't conceive because of the rape she suffered as a teenager. Coleman, who opened up about her teen rape ordeal in the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, died on August 4 after shooting herself while on FaceTime with her on/off boyfriend. Her mother Melinda told The Sun that the 23-year-old had been told by doctors weeks before her death that she would never be able to conceive. She also claims her daughter had a stalker who had been harassing her by text since December and who Daisy had filed a police report about just hours before she died. Melinda Coleman revealed that her daughter Daisy, pictured together above, killed herself shortly after learning she couldn't have children and that her infertility was likely caused by the rape she suffered as a teenager and spoke about in Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy Daisy Coleman, 23, died on August 4 after shooting herself while on FaceTime with her on/off boyfriend. She had spoken about her teen rape ordeal in Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy Coleman's mother Melinda, pictured left, revealed she died just weeks after learning she couldn't have children and hours after reporting a stalker. Daisy Coleman is pictured, right 'It was two weeks ago, it feels like it's been a really long time, and like it's been no time at all, if that makes sense,' Melinda told The Sun. 'She was my best friend, and she would say the same, we talked every day. We were really close. 'I really thought we were past this [her feeling suicidal], in my heart, but then she got hit with a lot of stuff recently. 'She just found out weeks before that she couldn't have children. She was very upset about that.' She said doctors placed the blame on her 'brutal' rape when she was a 14-year-old. 'That just shows how brutal it was, and they were trying to say it was consensual, that's what really gets me.' Her mother said that Daisy had lately been concentrating on releasing music and on her follow-up documentary 'Saving Daisy' but in recent weeks was receiving increasing harassment from a stalker. She claims the person showed up to Daisy's house a day before she died but they had been texting her for months. 'She told me that he kept saying he was going to take her to Miami and put her into sexual slavery,' Melinda revealed. 'And she said she'd rather die than that. 'I kept saying, "Then Daisy, let me come get you", but I don't know, I look back at it, it was so confusing. 'She called me, she was hysterical, whoever this was was locking and unlocking the door from the outside,' she said of the day the person allegedly showed up at her door. 'She was my best friend,' mom Melinda said of Daisy, pictured together above Daisy, pictured, had also been struggling to cope with the deaths of her dad and brother, her mother revealed. Her younger brother died in a car accident just last year Daisy Coleman had tried to take her own life numerous times since the ordeal in 2012 'They were running their nails down the door. I told her to put the sofa against the door and keep the dog out and that would protect her. 'She was afraid to call the police because she said it was bad in Denver with the rioting and stuff and she didn't want to call over something like that.' She said that police carried out a welfare check on Daisy the next day, the day she died, and she filed a police report about the stalker but they deemed her safe and left. 'She wasn't in her right mind. I was basically begging her to stay with me,' Melinda told The Sun. Later that day, Melinda was forced to call for a second welfare check on her daughter around 8.40pm when Daisy shot herself while speaking to her boyfriend. Daisy had been a vocal advocate for rape survivors and continued to campaign for them She is said to have asked her family to continue her work for victims of rape Melinda revealed that Daisy had also been struggling to cope with the deaths of her dad and brother in the lead up to her suicide. Tragedy struck the family last year when her younger brother died in a car accident. She was raped a few years after her father Dr Michael Coleman was killed in a car crash. Melinda said that Daisy had not been able to see her regular psychologist which was also affecting her. 'It'd been three years since she had been bad where I had to watch her all the time,' Melinda explained. 'Before, I literally made her sleep with me. I didn't let her close the bathroom door for a long time. 'But the last week, all the stuff going on with the rallies, she was late getting to the psychiatrist and they wouldn't see her,' she added. 'She called me from there crying saying, "I really needed to see her today and she won't see me". 'It just seems like it turned into a perfect storm.' She added that Daisy had asked the family to carry on her work with rape victims. Melinda said that Daisy, pictured was working on releasing music and her follow-up documentary 'Saving Daisy' 'She left a message to me that she wanted Charlie [her older brother] and I to continue working on her mission [with rape survivors], which we will,' Melinda said. 'One of the last things she said to me was, "I just want you to be proud of me" I was always proud of her.' Coleman appeared in Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy and spoke about how she was plied with alcohol in 2012 and raped in a Missouri house at the age of 14 but no one was ever convicted. Coleman, then 14, and her best friend Paige Parkhurst, 13, were raped in the basement of one of the high school's most popular footballers, the scion of a well-connected political family. Much of what happened on the night of January 8, 2012 is undisputed. At around 1 a.m. Daisy and Paige were having a sleepover at Daisy's house when they decided to sneak out - at the invitation of Matthew Barnett. His friends Jordan Zech Nick Groumoutis and Cole Forney were also present. Daisy's brother, Charlie regarded Groumoutis as his best friend but was wary of Barnett. He told her not to text him but she ignored him. Almost immediately the girls were separated. Barnett admitted having sex with Daisy - 14 is the age of consent in the state of Missouri - but said it was consensual and that Daisy did not drink heavily until afterwards. Daisy recalled being offered a drink from what the boys called the 'bitch cup' - a tall shot glass - then being offered a second and not remembering anything after that. He used Nick Groumoutis's cell phone to record but claimed he thought they were just 'dry humping'. The video was deleted - after reportedly being passed around the school - but never retrieved by law enforcement. Picture shows Daisy Coleman, left, age 14, and Paige, right, age 13 shortly before they were both raped in the early hours of January 9, 2012. Daisy's rapist was not convicted Matthew Barnett was convicted on a charge of child endangerment Daisy Coleman is photographed in her room on October 16, 2013 at age 16 Paige's rapist confessed and was convicted in juvenile court, but it was only after a second investigation that Daisy's alleged rapist was convicted in adult court on the lesser charge of child endangerment. After the Netflix documentary aired, Daisy said she found it hard to listen to then Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White's clear belief that Daisy and Paige were somehow as culpable as the boys. He also slipped a note to the camera that 'teenage girls lie'. Coleman had tried to kill herself at least four times in the past. She suffered victim blaming from the community. T-shirts worn by people in her dance class read: ' 'Matt 1: Daisy 0.' Social media exploded with hateful hashtags, branding Daisy a 'skank' a 'whore' and a 'liar.' Coleman ended up self-harming and carved the name of the alleged rapist into her skin. They had moved to Maryville, Missouri from Albany, Missouri, some 40 miles away, in 2009 hoping to make new and better memories. In 2013 their house was burned down in a fire that her mother Melinda believes was deliberate. For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. Designations for Iranian Human Rights Offenders Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State August 21, 2020 Friday, August 21 marks the annual Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. To both remember and honor these victims, today the U.S. Department of State is announcing visa restrictions on 14 Iranian individuals for their involvement in gross violations of human rights on behalf of the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terror. This action is taken pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, FY 2020, making ineligible for entry into the United States officials of foreign governments and their immediate family members about whom the Secretary of State has credible information of involvement in a gross violation of human rights. Their immediate family members are also ineligible for entry into the United States. These actions send a message of support to the Islamic Republic of Iran's many victims worldwide that we will promote accountability for those who spread terror and violence. The United States will continue to pressure Iran to treat its own people with dignity and respect. Iran conducts assassinations and terrorism abroad to spread its reign of terror well beyond its own borders. Today's action includes visa restrictions on 13 officials involved in a brutal and intricately planned assassination carried out in Switzerland in 1990 as part of Iran's ongoing worldwide terrorism campaign. These 13 assassins, who posed as Iranian diplomats, were acting under the highest orders of their government to silence opposition and show that no one is safe from the Iranian regime, no matter where they live. The United States will not stand for the Iranian regime silencing its critics through violence and terror. And it is not only abroad where the Iranian regime uses fear and violence to control Iranian citizens. We are also publicly designating Hojatollah Khodaei Souri, who as director of Iran's notorious Evin Prison, oversaw an institution synonymous with torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Evin Prison has been used to oppress peaceful Iranian protestors and journalists, as well as foreigners who are swept up and imprisoned to be held hostage to squeeze concessions out of their home governments. The United States looks forward to the day when the perpetrators of Iran's innumerable human rights violations will face true justice and hopes that these measures offer some comfort and reassurance to the families and friends of those lost to the Iranian regime's violence and oppression at home and abroad. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq: UN Mission condemns killings of activists in Basra 21 August 2020 - The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has strongly condemned the killing of two activists and attacks against others in the southern city of Basra, urging increased efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Riham Yacoub, a medical doctor, was killed on Wednesday. Her death came in the midst protests in the city, demanding accountability for the killing of another activist, Tahseen Oussama, who was murdered on 14 August. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and the head of the UN Mission, warned that the killings present a "serious threat to security and stability" in Basra, the nation's largest port. "Basrawis should not live in such an atmosphere of terror and intimidation. Greater action by the authorities is urgently required," she said in a news release on Thursday. "The full force of the law must be applied to find, apprehend and hold the perpetrators accountable, and to put an end to this cycle of violence," added the UN envoy. UNAMI said that its human rights office received "credible reports" of two attempted targeted killings in Basra on 17 August when unidentified armed elements shot at a vehicle carrying three activists including one woman injuring two, who have been admitted to a hospital for treatment. A vehicle, driven by another woman, was also shot at, but the attackers missed. UNAMI also said while it acknowledges positive steps taken by the Government in response to the incidents, it urges further action to deliver justice, accountability and security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LAPORTE A popular orchard in LaPorte received Indiana's highest agricultural honor. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler gave the AgriVision Award to Garwood Orchards, a sixth-generation family farm where there is "fun to be had for the whole family, along with nutritious locally grown fruits and vegetables." The agritourism destination at 5911 West 50 South #9705 in LaPorte dates back to 1831. Run by brothers Tom, Mike and Brian Garwood, the 500-acre farm is best known for its U-pick apples, but also grows sweet corn, tomatoes and peppers. Garwood Orchards operates a farm market, a bake shop and a gelato bar. It boasts a wide variety of apples, including Ginger Gold, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, Cortland, Red Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith. We are so thankful to be chosen as an AgriVision Award recipient, Carey Garwood said. This award means so much to our family and we were honored to be able to represent our industry and community at the Statehouse today. Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Fervour marks celebrations in Tamil Nadu India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Chennai, Aug 22: Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated across Tamil Nadu with usual fervour on Saturday, although the trademark large idols of the elephant God were missing this year in lines with a government directive in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. State Chief Minister K Palaniswami held prayers at his residence in his native Salem, strictly following COVID-19 protocols, such as social distancing and wearing mask, with his family. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier banned installation of large Ganesha idols in public places in the state besides public worship and processions before the immersion of the idols in water bodies. May the blessings of Lord Ganesh always be upon us: PM Modi greets nation on Ganesh Chaturthi The government had appealed to the people to confine the celebrations to their homes. On Saturday, citizens turned up in good numbers to buy clay idols of the Lord to conduct puja at homes and in some places were seen compromising on social distancing norms. For their part, vendors who put up temporary stalls to sell the images and flowers solicited customers, making the latter temporarily forget about the dreaded Coronavirus. Ahead of the festival, the Hindu Munnani, which is instrumental in organising the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and immersion, had appealed to the people to celebrate the Pillaiyar (as the Lord is known) Chaturthi safely due to the pandemic. Coronavirus: India records nearly 70,000 fresh cases, 945 deaths in last 24 hours "We didn't want a procession this time owing to the spike in coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu and want the people to be safe," AT Elangovan, president, Hindu Munnani, Chennai, told reporters. The organisation's state president Kadeswara C Subramaniam had announced that idols of Lord Ganesh will be installed in private places, houses and temples on Saturday and they will be immersed this evening by the outfit's members "without involving the public and by upholding the social distancing norms". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 13:33 [IST] (Natural News) Police documents released as part of the #BlueLeaks hack details how law enforcement is tracking activists via social media while empowering private citizens as Threat Liason Officers. (Article by Derrick Broze republished from TheLastAmericanVagabond.com) On June 19, 2020, 269 gigabytes of internal U.S. police documents were released by the group Distributed Denial of Secrets as part of the #BlueLeaks operation. The documents were reportedly obtained by a source aligned with the hacktivist group Anonymous after a security breach of Netsential. #BlueLeaks has been called the largest hack of U.S. police documents. The collection contains emails, audio files, intelligence files, bulletins, and memos, mostly drawn from law enforcement Fusion Centers, produced between August 1996 and June 2020. Fusion Centers are centralized systems that pool and analyze intelligence from federal, state, local, and private sector entities. The National Network of Fusion Centers was created after the 9/11 attacks to provide for more streamlined communication between federal and local agencies. The Fusion Centers have been criticized as violations of civil liberties and a danger to separation of federal and local governments, and the abuses of these centers predate #BlueLeaks, including targeting of protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Most infamously, in 2009 it was revealed that the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) was targeting supporters of third party candidates, Ron Paul supporters, anti-abortion activists, and conspiracy theorists as potential domestic extremists. Some reports on #BlueLeaks have shown police using counter-surveillance methods on Black Lives Matter protesters and concerns of face masks blocking facial recognition. However, due to the size of the #BlueLeaks files, important information is still being found and reported on. In fact, I was recently notified that my name and a video I produced were listed in the files. I was informed that a friend and fellow activist was listed in a document from the Austin Regional Intelligence Center, a Fusion Center based in Central Texas. The ARIC is a partnership between 19 local law enforcement agencies and shares data with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. The documents from the ARIC contain a 2016 report of a Threat Liaison Officer who was investigating activist John Bush. The report identifies Bush as an anti-government activist who was manager of Brave New Books, a retailer of anti- government focused books and other media, as well as a venue for public speakers whose topics are related to anything along the anarchists mindset. The TLO also notes that Bush had recently posted the following statement on Facebook: What if instead of standing by and filming, organized groups of freedom fighters rushed the police, subdued them, and expelled them from their communities? Freedom Cells are an answer to police brutality. Bushs statement was in relation to an event being held at Brave New Books in 2016. The event, Freedom Cells: An Introduction and Call to Organize, was focused on the organizing concept called Freedom Cells. Essentially, Freedom Cells are a decentralized way for activists to organize their communities and create more independence from government and other centralized institutions. John Bush was the originator of the concept and the person who introduced me to the idea. I was invited to speak as part of the event to share my thoughts. The TLO report specifically mentions my name and then links to a video I produced called How To Organize Against Violent Cops. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I was alerted to law enforcement maintaining a watchful eye on my activities or those of my associates. In 2012, I was notified that the Houston Police Department was keeping tabs on myself and other activists in Houston. An anonymous source within HPD sent me pictures of training sessions where the activist group I started, The Houston Free Thinkers, and my name were specifically mentioned. A recent report from The Austin Chronicle provided more detail on how the so-called Threat Liaison Officers operate. Essentially, it appears the federal government has used Fusion Centers to create a national Suspicious Activity network. Documents obtained by the Chronicle reveal that TLOs must sign nondisclosure agreements with the ARIC, preventing them from talking about their activities. These NDA agreements have even been given to private citizens turned informants who have been ordained For Official Use Only Threat Liaison Officers. The FOUO TLO program appears to create a cadre of anonymous, non-law-enforcement citizen informants who, unlike ARIC, are completely unaccountable to the public, Peter Steffensen, a lawyer with the Texas Civil Rights Project and ARIC Community Advocate, told the Chronicle. Given this countrys tortured history of over-surveillance of Black and brown communities, these secretive programs deserve intense scrutiny and more substantial public oversight. The federal government is, in effect, building a secret police made up of private citizens who gather data on their peers and then are signed into secrecy with NDAs. The Austin Chronicle further detailed the nature of the TLO documents: The leaked documents include submission forms TLOs use to make their reports. At the top of the forms are boxes to check indicating the type of activity being reported. These include the aforementioned School Threat, but also Eliciting Information, Observation/Surveillance, and Suspicious/Odd Facebook Post. The TLO report spreadsheet contains 128 reports of school threats. But the category most reported by far was Expressed or Implied Threat, with more than a thousand entries. The activity of the Austin Regional Intelligence Center should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the controversy over Fusion Centers since their creation in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. However, through the #BlueLeaks documents we now have a clearer understanding of how they operate. For example, a Maine Press Herald article from mid-July found that Maine State Police intelligence unit was tracking political activists and anti-government groups. The article also notes that local police have used Fusion Centers to monitor low-level offenders and use social media and camera footage to identify people: Police agencies commonly contact the Maine center with requests for help identifying a person depicted in a photo, sometimes captured from a surveillance camera. Other pictures are taken directly by law enforcement, or appear to be pulled from Facebook or other social media sites. The Herald also notes that in one incident Maine police asked the Fusion Center to identify a passenger in a car who refused to identify himself, allow the police to take his fingerprints or take a photo of him. Coincidentally, the #BlueLeaks revelations on Fusion Centers align with another set of recently released documents which TLAV reported on earlier this month. In a set of emails obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, an executive director of the National Fusion Center Association, a lobby group for fusion centers proposed an automate[d] contact tracing and notification system to the White House. This would mean that the Trump administration would receive automatic updates on the contact tracing efforts, and potentially, the data gathered by tracking apps. Despite most of America being ignorant to what Fusion Centers are and how they operate they are continuing to impose on our lives. The abuse of these data centers is simply yet another outgrowth of the War on Terror that followed the attacks of September 11, 2001. Read more at: TheLastAmericanVagabond.com Iran's hardliners have blasted Tehran Municipality for the missing word "Islamic" in a street sign replaced recently. Pictures were posted on social media showing the name of a square in central Tehran as "Republic" instead of "Islamic Republic". The attacks have forced the municipality authorities to apologize and pledge to punish "culprits" for dropping the word "Islamic". "Let's not be oblivious to the sneaky move of the liberals," one hardliner critic tweeted adding that "The Municipality [of Tehran] is not committed to the Islamic aspect of the republic system" and called for the "inefficient authorities" to be put on trial. "Islamic Republic, neither a word more nor a word less is the legacy of thousands of martyrs for us. What has happened is unforgivable," Gholam-Hossein Mohammadi, an adviser to the Mayor of Tehran and Head of the Municipality's Information Center, tweeted on Friday. In 2009 protesters pulled down the sign of the "Islamic Republic Avenue" to show their disillusionment with the Islamic system. "Islamic Republic, neither a word more nor a word less" is a quote from the founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini. When it came to decide the country's political system after the fall of the monarchy he insisted that "republic" or "democratic republic" were out of the question. In an interview with Students News Network (SNN), Mohammadi claimed that dropping the word "Islamic" was a mistake and not a "systematic attempt". He also promised to reprimand those responsible for it even it had been done "unintentionally". The Islamic Republic Square and a street of the same name, one of the oldest and longest in central Tehran, was known as "King Square" and "King Avenue" before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 after which they were re-named as "Islamic Republic Square" and "Islamic Republic Avenue". The name is only used on the street signs, official documents and maps, otherwise the square and avenue are simply referred to by the name "Republic". Its Apple vs. Epic, Wordpress and everyone else these days. But however things shake out, the battle over Fortnite profits will have an effect on game makers who dont have a billion-dollar battle royale juggernaut to use as leverage. Jessica Conditt spoke to some of the developers watching this play out from the sidelines, and its worth your time to find out what theyre saying. Once youre through with that, let us know how you like the OnePlus 8 Pro these days and if you feel like it lived up to the hype. Finally, please dont forcibly mask your fellow citizens with a homemade launcher, but if you wanted to know if it can be done, you can see how one YouTuber answered that question. -- Richard 'Crysis Remastered' can run in 8K, if your PC can handle it The $30 game is coming to the Epic Games Store, PS4 and Xbox One on September 18th. Crytek Along with a release date, Crytek and co-developer Saber Interactive unleashed a trailer that shows off the remasters technical capabilities. It will include textures up to 8K, HDR support, motion blur, more light settings and updated particle effects to name a few. Crytek says its CryEngine tech can support software-based ray tracing on Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro. Crysis Remastered can also tap into Nvidias RTX graphics cards for hardware-based ray tracing on PC. Continue reading. The Engadget Podcast Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review and Fortnite v. Apple Engadget This week, Cherlynn and Devindra chat about what its like to live with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Samsungs biggest new phone. Plus, they dive into Epics war with Apple over the App Store, as well as how Facebook is still trying (and failing) to make Instagram a Tiktok killer. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or Stitcher. Continue reading. This week's best deals: Amazon Echo devices, iPad mini and more And Razer Blade laptops are available for $200 off. Amazon discounted a bunch of its Echo and Fire TV devices and you can get Apples latest iPad mini for $50 off. A few TCL 8-series Roku TVs are half off, too, and you can stock up on some digital Nintendo Switch games in the companys latest eShop sale. Here are all the best deals from the week that you can still snag today, and follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for more updates. Continue reading. The 5G BlackBerry could be 'the most American-made phone out there' BlackBerry phones are back, baby. BlackBerry OnMobile OnwardMobility was incorporated in Austin as Onward88 in late 2018 by CEO Peter Franklin, and the startup has spent the years since piecing together an executive team and a strategy for making BlackBerry phones relevant in a 5G age. Engadget senior mobile editor Chris Velazco spoke to Franklin to get some answers about BlackBerrys big comeback next year. Continue reading. LG's transparent OLED displays are on subway windows in China Not just a concept. LG The 55-inch, see-through displays show real-time info about subway schedules, locations and transfers on train windows. They also provide info on flights, weather and the news. Riders will see the tech first on Line 6 in Beijing and Line 10 in Shenzhen. LG plans to expand the OLED displays to other subway lines, which will require working with railroad companies and train glass manufacturers. Continue reading. But wait, theres more... Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review: Unabashedly over the top Uber and Lyft had time to comply with the law. They did not. Google Maps is tracking the spread of America's wildfires hour by hour A typo created a 212-story monolith in Microsoft Flight Simulator Disney+ will allow in-app 'Mulan' purchases via Apple, Google and Roku TikTok executive says it has 'multiple paths' to stay alive in the US Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones (our new favorites) are available now How to make the most of that Instant Pot you just bought Watch how 'The Handmaid's Tale' VFX artists defaced the Lincoln memorial The rare arcade version of 'Quake' is now playable on PC Photo: (Photo : Instagram/justiceforalissa) On Thursday in Mesa, Arizona, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office charged Michael Turney, stepfather of 17-year-old, Alissa Turney, with second-degree murder. It is nearly 20 years after the teen disappeared from her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Allister Adel, Maricopa County Attorney, said that a grand jury issued the indictment but did not say what led to the arrest. How the teen disappeared On May 17, 2001, it was Alissa's last day as a Paradise Valley High School junior. In June, Sarah Turney, Alissa's sister, told Dateline that she remembers her sister had planned to attend a graduation party later that evening. However, she never got to attend the party. Michael told authorities earlier that at around 11 AM, he picked up Alissa from school, and they ate lunch, Phoenix Police Department reported. They fought about the teen's desire for more freedom. See also: Mom Was "Blown Away" by Strangers' Sweet Gesture upon Hearing About Son's Leukemia The young girl was still angry when they reached home, so Michael left at around 1 PM to pick up Sarah from her field trip. Alissa was gone when the father and daughter returned home. The girl left a note saying she was running away to California. A man confessed as the suspect In 2006, a Florida man, Thomas Hymer, confessed that he killed Alissa. Later, they found out that his story was false, and his description of the teen was not viable. Hymer then admitted that he might have made a mistake. See also: Truck Driver Dies After Safely Rescuing Children from School Bus Crash in Georgia [Heartbreaking Story] In 2008, the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit investigator, Sergeant Maggie Cox, opened Alissa's case. He declared that there was a foul play when she went missing. He told Dateline that there are allegations that Michael sexually abused the teen. Videotapes found in their home The police executed search warrants at Turney's house in December 2008. They found many videotapes of footages from around the house, but there was none on the day Alissa disappeared. See also: Mom Got Shot and Killed While Daughter Was Having Online Zoom Class Sergeant Cox also said they found a "Diary of a Madman Martyr," a 98-page manifesto. In it, Michael wrote of his complaints about workplace conditions while working as an electrician. He also accused the company of kidnapping and killing Alissa, then wrote that he would blow up the union hall. Michael pleaded guilty in March 2010 after possessing 26 unregistered pipe bombs. He was sentenced in federal prison for a maximum of ten years, but he got released in 2017. Do not give up Sarah has never given up looking for justice for her sister's death. She started her podcast, "Voices For Justice" in 2019. It shared about their family's history and the events that happened up to Alissa's disappearance. It also included what has happened years after her sister went missing. Sarah started making TikTok videos in May 2020 that focused on her sister's case. She said that it has become an essential outlet for Alissa's story. She wanted to be tough to fight for the justice that her sister deserves. On August 20, 2020, Sarah's father got arrested, and she announced the good news on social media. She advised people to never lose hope to get justice because it took her 20 years but finally she received what she had been wanting. The chaos in the oil-rich country has worsened in recent months as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year Libya's U.N.-supported government Friday announced a cease-fire across the oil-rich country and called for demilitarizing the strategic city of Sirte, which is controlled by rival forces. In a separate statement Aguila Saleh, speaker of the rival east-based House of Representatives, also called for a cease-fire. The announcements came amid fears of an escalation in the more than 9-year-old conflict. Fayez Sarraj, head of the Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, also announced parliamentary and presidential elections would be held in March. Both administrations said they want an end to an oil blockade imposed by the camp of military commander Khalifa Haftar since earlier this year. Hifter is an ally to the parliament speaker. They also called for oil revenues, the country's main source of revenue, to flow into the bank account of the National Oil Corporation outside Libya. Powerful tribes in eastern Libya loyal to Haftar closed oil export terminals and choked off major pipelines at the start of the year in an effort to pressure the Tripoli-based government. The developments come amid international pressure on both sides and fears of a new escalation in the chaotic proxy war, as the rivals mobilize for a battle over Sirte, the gateway to the country's major oil export terminals. Both statements called for demilitarizing the city of Sirte and the Jufra area in central Libya, and for a joint police force to be responsible for security there. There was no immediate comment form Haftar's army, but Haftar agreed on an Egyptian initiative in June that included a cease-fire. The U.N. support mission in Libya welcomed both statements and called for the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya. Both sides of the conflict are supported by thousands of mercenaries. ``The two initiatives have created hope for forging a peaceful political solution to the longstanding Libyan crisis, a solution that will affirm the desire of the Libyan people to live in peace and dignity,'' said Stephanie Williams, acting head of the U.N. mission . Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Haftar's forces launched an offensive in April 2019 to try and capture the Tripoli. But his campaign collapsed in June when the Tripoli-allied militias, with Turkish support, gained the upper hand, driving his forces from the outskirts of Tripoli and other western towns. The chaos in the oil-rich country has worsened in recent months as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year. Haftar is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Turkey, a bitter rival of Egypt and the U.A.E. in a broader regional struggle over political Islam, is the main patron of the Tripoli forces, which are also backed by the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar. Haftar's offensive on Tripoli deeply polarized the already divided country and aborted U.N. efforts to hold a peace conference more than a year ago. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi on Twitter welcomed both statements as ``an important step on the path of achieving the political settlement.'' Search Keywords: Short link: With the new 2021 model lineup slowly being released to the public, customers interested in finding select 2021 Hyundai models can head to Chico Hyundai. Three models are currently available at the dealership: the 2021 Hyundai Kona, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade and the 2021 Hyundai Kona. Each model offers slight changes or additions from its 2020 rendition. One such model that can be found at Chico Hyundai is the 2021 Hyundai Kona. This years model adds a special Night Edition trim, which has a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that receives 175 horsepower. It can be available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive and offers various black colored interior and exterior details. Outside of the new trim, the model remains similar to its 2020 predecessor. The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is also currently available at Chico Hyundai. Several features have been added to lower trims compared to the 2020 models. This includes the sunroof option available at the SEL trim level and above. Also, the model will receive a special Calligraphy trim level. It features a unique front grille design, 20-inch alloy wheels and exclusive rear LED accent lighting. The final 2021 model available at Chico Hyundai is the 2021 Hyundai Tucson. The crossover returns with many of the same features from the previous year. However, it offers three new colors: Coliseum Gray, Ash Black and Red Crimson. These colors will replace several other color options from 2020 including the Sage Brown option. Those interested in purchasing or leasing any of the new 2021 Hyundai models are welcomed to contact Chico Hyundai directly. The dealership can be found at their location at 2562 Cohasset Road in Chico, California. Otherwise, customers can call them directly at 833-308-0570 or visit their online inventory on their website at https://www.chicohyundai.com/. Washington: A day after President Donald Trump's former White House strategist was charged with defrauding donors to a border wall fundraising operation, Steve Bannon fired back on Friday at federal prosecutors, vowing to challenge the criminal case lodged against him. "I am not going to back down," Bannon said on his War Room podcast, referring to the prosecution as "a total political hit job." Steve Bannon, former US President Donald Trump political strategist, departs from federal court in New York. Credit:Bloomberg Bannon, who pleaded not guilty on Thursday prior to his release on a $US5 million bond, was charged with three others in connection with a private effort to assist Trump's signature campaign program, raising more than $25 million ($35 million) to build parts of a wall along the US-Mexico border. The charges accuse Bannon, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea with "defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors" in the "We Build the Wall" GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 19:09:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SARI Pul, Afghanistan, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ten Taliban militants were killed and 13 militants and two soldiers were wounded after Afghan security forces repulsed a Taliban attack in northern Sari Pul province during Friday night, a local official said on Saturday. The clashes erupted when a group of Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints in Lataband and Tayara Maidan villages of Suzma Qala, and the security forces backed by Afghan Air Force relevantly responded to attack, forcing attackers to evict the areas, Zabihullah Amani, provincial government spokesman, told Xinhua. Hamidullah Nurani the outfit's so-called Red Unit commander and two of the local Taliban's senior leaders Samiullhaq and Ahmad Shah were among the killed militants, the official added. The province has been the scene of heavy clashes and fightings for long. Since the signing of a Taliban and United States peace agreement in late February, Afghan leaders, including President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have frequently demanded the Taliban to reduce violence. The militants, however, have intensified attacks, frequently launching hit-and-run attacks and ambushes against security forces. Enditem Police said the victim and another man, 32, were on a porch when someone exited a black vehicle and fired shots in their direction. The older victim suffered a wound to the head and abdomen, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim was hit in the abdomen and leg, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said. By Edward Curtin August 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Dont bother, theyre here, already performing in the center ring under the big top owned and operated by The Umbrella People. Trump, Biden, Pence, Harris, and their clownish sidekicks, Pompeo, Michelle Obama, et al., are performing daily under the umbrellas shadowy protection. For The Umbrella People run a three-ring circus, and although their clowns pop out of separate tiny cars and, acting like enemies, squirt each other with water hoses to the audiences delight, raucous laughter, and serious attentiveness, they are all part of the same show, working for the same bosses. Sadly, many people think this circus is the real world and that the clowns are not allied pimps serving the interests of their masters, but are real enemies. The Umbrella People are the moguls who own the showtime studios some call them the secret government, the deep-state, or the power elite. They run a protection racket, so I like to use a term that emphasizes their method of making sure the sunlight of truth never gets to those huddled under their umbrella. They produce and direct the daily circus that is the American Spectacle, the movie that is meant to entertain and distract the audience from the side show that continues outside the big top, the place where millions of vulnerable people are abused and killed. And although the sideshow is the real main event, few pay attention since their eyes are fixed on the center ring were the spotlight directs their focus. The French writer Guy Debord called this The Society of the Spectacle. For many months now, all eyes have been directed to the Covid-19 propaganda show with Fauci and Gates, and their mainstream corporate media mouthpieces, striking thunderbolts in the storm to scare the unknowing audience into submission so the transformation of the Great Global Reset, led by the World Economic Forum and the International Monetary Fund, can proceed smoothly. Now hearts are aflutter with excitement to see the war-loving Joe Biden boldly coming forth like Lazarus from the grave to announce his choice of a masked vice-presidential running mate who will echo his pronouncements. And the star of the big top, the softly coiffured reality television emcee Trump, around whom the spectacle swirls, elicits outraged responses as he plays the part of the comical bad guy. Punch and Judy indeed. All the while the corporate mainstream media warn of grim viral milestones, election warnings, storms ahead! The world as you know it is coming to an end, they remind us daily. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter The latter meme contains a hint of truth since not just the world as we know it may be coming to an end, but the world itself, including human life, as the clowns initiate a nuclear holocaust while everyone is being entertained. Meanwhile, as the circus rolls along, far away and out of mind, shit happens: With more than 400 military bases equipped with nuclear weapons surrounding China, the United States military continues its encirclement of China and China enters a state of siege. The U.S. conducts military exercises with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group in the contested South China Sea. These U.S maritime Air defense operation[s] close to the Chinese mainland are a part of significantly increased U.S. military exercises in the area. The U.S. Defense Secretary Esper announces that the U.S. is withdrawing troops from Germany but moving them closer to the Russian border to serve as a more effective deterrent against Russia. Russia says it will regard any ballistic missile aimed at its territory as a nuclear attack and will respond in kind with nuclear weapons. Although the U.S. is formally not at war with any African country, a new report reveals that the United States has special forces operating in 22 African countries with 29 bases and 6,000 troops, with a huge drone hub in Niger that cost 100 + million to build and is expected to have operating costs of more than $280 billion by 2024. The U.S. continues its assault on Syria, aside from direct military operations, by building up Kurdish proxies in northeastern Syria to protect the oil fields that they are stealing from the Syrian government, a plan hatched long ago. The U.S. says their strategy is to deny ISIS a valuable revenue stream. The same ISIS they used to attack the Syrian government in a war of aggression. A new document exposes the U.S. plan to overthrow the socialist government of Nicaragua through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a traditional U.S. regime change and CIA front organization. Meanwhile, in Belarus, a place most Americans cant find on a map, there is another color revolution underway. Continuing its war against Iran and Venezuela by other means, the Trump administration seizes Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela. Something will happen with Venezuela. Thats all I can tell you. Something will be happening with Venezuela, said Trump in a July interview with Noticias Telemundo. And, of course, the Palestinians are left to suffer and die as Israel is supported in its despotic policies in the Middle East. The list goes on and on as the U.S. under Trump continues to wage war by multiple means around the world. But his followers see him as peaceful president because these wars are waged through sanctions, special operations, drones, third parties, etc. But back in the center ring, the two presidential clown candidates keep the audience entertained, as they shoot water at each other. Trump, who now presides over all the events just listed, and Biden, who enthusiastically supported the American wars against Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, etc. But then the followers of Obama/Biden also see their champions as peaceful leaders. This is even more absurd. Dont you like farce? Besides being a rabid advocate for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 as a senator, Biden, as Vice-President under Obama for eight years, seconded and promoted all of Obamas wars that were wrapped in humanitarian propaganda to evade international law and keep his liberal supporters quiet. From Bush II, an outright cowboy war-wager who used Americas large military forces to invade Afghanistan and Iraq under false pretensions i.e. lies, Obama and his sidekick Biden learned to arm and finance thousands of Islamic jihadists, run by the CIA and U.S. special forces, to do the job in more circumspect ways. They expanded and grew The United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) throughout Africa. They agreed to a $1 trillion upgrade of U.S nuclear weapons (that continues under Trump). They disarmed their followers, who, in any case, wished to look the other way. Out of sight and out of mind, Obama/Biden continued the war on terror with drones, private militias, color revolutions, etc. They waged war on six-seven who knows how many countries. An exception to the more secretive wars was the Obama administrations openly savage assault on Libya in 2011 under the lies of an imperial moral legitimacy. In order to save you, we will destroy you, which is what they did to Libya, a country still in ruins and chaos. Their equally blood-thirsty Secretary of State Hillary Clinton let the cat out of the bag when she laughed and gleefully applauded the brutal murder of Libyas leader Moammar Gaddafi with the words: We came, we saw, he died. Yippee! After Libya was destroyed and so many killed in an illegal and immoral war financed with $2 billion dollars from the America treasury, Joseph Biden bragged that the U.S. didnt lose a single life and such a war was a prescription for how to deal with the world as we go forward. Biden was Obamas front man on Iraq, the war he voted for in 2003, and wrote an op ed article in 2006 calling for the breakup of the country into three parts, Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish. When Obama launched 48 cruise missiles and more than ten thousand tons of bombs on Syria in 2016, killing over a hundred civilians, a third of them children, V.P. Biden stood proud and strong in support of the action. When the U.S. launched the bloody coup in Ukraine in 2014, Biden was, of course, in agreement. But we are told that Trump and Biden are arch-enemies. One of them wants war and the other wants peace. How many Americans will vote for these clowns this year? They are really front men for The Umbrella People, the money people who use the CIA and other undercover forces to carry out their organized crime activities. As C.S Lewis said in his preface to The Screwtape Letters: The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid dens of crime that Dickens loved to paint . . .. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump received 129 million votes out of 157 million registered American voters eager to believe that this system is not built on imperial war-making by both parties. Perhaps thats a generous assessment. Maybe many of those voters believe in the U.S.A.s manifest destiny to rule the world and wage war in Gods name. I hope not. But if so, you can expect a big turnout on November 3, 2020. In any case, its quite a circus, but these clowns arent funny. They are dangerous. But where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns Dont bother theyre here Dont you like farce? Edward Curtin writes and his work appears widely. He is the author of Seeking Truth in a Country of Lies. President Akufo-Addo has expressed government's commitment to ensuring national peace and harmony before, during and after the December 7 polls. He said government was keen on delivering its promises to have its mandate renewed by Ghanaians therefore, it will not trade national peace, harmony and development for any personal gain. Addressing the Chief and people of Ekumfi-Nanaben prior to the commissioning of the Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Company Limited, President Akufo-Addo said "I'm making a formal commitment to the Nation, the safest pledge I can undertake is that the December 7 election in Ghana is going to be conducted in peace." He reiterated that election was an opportunity for people to in freedom, devoid of intimidation and violence make decision about the future management of the country. "There are some who see this occasion as an opportunity to force people to make a decision one way one the other, I am not one of those who subscribe to that way of thinking and I am determined to make all arrangements possible to guarantee the peace, security and stability of our country before the 2020 general election." "Ghana stands out on the continent and at the regional level as a country where democratic institutions and values is a tradition and which I have fought for and respect It is not in my time that the image of our country is going to be disturbed and I want you to have that assurance in full," the President said. As a testimony to his relentless commitment to peace, President Akufo-Addo pledged to name a fish landing site to be constructed at Ekumfi-Otuam, after the late former President, John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills, who hailed from there. President Akufo-Addo said the facility will immortalize the name of the former President who he described as his good friend in their University days and a political competitor. Later, the President commissioned Casa De Ropa factory established at Gomoa Bewadze in the Gomoa West District which processes the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato into puree, which lend itself into further processing into biscuit, bread and chips, crisp, dough nuts, pies and other pastries. The orange fleshed sweet potato is locally produced and forms more than 50 per cent of its inputs, in the production of chips, bread and biscuits. President Akufo-Addo commended the management of the company for turning one of Ghana's stables into a variety of products and reiterated government's commitment to supporting the private sector to grow. The one district one factory policy, he noted was to diversify the economy and boost local economies to compete globally as they took full advantage of various market interventions including the African Continental Free Trade Areas (ACFTA). ----GNA Charleston, SC (29403) Today Increasing clouds with showers arriving sometime in the afternoon. High near 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 38F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators. Students at Voorhees High School will be starting the school year with 100% virtual learning after mold was discovered in the buildings cafeteria, school officials said. The district was working with an environmental testing company and a mold remediation contractor and was told that it would take a few weeks to fix the issue, Principal Ron Peterson posted on the schools website. The mold was discovered as our custodial staff were disinfecting and making preparations to the building for reopening, Peterson said. The mandatory closure of the building for several months left small areas with limited ventilation and coupled with the hot summer seem to have been the cause of the mold growth." The principal added that a full inspection of the building was underway to make sure the mold did not spread to other areas. Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up your email here: The plan as of Wednesday was to have allow students and staff back into the building on or around Sept. 14, Peterson said. Peterson outlined schedule changes in his notice to parents and students. The school was set to open Aug. 27 with students being given the option for a hybrid schedule which included virtual learning and in-person classes or the choice for 100% virtual instruction. Across the state, more than 115 districts have now confirmed they have submitted plans for all-remote learning to the state Department of Education because of the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Have a news tip or a story idea about New Jersey schools? Send it here. Jim Wallis steps aside as Sojourners editor-in-chief after removing controversial op-ed Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Longtime progressive evangelical leader Jim Wallis has been replaced as editor-in-chief at Sojourners magazine after staff members resigned following his decision to unpublish a controversial op-ed accusing the Catholic Church of having a white-power faction. Sojourners, a monthly magazine and online publication popular among progressive Christians that also serves as a social justice advocacy organization, announced last Friday that it has made structural and editorial changes to reflect the editorial independence of the publication from the nonprofits advocacy work. As part of these changes, Wallis will no longer serve as editor-in-chief of the magazine. Wallis has overseen the magazine since it was founded as The Post-American in the early 1970s. Wallis, 72, will continue to serve as the president of Sojourners, an evangelical activist organization based in Washington, D.C. In his place, the magazines executive editor, Sandi Villarreal, has assumed the role of editor-in-chief of the magazine and online publication. She will have editorial independence as she oversees Sojourners magazine and sojo.net, Sojourners said. The new Editor-in-Chief will continue to be part of the senior leadership team of the Sojourners organization. The organizational changes come after two associate editors resigned from the publication after Wallis decided to remove an essay from the website. The essay was published online under the headline The Catholic Church has a Visible White-Power Faction and written by Eric Martin, a scholar and activist who teaches religion at the University of California, Los Angeles. Martins essay claimed that when a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee met in 2018 to discuss a pastoral letter condemning racism, those involved chose to omit language that condemned the imagery of confederate flags, swastikas and nooses. Wallis on July 28 decided to take down the article from Sojourners' website due to a correction that needed to be issued for the article that Wallis did not think could be rectified with a simple factual correction or two. After internal backlash spilled online with public resignations, the decision was made to republish the article on the Sojourners website with a correction issued on Aug. 14. An earlier version of this article claimed that the writers of the document Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism, developed by the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), were silent on three extreme symbols of racism: swastikas, Confederate flags, and nooses, the correction reads. This is not true. According to the correction, the final language of the document included the sentence: The re-appearance of symbols of hatred, such as nooses and swastikas in public spaces, is a tragic indicator of rising racial and ethnic animus. The document did not condemn these symbols but did address them, the Aug, 14 correction reads. The final document does not address Confederate flags. We apologize for this error and thank readers at the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Charities USA for pointing it out. The magazine vowed in its statement issued last Friday that it will never again remove a published article from our website. Any errors or concerns found post-publication will be handled according to the proper editorial processes of issuing correction(s) and/or offering any needed editors note, engaging our audience in thoughtful public debate or offering space for rebuttal, the magazine vowed. In a statement, Wallis explained that after the publication of Martins essay, Catholic bishops expressed deep concerns about the article. Wallis, who has spent decades building relationships with like-minded social justice activists across theological lines, admitted that he also heard concerns from Catholic organizations whom he considered to be trusted allies and friends of the organization. I made the very difficult decision to pull the article because I agreed with much of their critique and had my own deep concerns about the article, which I did not think could be rectified with a simple factual correction or two, Wallis stated. Many Catholic friends and allies who have been in the forefront of efforts to advance a pro-justice and anti-racist agenda, in partnership with Sojourners, were hurt and felt betrayed. They felt that this article would jeopardize relationships of trust that have been built over a long time, and that this would harm our outreach to bishops and other church leaders who are now more ready than ever to take a bolder stand against racism, Wallis added. And I found myself agreeing with them. But then other friends and allies, some of them Catholic too, were very confused and angry at the article being taken down. Wallis said he found himself in an absolutely untenable situation. So, let me try and offer some explanations for this most difficult and painful decision and will certainly understand if people disagree, he said. That we can all make mistakes has been made very clear from this heartbreaking situation, and mine are foremost for me now, certainly in failing to figure out how to foster much better communication all around. Wallis argued that at the heart of the situation is the natural and ongoing tension between our identity as a publication and as an advocacy organization in and supportive of broader movements. That tension has been with us from our outset until now, 49 years later, he explained. Both pillars of our work are dedicated to our mission to articulate the biblical call to social justice in order to inspire hope and build a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church and the world. Wallis stated that Sojourners has tried to do both messaging and mobilizing. Many have admired Sojourners for striving to do both. But this time that tension became untenable and failed completely with painful consequences, he explained. I wish I had found a way to handle this particular conflict very differently, and I failed at that. In a statement on Twitter, Villarreal said that she grieves of the developments that have taken place in the last few weeks. She praised the honor and the courage of her colleagues and apologized for the ways Ive failed to lead to well in the past. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo walks past jail cells where two convicted murderers fled from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., on June 6, 2014. (Darren McGee/NY State Governor's Office via Getty Images) Trying to Remember a Murdered Mother Commentary On or around Sept. 3, Samuel Ayala will walk out of the Fishkill Correctional Facility in Dutchess County, New York. He has been in prison for more than four decades, serving a sentence of 25 years to life. Jason Minter and his sister, Maggie, are horrified. In March 1977, their lives were forever changed when a swaggering Ayala, along with fellow criminals Willie Profit and James Walls, staged a frightening home invasion looking for something to steal to pay for drugs. Inside the home, two young mothers and their four little children were enjoying a play date. The oldest child was 6-year-old Jason. Walls was reportedly waiting in the getaway vehicle while Ayala and Profit tortured and raped the women inside the house. Before Ayala and his gang left, they fatally shot Bonnie Minter and Sheila Watson multiple times. Ayala personally raped my mother. He personally shot my mother, Jason, now 49, told me during a conversation last week. I heard him as he got into the (getaway) van joking about his sexual prowess. Young Jason testified at the traumatic trial, which ended with the jury finding all three defendants guilty. But for the Minter children, only turmoil followed. Jasons father remarried, but that union turned out to be a disaster, exposing the kids to unspeakable abuse. Without their protective mother, Jason and Maggie were left adrift. I have no real memories of my mother other than related to the crime, Jason said. Other than that day, its just a blank. Profit died in prison in 2016. Walls, who did not participate in the rapes and murders, was paroled earlier this year. In 2002, Ayala first came up for parole. Every two years, Jason and Maggie have come forward to personally reexperience their horror and to beg the New York State Parole Board not to release the man who violated their mother and put bullets in her head. The siblings latest face-to-face appearance, which would have been in July but was interrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, was relegated to a teleconferencing call. Jason believes that worked in the killers favor. Parole was granted. We hear that prisons are only releasing those at the end of their sentence or inmates who pose no danger to the public. Thats not true. Space restrictions allow me to detail just one of the many cases in which a so-called low-risk prisoner was released and then went on to commit serious crimes. In Florida, career criminal Joseph Williams, serving time on a heroin charge, won an early Covid-19 release in March. He was then rearrested for a murder that occurred the day after he got out. Williams, 26, now stands accused of homicide, possession of heroin, and possession of a firearm. Its interesting to note that Ayala, like Williams, was a 26-year-old, self-admitted drug addict and habitual criminal at the time of his most heinous crimes. True, Ayala has now served more than 40 years, and he is 68 years old. So, are we to assume he is too old to commit future crimes? Are we sure he is completely rehabilitated and wont seek to harm the two people who consistently fought to keep him behind barssurviving siblings Jason and Maggie? He knows I am the one who spearheaded this drive all these years, Jason told me. Of course, were concerned. Hes a smart guy, and hes a sociopath who has never shown remorse. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not interested enough to intervene. The parole board will not say why it decided to release Ayala or whether it has anything to do with Covid-19. Perhaps Ayala is in poor health. But that begs the question: Do we ever owe mercy to someone who so heartlessly robbed four children of their mothers and then laughed about it? Jason, who, as a 6-year-old, tried to save his mother and had a gun slammed into his tiny face, admits he is worried. I have an 11-year-old daughter, he said. We already have a big dog and an alarm system, but now Im getting a better one. Im planning to get a permit for a rifle. Keep Jasons story in mind next time you hear about compassionate Covid-19 prison releases, wont you? For survivors and victims, they can mean a life sentence of fear. Diane Dimond is an author and investigative journalist. Her latest book is Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The big shareholder groups in accesso Technology Group plc (LON:ACSO) have power over the company. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome. accesso Technology Group is a smaller company with a market capitalization of UK107m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about accesso Technology Group. Check out our latest analysis for accesso Technology Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About accesso Technology Group? 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. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in accesso Technology Group. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 accesso Technology Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in accesso Technology Group. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 12% of shares outstanding. With 11% and 4.3% of the shares outstanding respectively, Liontrust Investment Partners LLP and M&G Investment Management Limited are the second and third largest shareholders. In addition, we found that Steven Brown, the CEO has 1.6% of the shares allocated to his name Story continues After doing some more digging, we found that the top 14 have the combined ownership of 51% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company. 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 is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Insider Ownership Of accesso Technology Group The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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 accesso Technology Group plc. As individuals, the insiders collectively own UK5.5m worth of the UK107m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but I usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 26% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand accesso Technology Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for accesso Technology Group you should be aware of, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Actor Rajkummar Rao on Saturday shared a glimpse of Ganpati idol made of turmeric and wheat flour. He took to Instagram to wish everyone a happy Ganesh Chaturthi and he posted a picture of the specially made eco-friendly Ganpati idol, as he offered prayers to the deity with folded hands. By sharing a picture of home-made Ganpati, actor Rajkummar Rao on Saturday shared a glimpse of Ganpati idol made of turmeric and wheat flour. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi everyone. Homemade Ganpati with wheat flour and turmeric, wrote the Stree actor as he posted a picture of the specially made eco-friendly Ganpati idol on Instagram, as he offered prayers to the deity with folded hands. In the capture, the little Ganpati is seen adorned with rice grain with sweet offered to the deity along with rose petals and marigold flowers. The Bareilly Ki Barfi actor also posted a picture wherein Rao is seen with folded hands as he prays in front of the idol. Also Read: Sonakshi Sinhas campaign Ab Bas prompts action against harassers Also Read: Mirzapur 2 : Amazon Prime Video vows to release season 2 soon Rao continued to write in the captions, Its such an amazing feeling to make our own Ganpati at home this year. Sending prayers and peace. #EcoFriendlyGanpati. Ganpati Bappa Morya. As soon as the actor shared pictures of his eco-friendly Ganpati on the photo-sharing platform, more than 1 lakh netizens liked the eco-friendly celebration by Rao. Fans of the Queen actor also chimed into the comments section as they sent wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi. The 10-day festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi, the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha, begins on August 22. The festivities will end with the final immersion of the Ganesha idols, called the Visarjan. The festival is celebrated with much grandeur in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat among other states. Also Read: Politicising the dead: Cancel the cancel culture Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 20:29:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has recorded a surging number of COVID-19 cases in the past few days, including the highest daily cases in over 45 days, prompting authorities to introduce stricter nationwide safety controls. Public negligence of strict coronavirus measures, including mandatory mask-wearing and self-isolation for positive patients, is largely blamed for the increasing number in new cases. "Safety measures should be observed without concession. The surge in new cases is the result of negligence of social distancing and mask wearing," said Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Since the start of August, the number of daily cases which dropped to around 700 gradually increased, pushing authorities to postpone the opening of schools to Sep. 21 from Aug. 31. Education Minister Ziya Selcuk announced that the ministry started to grant certificates that define a series of standards to prevent the further spread of the pandemic in schools. Following the recommendations of the health officials, local authorities across the country have recently adopted a series of new measures for those over 65 years old, the most significant risk group against the coronavirus. Elderly in over 20 provinces, including the capital Ankara, are now prevented from using public transportation in rush hours or entering crowded locations in certain hours of the day. The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, launched its seventh comprehensive inspections since May to monitor compliance with the COVID-19 rules across the country on Wednesday. Inspections have been carried out in markets, workplaces, groceries, bazaars, public transport vehicles, restaurants, cafeterias, taxis, among other places. "People act like the virus had gone away. Sometimes we have serious arguments with clients who do not respect social distancing or refuse to wear masks in the shop," said Ahmet Ercin, owner of a shop located on the Tunali Hilmi Avenue of Ankara. "We are already facing serious financial problems and we don't want a new lockdown because of citizens who are not responsible enough to wear a simple mask," he told Xinhua. The first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 11 in Turkey and strict restrictions and partial lockdowns have been imposed nationwide before being mostly lifted on June 1. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that the coronavirus outbreak is under control despite a hike in daily cases but some doctors are worried that official numbers are not showing the real scope of the health crisis. "The current situation in our country shows we are on a rising trajectory and without having brought the first wave under control, the outbreak is starting to get out of control," the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) said in a press statement. "The COVID-19 wards that we closed in June are now reopened with new patients," Dr. Gule Cinar, a specialist of infectious diseases from an Ankara hospital, told Xinhua. "The virus doesn't think. It infects people who are not cautious enough. Every citizen should abide by safety measures, otherwise there will be more and more infections," she warned. Professor Alpay Azap, member of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board, warned for his part that the virus "has begun to spread uncontrollably." "There is a daily increase in the number of patients that we are treating in hospitals. We still have places in ICUs but we are clearly worried as the virus is continuously spreading," said the doctor on private Haberturk TV channel. Koca also indicated that a mobile app detected that 95,000 people, who should have been in self-isolation, tried to purchase bus, train or plane tickets, attempting to break quarantine rules. Last week, the Interior Ministry said it was establishing "neighborhood inspection teams" comprised of prominent local figures to monitor people of self-isolation. The ministry said these teams would inform authorities if people broke quarantine rules. Enditem Church leaders across the island of Ireland have come together to issue a joint statement with guidance on the wearing of masks at religious services. The statement has been issued by the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Primates of All Ireland, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland. It states that while wearing of face coverings has not been made mandatory in the Republic or Northern Ireland, church leaders are formally recommending and encouraging the use of face coverings at all services of worship, along with the ongoing maintenance of 2 metre physical distancing from August 30, and earlier if practicable. The full statement issued by The Most Revd Eamon Martin (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland), The Most Revd John McDowell (Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland), The Rt Revd Dr David Bruce (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) and The Revd Dr Tom McKnight (President of the Methodist Church in Ireland) reads: At this time, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, the governments have not formally made mandatory the wearing of face coverings at services of worship. This is, in part, due to the fact that as churches we are committed to maintaining 2 metre physical distancing between household groups and strict adherence to all government guidance on hand hygiene, cleaning, ventilation etc. It, however, remains our responsibility to ensure that our services of worship are safe places for all who join with us. It has become increasingly clear that the wearing of face coverings, in conjunction with hand washing etc., is likely to reduce the spread of coronavirus, thus helping to protect others. Their use is therefore one way in which we can evidence protection for the most vulnerable, support for our health workers, and practical love for our neighbours. Following further recent consultations with public health authorities, we join with Christian church leaders all over this island in formally recommending and encouraging the use of face coverings at all services of worship, along with the ongoing maintenance of the two metre physical distancing, from Sunday 30 August 2020, and earlier if practicable. We understand that some people are exempted from the wearing of face coverings, as outlined in the two jurisdictions. We also recognise that whilst it may not be appropriate for those who are leading from the front during worship, including preaching, to wear face coverings, they should at all times continue to maintain at least two metre physical distancing from one another, and four metre physical distancing from the front row of the congregation. New federal report: Most NGOs agreed to comply with Trump policy banning funding for overseas abortions Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A new report compiled by several federal agencies has concluded that the implementation of pro-life policies by the Trump administration has not had a negative impact on the distribution of healthcare aid to nongovernmental organizations operating in foreign countries. The State Department, in collaboration with the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and the United States Agency for International Development, released the Review of the Implementation of the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy Tuesday. The Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) Policy aims to ensure that U.S. taxpayer funding does not support foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning, a press release announcing the reports publication explained. This review reaffirms that the United States can continue to meet its critical global health goals, while protecting life abroad through its global health assistance programs. Less than a week after taking office in 2017, President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which required foreign NGOs that receive funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development to promise not to perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning or provide financial support to any other organization that conducts such activities. Trump expanded the Mexico City Policy to create the PLGHA, which extends the ban on the performance and promotion of abortions to NGOs receiving grants and cooperation agreements from the Departments of Defense, Human Services, and State. The vast majority of the U.S. governments implementing partners accepted the PLGHA standard provision when presented with it, the review found. The review looked at all of the awards given to NGOs by the aforementioned agencies between May 15, 2017 and September 30, 2018. A total of 1,340 health awards were given to prime partners, which have a direct funding agreement with a U.S. Department or Agency. Of those 1,340 prime awardees, only eight declined to accept the terms of the PLGHA. When that happens, the Department or Agency redirects funds to other organizations that do agree to abide by the terms of PLGHA. The transitions to alternative health providers have been, for the most part, smooth, the report read. Only in limited instances has the agency struggled to identify new partners or sub-awardees with comparable skill networks, or capacity for outreach. According to the report, "USAID found that, in a few cases, a declination resulted in some impact on the delivery of health care, including for HIV/AIDS, voluntary family planning/reproductive health, tuberculosis, and nutrition programming." But "most affected awards and sub-awards did not experience a disruption of health care or significant delays." The report goes into detail about all of the specific NGOs that refused to abide by PLGHA and therefore forfeited the right to federal funding. Two such organizations were the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International. Planned Parenthood Global took to Twitter multiple times on Tuesday to react to the release of the report. The pro-abortion group repeatedly slammed PLGHA, which it described as the Global Gag Rule. According to State Dept report, the #globalgagrule has disrupted health care access in countries around the world, one tweet declared. BREAKING: According to State Dept report, the #globalgagrule has disrupted health care access in countries around the world. Planned Parenthood Global (@ppglobe) August 18, 2020 Monica Kerrigan, executive director of Planned Parenthood Global, condemned the global gag rule in a statement released Tuesday. Study after study has demonstrated that this policy has inflicted a crushing blow to health care access for people around the world, especially those who already face systemic barriers to care, including women and girls, young people, and LGBTQ+ people, she said. No matter how much the State Department attempts to minimize the policys true impact, its latest report demonstrates what we already knew: the global gag rule is disrupting health care access for communities around the world, which is especially critical now as we face the COVID-19 pandemic. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, applauded the Trump administration for "refusing to let U.S. tax dollars fund the abortion industry overseas." Todays report on the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance shows that the U.S. can still provide foreign aid without sacrificing the dignity of unborn human life, she said Tuesday. "It is no surprise that International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International refuse to comply with the policy, as they are extremists who are committed to promoting abortion on-demand throughout the globe, forfeiting their eligibility for funding." National Babri issue: SC sets new deadline for verdict on cases against Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti NEW DELHI, AUG 22 (AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 8/22/2020 12:39:22 PM IST Supreme Court has set a new deadline of September 30 for a CBI court to deliver its verdict in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in which senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti face criminal charges as accused. A bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman extended the previous deadline upon a request by special Ayodhya judge, who had submitted a progress report along with an application to give him some more time to wrap up the trial. Having read the report of Mr. Surendra Kumar Yadav, learned Special Judge, and considering that the proceedings are at the fag end, we grant one months time, i.e., till 30th September, 2020, to complete the proceedings including delivery of judgment, said the bench in its order on August 19. The last order in this regard had come in May when the bench had directed the CBI court to deliver the judgment by August 31, 2020 after taking note of a similar request by the special judge. The bench had said the judge should take advantage of video-conferencing to complete the evidence in the trial and wind up the case within the slotted time. The apex court has been issuing directives to ensure the trial is concluded within a stipulated time frame. In April 2017, the court had described the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya as crimes which shake the secular fabric of the Constitution of India, as it put Advani and others on a joint trial with kar sevaks in the 1992 case under various charges, including criminal conspiracy to pull down the disputed structure. It gave the CBI court in Lucknow two years to deliver its judgment. In July last year, the Supreme Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to give an extension of tenure to Judge Yadav, who was scheduled to retire on September 30, so that he could complete the trial in the nearly 28-year-old cases. At that time, the court also gave the judge nine more months to finish the trial. But in May, the trial judge wrote again, citing constraints due to the nation-wide Covid-19 lockdown. This time, the bench gave Judge Yadav time till August 31, and suggested he should also use video-conferencing to record statements of witnesses and accused. The Queensland government has approved a partial demolition at the rear of Woolloongabba's heritage-listed Broadway Hotel, clearing the way for its redevelopment. The government has also opened the door to a possible new joint taskforce between Brisbane City Council and Queensland's Environment Department to protect the city's heritage. The Broadway Hotel at Woolloongabba, Brisbane. Credit:Tony Moore Malcolm Nyst, owner of the 1880s gothic hotel, had applied to the state government to demolish a concrete World War II air-raid shelter and a now-ramshackle open pavilion area. On Friday his application was approved by the Queensland governments State Assessment and Referral Agency after independent advice was sought from heritage architects, who found the rear pavilion and air-raid shelter were far too damaged to be refurbished. Chinese submarines were caught on camera near their underground base that is used to pen them. Non-military sources have captured evidence of Chinese military activity in the South China Sea. Military enthusiasts were in for a treat as the internet was rife with pictures if Chinese submarine activity. The photos that made rounds on the internet were the image of a Chinese sub that was geographically located on Hainan Island, in the South China Sea, reported CNN. The capture of these images was unexpected but they shed light on one of the most secretive naval operations. It was unexpected, to say the least. An American company called Planet Labs got the images first, posting the photo on social media via Radio Free Asia. Captured in the images is a Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine going into a subterranean tunnel that leads into underground sub pens located in the Yulin Naval Base, noted KSL. Many users who saw the image had different inputs to what they saw. Some thought it was like a scene from James Bond, wrote a Twitter user. While others said it was like a scene out of one of Jules Verne's novels as well. But some experts gave their opinion of the image captured. According to Drew Thompson, formerly of the United States Defense Department said that capturing a photo like that is almost impossible. By nature, sub missions require stealth that meant getting caught out of a secret base is not smart, cited 7news. Also read: PLA Conducts Practice Assault Drills, Preparing for Possible Taiwan Invasion? He added that the timing of the non-military satellite was right overhead. The conditions were flawless, a cloudless day that took a clear picture of a sino-sub which was supposed to be undetected when docking. Thompson was not surprised by the unintentional discovery of the underground submarine base. Chinese military likes to hide their assets and conceal them as a rule, even to equipment that is farther inland. Chinese planners are experts at making below ground and above ground concealed hangers and facilities. Military culture in China emphasizes it to a strategic point. Shorelines to them have a particular importance, Chinese planners take into account the coast as one of the vulnerable points in the defense. Coastal and shoreline areas will never be allowed to be a weak point if it can be helped. All the stir about the captured image has prompted CNN to ask Chinese officials their comment. The exact location of the Yulin base is found at the end of Hainan Island that is 470-kilometers southwest away from Hong Kong. It is one of the complexes in protecting the PLAN. One thing about the picture is that Chinese subs are increasing in number and quality, which bodes well for the People's Liberation Army Navy. Another is the PLAN can house them in below-ground facilities, and keep their activity secret. According to the US Navy, they sent a P-8A Poseidon intelligence and reconnaissance jets near the Yulin base verified by Reann Mommsen, U.S. Navy who told CNN, confirmed cbs58. Thompson said that Naval intelligence is done regularly to keep watch on opponents. The Discovery of the Chinese sub-activity in the opening of the underground base has given foreign intel a start. Related article: Chinese Air Support Weakened by Only Three Aerial Tankers Compared to US in Taiwan Invasion @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The federal grand jury investigation into alleged sex trafficking and abuse of dozens of underage girls by Jeffrey Epstein and his madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, is ongoing and could net additional charges against co-conspirators. Maxwell, 58, has pleaded not guilty to helping Epstein recruit and eventually abuse three girls, who prosecutors did not publicly name, from 1994 to 1997, and to committing perjury by denying her involvement under oath. She was arrested on July 2 in New Hampshire, where prosecutors said she was trying to evade capture, and is being held in a Brooklyn jail after a judge called her a flight risk. 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. The federal grand jury investigation into alleged sex trafficking and abuse of dozens of underage girls by Jeffrey Epstein and his madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, is ongoing and could net additional charges against co-conspirators. A court sketch of Maxwell is seen right from July If convicted on all charges, she is facing up to 35 years behind bars. Maxwell's trial is scheduled for next July. Epstein was found hanged at age 66 last August in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. As the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York has stated publicly, the investigation into the conduct of the defendant in this case and other possible co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein remains active, federal prosecutors wrote in a court filing cited by the Miami Herald. The full scope and details of that investigation, however, have not been made public. Meanwhile, Maxwell's lawyers claimed her chance of a fair trial on criminal charges she aided Epstein's sexual abuse of girls could be destroyed by substantial negative publicity if a deposition she gave four years ago were publicly released. Maxwell's lawyers are asking a court to deny the release of papers from a deposition taken during a civil suit brought by one of Epstein's alleged sex slaves, Virginia Giuffre (seen above holding a photo of herself at age 16, when she says she was abused sexually by Epstein) The lawyers made the argument in a Thursday night filing asking the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan to reverse a lower court judge's order to unseal the deposition and other documents. Maxwell's deposition had been taken in April 2016 for a now-settled civil defamation lawsuit against the British socialite by Virginia Giuffre, who said Epstein kept her as a 'sex slave' with Maxwell's assistance. Lawyers for Maxwell said the unsealing order did not take into proper account their client's privacy interests or the promise of confidentiality she received before being deposed. 'If the unsealing order goes into effect, it will forever let the cat out of the bag,' the lawyers said, warning that 'intimate, sensitive, and personal information' about Maxwell might 'spread like wildfire across the Internet.' The lawyers also said an unsealing would cause irreversible and unconstitutional negative publicity, and undermine the 'truth-seeking function' of Maxwell's trial by leading witnesses to 'recast their memories of events from decades ago.' Giuffre has been one of Epstein's most visible accusers, and her lawyers have said the public has a right to see Maxwell's deposition. Lawyers for Maxwell disagreed, saying her constitutional rights to remain silent and get a fair trial by an impartial jury outweigh any presumption of public access. Maxwell would not be required to testify at her trial. A lawyer for Giuffre did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 22. Some documents from the defamation case were released last month. Maxwell's lawyers asked the appeals court for permission to seal more than 1,000 pages of additional materials, which include her deposition, filed with the appeal. Maxwell is separately seeking to have prosecutors identify the three accusers in her indictment and challenging her confinement conditions at the Brooklyn jail, saying she is being treated worse than other pretrial inmates. Maxwell faces charges of sex trafficking of dozens of underage girls who were abused by Epstein. Three of the alleged victims - from left: Sarah Ransome, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, and Marijke Chartouni - are pictured above last year In 2014 Giuffre named Alan Dershowitz as one of several prominent men she was forced to have sex with, including Glenn Dubin, Stephen Kaufmann, Prince Andrew, Jean-Luc Brunel, Bill Richardson, and George Mitchell. All of the men have denied the allegations. Giuffre sued Dershowitz in 2019 claiming he had made false and malicious defamatory statements against her in the process of making vociferous denials. The veteran attorney responded by vowing to prove she was a liar in open court and predicted Giuffre would end up behind bars herself for perjury. Dershowitz was back in the Epstein crosshairs last month after his name appeared in a tranche of newly unsealed documents revisiting accusations that he had sex with Jane Doe 3, who is identified elsewhere as Giuffre. He told DailyMail.com the allegations that dated back to 2014 were old news and that he has denied them numerous times. 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. During her pre-trial incarceration, Maxwell is being watched by a team of prison psychiatrists who are compiling a secret file on her mental health, her lawyers have claimed. In a letter protesting about the 'uniquely onerous conditions of her confinement' in a Brooklyn jail, her legal team claim she has been kept under constant surveillance without her consent. Maxwell is asking the judge in her case to order that her lockup conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center be modified to be the same as other inmates. U.S. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy arrives at a meeting at the office of Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at the U.S. Capitol August 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. A bipartisan group of nearly 200 mayors from the country's largest cities called on Congress to protect the mail-delivery system ahead of this fall's presidential election, after cost-cutting measures taken by the Trump administration led critics to question whether the post office would be able to handle an expected deluge in mail-in voting. The mayors urged legislative action to ensure the U.S. Postal Service could support a "robust vote-by-mail system," which they categorized as essential to maintain the integrity of the election, according to a letter sent to congressional leaders on Saturday by the United States Conference of Mayors. The House of Representatives will vote on legislation Saturday to inject $25 billion of emergency funding into the cash-crunched post office. The bill would also roll back certain changes like limits on overtime and reductions of facility hours that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy recently enacted at the Postal Service. Critics suspected the measures were aimed at crippling the post office ahead of the election. DeJoy, who started his role in mid-June, is a major donor to Republicans and committees supporting Trump's reelection. President Donald Trump said last week there would be no additional funding for the postal service if there's not a broader deal with Democrats on another coronavirus financial relief package. Those negotiations have been at an impasse for weeks. Trump later said he wouldn't veto a relief bill with postal service funding. "The news of recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service's delivery process, coupled with the Administration's decision to withhold funding, is alarming and should be of grave concern to us all, particularly with the General Election only months away," according to the letter. It was signed by the mayors of 170 cities, including of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Dallas and San Jose, among the country's largest cities. Mail-in voting will give all citizens an opportunity to vote in this year's election, the mayors said. It's a safe voting option that will protect public health, they said, as the general election plays out against the backdrop of a coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the country. "This must also be a national priority," the mayors said of guaranteeing safe voting options. "Anything less not only threatens to undermine our democratic values but erodes the very fabric of our country." DeJoy, who was grilled during Senate testimony on Friday, said this week that he would reverse some changes to avoid the appearance of influencing the election. The moves had been made to cut costs, he said. However, the USPS chief testified that there's "no intention" to bring back mail-sorting machines that had been removed. The reversals were a "positive step," according to the mayors, who cautioned that "we must be vigilant and relentless when it comes to a fair election, especially during these challenging times." Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 10:51:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ATHENS, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's decision to turn the Chora museum, a former Byzantine Greek Orthodox church, into a mosque is "totally condemnable," the Greek Foreign Ministry said on Friday. After Hagia Sophia and despite international reaction, it is now brutally insulting "the character of another monument of UNESCO's cultural heritage within the Turkish territory," said the ministry. Also known as Kariye museum, the Chora museum was built in the 4th century as part of a monastery complex. In July, the Turkish government converted Hagia Sophia museum, an iconic monument of Istanbul built in the 5th century, into a mosque, drawing reactions from Greece and many other countries. After the collapse of the Byzantine empire to Ottoman rule in the 15th century, both former Greek Orthodox Christian churches were converted into mosques and opened as museums in the 20th century. However, in recent months, the Turkish State Council ruled that the status of the two monuments can change, and then reconverted them into mosques. The first Muslim prayer was held on July 24 at Hagia Sophia after several decades. Enditem DOZENS of homes across Limerick are still waiting to have their power reconnected after Storm Ellen ripped through the county. Thousands of people were left without power im the immediate aftermath of the storm on Wednesday night, and the ESB has this morning confirmed it is still working to re-connect many premises. Homes in Murroe are not expected to be reconnected until tomorrow at the earliest, the agency has said. Meanwhile, 16 homes are still without electricity in Patrickswell, 23 in Singland, 59 in Bruff and a total of 119 in Garryspillane. Dozens of homes are still disconnected in Birdhill, Co Tipperary. Thirteen homes in Raheen do not have power after an incident was reported to the ESB, although it is not clear if this relates to Storm Ellen, as this outage was only reported earlier today. Elsewhere, Irish Water is reporting disruption to a number of supplies across Limerick. The utility is investigating reports of a supply disruption to Kilmallock, Kilfinane and its surrounds. Its expected supplies will be disrupted for the next 24 hours. A burst water main is causing disruption in Grange, Ballysimon, Kishikirk, Sandylane, Cloughnadromin, Caherconlish and its surrounds. Its expected to be repaired by 5:30pm this evening. Likewise, supply disruptions are expected in Oola until Monday morning. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nina Larson with Alice Hackman in Beirut and AFP bureaus (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Sat, August 22, 2020 17:08 515 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fbfc76 2 Health WHO,World-Health-Organization,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic,Europe,health Free The world should be able to rein in the coronavirus pandemic in less than two years, the World Health Organization said on Friday, as European nations battled rising numbers of new cases. Western Europe has been enduring the kind of infection levels not seen in many months, particularly in Germany, France, Spain and Italy -- sparking fears of a full-fledged second wave. In the Spanish capital Madrid, officials recommended people in the most affected areas stay at home to help curb the spread as the country registered more than 8,000 new cases in 24 hours. France also reported a second consecutive day of more than 4,000 new cases -- numbers not seen since May -- with metropolitan areas accounting for most of those infections. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to draw favorable comparisons with the notorious flu pandemic of 1918. "We have a disadvantage of globalization, closeness, connectedness, but an advantage of better technology, so we hope to finish this pandemic before less than two years," he told reporters. By "utilizing the available tools to the maximum and hoping that we can have additional tools like vaccines, I think we can finish it in a shorter time than the 1918 flu", he said. The WHO also recommended children over 12 years old now use masks in the same situations as adults as the use of face coverings increases to stop the virus spread. With no usable vaccine yet available, the most prominent tool governments have at their disposal is to confine their populations or enforce social distancing. Lebanon is the latest country to reintroduce severe restrictions, beginning two weeks of measures on Friday including nighttime curfews to tamp down a rise in infections, which comes as the country is still dealing with the shock from a huge explosion in the capital Beirut that killed dozens earlier this month. "What now? On top of this disaster, a coronavirus catastrophe?" said 55-year-old Roxane Moukarzel in Beirut. Officials fear Lebanon's fragile health system would struggle to cope with a further spike in COVID-19 cases, especially after some hospitals near the port were damaged in the explosion. Read also: Virus effects to last decades, WHO says six months on 'We lead the world in deaths' The Americas have borne the brunt of the virus in health terms, accounting for more than half of the world's fatalities. "We lead the world in deaths," said Joe Biden while accepting the Democratic nomination for the US presidential election late on Thursday. He said he would implement a national plan to fight the pandemic on his first day in office if elected in November. "We'll take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve -- honest, unvarnished truth," he said. Still, new daily cases of the coronavirus have been dropping sharply in the United States for weeks -- but experts are unsure if Americans will have the discipline to bring the epidemic under control. After exceeding 70,000 confirmed infections per day in July, the country recorded 43,000 cases on Thursday. Further south, Latin American countries were counting the wider costs of the pandemic -- the region not only suffering the most deaths, but also an expansion of criminal activity and rising poverty. Without an effective political reaction, "at a regional level we can talk about a regression of up to 10 years in the levels of multidimensional poverty", Luis Felipe Lopez-Calva of the UN Development Programme told AFP. But the WHO said the coronavirus pandemic appeared to be stabilizing in Brazil -- one of the world's worst hit countries -- and any reversal of its rampant spread in the vast country would be "a success for the world". Read also: People should not fear spread of COVID-19 in food, packaging: WHO Economic fallout Economies around the globe have been ravaged by the pandemic, which has infected more than 22 million and killed nearly 800,000 since it emerged in China late last year. New financial figures laid bear the huge cost of the pandemic in Britain, where government debt soared past 2 trillion ($2.6 trillion) for the first time in the UK after a massive program of state borrowing for furlough schemes and other measures designed to prop up the economy. "Without that support things would have been far worse," said Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. Even Germany, famed for its financial prudence, was waking up to a new reality with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz conceding his country would need to continue borrowing at a high level next year to deal with the virus fallout. Western European politicians are also beginning to ramp up restrictions to tackle infections that are rising to levels not seen for months. While Spain has responded with confinement measures and Germany with updated travel guidelines, putting Brussels on its list of risk zones, the UK is now watching clusters in northern England and suggesting some towns could soon face lockdown. "To prevent a second peak and keep COVID-19 under control, we need robust, targeted intervention where we see a spike in cases," said health secretary Matt Hancock. The publishers of a book on communal riots in north-east Delhi announced the withdrawal of the publication on Saturday, a day after an event proclaiming its virtual launch kicked up a controversy. In a statement, publishers Bloomsbury India said: Bloomsbury India had planned to release Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in September, a book purportedly giving a factual report on the riots in Delhi in February 2020, based on investigations and interviews conducted by the authors. However, in view of very recent events including a virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors, with participation by parties of whom the publishers would not have approved, we have decided to withdraw publication of the book. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society. The announcement came even as the authors held the virtual book launch event with BJP leader Kapil Mishra the guest of honour saying that the book is public now on Twitter. Apart from Mishra, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and OpIndia editor Nupur Sharma were also invited as guests of honour. BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav launched the book. Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story tells us the liberals are not fighting for right to freedom of expression but the freedom to speak anything they want even that which harms the country. The Delhi riots were an attempt to wage jihad against the Indian state, Yadav wrote on Twitter. The clashes between Hindus and Muslims in different parts of north-east Delhi left at least 53 dead and around 400 injured. While Mishra has not been charged by the police, he delivered a speech ahead of the riots -- between pro- and anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters that snowballed into a Hindu-Muslim communal riot -- that people would take matters into their own hands if the police did not remove anti-CAA demonstrators from near the Jafrabad Metro station. In response to the publishing house withdrawing the publication of the book, Mishra said, I would like to congratulate the authors of this book because they have managed to bring out such an authentic account that the custodians of freedom of speech, who even considered demeaning our motherland and our gods and goddesses as freedom of speech got scared of this book and started leading a smear campaign against it. Even before reading the book this lobby was afraid. Monica Arora, who has co-authored the book with Sonali Chitalkar and Prerna Malhotra, said they had been in touch with Bloomsbury for the past three months. The contract with the publishers was signed after we sent them the manuscript two months ago based on our ground report. After exchange of several emails on regular basis recommending edits, over one month ago the final draft was approved. They published 100 books and gave it to us. We informed them of the launch, the guests, and the posters of the event was put in the public domain. There was no problem before Friday when leftist-fascists scuttled my freedom of speech, she said, adding that the authors have not received any formal e-mail on withdrawal of the contract. Bloomsbury India had no problems with the book. But after people started tagging Bloomsbury UK, they pressurized Bloomsbury India and we were told that they might be withdrawing from publication due to international pressure. This is breach of trust and contract. Is it ethical to crumble under social media pressure? she asked. Pastor, 10 others slaughtered by radical Muslim Fulani Herders in Nigeria Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In yet another series of attacks on Christians in Nigeria, armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen this week killed 11 people, including a 16-year-old girl, a father of nine, and a church pastor. Between Sunday and Tuesday, Fulani herders killed 11 Christians in southern Kaduna state, according to Morning Star News. In the latest attack on Tuesday, a 16-year-old student, identified as Takama Paul, and another Christian, identified as 30-year-old Kefas Malachy Bobai, a father of three children, were killed in Unguwan Gankon village in Zangon Kataf Countys Gora Ward in southern Kaduna state. The militia also burned seven houses in the village, MSN quoted Luka Binniyat of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union as saying. Wary neighbors, however, came to the rescue, and the murderers fled. On Monday, herdsmen killed a 48-year-old Christian farmer and father of nine, identified as Bulus Joseph, in Kajuru County. Bulus Joseph was murdered gruesomely on his farm at Sabon Gida Idon, along the Kaduna-Kachia road, by armed Fulani militia, Binniyat said. He stood up to the killers so that his wife and three children could escape, which they did. But he paid the price with his life, as he was sub-humanly butchered by the cold-blooded murderers. On Sunday, Fulani herdsmen killed the Rev. Adalchi Usman, pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Unguwan Madaki village in Kajuru County, along with three other Christians as they were traveling. Pastor Adalchi Usman, 39, and a father of two, was ambushed while in a commercial vehicle he had boarded with three others, Binniyat said. The killers came from the bush and just started shooting at the car. The driver of the vehicle, Danlami Dariya, was abducted, and at the time of releasing this statement his whereabouts was still unknown. Also on Sunday, Fulani militia killed village head Danazumi Musa, 67; his mother, Kande Musa, 97; and his siblings Aniya Musa, 60, and Angelina Irmiya, 45, near Banikanwa area in Kachia County. Fulani herders routinely attack predominantly Christian farming communities in Nigerias Middle Belt. While some believe the nomadic herders launch attacks as they look for grazing pastures, the radicals are known for similarly targeting Christian villages as the Boko Haram terrorist group that terrorizes the northern regions of the country. In a special report, titled Nigeria: A Killing Field of Defenseless Christians, released earlier this year, the Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law estimated that about 11,500 Christians had been killed in Nigeria since 2015 by Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram and highway bandits. Earlier this month, Fulani herders launched a series of attacks during a 24-hour curfew in a predominantly Christian area in the same state, killing about 33 people and burning down dozens of homes. While police said Fulani gunmen killed 21 villagers, local community leaders put the death toll at 33 in the attacks on five villages, according to AFP. The attacks took place in the Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, according to the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which said armed men traveling in trucks killed six people and burned 20 homes in Apiashyim village, and killed seven people in Kibori village. The U.S. State Department has put Nigeria under its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. Nigeria is also ranked as the 12th worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors USA. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 14:58:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- India conducted over a million COVID-19 tests in a single day, which is a new record. Data released by India's top health research body -- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) showed that on Saturday, a total of 1,023,836 samples were tested in the country. Health officials attribute the increase in testing capacity to the consistent adding up of more laboratories. In January, there was only one laboratory to carry out COVID-19 tests. However, the number of laboratories at present is 1,511. Among these laboratories, 983 are in the government sector and 528 in the private sector. India's federal health ministry described the testing of over a million samples in a day as crossing a milestone. "Early identification through testing, prompt and effective treatment through supervised home isolation and quality medical care, and innovative graded policy measures have resulted in almost 100 per cent increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days," the ministry said. Meanwhile, the ministry said country's COVID-19 tally has risen to 2,975,701. According to the ministry, 2,222,577 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement, which has pushed the recovery rate to 74.69 percent. Enditem Advertisement Australian towns have been blanketed with snow and wintry weather thanks to a once in 15 years polar blast, as the east coast shivers through the coldest day of the year. The freak winds and icy temperatures plunged parts of southeastern Australia into sub-zero temperatures and is set to continue all weekend. Weatherzone's Brett Dutschke told Daily Mail Australia the 'strong cold front' had brought snow to regions as low as 300m above sea level in NSW and Victoria. 'Snow was reported in the Blue Mountains but also in other parts of the Central and Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, as low as about 500m elevation,' he said. Southeastern Australia was hit with an icy polar blast that blanketed parts of NSW in snow on Saturday (pictured, Old Adaminaby on Saturday morning ) The cold front brought intense winds and frosty temperatures up from Antarctica across NSW and Victoria (pictured) with the frost expected to continue well into Sunday The intense pressure system brought snow, strong winds, rains and hail (pictured, a kangaroo in Old Adaminaby in the NSW Snowy Mountains on Saturday morning) The Central and Southern Tablelands in NSW woke to find white scenery (pictured) and blizzards on Saturday morning Towns west of Sydney, including Katoomba, Blackheath and Oberon, were treated to spectacular white scenery on Saturday morning. The strong winds and icy temperatures also brought snow to regional areas around Orange, Goulburn, Bathurst and Jindabyne. 'There were some flurries reported in Canberra this morning and there's been some snow in elevations of about 300m in southern NSW and in Victoria,' Mr Dutschke said. The freak weather event saw snow fall across some areas 300m above sea level for the first time in 15 years. Mr Dutschke explained the low pressure system had 'been sending cold fronts across southeastern states since Tuesday'. 'This latest front has been the most intense, not just in how cold the air is but also wind speed, particularly in NSW and also shower intensity and snowfalls,' he said. 'By tomorrow morning we should see snow amount to more than 20cm in parts of the central tablelands.' A kangaroo and its joey are seen battling the snow in Beechworth, Victoria (pictured) as the state suffered frosty temperatures and heavy snowfall Australia's southeastern states felt cold fronts all week and but the most intense blast over the weekend (pictured, Adaminaby on Saturday morning) The freak weather event caused snow to fall in places just 500m above sea level for the first time in 15 years (pictured, Oberon on Saturday) The SES warned livestock owners in NSW to protect their animals from the chilly weather (pictured, the Snowy Mountains on Saturday morning) Snow fell at just 300m above sea level in some parts of southern NSW and Victoria (pictured, Orange in regional NSW) Towns in NSW that saw the most snowfall included the Blue Mountains, Bathurst and Orange (pictured on Saturday) Mr Dutschke said the intense weather would reduce over the coming days but temperatures would remain chilly. 'Tomorrow is still going to be quite cold, the wind is dying down as well and will be more confined to the ranges and coast of southern and central NSW. 'The wintry, cold, blowing days will be replaced by frosty nights and mornings,' he said. The icy cold front has sent temperatures plummeting to 10C below average. Canberra experienced its coldest day in four years on Saturday, with a predicted maximum temperature of 7.3 degrees. Temperatures also plummeted to just 5C at Goulburn, Katoomba, Canberra and Orange, but the strong winds will made it feel more like -3C to -5C. In Oberon, west of Sydney, thick snow blanketed footpaths and covered bushes as temperatures plummeted on Saturday Brrr! Oberon was covered in a think layer of snow as some parts of the state shivered through the coldest day for four years Temperatures plummeted below freezing in alpine regions across NSW (pictured, Old Adaminaby on Saturday during the snow storm) The icy cold front sent temperatures plummeting 10C below average on Saturday (pictured, a kangaroo in Old Adaminaby on Saturday) Snowfields (pictured,Old Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains) saw warnings for blizzards over the weekend and freezing temperatures Canberra recorded its coldest day in four years with the maximum temperature at a chilly 7.3 degrees (pictured, Adaminaby n Saturday) Sydney's maximum temperature peaked at a mere 16C with a minimum of 8C and winds of up to 40km/h. Orange, Batemans Bay, Cooma and Lithgow were also predicted to see snow fall for at least 36 hours over the weekend. NSW snowfields have issued warnings about the potential for blizzards and avalanches with Perisher reporting 25cm of fresh snow on Saturday. The State Emergency Service (SES) have also issued a weather warning for New South Wales and warned sheep graziers to protect their livestock. A severe weather warning was issued across several regions in NSW (pictured, Lake Eucumbene on Saturday morning) A snowplow is pictured tipped over in a ditch after heavy snowfalls across Adaminaby in the NSW Snowy Mountains (pictured) The wintery weather is expected to continue across the weekend and see an additional 20cm of snow (pictured, Oberon on Saturday) Further south in Melbourne, temperatures are expected to hover around a cool 11C over the weekend. In Brisbane, the mercury will reach a maximum 23C, but there will be winds of up to 45km/h. In Adelaide, there will be rain with minimum temperatures of just 6C over the weekend. Perth will see some wet weather on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures in Hobart will sit at a minimum of just 3C and a maximum of 12C, with rain expected up until Monday. The Morrison government is pushing state governments to lift caps on international arrivals and expand the capacity of the hotel quarantine system to help repatriate thousands of Australians stranded overseas. Federal cabinet ministers are grappling with how to best help 18,000 stranded Australians, including those who have reported having their economy class tickets cancelled as airlines give preference to business class passengers. A senior government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Commonwealth wanted a return to previous arrangements, where thousands of returned travellers entered Australia each day, as soon as was safe. "We are focusing on continued use of hotel quarantine as our primary approach ... [It] is our preferred option," the source said, adding that there was "significant additional capacity" in hotels. Multiple fires are burning in Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Stanislaus County and San Joaquin County. Cal Fire is referring to them collectively as the SCU Lightning Complex. "SCU" stands for Santa Clara Unit. Find official evacuation updates here and a map here. LATEST, Aug. 23, 5:15 a.m. New evacuations have been ordered in Alameda County. At 3 a.m., residents in the Sunol Regional Wilderness area were ordered to evacuate immediately. The order spans all areas south of Welch Creek Road to the fire perimeter and the Alameda/Santa Clara County line, along with anyone east of Calaveras Road at Welch Creek Road to the fire perimeter. Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. The SCU Lightning Complex is now 339,968 acres and remains 10% contained, Cal Fire said in a Saturday evening update. To start the day, the fire was 291,968 acres. It is now the second-largest fire in California history, followed by the LNU Lightning Complex currently burning in the North Bay. Five structures have been destroyed and a further 20,065 structures are still threatened. Over 1,200 fire personnel are battling the enormous blaze. "Hot air temperatures developed this afternoon with southwest winds keeping things active on the Canyon Fire [in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties] as winds gusted to 15 mph over the ridges," Cal Fire said in its incident update. "Afternoon highs from 90-95 degrees were observed." A red flag warning in the region goes into effect at 5 a.m. Sunday and is expected to last until 5 p.m. Monday. Aug. 22 6:49 p.m. An evacuation warning has been issued Sunday evening that affects the following areas in Alameda County: East of the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Mission Road and south of the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Curtner Road East of Curtner Road and south along Interstate 680 to the Santa Clara County line South of Interstate 580 between Greenville Road and the San Joaquin County line to the Alameda/Santa Clara County line, south of the Livermore city limits, south of Highway 84 between Vineyard Avenue and I-680 to the fire perimeter and the Alameda/Santa Clara County line to the Livermore city limits, to Highway 84 to I-680 North of the fire perimeter and the Alameda/Santa Clara County line to Highway 84, to the Livermore city limits, to I-580. See a map of the affected areas here. California Conservation Corps Aug. 22, 8:30 a.m. Firefighters battling fires in the SCU Lightning Complex got a reprieve overnight as humidity and lower winds slowed the spread of the flames, but Cal Fire expects an increase in fire activity Saturday. The fires, spread across three different zones, expanded from 274,968 acres Friday to 291,968 acres on Saturday morning. Containment remains at 10%. Cal Fire said that humidity at an elevation lower than 1,000 feet helped slow the blazes in the Deer and Calaveras zones, but conditions remained warm and dry in Canyon Zone, which is in an area with elevation greater than 1,000 feet. "High clouds are already beginning to increase as tropical moisture spreads northward," Cal Fire officials wrote in an update Saturday morning. "Expect an increase in fire activity when the inversion lifts and smoke clears the area today." The SCU Lightning Complex is now the third-biggest wildfire in California history, trailing only the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay and the 2018 Mendocino Complex. Because fires in the SCU complex are raging in mostly remote areas, only five structures have been destroyed to this point. That figure is much lower than the 500 destroyed by the LNU Lightning Complex and the 97 destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties. Cal Fire stated the top priorities are protecting sensitive wildlife as well as critical power and communication infrastructure. Many evacuation orders remain in effect. Go to Cal Fire's incident page for more detailed information on evacuations. MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE: Map: See where wildfires are burning in Bay Area Crews make gains on fire in Santa Cruz, San Mateo counties 'Significant growth' still expected for LNU Lightning Complex, now 2nd-largest California fire ever What to do to keep wildfire smoke out of your house Eric Ting is an SFGATE reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting When Beau Phillips checked into a hotel near Toledo recently, a table in front of the counter barricaded him from getting too close to the clerk, who wore a mask and stood behind a plastic window. The key is gently tossed at you from three feet away, said Phillips, a public affairs executive who was staying at a Radisson Country Inn & Suites while visiting family. The hotels breakfast buffet was gone, the fitness centre closed, elevators limited to two riders. And to reduce the risk of an in-person visit, after Phillips left his room each day, no housekeeper came in to make the bed. The pandemic has plunged the hotel industry into a historic downturn. Average hotel occupancy in the U.S. dipped as low as 22 per cent in late March, and had risen to a still miserable 48.1 per cent the week ending July 25, according to STR, a market research firm. So hotels have embarked on a transformation of the most basic ways they run their business, aimed at showing would-be travellers they understand where theyre at: terrified. Some new research suggests travellers might have a point. A study scheduled for publication in September in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases but already made public by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its website found that people infected with the coronavirus shed it on pillow cases, duvet covers, sheets, light switches, and bathroom door and faucet handles. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, in its new Count on Us pandemic marketing campaign, heralds the use of hospital grade cleaning products. It is putting on overt shows of sanitation: Housekeepers now linger and clean around the lobby, conspicuously wiping down public areas, luggage carts, door knobs, and the counter. In the past, we may have cleaned hotels in the overnight because you didnt necessarily want to see people cleaning, said Lisa Checchio, the chief marketing officer of Wyndham, the franchise parent of Wyndham, Days Inn, Super 8, La Quinta and more than a dozen other major brands among its 6,000 domestic hotels. Hiltons new program (marketing name: CleanStay) includes a partnership to use Lysol cleaning products that requires individual hotels to use the companys products and display the Lysol logo prominently. Room cleanings include extra time spent on high-touch areas that included light and climate control switches, handles and knobs, telephones and clocks. And, or course, the remote control which has one of the highest ick factors or perceived ick factors, said Phil Cordell, Hiltons global head of new brand development. He recalled that one guest had wrapped the plastic lining from the ice bucket around the remote control before using it. People are understandably freaked out or hyper aware, Cordell said. The new research looked at the virus residue left by two presymptomatic patients there who were quarantined in China in March students who had returned from overseas and were placed in hotels during a mandatory waiting period. Their rooms were swabbed for evidence that the virus lingered after the students had been there 24 hours, but before the rooms were cleaned. The researchers said the study shows that hotel rooms must be rigorously cleaned between guest stays and done so with an eye to how the virus spreads. To minimize the possibility of dispersing virus through the air, we recommend that used linens not be shaken upon removal, the study said, and that laundered items be thoroughly cleaned and dried to prevent additional spread. To show they are, indeed, rigorous in their cleaning, several chains are heralding the consulting they are getting from big-name medical institutions. Four Seasons said it signed a consulting agreement with Johns Hopkins Medical International as part of an effort to inform health and safety decisions based on the latest scientific knowledge, while Hilton retained counsel from the Mayo Clinic to develop enhanced cleaning standards. All the attention to sanitation has created other issues. Since the masks employees are required to wear shroud smiles, Hilton, which has hotels throughout the world, has been experimenting with hand gestures to express warmth and welcome. One is a very simple wave. In some cultures, it could be a bow, Cordell said. It could be hats off but with no hat but that could look kind of weird or a hand over heart. Choice Hotels, a conglomerate that owns brands including Quality Inn and EconoLodge, found in surveys that travellers wanted prepackaged breakfasts, not buffets, and that any fruit should be the kind that peels bananas or oranges instead of, say, apples or strawberries. It also found that would-be guests wanted outdoor space and so it revamped websites of its upscale Cambria brands to highlight photographs of pools and rooftop decks. (Some hotels are requiring reservations for the pool to keep density low.) Given the industrys dire economic crisis, some of the changes its adopting cost little, or even save money, said Bjorn Hanson, former dean of hospitality at New York University who has also spent years working inside the industry. For instance, he said, hotels can save money on housekeeping by not cleaning rooms every night, or by promising not to put guests in adjoining rooms, as some hotels have done (in reality, theres not enough occupancy to have high density anyway). Safety doesnt necessarily cost money, he said. It could be an excuse for saving money, Some would-be travellers say theyre just not ready to return, no matter the assurances. Ive stayed at nice hotels in the past and found something sticky. If I found something sticky and smudgy now, it would send me to the moon, said Kevin Mercuri, chief executive of a New York public relations firm. He and colleagues recently decided against visiting a client in Georgia partly to avoid hotels. His concern about hotels, in a nutshell: Fear of infection. The CDC has recommended that people who stay at hotels check in online, choose properties where staff wear masks and that regularly clean or remove shared-touch items, like pens or phones, and disinfect doorknobs, ice and vending machines, among other things. Charles Gerba, a professor at the University of Arizona who studies hotel cleanliness, said hotels do not pose significant risk of transmission of COVID-19 so long as they clean with products known to kill the virus. His own prior research has shown that housekeepers can carry viruses with them from room to room and guests can carry them from public areas, like conference rooms. Proper use of cleaning products, the research showed, sharply cut risk of transmission. If a product is EPA-approved and youre not using it right, it isnt doing me any good, he said, meaning that cleaning must be thorough and not taken lightly. He said hed feel comfortable staying at a hotel, but would decline daily maid service and bring his own hand sanitizer and wipes. For people who choose to travel, one perk comes at the expense of the hotels: the price. STR, the market research firm, projects the average cost of a nightly stay in the U.S. in 2020 will wind up at $103 (U.S.), down from $131 a year ago. (In July, the average rate was $97). There are other savings, too. Phillips always leaves a tip for the cleaning crew and did so again during his recent stay at the Country Inn & Suites outside of Toledo. The first day, I left a $20 for the housekeeper like I always do, he said. It was still there when I got back. No one had come in. Scene Academy Award-nominated actor/producer Chazz Palminteri, a Bedford, N.Y., resident, was seen dining at Tonys at the JHouse in Riverside last weekend. Setting sail SoundWaters is offering a two-hour sunset sail on its 80-foot schooner at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, leaving from Bocuzzi Park on Southfield Avenue in Stamford. Bring dinner and your favorite beverage, then relax while watching the sun dip below the horizon. Check in 15 minutes before the sailing time, and bring a hat, sunglasses and sweatshirt. The price is $40 per person. All passengers must be at least 5 and accompanied by an adult. For more info and to make a reservation, go to https://soundwaters.org/sails-rentals/public-schooner-sails/ Out there The Greenwich Historical Society on Strickland Road in Cos Cob is hosting an evening of picnics and folk music, show tunes and contemporary hits from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, on its Great Lawn. Greenwich native Justine Goggin will perform music directed by world-class musicians Kreg Gottschall and Grammy-nominated Caroline Worra. The concert will honor some of the greatest female songwriters of our time in celebration of the womens suffrage centennial. The Historical Society grounds will be lit up in purple and gold as part of the nationwide Forward into Light campaign to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Registration is required as space is limited. Free for members, $20 for nonmembers. VIP Bistro seating for four with appetizers and refreshments is available. Masks are required inside the campus and suggested outdoors. The grounds will open for picnics at 5:30 p.m. with the concert from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more info and to RSVP, visit greenwichhistory.org/music-on-the-great-lawn/. Giving Splurge gift shop owner Sonia Malloy sold more than 40 Greenwich Strong masks that were designed by a local friend, with $5 from each sale donated to the Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund. Opened in 2007, Splurge supports the local community and has delivered hundreds of Easter baskets to Kids in Crisis and The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, countless cans of food to Neighbor to Neighbor and items to Toys for Tots. The store regularly hosts Splurge for a Cause charitable shopping nights, resulting in thousands of dollars donated to local charities. It has donated hundreds of items to nonprofits for silent auctions and events, and sold products made by people with developmental disabilities from Abilis. The Greenwich COVID-19 Community Relief Fund, which was launched by Greenwich United Way, provides assistance for Greenwich residents experiencing economic hardship due to the pandemic. To support the fund, visit greenwichunitedway.org/greenwich-covid-19-community-relief-fund/. Out there Aux Delices on East Putnam Avenue in Riverside is expanding its menu. The popular eatery/caterer owned by husband-and-wife team Greg Addonizio and Debra Ponzek will soon be offering wine and beer to its patrons. Music in the park... The Sound Beach Community Band is performing at Binney Park on Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. The band consists of 40 local musicians who entertain crowds with its performances of popular songs, marches and show tunes. Patrons of the concert must wear masks and practice social distancing. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Helen Keller And thats all for now. Stay safe and stay sane. Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? Email Susie Costaregni at thedish2@yahoo.com Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The day after a witness testified against the man charged with shooting and seriously injuring a protester during a demonstration earlier this summer, investigators say an apparent member of a far-right militia movement showed up, armed, on his doorstep. That man, 34-year-old Daniel Carr, was arrested by special agents with the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office Friday afternoon. He is charged with intimidation of a witness. His attorney, Adam Oakey, said he could not comment on the specifics of the case but he believes this is a political issue turned criminal and he and his client are going to fight this to the very end. The incident occurred Aug. 14, the day after multiple witnesses testified in a virtual hearing against Steven Ray Baca in which a judge decided he should stand trial. Baca is charged with aggravated battery with great bodily harm and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon in the shooting of Scott Williams during a demonstration for the removal of the Juan de Onate statue from the Albuquerque Museum grounds on June 15. He is also charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery, one of those for throwing another protester to the ground. Baca has claimed self-defense. According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, the witness and his girlfriend who are referred to as John Doe and Jane Doe were at home with her elementary school aged child watching the remainder of the virtual preliminary hearing on their computer when they heard a knock on the door. Jane Doe said she answered the door to find a stranger who said his name was Daniel and asked repeatedly for her boyfriend by name. She said he held his hands away from his side several inches and his hands were trembling. She told him John Doe was not home, although he was, because she felt he did not have good intentions, an agent wrote in the complaint. He turned to walk away, and she saw he had a black handgun in a holster on his hip. She started recording on her phone and the video has been turned over to the District Attorneys Office. It shows her asking the man Why are you here? according to the complaint. He replies because you guys are destroying our city. You guys are Antifa, correct?' the investigator wrote in the complaint. Jane laughs at his statement and the male replies alright, now we know where you live.' The video shows her walking after him, asking what his name is and he replies 3% an apparent reference to the Three Percenters, a far-right movement that traditionally opposed the federal government, and more recently has been in opposition to left-wing protests and lockdown orders for COVID-19, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Jane explained to me that she was terrified, and her and John Doe and the minor child immediately left the residence, fearful the same man or others would be back soon, the complaint states. Her belief was his presence and words were in direct relation to the testimony John Doe gave in court the day before. An investigator reviewed local media accounts of the hearing and noticed the Albuquerque Journals article included names and testimony of witnesses, including the one allegedly visited by Carr. A Google search found the witness address. The District Attorneys Office publicized the alleged witness tampering incident on Monday, showing stills of the video, and tips came in identifying a Daniel Carr who lived on the West Side. History of anger Carr appears to have a history of anger against protesters. One night in late June, police were called to the intersection of Montano and Golden NW because a man was waving a sign that said All Lives Matter and (expletive) BLM and was pointing a gun at drivers who honked at him. According to a police report, when officers arrived they found Carr and he said he was waving his All Lives Matter sign and people were honking and threatening him so he went home to get his gun. He was open-carrying a black handgun at the time and denied pointing it at anyone, according to an incident report from the Albuquerque Police Department. While officers were speaking with Carr, the caller pulled up and said his home was behind where Carr had been standing. (The caller) was concerned for his familys safety and wanted this incident to be documented, a police report states. (The caller) wanted us to not allow Daniel to be at that location since his house is in the area and we explained to him that it is a public sidewalk and he has every right to be there. Officers said they were unable to find any victims who could confirm Carr pointed a gun at them and there were no charges to pursue. Positive ID This week, agents scoped out Carrs home and spotted a man that appeared to be him and a truck that matched the description Jane Doe had given following the encounter. Later, in a photo lineup, Jane Doe identified Carr as the one who had come to her house, according to the complaint. On Friday, agents paid another visit to Carrs home, this time to serve a search warrant. His wife was home alone. She stated she knew we were there because her husband, Daniel, had gone to someones residence to talk about them being part of a shooting incident, the complaint states. She called him on speaker phone and told him the police were there and wanted to talk to him. Carr said he had an attorney and both called back to say they would be home shortly. Daniel arrived approximately 30 minutes before his attorney did, and upon immediate contact stated he didnt do anything wrong, but did admit to being the person who went to John and Janes home, the complaint states. Agents said they found a black handgun in his vehicle and several others inside the home. The country on Saturday recorded the highest ever single day spike in recoveries with 63,631 coronavirus disease patients recovering from the viral infection. This has to led a further decline in the case fatality rate, or deaths among people diagnosed with Covid-19, which stands at a new low of 1.87%. The development came on a day the total Covid-19 cases in India crossed the 3 million mark. On Saturday, the total recoveries crossed 2.2 million, with recoveries exceeding the active cases by at least 1.5 million cases, according to ministry of health data. Active cases comprise 23.43% of the Covid-19 cases in the country. The recovery rate is 74.69%, with a high number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients being discharged from the hospitals and those with mild and moderate disease under home isolation being declared free from Covid-19. An improved understanding of the disease and evolved treatment protocols have helped to reduce the number of critical patients in need of ventilator support, said clinicians. At the start of the pandemic in March and April, ventilation was the global standard of care given to Covid-19 patients, but over the months, we learned we could delay intubation by using new drugs and other treatment methods, such as awake-proning, where a patient is asked to lie on the stomach without ventilation. The fatality rate of Covid-19 patients on ventilation globally is 40%-70%, so treating them without ventilation helped recovery, said Dr Yatin Mehta, chairman of anaesthesiology and critical care, Medanta-The Medicity, who has been treating Covid-19 patients since the first week of March. Under the health ministrys standardised clinical management protocol, mild and moderate cases are treated under supervised home isolation, while critical and severe patients are hospitalized in isolation wards and ICUs, depending on severity of disease. Non-invasive oxygen, better skilled doctors in the ICUs and hospitals, improved ambulance services and streamlining of treatment protocols have led to deaths rates falling. As more new drugs and treatments get approved, we aim to bring the case fatality rate to under 1%, said a health ministry official, requesting anonymity. The ramping up of health infrastructure across states has also helped in better management of Covid-19 cases, doctors on the frontline said. In the first two months of the pandemic, treatment was available only in a few tertiary care hospitals, but now standardised treatment is available in isolation at secondary hospitals that now have the required infrastructure, including isolation wards ICU beds, oxygen supply, ventilators, medicines, and ambulances, among other essentials needed in every hospital, said Dr Mehta. States have been asked to address the issues of low lab utilization of less than 100 tests per day for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 10 for others; low tests per million population; decrease in absolute tests from last week; delay in test results; availability of ambulances; high infection among healthcare workers; and timely referral and hospitalization to prevent deaths, said the ministry official. There is need to closely monitor asymptomatic cases under home isolation through physical visits/phone consultation as some states reported high death rates within 48 hours of hospital admission because people were beginning treatment when the disease has progressed and the patient is already critical, said the ministry official. The Centre is continuing to handhold states and districts that need support. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, holds virtual sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays, where a team of specialists provides guidance on effective clinical management of Covid-19 patients in the ICUs through tele/video consultation. Strict surveillance of pregnant women, older adults, and people with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and obesity, has also helped in the early identification of high-risk populations for timely assessment and preparedness. Clinicians do the best they can and science can only do so much, and we have to make protective behavior a part of our everyday lives as mild and asymptomatic people can also spread infection. Population behavior has a huge role to play in infection control and people must wear masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently to protect themselves and others and contain the spread of Covid-19, said Dr Mehta. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amid the CBI probe into Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, the locksmith who was called to open his room's door on June 14, has made a big revelation regarding what happened on the fateful day. In a sting operation carried out by India Today TV, the locksmith, Mohd Rafi Shaikh, who broke the lock of Sushant's bedroom, said he was called when the actor didn't open his door's room despite repeated phone calls and knocks. According to Shaikh, he was called to Sushant's flat to break the lock of the bedroom. The locksmith said, " It was a computerised lock. I broke it with a knife and a hammer". He added that when he visited Sushant's flat in the afternoon (1:30 -1:45 pm), there were three to four people present there. He said he went to that flat twice on the same day. "The first time I went and opened the lock. Those people present inside the flat didn't let me see and asked me to take my stuff and go. After an hour, I came back when the police called me," Shaikh told the channel. Shaikh said he was unaware that the flat was owned by Sushant when he visited it for the first time. He came to know about it when he was called by the police. Meanwhile, the CBI, on Saturday, also reached the late actor's residence at the Mount Balc building in Bandra. The central agency team, along with forensic experts, reached Rajput's residence art around 2.30 pm. CBI officials and experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) arrived in more than seven vehicles. The investigating agency approached the forensic department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday for its medico-legal opinion on the case. "Rajput's cook Neeraj and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani also accompanied the CBI team," the official said. Neeraj was interrogated by the central agency on Friday. The CBI took over Sushant's death case after the Supreme Court's order on August 19. Mumbai Police have declared his death a suicide and registered an Accidental Death Report. Whereas, Sushant's father KK Singh filed an FIR at Patna's Rajiv Nagar Police Station against his son's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her family, accusing them of cheating and abetting his son's suicide. The father also alleged financial irregularities in the bank accounts of his son. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: AIIMS constitutes 5-member team to look into late actor's autopsy report Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case: CBI squad reaches Mumbai; here's the plan of action The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has initiated a violent crackdown on the protests and strike movement that have shaken his regime since the presidential election of August 9. On Tuesday, Lukashenko instructed the paramilitary forces of the interior ministry, the OMON, to not allow any unrest in Minsk and other cities. Lukashenko has also mobilized the army for tactical exercises on the countrys western borders, where many of the strikes are taking place. At the same time, the government is trying to starve striking workers into submission, refusing to pay them their meager wages and threatening strikers at state-owned companies with layoffs. A stamp operator at the Minsk Tractor Factory told the Financial Times, Theres no way Lukashenko will resign without the workers. They need to stop the workers from striking because if the industrial giants cease production, then hell have to go. A protest in Minsk on Sunday Gruesome reports of torture of prisoners and their systematic rape by security forces have emerged in the Belarusian press and social media. Dozens of striking workers have been arrested, including the leaders of strike committees. At least three protesters have been killed since the beginning of the protests, and over 80 people are still unaccounted for. However, the strikes, which are part of an international resurgence of the class struggle, have continued at many key factories. A website that tracks ongoing strikes suggests that they have, in fact, been growing. According to belzabastovka.org, there were at least 150 ongoing strikes and industrial protests on Friday, up from around 140 the day before. Strikes are taking place at major factories, mines, meatpacking plants, railways, theaters, hospitals and EMS stations. The vast majority of strikes are taking place in the capital Minsk and in the city of the Grodno, which is close to the Belorussian-Polish border. Since August 18, miners of the Soligorsk Belarusalsk mines, which account for a fifth of worldwide Potash production, have also been on strike. Many state-owned companies, which account for 70 percent of the countrys GDP, have been hit by the strike wave, including the state-owned auto company BelAZ. One presidential aide acknowledged this week that the strikes had already cost the economy $500 million. Belarus has a GDP of less than $60 billion. The strike movement has provoked deep concerns among all sections of the ruling class in Belarus and Europe, leaving the imperialist powers scrambling over how to respond to the crisis in Belarus. While the EU and NATO seek to exploit the crisis to further their foreign policy interests, there is nothing the bourgeoisie of all countries fears more than an international spread of the strike movement. The EU-backed opposition of Svetlana Tikhonovskaya has wavered between attempts to shut down the strikes, and negotiate with the Lukashenko regime, and phony gestures of support for the strikers. As strikes were escalating earlier in the week, the opposition on Tuesday called for a pause of protests until the weekend. At the same time, with the backing of the EU, the new Coordination Council of the opposition has urged Lukashenko to initiate immediate negotiations with the opposition and create the basis for new elections. However, on Thursday, the Lukashenko regime initiated a criminal investigation into the council, accusing it of an attempt to seize power and harming the national security of the country. On Friday, after several days in which protests and strikes have continued unabated, Tikhonovskaya issued a call to continue and broaden the strikes. The oppositions Coordination Council also set up a National Strike Committee through which it seeks to gain control over the strike movement. The publicly known members of the committee include two CEOs of IT companies, Yaroslav Likhachevsky and Alexander Podgorny, as well as Andrei Stirzhak who headed a campaign to fight against COVID-19 in Belarus, and Eduard Palchis, a bitterly nationalist and anti-Russian blogger who advocates a union of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania. None of them have anything to do with the interests of the working class, and the strike committee, like the opposition as a whole, has consciously excluded all social and economic demands from the movement. Another national strike committee was formed by the so called independent trade unions. While the two organizations now exist in parallel, the independent unions which have emerged out of the restoration of capitalism likewise support the pro-EU opposition and seek to subordinate the working class to it. Whatever the tactical differences and in-fighting between the opposition and the government, they share one common goal: to bring the strike movement to an end as quickly as possible. Workers must be warned very sharply of the political dead end and right-wing character of the opposition. The oppositions Coordination Council includes several figures who are directly associated with the destruction of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism, which created the basis for the emergence of the Lukashenko regime and the current social and economic catastrophe in the country. Alexander Dabravolsky, one of the most prominent members of the oppositions Coordination Council, was a leading member of the anti-Communist and nationalist opposition movement in the late Soviet period. He supported the Stalinist bureaucrat Stanislav Shuchkevich, who led the break-up of the USSR in 1991 and presided over the restoration of capitalism in Belarus until he was replaced by Lukashenko in 1994. He is now the head of the opposition party United Civic Party of Belarus. Yuri Gubarevich, another member of the Council, is a leader of the Belarusian National Front party (BNF) which likewise pushed for the destruction of the USSR and the formation of an independent Belarusian nation-state, and the restoration of capitalism. Other figures are no less right-wing and associated with policies that are opposed to the social and democratic rights of the working class: Pavel Latushko was a long-time functionary of the Lukashenko regime and is a Belarusian nationalist who advocates that the Belarusian Cyrillic alphabet be changed to the Latin alphabet. Olga Kovalkova, the representative of Tikhanovskaya, is a co-leader of the Belorussian Christian Democracy party which opposes LGBTQ rights, and wants to end the official status of Russian as a state language in Belarus. Through its right-wing policies, which serve to disorient and demobilize workers, the opposition is ultimately playing into the hands of the Lukashenko regime and its brutal crackdown on the working class. The situation raises the urgent need for the working class to develop an independent political line and socialist leadership. The fight for democratic rights against the repression of the Lukashenko regime can only be successful if it is connected to the fight against social inequality and capitalism on an international level. Such a program must above all be rooted in internationalism and an understanding of the counterrevolutionary role of Stalinism. Far from representing the continuity of the October revolution of 1917, the Stalinist bureaucracy was a counterrevolutionary force which waged war on Marxism and the program of international socialist revolution for decades. The only genuine socialist opposition to Stalinism came from Leon Trotsky, a co-leader of the October Revolution, and his Left Opposition, whose traditions are today represented by the International Committee of the Fourth International. Politically, both the Lukashenko regime and the opposition feed off of the reactionary legacy of Stalinism. The Lukashenko regime has consciously promoted and evoked the traditions of Stalinism since 1994. Meanwhile, the opposition champions a no less reactionary variant of Belarusian nationalism and anti-communism. By using the red and white national flag of Belarus as its banner, it consciously associates itself with the 1918 Belarusian National Rada (BNR) which was formed during the Civil War in order to prevent the establishment of a Soviet government and worked together with German imperialism against the Red Army. There is enormous sympathy for the strikes and protests among workers across Europe and Russia. However, to unite the working class in a struggle against capitalism requires the building of a Trotskyist leadership and sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International. We urge our readers in Belarus and across Eastern Europe who agree with this perspective to contact us today. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:03:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers Friday recovered bodies of all the nine people who were trapped inside hydroelectric power plant that caught fire Thursday night in India's southern state of Telangana, officials said. The fire broke out Thursday night in its under tunnel powerhouse of the Srisailam hydroelectric plant, which is near Telangana's border with Andhra Pradesh. According to officials, 30 employees of Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGenco) were inside the powerhouse at the time of the fire. Of them, six people were rescued and brought out of the tunnel, while as 15 others managed to come out through the emergency exit route. "All the trapped nine people have been killed," an official of TSGenco said. "Their bodies have been retrieved from the plant and efforts are going on to contain the fire." Officials said thick smoke was still coming out of the tunnel and efforts were underway to lessen its intensity. The cause of fire was not immediately known. However, initial reports suggest a short circuit at Srisailam dam's left bank might have triggered the fire. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who has expressed grief over the deaths of employees in the fire has ordered a comprehensive enquiry by Crime Investigation Department (CID) to ascertain the cause of fire inside the power plant. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said he was pained by the loss of lives in the fire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident unfortunate. "Fire at the Srisailam hydroelectric plant is deeply unfortunate. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover at the earliest," Modi wrote on twitter. Two local ministers rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue efforts on the spot. Chairman and Managing Director of Transco D Prabhakar Rao described the fire mishap at Srisailam Left Bank Power station as "unprecedented" and said he had never witnessed such an incident in a hydro electrical power unit so far. "This is the first such accident at the plant," Rao told media. "Why it happened has to be investigated. How much damage has happened we will know only after the smoke goes away." Officials said after fire broke out they have succeeded in isolating the 400KV power emanating from the Srisailam unit. Enditem By Nancy Lapid Aug 21 (Reuters) - The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. New questions about remdesivir COVID-19 efficacy A new study is raising fresh questions about the efficacy of Gilead Sciences Inc's anti-viral medication remdesivir in COVID-19 patients. A randomized, controlled trial of remdesivir in 584 moderately ill COVID-19 patients hospitalized with pneumonia yielded disappointing results in research published on Friday in JAMA. Compared to standard care without remdesivir, a 10-day course of the drug did not show a statistically significant effect on disease course at 11 days after treatment started, the study found. A five-day remdesivir course did make a statistically significant difference, but one so small that the researchers are not sure it really matters. Several other gold-standard trials are still underway, but as of now important questions remain regarding remdesivir's efficacy, Erin McCreary and Derek Angus of the University of Pittsburgh wrote in an editorial published alongside the study. They raised questions about whether some patients get more benefit from remdesivir than others and whether it matters if patients receive remdesivir and steroids together. It is still possible that remdesivir could improve recovery for millions of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, they added, but more research is needed before that becomes clear. Remdesivir is currently sold under an emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Gilead has filed an application seeking full FDA approval. (https://bit.ly/2E59k3T; https://bit.ly/32cQHTF; https://reut.rs/34p4HfA) Breast milk an unlikely source of COVID-19 transmission Transmission of the novel coronavirus to infants through breast milk appears unlikely, a new study indicates. Researchers analyzed 64 breast milk samples from 18 infected mothers. One sample contained inactive genetic material from the virus, but none of the samples contained active virus particles, the researchers reported on Wednesday in JAMA. Even if breast milk became contaminated during pumping and handling, the virus is inactivated by Holder pasteurization, a standard process at human milk banks that involves heating the milk to a certain temperature and then cooling it. In theory, mothers could do this themselves, but "good hygiene as recommended" is the best approach, study co-author Lars Bode of the University of California, San Diego told Reuters. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised nursing mothers with possible or confirmed COVID-19 to wear a cloth face covering while breast-feeding a baby and wash hands before touching the child and any pump or bottle parts. (https://bit.ly/31fGoPa) Story continues Maintain indoor humidity to limit airborne coronavirus Keeping indoor humidity levels between 40% and 60% will help limit airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus by minimizing the presence of infectious viral droplets in the air, according to a new study. The authors said that as the amount of water vapor in the air rises, viral droplet size increases and the heavier droplets fall from the air more quickly, providing less chance for other people to inhale them and become infected. By contrast, when humidity is low, the virus-containing droplets dry out - but the small infectious virus particles survive, floating in the air for longer periods and flying further through the room, depending on ventilation conditions, the researchers said in the journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research. Dry air also dries out the mucous membranes in the nose and makes them more permeable to viruses. Authorities should include humidity factors in future indoor guidelines, study co-author Dr. Sumit Kumar Mishra of CSIR - National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi said in a press statement. The findings are relevant not just in cold winter climates, his team said. Countries in tropical and hot climates should take care that indoor rooms are not dried out by overcooling with air conditioning. (https://bit.ly/32eAe15) Michigan hospital introduces telehealth volunteering "Virtual volunteering" at hospitals via telehealth by people who formerly volunteered in-person would ease pressures on medical workers, enhance patient experiences, reduce the risk of viral infection and provide a sense of normalcy for patients and families, researchers said on Thursday in the journal Medical Humanities. They urge hospitals to adapt medical volunteering for the coronavirus pandemic by restructuring volunteer services and support networks for virtual platforms. For example, they said, many hospitals have volunteers who provide educational services. Currently, patients have lost access to these tutors. Study co-author Zachary Pickell of the University of Michigan, who has spearheaded an effort to encourage virtual volunteering, told Reuters, "Recently, we began a virtual volunteering program for multiple departments at the University of Michigan Hospital to provide support for patients and families of hospital workers. Our early implementation shows increased engagement and positive outlook." (https://bit.ly/2Qc4TGD) Open https://tmsnrt.rs/3a5EyDh in an external browser for a Reuters graphic on vaccines and treatments in development. (Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Will Dunham) At least 12 civilians have been killed by suspected members of a notorious militia in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday. Armed members of the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group attacked the villagers on Thursday as they worked in the fields in the Beni region, local administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP. He said 12 bodies were found buried after a search in the village of Matiba on the Mbau-Kamango road, where ADF fighters have been waging a string of attacks. Philippe Bonane, head of a civil society group in the Beni regional capital Oicha said 13 people had lost their lives including three women, while another four were missing. Currently under repair by Congolese military engineers, the Mbau-Kamango road is a busy supply route across the highly unstable region. On Tuesday, another seven people including a soldier were killed in an assault in the area blamed on the ADF. Dozens of armed groups of varying size have been active across the eastern DRC for almost 30 years. The ADF is made up of Ugandan Muslim rebels who have been in the country since the 1990s. Since 2014, they have increasingly attacked civilians, inflicting more than 1,000 deaths despite regular army operations attempting to stamp them out since the end of last year. Search Keywords: Short link: Uma Thurman made a stunning arrival at Venice International Film Festival on Sunday night. The Hollywood star looked glamorous in a sheer burgundy pleated dress from Jenny Packham's SS14 Collection, finished off with a glittering Chopard necklace. Of course she would be wearing diamonds from the famous jewellers, as they were hosting the event with Vanity Fair for which Uma was the guest of honour. The belle of the ball: Uma Thurman arrives at the Chopard and Vanity Fair presents Backstage At Cinecitta Exhibition at Venice Film International The Kill Bill star had arrived for the Backstage At Cinecitta Exhibition, a show which relives the magical style and fashion of the films made at the Italian studio. From La Dolce Vita, Ben Hur, War and Peace, Cleopatra or The Leopard and around stars like Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Charlton Heston or Audrey Hepburn, the twenty-eight shots of the exhibition 'Backstage' embody the quintessence of the fifties and sixties in Rome during the golden era of Cinecitta. So chic: Uma wore a sheer burgundy pleated dress from Jenny Packham's SS14 Collection Sparkling: Caroline Scheufele posed with the actress who was decked out in Chopard diamonds Shimmering: Uma adds sparkle with strappy sandals as she poses with Luca Dini at Cipriani Hotel Uma also wore a diamond bracelet on her wrist, as well as a silver ring on her engagement finger. The actress matched her manicure to her dress and pulled her blonde locks back into a chic pony-tail. Shes been supporting ex-husband Ethan Hawke while he promotes his latest film at the 71st annual Venice Film Festival, but Uma swapped the spotlight for a day with the family on Friday. Work it: Uma struts for the cameras outside the hotel Beautiful setting: The actress poses outside in the floating city of Venice Shimmering guests: (L-R) Lana Holloway and Joanna Mazur attend the Chopard And Vanity Fair presents the 'Backstage At Cinecitta' exhibition Spotted: Maria Grazia Cucinotta wears a polka dot dress to the event The 44-year-old actress was joined by children Maya, Levon and Rosaline - nickname Luna - for a picturesque boat ride through the ancient citys famous waterways. Also in attendance was Game Of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, with British photographer Rankin. Other guests included Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Douglas Kirkland, Lana Holloway and Joanna Mazur and Warly Tomei Mantegazza. Blowing a kiss: Uma enjoys a boat ride as she sight-sees with her children Editor: Elise Stefanik, I hear you loud and clear. So far, I have heard you fail to hold this impeached president accountable for his unwillingness to act on Russian bounties on our military. You have failed to hold him accountable for using tear gas on lawful protesters in Lafayette Square. You have failed to hold him accountable for his monstrously failed response to the coronavirus. You have failed to hold him accountable for loudly advertising his intent to interfere with voting by mail. You have consistently failed to demand that he release his taxes. Communicable disease experts all state that wearing masks is the best way to protect the population from the coronavirus. This is based on real data. This is based on science. We have seen the evidence in countries that quickly instituted mask mandates. And then we saw the photos of you in Tulsa without a mask, even though you were close to other attendees. So it was no surprise to me to witness a coterie of your supporters at an event in Crandall Park (ironically, a Million Masks event) sitting less than 6 feet from one another, without masks. How did I know they were your supporters? Easy. They were wearing T-shirts with your logo, and they were carrying your signs. They were amplifying your message that it is fine to ignore science. Ignoring science is not fine with me. Nor is it fine with your opponent, Tedra Cobb. Tedra has demonstrated with her actions that she relies on facts, data, and science. Tedra has promised that, when elected to Congress, she will base her decisions on facts, data, and science, and not on an ill-advised sense of loyalty to any one person or party. NY-21 deserves Tedra Cobb, and Tedra Cobb deserves our vote. MaryLou Stern, Greenwich Love 11 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The has arrested an alleged operative with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from central Delhi's Ridge Road area, a senior officer said on Saturday. The accused was arrested on Friday night following a brief exchange of fire. "The accused was arrested after an exchange of fire from Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha said. NSG commandos, bomb squad to analyse IEDs recovered According to the Delhi police, the suspect was on a bike when intercepted by the police. Search operations are underway at several locations in the capital. Scores of Security Guard (NSG) commandos and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) have been deployed near Buddha Jayanti Park in Ridge Road area on Saturday and will analyse the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered.According to the Delhi police, the suspect was on a bike when intercepted by the police. Search operations are underway at several locations in the capital. He was taken to the Special Cell office in Lodhi colony after the arrest. Security has been heightened near Buddha Jayanti Park in Ridge Road area, with teams of NSG commandos and sniffer dogs keeping a tight vigil in the area. Uttar Pradesh DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthi on Saturday sounded an alert in the state following the arrest of an alleged operative in Delhi. The DGP has asked all police officers, especially those in field posting, to remain alert in view of the arrest and take necessary precautions, a senior official said. A Sudanese immigrant has been sentenced to four years jail after he used Sharia Law as an excuse to rape his wife. The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, forced himself onto his now ex-wife at their Perth home in 2012, the Western Australian District Court heard. Prosecutor Joel Grinceri said the man believed he was entitled to sex under religious law, The West Australian reported. 'He went on to say that under Sharia Law it was essentially his wife's religious legal duty to agree to have sex with him whenever he wanted it.' The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, forced himself onto his now ex-wife at their Perth home in 2012, the Western Australian District Court (pictured) heard The man had also told police: 'When I want to have sex, I'm going to have sex and she knows that.' The court heard the man forced himself onto his then-wife while his children were also at home. He pushed her onto the bed before he 'pried' apart her legs. Judge Christopher Stevenson said the man had not only broken the law, but the respect between husband and wife. 'The victim was obviously vulnerable by reason of her marriage to you and the place in which the offence occurred which was in your bedroom in the house ... where she was entitled to feel safe and secure.' The man was found guilty of one count of aggravated sexual penetration without consent and not guilty of making threats to kill, assault and deprivation of liberty. He was handed a four year sentence, backdated to November 27, 2018. He was also made eligible for parole. The man had fled war-torn Sudan and fled to Australia in 2006. Photo: Rob Kruyt Muse Cannabis Store president Geoff Dear is one of the B.C. entrepreneurs capitalizing on increasing cannabis sales British Columbians have never bought so much legal weed. The provinces legal cannabis retailers sold $29,393,000 worth of recreational marijuana products in June almost seven times the $4,230,000 in revenue that they generated in June, 2019, Statistics Canada revealed August 21. This is the sixth straight month when the provinces legal cannabis retailers have sold a record-high value of products. A similar trend is happening nationwide, although the year-over-year rise in sales is not as substantial as it is in B.C. Canadian legal cannabis retailers sold more than $201 million worth of cannabis in June, which is about 119% more than the nearly $91.7 million in cannabis sales that the nations cannabis retailers sold in the same month a year ago. Many of the reasons that June sales soared are the same as those for why sales surged in March, when BIV last examined the significant rise in cannabis sales, and the government revenue that comes with those increased sales. They are: more legal stores; fewer black-market stores; newly legal product categories, such as edibles; and improved product quality. One thing that has changed since March in B.C. is that the government now allows legal private retailers to conduct e-commerce transactions, although customers must still pick up their purchase at physical stores, and not have the products delivered. B.C. had issued 135 retail licences to entrepreneurs who wanted to open cannabis stores in October, 2019, just before the one year-anniversary of Canada legalizing adult-use cannabis consumption. That number leaped to 176 by the end of 2019 and then to 254 by May 27, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told BIV on May 27. The provinces website on August 21 listed 264 licences granted for retail cannabis stores. Sales for cannabis in B.C. have risen in each month sequentially since January, after sales had suffered a slight dip in December. B.C. ranked fourth among provinces for cannabis sales in June, behind: Ontario, with $48,852,000; Alberta, with $46,707,000; and Quebec, with $39,992,000. A North Jersey school district is accused of covering up bullying against a student after she was sexually assaulted in an effort to keep bullying numbers low and maintain a relationship with a local college, a lawsuit filed this week alleges. The suit says a Mount Olive middle schooler was sexually assaulted in a local park in June 2019 and then bullied by the accused boys friends for months, as the district failed to act. The bullying was so severe the girls family eventually moved, the suit says. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Morristown on Tuesday by the family of a former Mount Olive Middle School student, names the Mount Olive Board of Education, the district, the middle and high school principals, guidance councilors, and the district anti-bullying specialists. Mount Olive superintendent Dr. Robert Zywicki declined to comment on the suit, saying the district has not yet been served. The female student was playing a game of manhunt in a local park when the boy took her into the woods and forced her to perform a sex act on him in June 2019, the lawsuit alleges. The girls parents attempted to discuss the incident with the boys family immediately afterward, but the boys family denied anything happened, the suit says. After the alleged assault, the boy and his friends began bullying the girl, calling her derogatory sexual names and ethnic slurs and yelling at her dont rape me, the suit claims. The girls parents notified school administration shortly after the assault, but were told to contact police and were not advised they could file a harassment, intimidation and bullying report, the lawsuit says. The girl reported the bullying to her middle school anti-bullying specialist, who was told by the district anti-bullying specialist Susan Breton to stay in her own lane and not file a report to keep official numbers of complaints low, the suit alleges. Districts are required to report the number of harassment, intimidation and bullying complaints to the state Department of Education. Those numbers are made publicly available. In addition to keeping the number of complaints low, Breton is accused of attempting to preserve a working relationship with a local college, where the accused boys father holds a leadership role, the suit claims. The boys father did not respond to NJ Advance Medias request for comment. Neither is named as a defendant in the suit. The bullying continued into the next school year, the suit claims, even after the girl sent a hand-written letter to the boy asking him to stop targeting her. During a September 2019 meeting, the administrators allegedly accused the girl of making up the sexual assault allegations, and saying the alleged assault didnt happen in our school, it has nothing to do with us. The next month, the girls father filed a harassment, intimidation and bullying report on her behalf; the suit claims the girl was never interviewed during the investigation process. The family eventually moved to a different town so their daughter could go to a new high school, but the bullying continued, the suit says. The boy previously attended school in the girls new district, and his friends continued to taunt her, the suit says. A harassment, intimidation and bullying complaint filed at the girls new school found that the boys friends were harassing her, the suit says. As a result of the alleged harassment, the girls grades and school attendance has suffered, the suit says. The family is seeking a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. After witnessing a slight dip in Covid-19 cases earlier this month, Delhi on Saturday logged 1,412 new cases of coronavirus taking the infection count in the national capital to 1,60,016 while the death toll touched 4,284, health department data indicated. At least 14 people succumbed to the viral infection in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 4,284. On Saturday, 1,230 coronavirus patients recovered and were discharged from city hospitals. A total of 1,44,138 patients have recovered, migrated or been discharged while the number of active cases in the capital currently stand at 11,594. According to the Delhi governments health bulletin, 6,090 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 13,345 rapid antigen tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. ALSO READ | India records highest one-day spike of Covid-19 cases at 69,878; tally nears 3 million With the 1,412 fresh Covid-19 cases, the tally has now crossed the 1.6 lakh mark. The number of containment zones in the national capital now stands at 591. The number of containment zones in Delhi has risen from 539 on August 1 to 591 on August 21, with officials attributing the rise to smaller areas which are being contained now. According to health department data, the number of containment zones had decreased to 496 in the national capital on August 2 and had witnessed a marginal increase to 499 on August 4. On those days, the number declined to 481 and 466. On August 12, the number of containment zones went past 500. After a dip in the number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi, the government has issued an order for winding up healthcare facilities operating in banquet halls linked with the designated Covid-19 hospitals of the Delhi government. On Saturday, India crossed a milestone of testing more than 10 lakh samples for Covid-19 in a single day, taking the cumulative tests to more than 3.4 crore, while the viral caseload inched towards the 30 lakh-mark, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. Although higher number of tests will initially lead to a rise in the positivity rate, it will eventually lower when combined with other measures such as prompt isolation, efficient tracking, and timely effective and clinical management, the ministry said. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, Keeping its promise of exponentially increasing daily Covid-19 tests, India has crossed a significant milestone of testing more than 10 lakh samples in a day. The number of daily tests has been increasing steeply. The average daily tests during the past three weeks also indicate the progress made in enhancement of coronavirus testing across the country, Vardhan said. Hanoi has suspended weekend activities in a pedestrian zone around downtown Hoan Kiem Lake from Friday night to avoid large gatherings in a bid to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The Vietnamese capital city first deemed the area, located in Hoan Kiem District, as a vehicle-free zone on weekend nights, from Friday to Sunday, in 2016. The area has since become a popular destination for local people and a top spot for tourists visiting the city, with regular cultural and artistic activities attracting large crowds on weekend nights. The indefinite suspension, which took effect from the evening of Friday, August 21, means that the lake-side streets will no longer become pedestrian-only on weekend nights. Activities will only be allowed to resume when a new order is issued by the Peoples Committee of Hanoi in the future, Hoan Kiem Districts vice-chairman Dinh Hong Phong said at a municipal meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on the same day. Speaking at Fridays meeting, Hanoi Department of Health deputy director Hoang Duc Hanh reported that the capital city had recorded no new case of COVID-19 since August 19. Despite the fact, the municipal Party deputy chief Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc requested that pandemic prevention and control remains a key task, with focus placed on public communications to warn people against complacency in upholding best practices to protect themselves, their families and the public. Ngoc requested grassroots authorities to beef up patrolling the streets to ensure sidewalk shops strictly practice social distancing rules. She also ordered the reestablishment of five municipal inspection teams to launch spontaneous inspections into the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures in districts and towns. Hanoi has reported 156 cases of COVID-19, including 11 infections since July 25 when Vietnam detected the first community-based transmission a 57-year-old male patient in the central city of Da Nang. One-hundred and forty-one patients in Hanoi have recovered and none has died due to COVID-19. The national COVID-19 tally stands at 1,009 cases, with 545 recoveries and 25 virus-related deaths, as of Saturday morning, according to the Ministry of Health. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Boris Johnson has joined forces with senior civil servants to resist moves by No10 adviser Dominic Cummings to shift them to a new suite of West Wing-style offices in Whitehall. According to senior Government sources, the Prime Minister has spent six months objecting to Mr Cummings's attempt to move him out of the ramshackle No10 'den' where he works and into an open-plan space more similar to the West Wing of the White House, including large television screens displaying the 'performance data' of the Civil Service. The Prime Minister has spent six months objecting to Mr Cummings's attempt to move him out of the ramshackle No10 'den' It is part of a wider attempt by Mr Cummings to restructure the relationship between No10 and the Civil Service to give Downing Street more control over the Whitehall machinery. But Mr Johnson is understood to share the reluctance of senior mandarins to make the move, and has indicated his intention to stay in the cramped office with its threadbare carpets, trailing wires and overflowing bookshelves. Other officials, including Mr Johnson's private office and members of his policy unit, will move to new rooms in the Cabinet Office. It is part of a wider attempt by Mr Cummings (pictured) to restructure the relationship between No10 and the Civil Service to give Downing Street more control over the Whitehall machinery. It is part of a plan by Mr Cummings to centralise and streamline the often cumbersome decision-making processes in No10 a move civil servants have privately characterised as a 'power grab'. The rickety corridors and offices of Downing Street create an often claustrophobic atmosphere for officials and political advisers, and have also been linked to the rapid spread of the coronavirus to Mr Johnson and his inner circle earlier this year. A source said last night: 'Boris likes his cosy office but Dom might still get his way.' Tory MPs are planning a Commons rebellion against Dominic Cummings's 'star wars' plans to turbocharge the UK's science and technology capabilities 'Alienated' Tories are planning to vote down chief aide Dominic Cummings' star wars plan to turbocharge Britain's science and technology capabilities Tory MPs are planning a Commons rebellion against Dominic Cummings's 'star wars' plans to turbocharge the UK's science and technology capabilities as a 'proxy protest' against his Downing Street operation. Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson's most influential adviser, wants to create a British version of America's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was founded by Washington in 1958 to match the Soviet Union's advances in space technology and led to breakthroughs such as satellites and the internet. The Tory Election manifesto promised to commit 800million to set up a British Advanced Research Projects Agency to invest in 'highrisk, high-reward research that might not otherwise be pursued, to support blue-skies research and investment in UK leadership in artificial intelligence and data'. But it is understood Mr Cummings has been told the new agency will require legislation to be passed this year and backbenchers who feel alienated by the adviser's 'autocratic' management style are plotting to try to vote down the Bill. Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, told The Mail on Sunday last night that while Mr Cummings's plan 'could be transformative', the concept was fraught with challenges. Mr Ellwood said: 'A Bill could be presented before there is a consensus about its governance, mission, autonomy, remit or spectrum of engagement. 'Given the significance trailed by Government for this initiative, the Prime Minister himself should be launching a White Paper promoting a national mission and developing the critical ground support.' The Bournemouth East MP added: 'Little is known about the Government's intentions beyond the comments and blogs of a special adviser. This is not the way to advance and secure flagship Government policy as promoted in our Election manifesto.' Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, (pictured) told The Mail on Sunday last night that while Mr Cummings's plan 'could be transformative', the concept was fraught with challenges Many members of Mr Johnson's parliamentary party were angered by having to defend Mr Cummings during the saga over his journey to the North East during the coronavirus lockdown. They also complain about feeling ignored by Mr Cummings's No10 operation, and are suspicious about the 7million in Government contracts which have been awarded to individuals and companies linked to the Downing Street adviser, such as the artificial intelligence company Faculty, run by the brother of a No10 aide. One Tory MP said: 'It is true to say that a lot of us feel ignored by the centre, and this 'star wars' obsession is presenting itself as the perfect target for a proxy protest.' The MPs are also concerned about the value for taxpayers' money offered by the new agency, citing Mr Cummings's remarks in 2018: 'If you want big successes, you have to accept failures.' Projects that could be developed by the agency include gene-editing and green power. Japan's department store sales in July dropped 20.3 percent from a year earlier due to the continuing impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the prolonged rainy season, an industry body said Friday. The poor outcome was slightly worse than the 19.1 percent fall recorded in June, marking the 10th consecutive month of decline, according to the data released by the Japan Department Stores Association. A resurgence of virus infections across the country continued to weigh on department store sales as people refrained from going out while department store operators avoided holding price reduction and other promotions to attract customers, the association said. In July, sales at 203 outlets run by 73 companies totaled 391.28 billion yen ($3.7 billion) on a same-store basis, while duty-free sales plunged 88.7 percent to 3.17 billion yen, as Japan maintained travel restrictions. By product, sales of clothing fell 26.6 percent as people worked from home more and went out less frequently. Food purchases dropped 11.5 percent, though demand for fresh food items and alcoholic beverages was relatively firm as customers ate and drank at home, the association said. MILWAUKEEBy widespread estimation, Joe Biden gave the speech of his life on Thursday his overcome this season of darkness address was likely the most memorable part of the night that launched his campaign for president. Well come back to that. The other most memorable moment was from 13-year-old Braydon Harrington, who said Biden had been helping him overcome his stutter. Biden had suffered the same speech disorder as a youngster. Harrington seemed calm and confident, even as he stuttered at times. Joe Biden cared, he said. Imagine what he could do for all of us. Someone we can all look up to. Someone who cares. It was among dozens of testimonials to Bidens compassion and empathy. The evidence of the convention is that he has spent most of his free time for decades phoning people and their grandmothers to offer comfort about diagnosed illnesses and lost loved ones. Biden cares about people. Thats it. Thats the message. One of the most prominent themes of the convention. Lots of pundits remarked that Donald Trump had spent weeks telling his supporters at length that Bidens mind had deteriorated to the point hed be unable to coherently deliver a speech. That set the bar for his opponent as a public speaker absurdly low and Biden didnt just clear it, he soared over it. He cares seems to be a pretty low bar for a president, too. Yet for many American voters, it appears to be one thats a challenge for the incumbent. Bernie Sanders measured the current presidential bar at a similar height in a Zoom-style conversation Thursday with the other defeated Democratic candidates. In Joe Biden, you have a human being who is empathetic, who is honest, who is decent, he said. And at this particular moment in American history, my God, that is something this country absolutely needs. A decent human being. Imagine. Bidens speech was delivered forcefully to the camera, more like an Oval Office address than a celebratory rally appearance, and impressed on voters the grim portrait of this moment in American history. Five million Americans infected with COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died, he said. More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year. More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year. Its not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world, he said. Look, I understand its hard to have hope right now. It was a catalogue of loss and struggle that employed the word darkness again and again. If theres been a theme to Bidens political career, it is that he knows about loss and struggle and darkness. His father lost his job, forcing them to move from his hometown when he was young. He stuttered as a child. He lost his first wife and a daughter in a car crash when he was 29. He lost his son Beau to cancer. These are his stump speech stories. He speaks of his traumas and how he has found a way through them the way other politicians talk about their legislative or business accomplishments. The best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose. As Gods children, each of us have a purpose in our lives, he said Thursday. And then he united that core part of his personal story with the needs of the country in this moment. We have a great purpose as a nation. Biden has been offering himself for president since Ronald Reagan was in office, and never placed higher than fourth in a single primary until this year. There were always better speakers, bolder visionaries, more dazzling policy wonks. Bidens brand of off-the-cuff, were-all-good-people hugging of the middle ground never inspired much passion. Or much support. But at age 77, the moment has arrived when caring, decency and perseverance through tough times have been embraced by his party as a balm during a period of crisis, in an era of bitterness. Bidens story of personal loss winds up with him finding purpose and channelling it into something positive. He said that was the countrys story, too. He invoked the New Deal and the civil rights movement. He said, Americas history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that weve made our greatest progress. That weve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more. He promised unity While I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president capping a convention that had gone to great lengths to showcase the breadth of his coalition of supporters. He said Americans are united in our determination to make the coming years bright. Are we ready? I believe we are. This is a great nation. And we are a good and decent people. Good and decent people. People who care for each other. It is not the sweeping rhetoric of history books. But it is the story Biden has spent his career telling, alongside his tales of pain and perseverance. At this moment in U.S. history, Biden and his party are thinking it may be one many Americans would like to imagine continuing in the White House. Read more about: THE ISSUE: A Senate report finds President Donald Trump knew at the time of Russian hacking and interference in the 2016 election. THE STAKES: Yet once again, Republicans ignore even evidence they don't dispute. --- The one thing that Americans finally might be able to believe from President Donald Trump is his claim that he hasn't read the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. That certainly would explain how he could assert that it showed he knew "nothing about anything." In fact, the bipartisan report found the president and top campaign aides were quite aware of the hack by Russian intelligence of the Democratic National Committee's and Hillary Clinton's emails, and of plans by WikiLeaks to release them publicly. No amount of White House spin or partisan massaging within the report changes those findings or alleviates the concern we should all have that Mr. Trump remains, to this day, openly untruthful about his role in a foreign attack on our democracy. The Senate report adds to the already troubling body of knowledge contained in the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who stopped short of accusing the president of criminal activity but laid out ample evidence of collusion and repeated efforts by Mr. Trump personally to obstruct his probe. The Senate Intelligence Committee report, similarly, doesn't directly accuse the president of lying. But it flatly contradicts his claim that he knew nothing by outlining efforts by Mr. Trump and campaign aides to learn about the information even as the hacking was still under way. They sought the information from Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative and friend of the president. Mr. Stone was later convicted of seven felonies for obstructing a congressional investigation; Mr. Trump subsequently commuted his sentence in what had all the appearance of a reward for Mr. Stone's lies. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In addition to affirming the concerted efforts Russia made and continues to make to infiltrate and influence our electoral system, the report outlines more clearly than ever the determination in Mr. Trump's circle to help obscure those facts in particular, how former campaign manager Paul Manafort worked with a former business partner, Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian intelligence officer, to "undermine evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election." In other words, this top aide to the man who is now president was working with a Russian intelligence officer to deceive Americans about an attack on their democracy. We would commend the committee for its work if not for the brazen partisanship of its Republican members, who lay aside the evidence in continuing to join Mr. Trump's denial of what this and Mr. Mueller's investigation both have shown that the president and his top campaign aides were well aware of Russia's subterfuge, and lied about it when it came to light. To say there was no collusion, as the GOP members do, is absurd. As for Mr. Trump, he may claim he knew "nothing about anything," but Americans who give this report a fair reading know better that a politician who has made more than 20,000 false and misleading statements since he was sworn in as president has told one more whopper. A few days before, the first national conference on this special costume took place in Hanoi. These positive moves show Vietnams determination to have Ao Dai recognized as a world heritage item honoured by UNESCO. The need for a kind of dress that symbolises the elegant beauty of Vietnamese women is not only the aspiration of the whole community but also needed to define its global role. Unnamed heritage There is an interesting statistic that out of the 13 Vietnamese intangible cultural heritage items recognised by UNESCO, seven were associated in some way with the appearance of Ao Dai, including Xoan singing (a folk music genre in Vietnam's northern midland province of Phu Tho), quan ho (love duet singing), ca tru (ceremonial singing), Nghe Tinh Vi-Giam folk singing, nha nhac cung dinh Hue (Hue Royal Court Music), don ca tai tu (southern folk music) and the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms or Palaces. However, it is easy to affirm that Ao Dai has been made a default by the community as a typical costume representing Vietnamese culture. In popular languages like English, the phrase Ao Dai has no equivalent meaning. This means that this kind of costume has been automatically considered by international community as a traditional costume of Vietnam. At present, Ao Dai has not had a title corresponding to its value through legal documents and decisions. That story has been always "reheated" again whenever the community found a few cases of Ao Dai of other origins at museums and fashion runways in the world. In the context that Vietnam could not register the intellectual property of Ao Dai at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) because the registration is not allowed for works belonging to a specific individual, the announcement of Ao Dai as a national dress or a heritage of the Vietnamese people is the most reasonable way to go about this. In fact, Ao Dai has also had several missed opportunities to have that. Six years ago when the first museum on Vietnamese Ao Dai was inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City, the locality enthusiastically proposed the compilation of a dossier seeking the recognition of Ao Dai as a national intangible cultural heritage. A year later, the citys tourism sector proposed taking March 8 as Ao Dai day. However, these ideas have not come to fruition due to several reasons, including the view that Ao Dai should be a common heritage of all provinces and cities, not a specific locality. Also in 2014, the project of building a State Formal Uniform was launched and implemented by the Department of Fine Arts, Exhibition and Photography. In essence, that was the successor of a project to build the Vietnam National Apparel proposed in 1990 but was not implemented. It is worth mentioning that whether it is a formal uniform (used in State and diplomatic ceremonies) or as national apparel, Ao Dai is always the first name mentioned by the public. For example, when consulting experts, the Department of Fine Arts, Exhibition and Photography reached 100% consensus on choosing Ao Dai as the formal uniform for women. However, the project has not been completed and approved because there was no consensus related to the formal uniform for men. In addition, regulations on the recognition and approval for national apparel and cultural symbols were not clearly decentralised. And so, until 2019, Ao Dai still lacked a birth certificate right in the country it was born. Lemur Ao Dai one of the modern Ao Dai patterns appearing in 1930s, creating a movement of changing women's clothing in Vietnam. Do not work by feelings The desire and urge of public opinion have brought about initial results as the cultural sector planns to complete the procedure for the recognition of Ao Dai as a national intangible cultural heritage this year. The title will be a stepping stone on another important journey: seeking UNESCOs recognition of Vietnamese Ao Dai as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. However, the journey to gaining a world heritage title will face numerous difficulties. Specifically, unlike the intangible heritages in the realms of festival, performance and music, Ao Dai is an artifact (costume). In order to create a dossier for an intangible heritage, it should be placed in connection with a series of accompanying intangible values including elements of knowledge, skills and expression from the whole community as well as cultural practices related to this kind of dress and the meanings of the patterns on the dress. From another angle, art forms, such as Nghe Tinh Vi Giam folk songs, the Xoe Thai dance and Giong festival, are associated with specific communities usually limited to villages, communes and regions; therefore, it is easy to define them. Meanwhile, Ao Dai belongs to a very wide community throughout history. In addition, there has not been full research or surveys on the relationships and connections among many subjects: mulberry farming, silkworm raising and weaving villages; tailors of traditional Ao Dai; creative designers and those who developed Ao Dai over the passage of time; as well as people who have worn Ao Dai and developed its culture over time. At a recent national workshop on Ao Dai, many experts noted that with such a broad heritage as Ao Dai, the identification of related cultural connotations is very difficult. In fact, many dossiers for UNESCO recognition have fallen because the heritages scope has not been identified. Therefore, the creation of a dossier for Ao Dai should be implemented carefully and meticulously, focusing on several central areas where Ao Dai was very popular such as Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. With all these complications, it could still be a long time until the Vietnamese Ao Dai attains the honour at the global level. In addition to feelings and enthusiasm, more adequate research is vital to improve the dossiers quality while raising the communitys understanding of this traditional costume. A lawyer representing Jennifer Dulos family has filed a federal complaint seeking to require the state Judicial Branch to foreclose on Fotis Dulos former Farmington residence even though housing proceedings have been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Attorney Richard Weinstein, representing Gloria Farber and the estate of her late husband, Hilliard, wants the proceedings to move forward on the 14,000-square-foot home that was already in foreclosure when Fotis Dulos died Jan. 30 from an apparent suicide. In March, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order, putting a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions as the pandemic spread throughout Connecticut. Weinstein filed the complaint against Judge Patrick Carroll, chief court administrator for the state Judicial Branch, out of sheer frustration, the attorney said. Judges are precluded from entering into foreclosures and evictions even in non-COVID-related cases, Weinstein said. My client is paying all this money every month and nothing is happening. I did not want to sue the judge, but every day that goes by, it costs the estate money. Judicial Branch officials declined to comment Friday, citing the pending litigation. Farber has been caring for the five Dulos children since their mother disappeared on May 24, 2019. Fotis and Jennifer Dulos had been involved in a two-year divorce when the New Canaan mother went missing. Farber was suing Fotis Dulos over $2.5 million in business loans to his high-end real estate company, Fore Group, when her daughter disappeared. Farber won $1.9 million in the lawsuit, which was adjudicated months after Fotis Dulos died. However, she has not received any of the money as his estate is still tied up in probate proceedings. Fotis Dulos had also stopped paying the mortgage on the Jefferson Crossing house in November 2018, court records show. Farber filed to foreclose on the house after she paid off the mortgage on the property last summer. Since Fotis Dulos stopped paying the mortgage long before the coronavirus began impacting the state, Weinstein wants the courts to move forward with the foreclosure. Im not looking for a fight, I just want this poor lady to get some closure, Weinstein said. She is taking care of five children and she has to provide for them. The property is racking up tax, insurance and utility bills for the Fotis Dulos estate, which is insolvent, and doesnt have the financial wherewithal to pay any of the ongoing expenses, Weinstein said. At least one person has expressed interest in purchasing the home, which would allow Farber to recoup some money, but the buyers attorney advised his client to look elsewhere because of the uncertainty as to the status of the foreclosure, Weinstein said. Weinstein also filed a complaint this week against attorney Norm Pattis, accusing him of owing the Fotis Dulos estate a large chunk of a $250,000 retainer that was not used before he died. Pattis was given the retainer on Jan. 16 to defend Fotis Dulos on murder, kidnapping and other charges in his estranged wifes death and disappearance. Weinstein contended in the seven-page complaint filed in Superior Court that by keeping the retainer after his clients death, Pattis is violating the rules of professional responsibility. Attorneys have been wrangling for months over the contents of the estate and how to calculate its worth since Fotis Dulos was deeply in debt when he died. All of the properties owned by Fotis Dulos real estate development company, Fore Group, are in foreclosure proceedings, court records show. The estate of Fotis Dulos recently asked a Farmington Probate Court judge to declare Jennifer Dulos dead so the $194,000 from an individual retirement account could be used to pay creditors. The estate is unable to access the IRA unless it is determined that Jennifer Dulos predeceased her estranged husband because Fotis Dulos did not name a beneficiary, probate documents said. A probate judge is expected to hold a hearing in the coming weeks before making a decision. Pattis drew sharp criticism for repeatedly claiming Jennifer Dulos may have staged her own disappearance to frame her estranged husband. Pattis also suggested she may have committed what he called a revenge suicide. Jennifer Dulos body has never been found, although police said she is presumed dead based on blood evidence they found in the garage of her New Canaan home, according to arrest warrants. 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 his former girlfriend Michelle 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:14:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SWEIDA, Syria, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- 12-year-old Raghdan Faraj thought bigger than his age when he decided to sell some paintings he drew, not get money for himself, but to help his poor peers buy masks. The idea started with Faraj when he saw poor kids on the streets without facial masks to protect against the COVID-19. For him, it was a strange view after he had seen on TV awareness messages on the need to wear masks and maintain social distancing. "While I was walking down the street, I saw a number of poor kids selling chocolate and biscuit with their hands dirty and without masks. I thought of a way to help them and decided to sell my paintings," the boy told Xinhua. The boy started putting his drawings on the sidewalk in Sweida city and sold them to get money and bought face masks for the poor children. Faraj's initiative was welcomed in his city and inspired other people to help the poor kids. His drawings have been selling at good prices by people who wanted to encourage him and support his mission. "I didn't expect people to support my initiative in such a short time and I sold some paintings at good prices," he said. Faraj, with the help of his younger brother Omar, has so far drawn 25 paintings, most of which featuring the current situation in Syria, the fears of the COVID-19 virus and how people must wear masks always. Rudaina Shaar, the mother of Faraj, said her son drew the paintings during the home quarantine, noting that her child has a talent that he decided to employ to help others. "When he first came to me, I was amazed by his idea and how a boy his age could have this thinking. So I decided to support him," the mother told Xinhua. Shaar said mothers should always pay attention to their kids' inspirations and never put them down or discourage them. She said a doctor, who was inspired by the initiative, decided to buy all remaining drawings of Faraj and gave him a good amount of money for them. After taking the money, the mother said, they bought masks and hand sanitizers and gave them away to the children on the streets. "He was extremely happy when he gave the masks to the children," she said. Now, the boy is preparing another set of paintings to sell and earn more money to buy masks. His father, who works abroad, also promised him he will send him money to help buy more masks, the mother said. Shaar said her son loves the attention he gets and started telling his friends to make initiatives to help others in need. "As a mother, I didn't expect him to become this enthusiastic about this idea and he is now encouraging his friends to do something to help others amid the coronavirus crisis," she said. Enditem A man waving a machete in a Kendall neighborhood was shot by a Miami-Dade officer Friday evening, police said. At 4:51 p.m., Miami-Dade police officers responded to a call of a man, about 27 years old, walking along 126th Avenue waving a large machete. When officers arrived in The Crossings neighborhood, they tried to tell the man to put down the machete, police said. He instead charged one of the officers with the machete. The officer shot the man in the abdomen, police said. The man, whom police did not identify, was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition. This could have been worse in the sense that it is...daylight, inside a community, a residential area, where there are children in the area and you have someone waving a machete, Miami-Dade Police Spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said. It is a grave danger to the community and thankfully there were officers able to respond rather quickly. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be investigating the shooting as well as Miami-Dade police. Authorities have not said what charges the man may be facing. This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested that public investment capital be fully disbursed this year, viewing this as a key political task that requires the involvement of the entire political system. During a teleconference with ministries, agencies, and localities on August 21, the second of its kind since the first on July 16, the PM said localities have been more aware of the need for the disbursement of public investment capital, which has helped create jobs and propel growth. Nearly 45 percent of all public investment capital is likely to be disbursed by the end of August. Most ministries, agencies, and localities have pledged to disburse 95-100 percent, especially those with large amounts, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong, as well as those with many national projects, such as Dong Nai province. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, 52 out of 53 ministries and centrally-run agencies and all of the country's 63 provinces and cities have outlined plans to allocate State budget capital this year. Nearly 455.5 trillion VND (19.8 billion USD) from the State budget, or 95.4 percent of the plan, has been earmarked for eligible projects. Seven ministries and centrally-run agencies and 31 provinces and cities have proposed increasing central budget allocations by over 13.5 trillion VND. Seven working delegations led by the PM and Deputy Prime Ministers and the ministers of finance and planning and investment have inspected the effort at ministries and localities to tackle difficulties. The PM said a symposium on official development assistance (ODA) will be held in the near future. The Ministry of Planning and Investment has been assigned to work closely with the Finance Ministry and the Government Office to prepare for the event. If public investment capital is fully disbursed, the economy could grow by 1 percent. Therefore, leaders of 31 ministries and centrally-run agencies and 13 localities with disbursement of less than 35 percent and 15 percent must learn from experience and disburse all capital this year, he said. Secretaries of municipal and provincial Party Committees, Chairpersons of municipal and provincial Peoples Committees, ministers, and heads of sectors are also be responsible for the effort. PM Phuc agreed to establish a working group in charge of dealing with difficulties in key projects. The government leader also urged the speeding up of construction of key national projects, such as Long Thanh International Airport, the eastern section of the North-South Expressway, and the My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway. The senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black and Brown people at the hands of law enforcement have caused outrage and righteous indignation within the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community. As a result of such tragedies, communities across the country and the world rallied to protest racism, police brutality and to demand that justice be served. Concerningly, hate groups are attaching themselves to activities in our communities and across America each day. Although these issues are not new to the City of Danbury, the lack of attention and effort from Danbury officials to address and improve these conditions have resulted in an even stronger urgency to bring forth change. These injustices further manifest themselves through the lack of adequate diversity in our citys law enforcement as well as in our public school educators. Locally, we witnessed this type of injustice with Mayor Mark D. Boughtons practically unique-to-Connecticut compliance with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices. Those acts resulted in the Danbury 11 situation back in 2006. Since then, the assumption has been that that level of insensitivity to Danburys diversity was behind us and that our city had moved forward. However, at this time we cant fail to mention an aspect of Mayor Boughton and Chief Patrick Ridenhours involvement in the Back the Blue rally hosted at Danbury Police Department on August 8. This rally was promoted by Act for America, a well-known anti-Muslim, white supremacist hate group identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is unsettling that both Mayor Boughton and Chief Ridenhour participated in a rally that was endorsed by a hate group that is antithetical to their participation in the Black Lives Matter protest against racism and police brutality a short time prior. According to WalletHub, Danbury is ranked the most diverse city in the state of Connecticut and the 4th most diverse small city in America. It is ironic that Mayor Boughton has publicly proclaimed that racism is non-existent in Danbury. The community wants to take him at his word when he says that he celebrates the diversity of the city. But it is troublesome to realize that the taxes of our hard-working diverse citizens fund our police department whose job it is to serve and protect our very diverse city, yet this hate group felt at liberty to inject itself into and promote this local Danbury event. And seemingly without public recrimination. To be clear, this is not about anti-law enforcement support vs. pro-law enforcement support. This is not about a persons political affiliation or opinions. This is about human and civil rights issues that continue to be violated by hate groups of this type in our community and across America. As citizens who love our community, we are demanding change and holding our city officials accountable for their actions both positive and negative. It is apparent that Mayor Boughtons slogan People over politics has to extend to all members of our community and with that comes the responsibility of distancing the city from endorsements by this type of hate group. In light of the foregoing, we DEMAND the following: A public statement, not tweet, from Mayor Boughton issued publicly denouncing any association with hate groups as it relates to any public activity. The creation/development of a Diversity Compliance Official position. This city employee will be responsible for providing diversity oversight of city affairs, assisting in the recruitment and hiring of a more diverse city workforce, monitoring issues of diversity throughout city operations, and other related responsibilities. The immediate scheduling of a meeting with us to discuss local implementation of the recently enacted state legislation regarding police accountability (Citizens Review Board, training, policies etc.). Also to be included in the discussion should be a plan to implement recommendations made by the African American Community about two years ago regarding law enforcement working positively with this diverse community. As a strong, diverse, and caring community, Danbury deserves nothing less for all its residents. Community for Change partners include the NAACP of Greater Danbury; the Rev. L. Christopher Lewis, Pastor, Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Zion Church; the Rev. Wesley A. Johnson II, Pastor, The Gathering Christian Church; and other churches and organizations of the African American Community. India is poised to hire Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Ltd. and SBI Capital Markets Ltd. to help Life Insurance Corp. of India prepare for an initial share sale, people with knowledge of the matter said. The advisers will help evaluate the capital structure of Indias biggest insurer as well as aid the company in reworking its financial statement, according to a tender document issued in June. The government will soon invite bids seeking firms to value LIC, the people said asking not to be identified citing rules on speaking to the media. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is keen to go ahead with the initial public offering -- potentially Indias biggest -- to help plug a widening budget gap. The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the administration to boost market borrowing as revenue slumped following a nationwide lockdown. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance couldnt immediately be reached outside business hours. El Minsa y la Cooperacion Alemana GIZ suscribieron un convenio que permitira equipar establecimientos de salud donde se brinda atencion a comunidades indigenas de San Martin y Ucayali, asi como fortalecer las acciones de prevencion ante el #COVID19 en la Amazonia. #LaSaludNosUne pic.twitter.com/D8Y2ukaTJN by Pierre Balanian Several sources say that Lebanons Central Bank has enough reserves for only another three months. After this, subsidies for food and other basic necessities like bread, flour, fuel, and medicine would then end. About 55 per cent of the population could become destitute with 22 per cent sliding into poverty. Just before the recent Beirut explosions the Pm and the central banks governor discussed the issue. Hunger haunts the country as it did a hundred years ago. AsiaNews Help devastated Beirut campaign continues. Beirut (AsiaNews) What had been feared for months is happening; Lebanons Central Bank is about to declare bankruptcy. Some trusted sources told AsiaNews yesterday that in three months the Banque du Libans reserves are likely to drop to US$ 17,5 billion, which it cannot spend because it is legally required to keep 15 per cent of the country's deposits in reserve. This means that government subsidies for food and other basic items like bread, flour, fuel, and medicines will stop three months from now. Such subsidies cost US$ 700 million a month and are designed to keep prices low. Now, financial experts and business reports in Lebanon are saying the same thing: the central bank has no more dollars. At present, it is impossible even to find Lebanese pounds. ATMs barely give out a third of the allowable amount and are often empty of cash. Now ordinary Lebanese expect the banks, the central bank, the governor and the government are preparing to "raid depositors accounts, that they are "filing for bankruptcy", that the banks will merge into one that give shares in lieu of actual money in the accounts," shares that will be worthless in the stock exchange. The Governor of the Central Bank Riad Salame recently sought an emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) equal to his countrys share, 800 million dollars, but, although possibility under the IMF constitution, the request was turned down. If the Lebanese government withdraws all price support to basic foodstuffs, prices will jump immediately for more than half of the population who already are reduced to one meal a day, instead of the usual three. Perhaps in the coming months it will be possible to help the poorest with coupons whilst liberalising consumer prices. However, this will turn more than 55 per cent of the population into beggars and threaten 22 per cent of the population, or 850,000 people, with poverty. Recently, sources close to former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab (whom people are beginning to call the most honest and loyal head of government Lebanon has ever had) have revealed to the media the contents of his last conversation with Riad Salame, on 30 July. Riad, we have enough reserves, right?" Diab is supposed to have said. And the governor of central banks answer was: "Yes, we have a margin of 2 billion (dollars)," but added we cannot touch the compulsory reserves" (i.e. 15 per cent of the deposits that banks are required to keep in the central bank, about US$ 17,5 billion). A few days later, the Port of Beirut was hit by two explosions. Now, with the immediate emergency over, the first shock and pain absorbed, it is back to the festering wound and the rumour mill is now saying that the Central Bank is about to run out of money. Months ago, the world media predicted a future of hardship and hunger for Lebanon, similar to the disaster of the 1915-1918, when Turkey tried to crush the Lebanese through hunger. History will tell us once again whether hunger and death will be visited upon today's Lebanese. In order to help the people of Beirut and Lebanon, as well as Caritas Lebanon, AsiaNews has launched 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 A woman in Phu Yen Province had spent several years training labourers to become skilled garment workers, helping them escape poverty. Van Thi Xuan Lan guiding a sewing worker. Van Thi Xuan Lan is deputy director of An Hung Garment Factory in Tuy Hoa City, and she knows the struggles of poverty well. Born in a poor family in Hoa Tri Commune, Phu Hoa District of Phu Yen, as a very young girl, Lan started working in tailoring to support her family. After many years in the profession, in 1997, at the age of 21, she applied for a job at An Hung Garment Factory in Tuy Hoa. With unceasing efforts, she earned several management positions from head of a sewing chain to deputy manager of a workshop. An Hung Garment Factory specialises in outsourcing garments for fashion brands to export to Japan, the US and Europe. Skills required Skilled workers are needed to make fashionable clothes, but the factory was always short of qualified employees, as many workers quit shortly after being trained. As a manager, Lan had to work out how to keep well-trained employees working at the factory in the long term. After months, I found a solution. I applied the model 'promote on-site job training' at the factory, Lan said. Experienced workers and I directly tutored newly-recruited employees and made periodical assessments of the skills and development of each worker, Lan said. She also arranged workers in the sewing chains based on their level of skill, helping ease the pressure on workers so they didn't want to quit, she said. The workers still continued to receive training during their working in the factory to increase their skills and productivity, she said. Once they had teams of highly skilled workers, she proposed the factorys leaders innovate production chains to improve productivity and product quality and increase workers' income as well. Tran Thi My Trang, who has worked at the factory for five years and is a deputy manager of a workshop, said: I was grateful for Lans tutoring." Previously, I worked at home as an amateur tailor which brought me a small and unstable income, Trang said. When I joined the factory, I had basic sewing techniques. But after a few months of tutoring from Lan, I mastered many difficult techniques to make fashionable clothes, she said. Stable jobs and incomes helped the factory keep employees for longer terms and also attract more new workers. The average income of a garment worker ranges from VND6 million to 10 million (US$260-430) per month, depending on the workers skill levels. It was difficult to train a good employee but keeping them wholeheartedly contributing to the company was even more difficult, Lan said. At work, along with the responsibilities and attention of managers, good employees also need guaranteed income and adequate benefits, said Lan. This was a prerequisite for them to decide whether to work for the company for a long time or not, she added. Since earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many businesses into difficulties but Lans factory still receives many orders. With many years of experience, Lan has researched and successfully applied initiatives to increase productivity for the factory. The most prominent is the initiative of using a one-needle steam tube in the sewing stage to triple sewing productivity and cut labour costs, helping the factory save billions of dong. Thanks to her dedication, Lan, a poor girl-turned-to-deputy director, received a Certificate of Merit from then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2015. VNS VN textile and garment industry warned of big difficulties The Covid-19 epidemic which broke out six months ago has seriously affected textile and garment companies. Midland Crime Stoppers and the Midland County Sheriffs office are offering a $2,500 reward for anyone who has information on the whereabouts of a woman who was reportedly last seen in Midland in 2018. Caitlin Denison, 22, was last seen on January 10, 2018, after she allegedly flew into Midland from Reno, Nevada, with an unidentified male who resides in Midland, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram report. Atlassian billionaire Mike-Cannon Brookes is embroiled in legal proceedings brought by disgruntled shareholders in the United States against self-driving car startup Zoox over its $US1.3 billion ($1.8 billion) sale to Amazon. The Zoox shareholders claim the proceeds of the sale were "dwarfed" by transaction and other bonuses paid to Zoox executives, and a majority of the Zoox board including Mr Cannon-Brookes had been conflicted in their roles in the sale process. Mr Cannon-Brookes is not named as a defendant and was not one of the executives who was paid a bonus. Zoox was co-founded by Jesse Levinson (left) and Melbourne designer Tim Kentley-Klay (right). Credit:Shaughn and John The self-driving car startup was co-founded by Melbourne entrepreneur Tim Kentley-Klay in 2014 and backed by heavyweight Australian investors including Mr Cannon-Brookes, who invested $100 million in the company, venture capital fund Blackbird Ventures and superannuation fund Hostplus. Filming for the adaptation of Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel, Nine Perfect Strangers, began in Byron Bay last week, yet the celebrated Hollywood cast are not exactly getting the royal treatment. Nicole Kidman leads the cast in Nine Perfect Strangers. Credit:Jordan Strauss The cast, which includes US comic and Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy, Boardwalk Empire's Bobby Cannavale and our very own Nicole Kidman, have been spotted driving themselves to and from the nearby film set. Whereas celebrities in the US are often chauffeured around in blacked-out, paparazzi-proof Cadillac Escalades, the Strangers cast are behind the wheel of stock-standard Mitsubishi rental cars. The eight-episode series follows nine strangers who spend 10 days at a remote health retreat in the Australian bush. Kidman stars as Masha, the director of the retreat, and is also co-producer of the show. Governing party nominates 78-year-old president to run in October poll, opposition says the move is unconstitutional. Ivory Coasts governing party has formally selected President Alassane Ouattara to run for a third term in an October election, despite furious opposition allegations that the move violates the constitution. Ouattara, who has governed since 2010, said in March he would not run again. But his preferred successor, then-Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, died in July, leading the party to ask Ouattara to reconsider. His opponents say the two-term limit in the constitution bars him from running again, but the 78-year-old and his supporters say a 2016 constitutional change clears the way for him to seek re-election. Ouattaras decision has triggered outrage among opposition and civil society groups, who labelled it a coup that risked triggering chaos. After Ouattaras re-election announcement earlier this month, mass protests descended into three days of violence in which six people died and 100 were wounded during clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. On Saturday, the governing Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace party said Ouattara was nominated as its candidate at an event attended by 100,000 people in a stadium in the countrys commercial capital, Abidjan. We remain focused on the election, with a record to defend and a project to propose to Ivorians, party spokesman Mamadou Toure told AFP news agency, branding the street demonstrations against Ouattaras candidacy a dismal failure. Rival candidates rejected The government announced on Thursday it was banning all outdoor protests until September 13 in the wake of the deadly demonstrations this month. Outtaras change of heart has heightened tensions before the October 31 vote. Ivory Coast, one of the worlds biggest producers of coffee and cocoa, is still traumatised by a brief civil war that erupted after elections in 2010, when the then-President, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to cede to the victor, Ouattara. On Friday, election authorities rejected appeals by Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro to be allowed to run in the election. The two men had appealed to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) against a decision to not include them in electoral lists for the ballot. Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after he was cleared in 2019 of crimes against humanity over the 2010 election unrest. He resides in Belgium. His return to Ivory Coast would be sensitive before the presidential election. His Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party urged him to throw his hat in the electoral ring. Soro, a former rebel leader, has been forced into self-imposed exile in France in the face of a long list of legal problems at home. He was a leader in a 2002 revolt that sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest. Soro was once an ally of Ouattara, helping him to power during the post-election crisis in 2010 but the two eventually fell out. Brisbane and Ipswich residents with a runny nose or a sore throat have been told they are more likely to have COVID-19 than the flu. Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has urged people, even with very mild symptoms, to be swabbed for coronavirus following an outbreak at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre. "I can clearly say, in Brisbane and in Ipswich, if you have got symptoms of the flu, it is most likely to be COVID, not flu," Dr Young said. "We have got very, very little flu in our community and we do have these seven cases of COVID. Addressing the UN Security Councils session on Somalia situation and operations of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) on August 20, Ambassador Quyconveyed sympathy over difficulties that Somalia is facing due to the multiple disasters of locust, flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy voiced support of efforts by the Somali Government in organising election, stressed the solidarity and national reconciliation between the government and member states, and called on all parties to strengthen dialogue and mutual trust. He condemned terror attacks using self-constructed explosives of Al-Shabaab force targeting civilians, security forces and staff and offices of the UN, while vowing to continue to joining hands with the UN as well as regional and international organisations in assisting Somalia for the goal of peace, stability and development. At the event, UN rapporteurs recognised progress in the Somali situation and lauded the Somali Governments efforts to conduct dialogue with localities, while showing concern over a number of problems in the country. They held that Somalia will continue to counter humanitarian crises due to impacts of flooding, locust and the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the council supported the upcoming election in Somalia. They also affirmed the role of the UNSOM in Somalia. The UNSOM was set up in 2013 with an aim to maintain peace, reconciliation and build capacity for the Somali Government, supporting the Somali Government and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) to resume peace and construct the administration, while helping the country to coordinate international sponsorship. Since 2013, the UN Security Council has convened meetings every three months to update operations of the UNSOM. Hay & Forage Grower is featuring results of research projects funded through the Alfalfa Checkoff, officially named the U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative, administered by National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA). The checkoff program facilitates farmer-funded research. Potassium deficiency is largely to blame for nearly 90% of the stand losses in an alfalfa stands fourth year after establishment in North Dakota, said Marisol Berti. The North Dakota State University (NDSU) forage and biomass crop production researcher is working to reduce those losses. Her efforts on two research projects funded by National Alfalfa & Forage Alliances Alfalfa Checkoff and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) show farmers it pays to apply potassium fertilizer to alfalfa. That research may also allow them to use less fertilizer, save costs, improve winter survival, and boost alfalfa yields. Checkoff research is looking at potassium fertilizers effect on alfalfa yield, quality, and persistence, comparing three fall dormancies, varied rates of application, and harvest stress on soils with different smectite-to-illite ratios. North Dakota mapped its smectite and illite clays in 2017 after Dave Franzen, NDSU soil scientist, found potassium (K) responded differently in crops depending on the amount of those clays in soils. Soils with greater than 3.5 smectite-to-illite ratios pull some K back into thin clay layers when soils are dry; that traps and makes K unusable until soils moisten. Soils with lower smectite-to-illite ratios provide K to crops no matter the soil moisture. For alfalfa to be persistent and high yielding, supplemental K is needed, particularly on higher clay-ratio soils. But many farmers arent applying K even though harvested alfalfa removes about 50 pounds of it per ton of dry matter, Berti said. Early spring release of K from soils will supply first-cutting alfalfa, but more K is needed in later cuttings. For alfalfa, the critical soil test K level of 200 parts per million (ppm) is needed in soils with the greater-than-3.5-smectite/illite ratio, and 150 ppm in soils with the lower ratio. Two farmers, one with high-smectite fields and one with a low-smectite area, let Berti plant alfalfa experiments on their land. Both soils were also very low in potassium, averaging about 100 parts per million (ppm). With only seeding-year results, I wasnt expecting much of a forage yield difference, Berti said. But we anticipate next year we will find differences in forage yield among treatments. We didnt expect that potassium changed the quality of alfalfa, but it increased ash content and lowered total digestible nutrients (TDN). I think, when you fertilize with high rates of K, you have higher deposition of K in stems and possibly a higher stem-to-leaf ratio, she added. Currently, one of Bertis students is analyzing roots collected for carbohydrate and protein levels, because K plays an important role on translocation of photosynthates from the tops of plants to roots for winter. Berti is seeing more soils with K deficiency and greater alfalfa winterkill and hopes her research will convince farmers that fertilizing alfalfa with potassium in K-deficient soils is profitable. The spring 2020 soil sampling showed that even where 300 pounds per acre of potassium oxide (K2O) treatments were applied in 2019, soil test levels remained at about the same level as plots without K application approximately 100 to 120 ppm of available K. The removal of K by alfalfa biomass in two cuts last year only explains less than half of the rate of K applied. We will analyze nonextractable potassium in soils to determine if high-smectite clay soils are immobilizing K in the clay layers, Berti explained. Microbiome impact The NIFA research, funded through the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems Research Program, was built on the Checkoff research. It looks at how fertility treatments and varieties affect the soil microbiome, a general term describing all microorganisms found in soil. Berti and Heike Bucking, South Dakota State University biologist and microbiologist, are investigating arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities within the microbiome that can help move K toward plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) provides an extra radical network that allows alfalfa plants to scavenge nutrients further than their root systems allow and go into those layers within the clays to take potassium out, Berti explained. Its a really interesting and new concept. Were excited because the interaction of alfalfa with AM is not well-known, and we do not really know which AM fungal communities are colonizing alfalfa in the Upper Midwest. Seeding-year findings show potassium fertilization increased ash content and lowered TDN. Potassium may increase alfalfas stem-to-leaf ratio and increase yield, forage quality, and persistence. Photo: The Canadian Press Protesters throw Molotov cocktails at parliament building during protests in Basra, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Demonstrators burned the outer gate of the entrance to the parliament building in Basra province, the area that produces the lion's share of the crude exporting country's oil. The country's main parliament building is in the capital Baghdad. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani) Protesters torched parliament offices in Iraq's oil-rich south on Friday following days of inaction by the government after two activists were assassinated. Demonstrators burned the outer gate of the entrance to the parliament building in Basra province, the area that produces the lion's share of Iraq's oil. The building holds the local offices of Iraq's main parliament building'in the capital Baghdad. It was the most violent incident in Basra since mass anti-government demonstrations in October, when tens of thousands took to the streets in Baghdad and across the south to decry government corruption. Protests also erupted in Basra in the summer of 2018. An Associated Press photographer witnessed demonstrators clash with security forces by hurling molotov cocktails. At least eight security personnel were injured in the clashes, said Ali al-Bayati, spokesman for the semi-official Independent High Commission for Human Rights. Protesters had gathered to demand the resignation of Basra governor Asad al-Eidani after two activists were gunned down in the city in the past week. Activist Reham Yacoub was killed in Basra on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen. Yacoub was a respected activist who had been active in the October demonstrations. Days earlier, activist Tahseen Osama was killed by armed men. That killing prompted dozens of protesters to take to the street, and police responded by firing live rounds at them. In response, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had Basra's chief of police sacked. But protesters said this was not enough, decrying inaction by the Iraqi government over the two killings. They carried banners calling for the actvisits' killers to be held accountable. Al-Eidani bears the greatest responsibility" for the deaths of the activists, explained protester Ahmed Qassim, because he is the head of the Supreme Security Committee and he is responsible for bringing any party involved in the assassinations to court. Because he did not move a finger, he is complicit in the suppression of protesters by force, Qassim said. Al-Kadhimi is on a visit to Washington D.C. to conclude strategic talks expected to shape the future of U.S.-Iraq relations, and the future of the U.S. troop presence in the country. Anniversary of Assad's Brutal Chemical Weapons Attack on Ghouta Press Statement Morgan Ortagus, Department Spokesperson August 21, 2020 Today marks a somber anniversary in the history of the Syrian conflict. In the early morning hours of August 21, 2013, in the Damascus suburbs of Ghouta, the Assad regime killed more than 1,400 Syrians, many of them children, with the chemical agent sarin. The United States estimates conservatively that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons on its own people at least 50 times since the conflict began. On this day we remember and honor all of the victims of Assad's chemical weapons attacks. The United States remains determined to drive chemical weapons use to zero and hold the Assad regime accountable for the Ghouta attacks and the many other heinous acts it has perpetrated against the Syrian people, some of which rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United States and other responsible nations took unprecedented action last month at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) by adopting a decision condemning Syria for its possession and use of chemical weapons and setting out measures Syria must take. Any failure by Syria to fulfill these measures by the deadline set will result in a recommendation to the OPCW's full body, the Conference of States Parties, to take further action. In addition, various authorities including Executive Order 13894 and the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act allow us to level travel restrictions and financial sanctions against those who enable the Assad regime to commit its litany of atrocities, including its use of chemical weapons. Yesterday, for example, we announced sanctions against six more of Assad's financial, political, and military advisors. These are just some of the steps the United States is taking to promote accountability for the Assad regime and its enablers. On this sobering day, we urge the international community to advance efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable for its heinous acts and to rid the world of the scourge of chemical weapons once and for all. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has started planning for the Ganga Sagar Mela, the second largest congregation of pilgrims in India, after the Kumbh Mela in Prayag. The Ganga Sagar Mela is held in January every year. The first meeting to plan for the mela was held on Thursday with various departments including the police, irrigation and transport among others. Various aspects of the preparation for the mela were discussed in detail keeping in mind the Covid-19 pandemic situation, said P Ulaganathan, district magistrate of South 24 Parganas. To celebrate Makar Sankranti, the first major Hindu festival in the Gregorian calendar, more than four million people bathe in Gangasagar where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal. This year, because of the pandemic, elaborate plans have to be made to maintain social distance and hygiene. A significant portion of the mela budget could be spent in this regard. The budget would be prepared soon, said an officer of the district administration. More than 1.32 lakh people have already tested positive for Covid-19 in Bengal and the state is registering more than 3,000 new cases every day. A total of 2,689 people have died in the pandemic so far. The chief minister is expected to hold the first virtual administrative meeting on Monday. District officials are expecting some more clarifications and directions regarding the mela preparations during the meeting. Usually the first meeting is held in the month of July and preparations start soon after, But because of the pandemic we are late this year. Joint visits by the police, district administration and engineers to inspect the mela ground and jetties would be held soon, said an officer. Preparations have also started for the Durga Puja, the largest festival in Bengal in October. Chief minister Banerjee had shown keen interest in organsing the puja and festival this time despite the pandemic. The citys only forum of puja organizers has drawn up detailed guidelines on how the festival may be held by maintaining social distancing norms despite the pandemic. We cant forecast what the situation would be in October-end. The puja would be held for sure. The question is whether the week-long festival can be organized. We are being optimistic and have prepared the guidelines with the presumption that the festival would be held, said Saswata Bau, general secretary of the Forum for Durgotsab. JACKSON, MI -- August is usually a busy month for events around the Jackson area. From the Jackson County Fair to the Childrenz Challenge, Relay for Life, Raft-O-Rama, NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway and the Civil War Muster, August typically provides a lot to do. The novel coronavirus has changed all that for 2020, with most of these things being canceled or altered. Here are 40 of our favorite photos from these past events. Scroll down or click the gallery above to check them out. Elvis tribute artist Matt King prepares to perform at the Jackson County Fair on Monday, August 7, 2017. The fair runs until Saturday. (J. Scott Park | Mlive.com)MLive Media Group Kids work their way through the course during the Childrenz Challenge at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. About 2,000 kids tackled the wet and muddy course.J. Scott Park | MLive.com A "U.S.A." themed raft during Raft-O-Rama on Clark Lake on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. The theme of the event was "Countries of the World." (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park Young fans reach out for high fives from during the 49th Annual Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018. Kevin Harvick of the Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford team finished in first. (Ben Allan Smith/MLive.com) Photos by Ben Allan SmithPhotos by Ben Allan Smith Teams make their way around the track during the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Cascade Falls Park on Friday, August 3, 2018. The annual event raises money to fight cancer. (J. Scott Park | Mlive.com) J. Scott Park People join the fun during Raft-O-Rama on Clark Lake on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. The theme of the event was "Countries of the World." (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park A decorative sign hung on the awning of an RV during the Monster Energy NASCAR Practice and Qualifying Series at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith/MLive.com) Photos by Ben Allan SmithPhotos by Ben Allan Smith Paul Menard (21) high fives fans before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Alexandria Burgess (15) of Grass Lake, takes a nap with her pigs, Peter Parker, bottom, and Mary Jane, top, during the first day of the Jackson County Fair, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018, in Jackson.Nikos Frazier Scenes from the Childrenz Challenge at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. This is the fifth year for the event. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park A "Cuba" themed raft parades on the water during Raft-O-Rama on Clark Lake on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. The theme of the event was "Countries of the World." (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park A group of Canadians play cornhole in the infield at Michigan International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Scenes from the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Cascade Falls Park in Jackson on Friday, August 2, 2019. The annual event raises money to fight cancer. J. Scott Park | MLive.com Fans cheer from the infield during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Scenes from the 59th annual Raft-O-Rama on Clark Lake on Sunday, August 4, 2019. The theme for the year was video games. Fourteen rafts participated in the event.J. Scott Park | MLive.com A line forms for Fiske fries at the Jackson County Fair on Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. The fair continues until Saturday. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott ParkJ. Scott Park Scenes from the Jackson Civil War Muster, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, at Ella Sharp Park in Jackson. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Teams make their way around the track during the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Cascade Falls Park in Jackson on Friday, August 2, 2019. The annual event raises money to fight cancer. J. Scott Park | MLive.com Matt DiBenedetto (32) makes a pit stop during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Betsy George of Taylor, a nurse, poses for a photo during the Jackson Civil War Muster, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, at Ella Sharp Park in Jackson. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Riders in the infield at Michigan International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Scenes from the Childrenz Challenge at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. This is the fifth year for the event. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park Delainey Cottrell, 11, of Clark Lake snuggles with a lamb at the Birthing Barn at the Jackson County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park The Himalaya ride sends hair everywhere at the Jackson County Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018. The fair runs until Saturday. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park A cutout of President Donald Trump greets visitors at the Jackson County Fair on Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. The fair continues until Saturday. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park The pace car leads the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier A "U.S.A." themed raft parades during Raft-O-Rama on Clark Lake on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2018. The theme of the event was "Countries of the World." (J. Scott Park | MLive.com) J. Scott Park 4-H swine showmanship takes place at the Jackson County Fair on Monday, August 5, 2019. The fair unveiled a new layout this year with the midway and food court moved to new locations. J. Scott Park | MLive.com Scenes from the Civil War Muster at Cascades on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. (Jake Crandall | Mlive.com) MLive Media GroupMLive Media Group Survivors observe a prayer during the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Cascade Falls Park on Friday, August 3, 2018. The annual event raises money to fight cancer. (J. Scott Park | Mlive.com) J. Scott Park Kids make their way through the Childrenz Challenge course at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, August 19, 2017. The muddy and wet obstacle course allows kids to have fun in a safe environment. This is the fourth year for the event. (J. Scott Park | Mlive.com)MLive Media Group The Civil War Muster in 2017.MLive Media Group Survivors and supporters make their way around the track during the American Cancer Society Relay for Life at Cascade Falls Park in Jackson on Friday, August 2, 2019. The annual event raises money to fight cancer. J. Scott Park | MLive.com Crews work though a thick layer of fog before practice laps for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, in Brooklyn, Mich. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier A Union soldier helps a comrade off the field after being "wounded in battle" during the Jackson Civil War Muster reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg, The Peach Orchard, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, at Ella Sharp Park in Jackson. (Nikos Frazier | MLive.com) Nikos FrazierNikos Frazier Kids work their way through the course during the Childrenz Challenge at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. About 2,000 kids tackled the wet and muddy course.J. Scott Park | MLive.com From left: Penny Taylor, Jill Ward, Patty Ward, and Sadie Reinbeck take shots of Apple Pie Moonshine from the surface of a snow ski during the Monster Energy NASCAR Practice and Qualifying Series at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan on Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith/MLive.com) Photos by Ben Allan SmithPhotos by Ben Allan Smith A dance at the Civil War Muster in 2018.Nikos Frazier More text exchanges between actor Rhea Chakraborty and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt have been revealed. A day after bits of their conversation on the day Rhea left her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajputs house were leaked to the press, further exchanges -- this time even on the day of Sushants death -- have been revealed. Sushant died on June 14, at the age of 34. India Today shared messages, which span June 9 to June 15. On June 10, Mahesh sent Rhea a forwarded image and wrote, Sometimes to really see things the way that they truly are, you have to take a step back, and another step, and then a few more. Rhea replied, So true. still just about getting my vision back. Goodmorning. On June 12, Mahesh sent another message: Loneliness plays a key in nurturing the seed of personal creativity and birthing ones true self. On June 14, the morning of Sushants death, Rhea sent Mahesh a message at 9:35 am, Goodmorning sir. I demand my dose of energy via the morning quotes you send on WhatsApp. Thats it love you. Mahesh replied back, Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor, followed by Love you child. Rhea replied, Love you sir, my angel. At 2:35 pm on June 14, Mahesh texted Rhea, Call me, but did not receive a response. He called her twice on WhatsApp at around 4 and 5 pm. ALSO WATCH | Sushant case update: Film-maker questioned; Bihar cop defends aukat jibe Previously leaked chat messages revealed that Rhea had left Sushants house -- where she had been stationed during the lockdown -- on June 8, and told Mahesh about it. Rhea told the filmmaker, Aisha moves on..sir..with a heavy heart and sense of relief . Aisha is the name of her character in the film Jalebi, produced by Mahesh. She added, Our last call was a wake up call. You are my angel You were then And you are now. He replied, Dont look back. Make it possible what is inevitable. My love to your father . He will be a happy man. Rhea responded, Have found some courage,and what you said about my dad tht day on the phone pushed me to be strong for him. He sends you love and thanks you for always being so special. Also read: Rhea Chakrabortys WhatsApp chat with Mahesh Bhatt on day she left Sushant Singh Rajputs house revealed: Youve unclipped my wings Sushants family has accused Rhea of abetting his suicide, siphoning off his funds, among other allegations. The case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Mahesh has been questioned by the Mumbai police in connection with Sushants death, along with more than 50 others. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday (August 22, 2020) busted a terror module linked to the Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) and arrested five of its operatives from the Bandipora district. According to reports, the five arrested terror associates of ISJK are from different places in Bandipora and one of them is from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Incriminating material and a large cache of ammunition has been recovered from their possession. Matrix sheets, ISJK flags, war-like stores and ammunition has been recovered from their possession. "On preliminary inquiry, it was found that these terror associates are affiliated to terror outfit ISJK. They have carried out a recee of the Indian Army camp to attack it in future, the Bandipora Police said. Besides they were providing support and motivating/radicalizing the youths to join the terror outfit, furthermore they were making flags of ISJK in Chittibandy, Aragam and further supplying it to their associates in Srinagar, it said. The J&K Police has also registered a case in this regard and launched an investigation into the matter. The case FIR No.30/2020 under UAPA Act has been registered at the Aragam police Station and further investigation is on, the police said. Arizona News Mesa, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that Sharon Ashcroft, of Mesa, was sentenced to six years in prison for stealing over a thousand insurance company checks issued to doctors she worked for in Tempe between 2011 and 2017. Beginning in August of 2011, Ashcroft worked as a part-time medical biller for two ophthalmologists. Ashcroft would deposit insurance checks issued to the doctors for patient care into bank accounts she controlled. She then fraudulently wrote off the balances associated with those patients in the software system as uncollectable bad debt from insurance companies, uncollectable bad debt from patients, or insurance payment reductions/adjustments due to contracted rate of reimbursement being lower than what the doctors charge. A new office manager discovered the fraud in February of 2017 when she contacted an insurance company and learned that the bills were paid. A review of Ashcrofts financial records showed she spent the stolen money on elaborate vacations for her and her family to locations such as New York, Ireland, Mexico, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C. She also spent tens of thousands of dollars on spa treatments, furniture, cars, and her daughters wedding. In October 2019, Ashcroft pleaded guilty to attempted Fraudulent Schemes, a class 3 felony, and Theft, a class 2 felony. She was remanded into custody after her sentence was imposed on August 5, 2020. Following her release from prison, Ashcroft will be placed on four years of supervised probation and will pay $651,330.65 in restitution to the doctors. American will pull 15 pins out of its domestic route map in October; United increases frequencies to Shanghai from SFO and Emirates plans a return to the airport next month; Uniteds SFO-Santa Maria service is delayed again; United and Air Canada change aircraft from SFO to Vancouver and Toronto respectively; Volaris will add a new route to Mexico from Mineta San Jose; Delta will continue its empty middle seat policy through the year-end holidays and also extends its change fee waiver; and Southwest adds new service to a Colorado ski destination. You can't get there from here... American Airlines suggested earlier this month that it might suspend service to a number of smaller cities once the federal governments mandatory service rule expires in October. (That rule required airlines that benefited from the governments bailout funds to continue flying to all U.S. cities on their route map.) And now American is getting specific. It announced this week that it will suspend service on Oct. 7 to 15 smaller cities, including Del Rio, Tex.; Dubuque and Sioux City, Iowa; Florence. S.C.; Greenville, N.C.; Huntington, W. Va.; Joplin, Mo.; Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich.; Lake Charles, La.; New Haven, Conn.; New Windsor, N.Y.; Roswell, N.M.; Springfield, Ill.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Williamsport, Pa. "This is a huge shot across the bow of Congress, signaling that without more money many districts will lose more air service. Fourteen of the fifteen cities are in different states, making this a problem for 28 senators," writes Gary Leff on his View from the Wing blog. Almost a million dollars? Yep. A new factoid revealed by the Transportation Security Administration this week: During fiscal 2019, travelers going through the security checkpoints at SFO left behind $52,668 in currency and loose change, forgetting to take it back from the bins after screening. That was the second-highest total in the U.S. after New York's JFK, where travelers overlooked $98,110. Nationwide, the agency said, the total left behind was $926,030. The Transportation Dept. said this week that the U.S. and China have agreed to a slight expansion of the very limited airline service that currently exists between the two countries, which was virtually shut down during the pandemic. The new pact lets United and Delta increase their China service from two flights a week to four, and also allows Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Xiamen Airlines to increase their U.S. flights to a total of eight a week instead of the current four. (At the beginning of this year, airlines operated almost 300 flights a week between the two countries.) United said it plans to increase its existing twice-weekly service between San Francisco and Shanghai to four a week starting Sept. 4, using a 777-300ER. The United flights to Shanghai Pudong operate via a stop at Seoul Incheon. With the increased schedule, westbound departures will operate Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and eastbound segments will depart Shanghai on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Delta will boost its China schedule Aug. 24, adding a second weekly frequency to Shanghai from both Seattle and Detroit. Both of those routes also operate via a stop in Seoul. According to the latest filing of a schedule update from Emirates, the carrier plans to come back to San Francisco International on Sept. 15, offering three weekly flights to Dubai. On the same date, Emirates is planning to return to Seattle with three weekly flights. It will use 777-300ERs on both routes. The airline is already flying to Los Angeles, New York JFK, Boston, Chicago, and Washington Dulles, and the latest schedule update includes plans to start flying to Houston Aug. 23, Orlando Sept. 2, and Dallas/Ft. Worth Oct. 1. On the domestic side, Uniteds planned new service from San Francisco International to Santa Maria, Calif., on the central coast has been pushed back again. Instead of starting the daily CRJ200 service in October, United has now scheduled it to begin March 4 of next year. The airlines planned Denver-Santa Maria service has also been delayed until March, and its proposed Los Angeles-Santa Maria route has now been canceled. In Canada news, Uniteds twice-daily SFO-Vancouver flights will switch from A319s to Skywest ER175s in September, and Air Canada plans to replace the Airbus A320 on its five weekly SFO-Toronto flights with a new Airbus A220 starting Sept. 9. Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, low-cost Mexican carrier Volaris said it plans to kick off service Nov. 9 between Mineta San Jose and Mexico City with flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using a 179-passenger A320. Volaris already flies from SJC to Guadalajara, Leon/Guanajuato, Morelia and Zacatecas. Volaris also will begin service from Mexico City to other California cities in November, including twice-weekly flights to Fresno (starting Nov. 11), Ontario (Nov. 9) and Sacramento (Nov. 10), along with twice-weekly roundtrips from MEX to Houston as of Nov. 12. Unlike its two largest competitors, Delta has made a point of continuing to block middle seats from its available inventory, giving passengers assurance of a little extra distance from their fellow travelers. And now Delta is extending that policy again, continuing it through the holiday travel period to Jan. 6, 2021. (Parties of three or more traveling together can still book three adjacent seats.) As travel picks up, we will continue to look for opportunities to upsize to a larger aircraft type or add more flights, Delta said. The airline has also extended its waiver of change fees, which now applies to all flights departing through the end of the year and all tickets purchased between March 1-Sept. 30. In Colorado, United will add service Nov. 11 from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyo., with a daily Skywest CRJ200 flight. Aeromexico has resumed Denver-Mexico City service with twice-weekly 737-800 flights. And Southwest Airlines will introduce a new intrastate route for the ski season, operating three flights a day between Denver and Steamboat Springs from Dec. 19 through April 5. Southwest has some other new routes in the works as well. In addition to Denver-Steamboat Springs, it will begin twice-weekly Dallas Love Field-Steamboat Springs service Dec. 19, daily Denver-Charlotte flights Dec. 18, six weekly roundtrips between San Diego and Norfolk starting Jan. 5, and daily service between Washington Reagan National and West Palm Beach, Fla., starting Jan. 5. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. It is absolutely true that I remain an unrepentant critic of former President Mahama. I can also venture to state in all honesty that I hate him not, and cannot and would not in any way bring his name into disrepute in the name of political gimmicks. But that being said, it is neither an insult on my part to stress inexorably that an individual has no competence to hold a particular position nor slanderous to assert that someone is devoid of the qualities requisite for effective conduct of a position. However, it may be slanderous or libellous to refer to someone as a womaniser if it turns out to be untrue. It is so because we are talking here about the individuals hard earned reputation. For instance, I wont take it as a character assassination if you tell me I am only a good lawyer but incompetent to be an effective communicator. However, I will take an exception to the reference of a dictator or a womaniser, because it would be a malicious and unjustifiable harm to my reputation. Let us therefore remind the chorus bandwagon that while it is absolutely wrong to refer to someone as an unrepentant womaniser, it is also disgusting to malign an innocent person as a mindless dictator, for instance. It is against this background that I am so mindful of the ongoing vineyard news about former President Mahamas alleged extra marital affairs. There is this notion of me being a womaniser which is certainly not true. I have had children outside my marriage, but I am at peace with my wife. She understands the circumstances in which it happened said President Mahama (Daily Guide/peacefmonline.com). In the grand scheme of things, a womaniser is an individual who pursues women lecherously or passionately. Deductively, a womaniser is a liar, and a liar may be susceptible to dodgy deals. In theory, therefore, it is impossible for one to keep several concubines, unless you are an inveterate liar. In other words, you have to engage in a lot of 'propaganda' in order to have your way. More so, how do you provide all your numerous concubines with financial support if you have 'a shallow pocket'? I am afraid the likely scenario is for the individual to resort to dubious practices, including bribery and corruption in order to support income to feed the abhorrent habit of keeping several concubines. Womanisers, especially those who have no qualms about fathering children out of wedlock, are far more likely to succumb to the criminal act of bribery and corruption in order to sustain their financially consuming addiction (Okoampa-A. K, 2012/ghanaweb.com). Clearly, there is a correlation between womanising and corruption. It is against this background that I am expressing concern about the womanising innuendoes being directed at President Mahama. It would be recalled that when President Mahama was first selected as the running mate of the then candidate, late Mills in 2008, Mr Mahamas official curriculum vitae released at the time indicated that he had nine children. However, the CV was allegedly withdrawn and replaced with a new one stating seven as the number of his biological children (Daily Guide/peacefmonline.com). Apparently, the preceding puzzling and seemingly weird omission rightly generated a nationwide gossip over the actual biological children of former President Mahama. In fact, there were contrasting figures from the vineyard news. While some vineyard branches delineated twenty three children from ten different mothers, other vineyard branches mapped nineteen children from nine separate ladies and so on. All the same, in his interview with the Africawatch, President Mahama made it clear that he had had children outside his marriage, but his wife understands his extra marital affairs (modernghana.com). Apparently, the former presidents father, the late Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a former regional minister in the Nkrumah regime had 19 kids by various women. The president admitted in the Africawatch interview (Daily Guide/peacefmonline.com). Yes, we were many siblings from different mothers, but one of the things he did was to bring us together and made sure that every single child of his was put through school. He gave us the opportunity, former President Mahama said. However, in the case of the presidents children, they are living apart, perhaps making it difficult to know one another (Daily Guide/peacefmonline.com). Somehow, former President Mahamas admirers would strangely contest that crab does not bring forth a bird. The Mahama supporters, however, would argue forcefully that after all, the Presidents father, the late Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a former regional minister in the Nkrumah regime had 19 kids by various women. Well, this is where I disagree with President Mahamas diehard admirers. My disagreement is predicated on the fact that the Presidents father was a devoted Moslem, whose religious beliefs entitled him to marry up to four women. On the other hand, President Mahama has pegged himself off the Islamic principles and sought refuge in Christianity, where polygamy is forbidden. Indeed, there are not many saints around these days, but the fact of the matter is that we cannot portray ourselves to the whole world that we are saints, meanwhile we are worse than the Lucifer himself. After all, doesnt the holy book say let your light shine in the dark? Other sympathisers however insist that if indeed President Mahama is indulging in extra marital affairs, it is his private matter and no one has the right to intrude into his private life. Nevertheless, my response to that schools of thought who hold such a view is: Mahama is the former President of Ghana and the 2020 flagbearer of the largest opposition party in the country, and therefore every patriotic Ghanaian has every right to be concerned with any bad name that would tarnish not only Mahamas image, but the whole nation. In ending, for me, I have no business digging into President Mahamas private life. A womaniser or no womanizer, it is up to him as a former president of Ghana and now NDCs 2020 flagbearer to explain to Ghanaians and the whole world whether it is morally right to allegedly cheat his wife by keeping several women alongside his wife. K. Badu, UK. [email protected] Two newly formed tropical storms could become almost simultaneous threats to the U.S. Gulf Coast early next week. They could even get sucked into an odd dance around each other. Or they could fall apart as they soak the Caribbean and Mexico this weekend. Tropical storms Laura and Marco have such bad and good environments ahead of them that their futures were not clear late Friday. Computer forecast models varied so much that some saw Laura becoming a major hurricane nearing the U.S., while others saw it dissipating. If both storms survive the weekend, the National Hurricane Center forecast that Laura would as head a hurricane toward the central Gulf Coast around Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, while Marco aimed at Texas, though most likely remaining a tropical storm. A lot of people are going to be impacted by rainfall and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico, said Joel Cline, the tropical program coordinator for the National Weather Service. Since you simply dont know you really need to make precautions. Two hurricanes have never appeared in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records going back to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The last time two tropical storms were in the Gulf together was in 1959, he said. Because the hurricane center slowed Lauras entrance into the Gulf and moved its track westward, the two storms are now forecast to be together in the Gulf on Tuesday, just before the weaker western storm smacks Texas with Laura making landfall a bit less than a day later. The hurricane center on Friday issued tropical storm warnings for the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. Laura was forecast to hit Puerto Rico on Saturday morning, go over or near the Dominican Republic and Haiti late Saturday and Cuba on Sunday. Laura, which set a record for the earliest 12th named storm of a season when it formed Friday morning, was moving through the northern Leeward Islands late Friday, about 195 miles (315 kilometers) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was heading west at 18 mph (30 kph). The hurricane center also issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for part of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula for Marco, which grew into a tropical storm Friday night. Late Friday, it was centered about 210 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). It was headed northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). If the two storms make it, they could be crowded in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time Tuesday about 550 miles apart. That would leave open some weird possibilities, including the storms rotating around each other in a tropical two-step, pulling in closer to each other, nudging each other, weakening each other or far less likely merging. The last time two storms made landfall in the United States within 24 hours of each other was in 1933, Klotzbach said. It seems fitting for 2020 to have this type of twin threats, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. Of course, we have to have two simultaneously land-falling hurricanes, McNoldy said. Its best not to ask whats next. On Friday morning, a hurricane-hunting airplane found Lauras center to be dozens of miles farther south and better formed than satellite images showed. That triggered a shift in the forecast track, putting Caribbean islands more at risk and an upgrade to tropical storm status. If Laura goes over land, Puerto Rico and the mountains of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba could tear it apart and not make it much of a threat to the mainland United States, meteorologists said. But if it misses or skirts land, it could head into warm waters conducive to strengthening as it approaches Florida, meteorologists said. With competing scenarios, the hurricane center is forecasting a middle range for Laura of a weak hurricane heading into the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Officials in the Florida Keys, which Laura might pass over on its route into the Gulf, declared a local state of emergency Friday and issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone living on boats, in mobile homes and in campers. Tourists staying in hotels should be aware of hazardous weather conditions and consider altering their plans starting on Sunday, Monroe County officials said in a news release. Citing both storm systems, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Friday night. It is too soon to know exactly where, when or how these dual storms will affect Louisiana, but now is the time for our people to prepare for these storms, Edwards said in a statement. Meteorologists said Tropical Depression 14 has a better chance of surviving its early land encounter, then strengthening to a minimal hurricane over warm water, but the hurricane center was forecasting it to weaken before it reaches the U.S. Gulf Coast because of decapitating high winds. ___ Associated Press reporter Freida Frisaro in Miami 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 VILNIUS: Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will meet U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Lithuania on Monday as part of efforts to defuse the crisis over disputed elections, her team told Reuters. The No. 2 U.S. diplomat will stop over in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius en route to Moscow as Washington seeks a peaceful resolution to the crisis that would avert Russian intervention. In the biggest challenge to Lukashenkos 26 years in power, people have taken to the streets in many Belarusian towns, including in its capital Minsk, for nearly two weeks, protesting against the result of an Aug. 9 election that they say was rigged to hand the president re-election. 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 Students gathered at a university in Waco, Texas, were caught on camera apparently flouting coronavirus guidelines on August 21. Footage by Zach Tufenkjian shows groups of Baylor University students hanging out and playing football at the colleges Fountain Mall. Despite warnings from Baylor University the City of Waco Mayor himself, students are continuing to congregate on Fountain Mall tonight in close proximity. Most of them do not have face coverings, Tufenkjian tweeted. Credit: Zach Tufenkjian via Storyful Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has asked Ghanaians not to sit down for former President John Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rubbish President Akufo-Addo's free SHS education programme. According to him, the Ex-President doesn't have the slightest idea how some families had to struggle to send their children to school. To him, if he and his NDC knew the relief that the free SHS has brought to parents, they wouldn't bastardize the policy. ''Who told you the parents and families will not be grateful and support the President? Who told you?'' he questioned the opposition party. Dr. Okoe Boye, speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', shared a personal life story of how his late mother struggled to further his education. He was almost brought to tears as he recalled passing his final examinations with excellent grades - 12 ones - and due to his family's financial constraints, his dream to obtain a secondary education was almost shattered but for his mother wouldn't give up on him. He said his mother sold her utensils to find money and send him to school. ''Because of financial problems, I followed my mother to go and sell her utensils that she had gathered for the past 20-30 years since she was born . . . I was with my mother; we sold all to a certain woman for admission to PRESEC, he fondly told host Kwami Sefa Kayi. Dr. Okoe Boye told his emotional life story not necessarily for people to throw him a pity-party but to tell Ghanaians how grateful they should be to President Nana Akufo-Addo for introducing his free SHS policy. ''The three years of education is what can make a difference between a hustler who is a problem unto himself and society and a gentleman who is the faith and the destiny of his country, he asserted. He was thankful to the President for lifting the huge burden on parents and families by absorbing the fees of their school children. ''Akufo-Addo has not only competence but compassion and woe unto you if your leader is only knowledgeable but not having a good heart.'' 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 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday said it voluntarily deported 118 illegal immigrants, including women and children, back to their country from Libya, Trend reports citing Xinhua. IOM said in a statement that "118 Ghanaian immigrants stranded in Libya over COVID-19 restrictions boarded a flight home yesterday." "All were medically screened by IOM prior to departure and received personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizers, and psychosocial assistance," it added. "The organization will continue to provide support during a 14-day quarantine period in Ghana and later, it will provide reintegration assistance," the statement said. Before the Libyan authorities closed the country's borders as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, IOM had been running a Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) program that arranges the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin. "We continue to operate a hotline for immigrants and to work very closely with embassies, the Libyan authorities, and governmental entities in countries of origin to help people return home and rebuild their lives," said the program manager Ashraf Hassan. In the first quarter of 2020, IOM's VHR program helped 1,466 stranded immigrants return home from Libya, the statement said. The state of insecurity and chaos from which Libya has been suffering since the downfall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011 triggered the wave of illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean from the country towards Europe. Chirag Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party president and MP from Bihars Jamui constituency, is vocal in his criticism of the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, even though it is a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In an interview to Smriti Kak Ramachhandran, he said he conveyed his concerns about holding elections to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the NDA. Edited excerpts: Your party is a part of the NDA. Yet, there seems to be a disconnect between the LJP and the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), and disagreements on some issues. There is a lot of disagreement between the LJP and JD(U). The basis of my disagreement is that a lot of promises were made to Bihar that were not delivered. Consider the present scenario. Bihar is facing dual challenges of the unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak and the annual flood fury that have affected a lot of people. It is a matter of grave concern the way the state machinery is working. I expected my chief minister and my government to perform better and to deliver more, but he (Kumar) disappointed us all. What has disappointed you the most? The day the migrant worker crisis started I expected the government to help them and not leave them to die on highways. I expected that buses would be sent to ferry them back home, as was done by Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. I dont know if any direct benefit transfer was done because a lot of people whom I met dont seem to have received any. But the biggest issue right now is the way our government is playing with the lives of the Biharis. A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with a few CMs through a video-conference. Soon after the meeting the PM tweeted some states are required to improve their testing records and Bihar topped the list. On that day, though about 75,000 tests were conducted, the PM said categorically that there is a need to improve. This implies that something is wrong somewhere. What is also going wrong is that until now about 90% of the testing is being done through the rapid antigen detection (RAD) test, which even the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said should only be conducted in Covid-19 containment zones or during emergencies in hospitals. So not only are we not testing enough, but we are also not doing it the right way. In such a scenario, are you willing to be a part of the NDA? At present, I am not even thinking about elections; I dont understand how my CM is thinking about elections at a time when 18 districts are flooded and Covid-19 cases are increasing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis. You have said this to the ECI, but have you mentioned this to the BJP or raised it at an NDA meeting? At a meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda a few weeks ago, I mentioned this to him. I had said our priority should be to control the pandemic and we should not be thinking about the elections. So will you participate, if the ECI decides to hold the polls on schedule? The call has to be taken only by the ECI. And if that happens, then we will participate because we are prepared for the elections but we would prefer not to hold them now. As a head of a political party, it is my responsibility to give a correct picture about the state of affairs to the ECI. Political parties are not meant to only contest elections -- to win or strategise. We have a much bigger social responsibility as well. Bianca Hildenbrand and Ken Dorman. Amelia Elliott, who co-ordinates a social media group for affected couples started a parliamentary petition on the issue. Ms Elliott says the visa trap has snared hundreds and the backlog of applications lodged stands at about 90,000. Mr Clarke said he and Ms Bazykina became concerned in June that the travel bans would be extended for longer than expected and began applying for an exemption for Anastasiia to travel on compelling and compassionate grounds. They have had four applications ignored and a further 16 rejected, one just 17 minutes after applying. "They are rejecting our life and for me and my girlfriend that's been traumatising," Mr Clarke said. "I am now very severely depressed because of these exemptions. Right now I feel hopeless, I don't know what to do. You can't talk to anybody," he said. Bianca Hildenbrand and Ken Dormann. American Ken Dorman gave up his seven-year career as a mechanic with the US Air Force to move to Australia to wed his fiancee Bianca Hildenbrand who lives on the Gold Coast. "I don't want to raise kids where I currently live, the living conditions are a lot safer, the opportunities are better in Australia," he said, speaking via Zoom from Florida. They applied for a Prospective Marriage visa but it is still being processed. The department of Immigration takes almost two-and-a-half years to process 90 per cent of Prospective Marriage visa applications. Paul Iskander and his French fiancee Monica. Like Mr Clarke and Ms Bazykina, they have been on the receiving end of Australia's bans, once having a exemption application, including 95 pages of documents, rejected within 30 minutes. "I was shocked because we put a lot of thought into the statement." Ms Hildenbrand said the rejection was astonishing given they supplied more documents for their request than they did for their original visa application. "Ken's given up his entire military career and we've just been left, forgotten and completely excluded from the travel exemption," she said. Paul Iskander, from Australia, and Monica, from France. Paul Iskander from Sydney and his French fiancee, Monica, are another couple running out of time before their visa also expires in November. The Coptic Orthodox Christians met at an international youth conference in Egypt in 2018. Monica had a visa to enter Australia and marry Paul Iskander but because of the travel bans she cannot enter. The couple successfully applied for the Prospective Marriage visa but, like Mr Clarke and Ms Bazykina, are facing the prospect of it expiring before the travel ban is lifted. Declan Clarke's fiancee is in Russia and they have until November to get married or they they will lose their money and their visa. Credit:Wolter Peeters "We got the visa approved. I don't understand why they say now we can't be together and live together. "I'm Paul's partner but not having the same rights I consider it as being not really fair," she said. Loading The majority of MPs who believe the bans are too harsh are reluctant to criticise them publicly because they are supported by the broader public. In love but out of luck with the government: Declan Clarke and fiancee Anastasiia Bazykina. Labor MP Julian Hill said the government needed to urgently address the issue. "Is the government seriously saying people will have to fork out another $10,000-$15,000 and start the years-long visa process again and hope they might get lucky? "We are a fair and decent country, if people play by the rules they should be treated properly, not have the government run off with their money." A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said the travel bans had been implemented on the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and Prospective Marriage visa holders were eligible to apply for exemptions. "The government will ease travel restrictions once it is safe to do so and consider options for visa holders who were unable to travel to Australia during this period," the spokesman said. The department did not answer The Sun Herald's request for the number of Prospective Marriage visa holders who have been granted exemptions. Independent MP Zali Steggall said she had been inundated with emails from Australians caught by the travel bans and called for the national cabinet to set out sustainable long-term policies to address the consequences they were having. "Everyone is extremely conscious of how effective our closed border policy has been in limiting the health crisis, and we are all supportive of that," the Member for Warringah said. "But what we do need to understand is how distressing it is for people in relationships, or people with urgent family situations where there are sick family members or a death in the family. Ms Steggal said she supported continuing quarantine paid for by travellers as that would address any public health risks from returning Australians and travellers. An undated handout photo made available by the Biden Harris Campaign shows former US Vice President and presumptive Democratic candidate for President Joe Biden with California Senator Kamala Harris, released after the campaign announced that Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate on 10 August, 2020: EPA Joe Biden said he would not hesitate to shut down the country again if scientists recommended the measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In his first joint interview with running mate Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee criticised his opponent Donald Trumps rush to reopen after a nationwide lockdown as a fundamental flaw in his handling of the pandemic. I would shut it down; I would listen to the scientists, Mr Biden told ABC, when asked how he would respond if experts recommended it. I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. Because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. That is the fundamental flaw of this administrations thinking to begin with, he added. More than 175,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began the highest number of deaths anywhere in the world. It also has the most confirmed cases, at more than 5.6 million. After playing down the threat of the pandemic when it first arrived in the US, the Trump administration moved quickly to reopen areas across the country in order to prevent economic damage. Mr Trump famously said we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself, in reference to the economic impact the shutdown had caused. Many states who rushed to reopen are now facing surges of cases again. Georgia, Florida and Texas were among the first to reopen, now they are leading the country in the number of new cases per capita. Mr Biden said beating the virus was the only way to get the economy moving again. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus, he said. ABC released excerpts of the interview on Friday, ahead of its broadcast on Sunday. Mr Bidens comments were followed a day later by an unsubstantiated claim by president Trump that the deep state is delaying a coronavirus vaccine until after the election. The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics, he wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, was nominated by Mr Trump for the role in 2019. A novel tells you far more about a writer than an essay, a poem, or even an autobiography, says Martin Amis. He then adds, My father thought this, too. This statement is especially intriguing in light of his soon-to-be-published book, Inside Story (Knopf, Oct.), which the publisher is billing as an autobiographical novel. Amiss life has been exceptional. He has enjoyed great success, and the company of literary notables from birth. His father was Kingsley Amis; his stepmother was acclaimed writer Elizabeth Jane Howard; and Philip Larkin, one of the finest English poets of the last century, was a family friend. His peer groupformed largely while he was studying as an undergraduate at Oxfordincludes Christopher Hitchens, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie. I apologize for all the name-dropping, Amis writes in the book. Youll get used to it. I had to. He then counters that its not actually name-dropping when, aged five, you say Dad. These relationships alone ensure that Inside Story will attract enormous comment, but condemnation will likely follow. Amis is accustomed to this. Hes long been a fascinationand a punching bagin the U.K., where his status as a celebrity author has done him no favors. The British love to hate this native son. In a negative review of his 2012 novel, Lionel Asbo: State of England, in the Independent, Amis was called one of those writers about whom it is increasingly difficult to find anything worth saying. In a 2014 article for the Guardian (titled Why We Love to Hate Martin Amis), Spectator literary editor Sam Leith wrote, There is no living British writer who garners as much attention as Amis, so much of it hostile, and so much of that hostility, circularly, arising from the attention itself.... Its as if, and in answer to some inchoate public need, we demand of Amis that he say things in public so we can all agree on what an ass he is. Now almost 71, Amis displays the kind of confidence that only a privileged white man can downplay. Or, to paraphrase British actor Michaela Coel, nearly all men of his age and milieu carry themselves in this waywithout fear of interruption. Nonetheless, Amiss contribution and commitment to literature are substantial. And his very particular upbringing was, in reality, an apprenticeship. Inside Story engages with some of this background, traversing territory covered in Amiss well-received 2000 memoir, Experience (which he wrote in response to his fathers death in 1995). But Inside Story is a very different book. It is presented as fiction, though Hitchens, Kingsley Amis, and other real figures from Amiss life make appearances as characters. The names are slightly changed for others, such as his wife and children. And some characters are entirely fictitious, though its not always clear which, making the work something of a play on the concept of memoir and novel writing. On another level, the novel allows those with knowledge of Amiss literary circle to play a guessing game about who might have actually said, and done, what. Inside Story begins with an invitation to join Amis in his home, and one of the best qualities of the book is its regard for the reader. Amis acknowledges this during a call from his home in Brooklyn. You have to love the reader, he says. Its not about toadying to the reader but loving and respecting them. A book is nothing without a reader. The relationship between writer and reader is very mysterious and fascinating and not terribly well explained. There is an intimacy to reading a novel because you feel you know the writer embarrassingly well. The great excuse for a public event is that its great to meet a reader. There is plenty to make the reader feel cherished in this novel, particularly if they like highly wrought literary criticism or are fans of those within Amiss personal orbit. Inside Story describes encounters with those people over time and, along the way, explores ideas of childhood, family, love, literature, politics, terrorism, aging, illness, and death. The world of the book is one that now seems very distant: Everyone smokes and drinks copiously as they work. A career in journalism provides plausible means. Social change is often tentative. Social media doesnt exist. One might feel some nostalgia, especially if one is of a certain demographic. The tone of the book is generous. Amis has very much sought to praise rather than to blame. Im not an angry person, he explains. Ive read autobiographical stuff thats full of settling scores and smearing people. Im so glad I dont have that. Amiss father was married to Howard for 18 years and, according to Amis, during his teenage years they provided him with a vision of how to live as a writer. It did feel like an exciting household, he explains, noting that fellow writers were always dropping by. The rumor is that writers are at each others throats. But Ive never found that to be true. Those feelings belong at the periphery, if your confidence reasonably corresponds to your abilities. Accordingly, Inside Story contains wonderful considerations of what it is to be a writer, the importance of reading while writing, and writing while reading. It offers, in a way, what Amiss parents gave him: an insight into the lives of writers. Most fictions, including short stories, have their origin in the subconscious, Amis writes in Inside Story. Very often you can feel them arrive. It is an exquisite sensation. Nabokov called it a throb, Updike a shiver: the sense of pregnant arrest. The subconscious is putting you on notice: you have been brooding about something without knowing it. Fiction comes from therefrom silent anxiety. And now it has given you a novel to write. The richness of this passage and others like it are nearly eclipsed by the startling plot involving Phoebe Phelps, with whom the character of Amis has a doomed five-year relationship. Their relationship is funny, wretched, and very readable. The night of shame is a darkly comic highlight in which Phelps refuses to have sex with Amis yet again and he starts to pay her for various sexual acts. Several decades later, long after their breakup, the 9/11 attacks prompt Phelps to reconnect with Amis. When the pair reunites, another remarkable scene occurs: she tells him that he is not the son of Kingsley Amis. It would spoil the story to say more, though the question of who Amiss real father is will likely prompt much discussion. Amis is reluctant to reveal much but clarifies that Phelps represents an anthology of various women he has known, and that she took on a life of her own. He also confirmed that the post-9/11 scene had not taken place but rather was something Phoebe would do. In the book, Amis expresses relief that he has reached 70 and escaped both the self-doubt of middle age and the arrogance of youth. But during our call, he seems a little less assured. It had been difficult, he says, to find a creative flow while writing this book. Age is a real consideration. There are so many ways you start to decay. Your certainty of what goes where tends to be harder to convince yourself of. And some very basic givens of writing a novel dont fall into your lap. This is not evident from reading Inside Story. It is markedly more sincere than some of Amiss previous work, and events and insights seem to flow seamlessly. His love for literature is earnestly shared. The Phelps plot is audacious and well done. A lifetime of scholarship is reflected in the quality of the writing. But there is still material to derange, or perhaps delight, Amiss detractors. Some references to women are jarring at best, and the perspective is certainly one of great privilege. Amis says he feels fatalistic about the launch of his 15th novel. He seems particularly stung by the criticism of Lionel Asbo, whose portrayal of working-class lives led to accusations of voyeurism. Youve got to be able to do what you want if you write, he says. If you feel the urge to write about something, thats all you need. I was scolded by a critic about the working classes, and suddenly one wonders why he feels qualified to write about it. Im not going to seek anyones permission to write. Fiction is freedom, or its nothing. Sinead OShea is a writer and filmmaker in Dublin. She has contributed to Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, and the New York Times. Thousands of people have been forced into isolation after six new coronavirus cases were recorded in New Zealand. It comes after nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Auckland on Friday, an upswing from five on Thursday. Four of Saturdays new cases are epidemiologically linked to the cluster in Auckland two are household contacts and two are church contacts, while the other two remain under investigation. New Zealands Ministry of Health said on Saturday there were 145 people linked to the cluster who had been moved into the Auckland quarantine facility. Health officials reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. Source: AAP This includes 75 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as their household contacts. On Saturday morning, 2,060 close contacts had been identified 2,004 of which have been contacted and are self-isolating, while the rest are in the process of being contacted. The new cases bring the countrys total number of confirmed cases to 1,321, while there are 111 cases currently active. Sixteen of the active cases are imported cases from managed isolation facilities. Nine people are being treated in hospital two in Auckland City Hospital, four people in Middlemore, two people in North Shore Hospital and one person in Waikato Hospital. Six people are stable on a ward and three people in Middlemore are in the intensive care unit. Jacinda Ardern on Friday compared New Zealand's cases to the United States. Source: AAP Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday compared New Zealand's case numbers to the United States to highlight how well her country had managed cases. New Zealand is among a small number of countries that still has a low rate of COVID-19 cases and one of the lowest death rates in the world, she said. For example, the United States has 16,563 cases per million people. We have 269 cases per million people. Today in New Zealand we're talking 11 cases whereas the United States is dealing with over 40,000 cases. Our approach has been different to other countries, but it's an approach I think we can all feel very proud of. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Iffath Fathima By Express News Service BENGALURU: A resident of RT Nagar has alleged that a private hospital in the city delayed the discharge of his newborn due to his inability to pay treatment bills, which ran into lakhs of rupees. Finally, the baby was discharged on Friday. Shahid Ali Baigs daughter was born prematurely on April 7 at Motherhood Hospital in Hebbal after doctors recommended a C-Section. After four months of treatment, the hospital said on August 14 that she could be discharged, but allegedly refused when Baig could not pay the full dues. The hospital has denied any lapses. Baig said hospital staff told him that the baby needed to be in the ICU for 5-12 days as she was born prematurely. I told them I couldnt keep her there for so long as I would not be able to bear the expenses, Shahid told The New Indian Express. Shahid, a sales executive, said he suffered income losses during the lockdown. The hospital said it would be a maximum of 12 days but then extended it to one month, he said. He was then told that she became critical and needed surgery at the Indiranagar branch. I was surprised because they did not inform me earlier that she was critical. Suddenly, they said she needed surgery, he said. The baby was then put on ventilator support for 20 days and underwent three surgeries. Last Friday, they told me I could take my baby, but then refused when I couldnt pay the full amount, he said. Shahid said he borrowed money from relatives and also got help from a charitable trust, but could arrange only Rs 12 lakh. However, he was asked to pay an additional Rs 8 lakh, which he didnt have. On Thursday, he took to Twitter to narrate his ordeal, after which people began questioning the hospital. The hospital discharged the baby on Friday after the outrage on Twitter, he said. A spokesperson from Motherhood said the baby was born prematurely at 33 weeks, with multiple complications that required intensive care. The team has provided continuous care to the baby and has involved the parents at every stage of the treatment process with their consent. On request of the father, we also extended financial aid and have assisted the parents seek crowdfunding to bear the treatment cost, the hospital said. The border into the Northern Territory from South Australia. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images for The World Solar Challange) Australias Northern Territory Goes to the Polls Incumbent chief minister Michael Gunner has ruled out Labors involvement in a minority government as the Northern Territory goes to the polls. His party is tipped to retain power at election on Aug 22 but theres a chance his numbers in the 25-seat parliament could slip from the current 16. No deals. Stability and certainty, no deals, Gunner told reporters on Saturday when asked of his willingness to form a minority government. Particularly during a public health emergency. Gunner refused to say if he would step down as leader if Labor loses and conceded it was a close contest against the Country Liberal Party and newcomers Territory Alliance. Labor has campaigned on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling voters its the party to see the NT through the crisis. We are asking them to choose between secure borders or open borders. We are asking them to choose between jobs not cuts, Gunner said. Despite its success protecting Territorians from COVID-19, the Gunner government has been criticised for its handling of the economy rated as the nations worst performer by CommSec for the June quarter. Mother-of-two Brydie Hill said shes not worried about the NTs finances and voted Labor because of their environmental programs. Im not sure everybody should be trying to make the Territory Singapore, she said when asked about the economy. If people move away and Darwin gets smaller, it wont bother me. CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro has repeatedly pointed to the NTs skyrocketing debt during the campaign, saying 11,000 jobs had been lost on Labors watch. We want the Territory to be a can-do place that it used to be. This government has squandered that opportunity to make peoples lives better, she said. Finocchiaro has promised to fast-track major projects and simplify mining taxes to signal to the world the territory is open for business. Retiree John Britton says he voted for CLP in the past but supported Labor this election. The last six months have been tough and I think theyve done as good a job as anywhere and deserve another go, he said. Finocchiaro has also ruled out doing deals to secure power, saying she was fighting hard to win a majority in parliament. Its a view shared by the Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills who says the pollsters and bookies tipping Labor have got it wrong. They didnt predict Morrison. They didnt predict that change, he said. Aaron Bunch in Darwin The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe Rhode Island has provided cause for optimism that schools and child-care programs can reopen safely during the coronavirus, The Washington Post reports. A federal study published Friday on 666 Rhode Island child-care centers that reopened this summer found that new coronavirus cases and secondary transmission linked to the centers were limited. During a two-month period between June 1 and July 31, there were 52 confirmed and probable cases reported across 29 programs, and 20 of the programs reported only one case, while only four centers had cases that involved possible spread of the virus, the study found. CDC Director Robert Redfield said the "inspiring" article showed "there is a path" to reopening child-care programs and possibly schools safely. The reasons behind the initial success don't appear too complicated enrollment was restricted to 12 (then raised to 20), staff members and students were confined to specific groups, masking was required for adults, and adults and children were screened daily for symptoms. Basically, people had to buy in, which is simple at first glance, but has been a struggle throughout the pandemic. Rhode Island also allowed for the centers to reopen at a time of low community spread. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Study, called the data "encouraging," though she doesn't think the study alone is enough to extend the findings to schools since "we think transmission risk may increase with age." But, she added, "the finding that safety measures, such as mask-wearing, can potentially prevent secondary transmission, should increase our confidence that these measures will be important in school settings." Read more at The Washington Post. More stories from theweek.com Melania Trump reportedly taped making 'disparaging' remarks about president and his children Putin critic Navalny was poisoned, German hospital says The wackiest moments of the 2020 RNC roll call Luxury cells for Rs. 200,000: DSG reveals Sampayos alleged prison rackets By Ranjith Padmasiri View(s): View(s): The Negombo Prisons interdicted superintendent, Anuruddha Sampayo, had allocated luxury cells to inmates for sums ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 200,000, the Attorney Generals Department told court this week. When the case was taken up before Negombo Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya, Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris said some of the cells resembled hotel rooms and that the interdicted prison superintendent had taken money from drug dealers and other inmates to house them in these cells. Based on information provided by other prison officers and inmates who had spent time in these cells, it has been found that money for this purpose had been left at the prisons canteen. Aside from Mr. Sampayo, other suspects who were produced in court were Negombo Prison Chief Jailer Sarath Upali Bandara, Acting Jailer Nishantha Senaratne and Second-Tier Jailer Prasad Kalinga Kaluaggala. The AGs Department alleged that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had uncovered that corrupt prison officers ran a racket inside the prison, selling heroin to inmates. The racket was directly supervised by the interdicted ex-prison superintendent and the drugs were weighed and distributed to prisoners in the L Ward, using an electronic scale, which had been recovered by detectives, DSG Peiris added. Investigations had earlier revealed that the interdicted superintendent had provided a range of items, including a fridge and a rice cooker, to a suspect who was arrested for possessing 200 kilograms of heroin. Though he had claimed that the fridge had been provided to the suspect to keep his insulin as he was a diabetic, prison doctors had told the detectives the suspect did not require insulin injections. It has also been alleged that Mr. Sampayo had earned up to Rs 150,000 a month from inmates by allowing them to use mobile phones. The luxury items which had been given to inmates for a fee had been listed as donations. Prison officers had given statements to the CID that they put the items down as donations on the orders of Mr Sampayo. Meanwhile, DSG Peiris told court that Mr. Sampayo had not been arrested in Kurunegala by the Negombo Police as claimed by its Headquarters Inspector (HQI). He questioned how the Negombo HQI could go all the way to Kurunegala without even possessing a copy of the arrest warrant and arrest the suspect when the CID was investigating the case. Alleging that the Negombo HQI had even treated the suspect to tea after his so-called arrest, DSG Peiris questioned whether it was because both the HQI and Mr Sampayo had studied together in the same school. He claimed that the whole saga of the suspects so-called arrest had come about as a result of a deal reached between him and the HQI. The DSG asked court to refuse bail to the suspects as releasing them on bail would undermine further investigations. Taking the submissions into consideration, the Negombo Magistrate ordered that the suspects be further remanded till August 31. Lori Van Buren/Times Union There were recently two low-risk COVID-19 exposures in Saratoga County, the Public Health Department and its team of contact tracers have determined. According to a statement Saturday, the first took place at the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs. An employee tested positive and worked from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11. The employee was wearing a mask at all times. Anyone who dined in the front dining room that day should self-monitor for signs and symptoms of the virus. Since education is done online, teachers dont just face the frustrations of dealing with technology, but also have to find new ways to keep their students engaged. Jennifer Griffin, principal at Grandview Middle School, said she's watched veteran teachers adapt to the virtual world. I had a veteran teacher who really struggled in the spring to adapt to remote learning, she said. Thursday, he came running up to my office with his Chromebook to show me what his kids were doing and how engaged they were. That type of enthusiasm, to run up to my office to share a success, is so important to keep us going. The joy he expressed was fuel to keep working and keep trying in those moments when things feel hard. Snowden said teachers only have a small screen to work with, but are learning how to better read a students body language to make sure they are paying attention and understanding the material. They are also offering help to one another as they are learning new ways to teach their students. Teachers are supporting one another, she said. Teachers are working from the schools, so principals have the opportunity to check in on classes and say hello to students. Two cars were reportedly set on fire after the attack Police are investigating a gun attack by a gang on a house in Coleraine, Co Londonderry. The attack, at a property in Thornlea Drive, took place on Saturday, August 22, shortly before 12:20am. A dark-coloured vehicle reportedly pulled up and a number of men got out and fired a number of a shots at the property, damaging several windows, and then driving off. A short time later it was reported two cars were set on fire, one on Ballindreen Road, opposite the junction of Liswatty Road in Coleraine, and a second vehicle close to the junction of Ballygawley Road and Mullaghinch Road in Aghadowey. Detective Sergeant Wallace said: "At this time all three incidents are being linked, and we are working to establish a motive for this reckless attack. "There were five people in the house, four adults and a child, when the gun attack was carried out and it is fortunate we are not dealing with serious injuries, or worse today. "I would appeal to anyone who has any information about any of these incidents, or who noticed any suspicious activity in the Thornlea Drive area yesterday evening to get in touch with our detectives in Coleraine by calling 101, and quoting reference number 39 of 22/08/20." Many people have donated to help the family of a man from the southern Vietnamese province of Tay Ninh who was bitten by a king cobra as he tried to catch it to earn money for his childrens tuition. Phan Van Tam, 38, was bitten by the venomous snake, which measured 2.5 meters long and weighed 4.6 kilograms, as he tried to catch it after finding it lurking in his homes yard on Wednesday. After receiving first aid at a hospital in Tay Ninh, he was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where he remained in the intensive care unit as of Saturday. According to Tams wife Bui Thi Ngoc Tuoi, doctors said all of his internal organs including his kidneys and liver were damaged by the snakes venom. He has been in a coma and put on a ventilator. The doctor said his leg [which was bitten by the snake] was necrotic and might need to be amputated, Tuoi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday afternoon. A donor talks to Bui Thi Ngoc Tuoi, wife of Phan Van Tam from southern Tay Ninh Province, who has been in critical health condition after being bitten by a king cobra, at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, August 21, 2020. Photo: Vu Thuy / Tuoi Tre Tuoi said that Tam tried to catch the king cobra in order to sell it to pay their childrens tuition. The man previously suffered a broken leg from a traffic accident and has been unemployed since. Both Tam and Tuoi work as day laborers to raise their two children. Given the familys financial difficulty, Tuoi has been borrowing money from their family members and relatives to cover Tams hospital fees. After learning about Tams story, many people have come to Cho Ray Hospital to give donations to Tuoi, including Nguyen Do Truc Phuong, who managed to raise more than VND100 million (US$4,300) from the online community. Had it not been for the support from the kind donors, I would not have known how to save my husbands life, Tuoi said emotionally while expressing her gratitude to the supporters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Sorry, spaghetti lovers: Canada has lost Ragu pasta sauce. The American purveyor of Italian-inspired flavour says its made the hard decision to pull its products from Canadian shelves. Ragu grabbed attention after confirming on Twitter last week it had exited the country. Numerous queries had been made by Canadians who were left scraping their jars while waiting for stores to restock their favourite beef or tomato sauce. The brand apologized to pasta lovers for any inconvenience, and said it hoped they enjoyed the tastes while they lasted. The brands owner, Mizkan America, did not return requests for comment about why or when Ragu was removed from the Canadian market. Ragu is warning American customers on its website that finding its sauces may be a challenge and its working to keep up with demand. STAMFORD Stamford parents have until Sunday to choose one of two options for their school-age children in the fall: distance learning or a hybrid plan that allows for in-person instruction. Those who do not answer the form by midnight will be placed in the hybrid model, according to a letter from Superintendent Tamu Lucero. However, families who do not respond in time and do not want to take part in the hybrid plan will have the opportunity to submit a change form, she said. Having accurate information for every student is critical for the district to complete our planning, determine course availability and establish schedules, Lucero wrote in her message. Amy Beldotti, associate superintendent for teaching and learning, said roughly 74 percent of parents who have already submitted the form have chosen the hybrid plan. Administrators have hosted parent webinars, and posted the reopening plan and a page of frequently asked questions on the school districts website to help parents make a decision. Nonetheless, parents still have many questions about what each model will look like. Plans call for the hybrid plan to split students into two groups: blue and green. They will each go to class every other school day, while resuming distance learning on the days they are not inside school buildings. In this model, student desks will be spaced out by about six feet, according to the district. Staff and students will be required to wear masks, except during meal time and mask breaks, and will be instructed to wash their hands and sanitize regularly. Students and staff, according to the schools, will have access to desk barriers, face shields, and other protective equipment as deemed appropriate and necessary. The other option for families the Distance Teaching and Learning Academy will essentially resume the full-time virtual learning model the schools used last semester in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 that shut down school buildings. Parents will have the option to transfer between the two models during the school year. Only you can decide what is best for your family, Lucero wrote. At this time, if you are more comfortable with your child attending school, in person, every other day, then the hybrid choice is your best option. If you are not comfortable at this time, then you should choose the Distance Teaching and Learning Academy. Neither option is better or worse than the other. Administrators are also encouraging parents to update their information in the online PowerSchool portal. For the first time, bus assignments and class schedules will be posted on the portal. We continue to work hard to reopen schools safely in just two short weeks, Lucero wrote. The first day of school is Sept. 8, though teachers will be inside buildings starting next week for a full week of training in anticipation of an unprecedented school year. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com News Washington, DC - President Trump in a Signing of a Proclamation on the 100th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment: THE PRESIDENT: Good morning everybody. Thank you very much for being with us. This is a big day in many ways many, many ways. The First Lady and I are delighted to welcome the members of Womens Suffrage Centennial Commission to the White House to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women securing the right to vote. Thats something. I want to thank the commission members who have worked tirelessly for three years to tell the very powerful story of Americas suffrage and Americas suffrage movement. Id like to introduce the women that have done such an incredible job for a long period of time. Jovita Carranza, SBA Administrator. Jovita? ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Right behind you. (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Jovita. ADMINISTRATOR CARRANZA: Hello, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Shes the biggest banker in the world right now. (Laughter.) Even though it says Small Business, its a big business, right? Kay Coles James, president of the Heritage Foundation. MS. JAMES: Right here, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: Great job. Thank you very much. Anna Laymon, executive director of Womens Suffrage Centennial Commission. Thank you very much. Good. Great job. Oh, youre going to be so happy in a little while (laughter) because were giving you a very special treat that you dont know about. Even you dont know about it. You know everything, you people. Cleta Mitchell, attorney, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. A great attorney, I might add. Beyond beyond an attorney. A great attorney. Okay? I know that for a fact. Thank you, Cleta, very much. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. You are going to be so happy MS. DANNENFELSER: I cant wait. THE PRESIDENT: in about seven minutes. You wont even believe it. (Laughter.) Karen Hill, CEO of the Harriet Tubman National Historic Park. MS. HILL: Right here. THE PRESIDENT: Congratulations. Great. Great job you do. Penny Nance, president of the Concerned Women of America. MS. HIGGINS: Behind you. THE PRESIDENT: Hi. How are you? Thank you. Heather Higgins, president of Independent Womens Voice. MS. HIGGINS: Thank you, sir. THE PRESIDENT: Hi. Hi, Heather. Thank you. Congratulations. Debra Steidel Wall, Deputy Archivist of the United States. That sounds like a very big job. (Laughter.) Thats a lot of archives, isnt it? (Laughter.) MS. WALL: It is. THE PRESIDENT: How many buildings does that take up, right? Great. Great job. I hear you do a great job. Thank you very much. Colleen Shogan, Deputy Director, National and International Outreach for the Library of Congress. Fantastic. MS. SHOGAN: Thank you. THE PRESIDENT: Thats another big one, right? MS. SHOGAN: Yes. THE PRESIDENT: Thats great. Congratulations. Thats beautiful. Susan Combs, Assistant Secretary of Policy Management and Budget at the Department of Interior. Thank you very much. Great job. Thank you all very much. Today, Im honored to sign a proclamation celebrating August 18th, 2020, as the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. In the summer of 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton stood before the first-ever womens rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, and declared that women should enjoy this fundamental civil right. What a job she did. Seven decades later, the suffrage movement succeeded. On this day in 1920, the United States ratified the 19th Amendment. It was a monumental victory for equality, for justice, and a monumental victory for America. Today, a record-breaking 131 women are serving in Congress. Nearly 70 million women vote in elections. Fifty-six percent of our nations college students are women. More than 11 million women own successful businesses. In other words, women dominate the United States. (Laughter.) I think we can say that very strongly. Before the China virus set in and struck our nation, women had gained 4.3 million jobs a record. The womens unemployment rate had plummeted to the lowest level in more than 65 years. And last year, over 70 percent of the new jobs went to women. And I will say were coming back very strongly, and were going to see those numbers again very soon. But the numbers that we have for unemployment and employment, frankly we had 160 million people working. Weve never even been close to that. And by next year, well be even higher than that number. Tremendous things are happening. As we fight to deliver a better future for all women and for all Americans, we remember the wonderful victory, one century ago. While I am President, America will always honor its heroes, and we will always celebrate the patriots who secured womens right to vote. So this is an incredible document that Im signing. And I wanted to just add something because this was brought up a week ago, and I was so surprised that it was never done before. Because later today, I will be signing a full and complete pardon for Susan B. Anthony. (Laughter.) She was never pardoned. MS. SHOGAN: Thats true. THE PRESIDENT: Did you know that? She was never pardoned. (Applause.) What took so long? And you know that she got a pardon for a lot of other women, and she didnt put her name on the list. So she was never pardoned MS. MITCHELL: For voting. THE PRESIDENT: and were for voting. Thats right. (Laughter.) MS. MITCHELL: She was guilty. THE PRESIDENT: Thats right. She was guilty for voting. And we are going to be signing a full and complete pardon. MS. MITCHELL: Thats fabulous. THE PRESIDENT: And I think thats really fantastic. Right? She deserves it. (Applause.) So thank you all very much. And let us sign, and well do the other signing later on. Its being prepared right now, and I look forward to doing it. Thank you very much. Please. (The proclamation is signed.) (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: So lets take these and hand these out, honey. Thank you. This is much better than signing one letter at a time. (Laughter.) Did you all see what those signatures look like? MS. MITCHELL: Theyre terrible. THE PRESIDENT: Theyre not theyre not good. Theyre not good. So thank you all very much. MS. JAMES: Thank you, Mr. President. THE PRESIDENT: And who would like to have the privilege of delivering this? Who would like to have that? MS. JAMES: Why dont we give it to our chair? THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I think so. I think so. Congratulations. Really fantastic. Lets get a picture. (A group picture is taken.) Thats a great picture. One hundred years. Would anybody like to ask any questions of the commission? Theyve done a fantastic job. If you have any questions, please. This is your this is your shot. This is your time. Q I have a question. THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. Q Mr. Trump Mr. President, you spoke about the suburban housewife and what you describe as her support for you. Im wondering if you can tell me what you think: What is a suburban housewife? And does the suburban housewife support the President? MS. NANCE: Well, Im Penny Nance. I run Concerned Women for America in my day job. And we actually are doing She Prays, She Votes events in 10 states, doing virtual events for women being held in small women-owned businesses, like clothing stores, manufacturing plants, any number. Susan B. Anthony was pro-life, and so are we. Women are concerned about their schools reopening. Theyre concerned about their businesses. And what better man to restart the economy than the one who did it the first time? THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. We did do it once, and were doing it again. And the number it looks like beyond a V. It looks like a super V, based on the kind of numbers were coming out. I guess youre seeing that. They were they they were saying, Thats not possible. And now theyre saying its a super V, and thats what were having. Any other questions, please, for the commission? Q Mr. President, can I ask about Saturday the House vote on the Postal Service bill? Is that something that you will veto? THE PRESIDENT: Well, well talk about that later. I mean, well talk about that. The Democrats want to make it a political issue. Its not a political issue; its really about a correct vote. You have to get voting voting right. You cant have millions and millions of ballots sent all over the place sent to people that are dead; sent to dogs, cats; sent to everyone. I mean, this is a serious situation. This isnt games. And you have to get it right. I just want to get it right. Win, lose, or draw I think were going to win win, lose, or draw, we have to get it right. Q So, are they getting it right with their bill? THE PRESIDENT: Well, theyre going to do something in Congress, but everything they do is political. As an example, why dont they do it now, instead of on Monday? They picked a day, actually they picked another day on Monday, as you know. Well, thats when the Republican Convention starts. Why dont they do it during the Democratic Convention? Because everything they do Nancy and Chuck they play games. Hows it working out? I think this is the White House, isnt it? Hows it working out for them? Not so good. So, I I will tell you, its disgraceful. Its disgraceful. We have to have honest voting. Thats what this is all about here; its honest voting. You cant take millions of ballots, send them haphazardly all over the country or all all over a state, and expect to come out properly. And if you look at the last 10 elections, where they did this universal and, by the way, absentee is great. Its been working for a long time, like in Florida. Absentee you request, and it comes in, and then you send it back. Absentee is great, but universal is going to be a disaster, the likes of which our country has never seen. Itll end up being a rigged election, or they will never come out with an outcome. Theyll have to do it again. And nobody wants that, and I dont want that. Go ahead, please. Lets talk about this subject, however although, indirectly, were probably talking about the same subject. Wouldnt you say, Cleta? MS. MITCHELL: Yes. THE PRESIDENT: Cleta is an expert on this. Ive never even asked. Shes one of the great attorneys in Washington. Do you have an opinion on it? MS. MITCHELL: I do. THE PRESIDENT: And if its not my opinion, please dont say it, okay? (Laughter.) MS. MITCHELL: I do have an opinion. THE PRESIDENT: Come come on up here. I and I must say its very interesting. MS. MITCHELL: Well, I do I do have an opinion. The President is right. One of the things that the Democrats and their allies in the media on the left have been trying to do for a long time is to have universal mail voting, where election officials send ballots to everybody on their registration list. But we all know there have been multiple studies the Pew study millions of people are on the rolls who are no longer living there, theyre dead, theyre noncitizens. Dont forget, when you go to the DMV or Social Services, they ask you theyre supposed to by law, they have to ask you to register to vote, whether youre eligible or not. All of those registrations are dumped into the system. And so there are duplicates. I am chairman of a public-interest legal foundation. Were devoted to election integrity. And we just did a study of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. We found one man with seven active registrations. If you send him seven ballots, he theres the potential to vote seven times. THE PRESIDENT: He will. MS. MITCHELL: So the issue is I actually have a memo Im working on to give to the President about what the Post Office should be doing. They should be working with local election officials. They should be making sure that the ballots are designed in a way that processes properly through the voting equipment, through the Post Office equipment. That was everybody is focused on this situation with, somehow, the Postal Service that the President is somehow trying to do something to the Postal Service. I defy anyone in this room to be able to name a single all of us can multiple times when weve sent a letter across town, and it either didnt get there or came back, three months later, undeliverable to a correct address. So we know that the President is not responsible for the problems of the Post Office. But there are things the Postal Service should do, in conjunction with election officials. And they should do those now and make sure that the systems are in place to properly process the ballots that are sent by mail. But the problem is that we are facing hundreds of lawsuits that have been filed by the Democrats and leftist organizations to force states to not have polling places. I personally believe that its still we should have Election Day; we shouldnt have Election Three Months. And for sure, we ought to be able know by Election Night who won. So, Mr. President, youre 100 percent right. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. MS. MITCHELL: And there are a lot of us who are standing behind you and want to help. THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. And give me that letter if you could. Oh, do you have it? MS. MITCHELL: No, not yet. (Laughter.) THE PRESIDENT: No, if you have it, Ill from you, Ill take it. Shes really one of the great lawyers. Thank you very much, and Ill wait for it. Id like it. MS. HIGGINS: Can I add to the question before THE PRESIDENT: Yes, please. MS. HIGGINS: about women? There are a lot of issues where what the President is doing, talking about public safety which is increasingly a concern for women, as they see what is going on but also policies that hes taken. So, the President has done extraordinary things on healthcare. His executive order requiring price transparency that is an issue that is 88 percent popular across the country, across party affiliations, across ideologies, across demographics. Among women who are 40 and under, its a 98 percent approval issue. Without this President being reelected, that executive order goes away because Congress hasnt yet made it into a law because it goes into effect in January of 2021. So, this has historically been the number one, if not top three issues in the country. And this is the only person who is going to bring price transparency, which can bring down healthcare costs by 40 percent, revealing what the true prices are of your hospital or your insurance before you have to pay for it so you can shop or other people will shop and that will drive down prices. Enormous issue for this cohort. So, women care about a lot of things, (inaudible). THE PRESIDENT: So nice that you say that because they dont speak about it, but transparency is a very controversial issue because doctors dont like and, frankly, hospitals dont. The good doctors love it, and the good hospitals love it. MS. HIGGINS: Doctors and patients love it. Hospitals; insurers; PBMs which are the wholesalers that control the pharmacies THE PRESIDENT: Thats right. Q and pharma, they all have lobbyists all over Washington trying to stop what the President is doing. THE PRESIDENT: Ive had many people that are really expert at it. They say its a bigger issue than healthcare itself. Itll save so much money. And its the full deal. I signed it. Its done. It goes into effect on January 1st. And youre right; if the Democrats get in, theyll probably try and end it. And what a shame that would be because it was so hard to get it done and it will save people massive amounts of money. Im not talking about 1 percent or 2 percent. The other thing we just did, you probably heard, is I signed a favored nations clause on drugs. Because we have countries in the world Germany and others but we have many countries in the world that pay a tiny fraction I dont mean like 2 percent less 10 percent versus what we pay. You have a pill that will sell for 10 cents in a certain country in Europe that will sell for two and half dollars in this country, and its so unfair to our people. And I signed a favored nations clause, and the drug companies are spending millions and millions of dollars trying to get me not elected. And all it means, when you see ads from drug companies all it means is one thing: The drug prices are going to be coming down 50, 60, 70 percent. And they never thought anybody would do that. I also signed a rebate clause. So the rebate money, instead of going to the middlemen, who are among the richest men in this country and men and women, I guess in this country by far the middleman. The middleman makes more money than the people that produce. At least the drug companies produce something. But I signed where the rebate goes to the people. Theres never been anything like this. And as a nonpolitician, I can do it. And I will tell you, I was called by a lot of politicians that I was surprised at, literally begging me not to do it. Please dont do it. Please dont do it. And because, you know, the big pharma is, by far, the number one lobbyist-paying group in the country, and people are loyal to big pharma. And Im all for big pharma, but this is a tremendous this will be a tremendous drop. So between between transparency and what I just did with respect to favored nations that means if Germany pays 10 cents, and were paying $2.50, we go down to 10 cents. Thats a number that nobody has even thought of. And what will happen is theyll have to pay more, and were going to have to pay much, much less like numbers and it could be 70, 80 percent. So were not talking about games. And nobody had the courage to sign it. And a lot of people didnt even know about it. A lot of people. So I appreciate very much your saying it. And it may be that transparency is even more important than that. MS. HIGGINS: I think it is. Because transparency is the basis for markets, and thats the basis also for trust. Right now you cant you dont have the right to know what something costs before you buy it. If airlines followed the same model as hospitals and insurers do, you wouldnt know the price of your airline ticket THE PRESIDENT: Thats right. MS. HIGGINS: until after you landed because they dont know how full the flight is going to be, they dont know how much gas theyre going to have fuel theyre going to have to spend. So but every other business manages to do their average pricing. Hospitals know their average prices. Thats how they sell so quickly when theres somebody is buying a hospital. THE PRESIDENT: Right. MS. HIGGINS: Theyre just not sharing that until after the fact with patients. THE PRESIDENT: Its so great that its so great lets see, Voters for Women. Oh, thats interesting. So youre youre just MS. HIGGINS: This is the (inaudible) sash. Jimmy Kimmel wants to make fun of this again, but THE PRESIDENT: No, this is very good. No, but can I tell you that no, I think its great that youre doing were talking about something that you know a lot about. And it does portend it does, really, portend to exactly what youre doing. I think its true. You know, we did one other thing that is so important: pharmacies. They didnt have to give any information. You go in for a pill, and the pharmacy gives you this crazy price. And you cant price it, you cant go around, you cant do anything. I ended that practice. I said, What do you mean you cant negotiate? You didnt even have the right to negotiate. I ended that and was met with a hail of storm. Everything I do, I get met with a hail of storm. But you know what? I do the right thing. I do the right thing for the people. I dont need big pharma. They dont help me. They help a lot of other people, but they dont help me. Im doing the right thing for the country, and lets see whether or not people realize it. Theyre spending millions and millions of dollars on negative ads on me, and you see its big pharma. Unlimited money. I mean, they have so much money. They have unlimited money, and lets see. But I think when people see big pharma taking ads on me that Im such a bad person, what it means and I hope they understand that it means drug prices are going down. Kaitlan, go ahead. Q Do you want to respond to Michelle Obamas speech last night, where she said that youre in over your head and the wrong President? THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, no, she was over her head. And, frankly, she should have made the speech live, which she didnt do; she taped it. And it was not only taped, it was taped a long time ago because she had the wrong deaths. She didnt even mention the vice presidential candidate in the speech. And, you know, she gets these fawning reviews. If you gave a real review, it wouldnt be so fawning. I thought it was a very divisive speech, extremely divisive. We have a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for my campaign because of things like were talking about now drug prices and drug cuts, and transparency with hospitals and doctors that are going to lower bills by 50 percent, 70 percent. Youre talking about numbers that are incredible. Theres a procedure I wont mention what it is but theres a procedure where one hospital was charging $2,500; another hospital was charging $32 for the exact same procedure, using the exact same kit. And the people werent able to go around and even have that option, and it was the exact same. In fact, we did a study, and the one for $32 actually did a better job. Okay? How about that? $2,500; $32 and the cheap one did a better job, using the exact same stuff. So thats what were talking about. Were talking about numbers that are incredible. No, I thought her speech was very divisive. And, frankly, I wouldnt even be here if it werent for Barack Obama. See? Were standing in the White House. I wouldnt be in the White House except for Barack Obama. Because they did a bad job Biden and Obama. And if they did a good job, I wouldnt be here; Id be building buildings someplace and having a good time. Q You compared your response to coronavirus to their response to the H1N1, but the deaths THE PRESIDENT: Well, they get very bad reviews. If you look at the Gallup poll Gallup poll did a review of them. Now, you have to understand, that was a far lesser vicious disease. It was not the same in the same ballpark. Q But only under 13,000 people died. THE PRESIDENT: But yeah, yeah, I know. It was also a much lesser disease. But they got very bad reviews. Gallup gave very bad reviews. And, by the way, Gallup, at that same time, gave us very, very good reviews for the job were weve done. So if you take a look at the Gallup poll from a couple of months ago, we got very good reviews, and they got very bad reviews. They were they were I mean, the reviews they got for the handling of swine flu or H1N1, which Biden calls N1H1 and I dont even correct him on that. I dont even correct him. I said, Oh, thats a mistake you can make. But thats what he calls it. Hes got the hes got it a little mixed up, but thats all right. Take a look at the Gallup poll. And there were others, too. They got horrible marks, and that disease is a much lesser problem. Okay? Q Mr. President, do you support protesters in Belarus? And do you have a message for THE PRESIDENT: Do I support protestors and terrorists? Q In Belarus. PARTICIPANTS: Belarus. Q In Belarus. THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I thought you said protestors and terrorists. Q And do you have a message for Moscow, regarding potential military intervention in Belarus? THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. You have to understand me: I like seeing democracy. Democracy is a very important word. It doesnt seem like its too much democracy there, in Belarus. But we are speaking to lots of people. And well be speaking, at the appropriate time, to Russia. And well be speaking to other people that are involved. But its certainly a very big march. And it seems to be a very peaceful march, other than the other unlike some of the so-called peaceful protests that we have, where they burn down stores. Okay? Peaceful protests those are not peaceful. Those are anarchists going over to Portland and other places. These are anarchists, agitators. These are very bad people. But it seems to be very peaceful, and its a peaceful protest. And I do I support democracy. Okay, any other question? Q Mr. President, were here with female supporters. When you speak THE PRESIDENT: Not supporters. These are just people that are outstanding people. Some support me PARTICIPANT: This is a bipartisan commission. THE PRESIDENT: Thats right. This is very bipartisan. Some were appointed by people that I dont get along with so well. (Laughter.) Okay? I wont say who, because I happen to like you all. (Laughter.) I happen to like you all, so what can I do? Q My question is: When you speak to the suburban housewives of America, what do you what do you view as the suburban woman voter? Is the suburban woman voter a suburban housewife, or is there more in your assessment? THE PRESIDENT: Its a very fair question. A great question, actually. Look, I view it very strongly that the suburban voter, the suburban housewife, women and men living in the suburbs they want security and they want safety. They dont want to have a lifetime of working hard and buying a house. And, by the way, 30 percent of the people living in suburbia are minority groups African American, Hispanic American, Asian American. Theyre minority groups. They dont want to have their American Dream fulfilled and then have a low-income housing project built right next to their house or in the neighborhood. They dont want it. Thats not part of the deal. And I terminated that. And I think that the suburban housewife, as you say, and I think that women and men living in the suburbs who fulfilled their American Dream or at least got a big part of it, they now live in a safe, beautiful area. They dont want to have people coming in and forcing low-income housing down their throats. And you know what? People can say Im a bad person for doing that, or they can say Im a good person. But I think that suburban women very much appreciate what I did. I terminated it. This has been a hot issue for before President Obama, but he took it to a new level. And Biden is going to take it to yet another level. In fact, they say that Cory Booker theres another beauty that Cory Booker is involved. And if Cory Booker is involved, nothing good is going to happen. Its very unfair to suburbia men, women; husbands, housewives whatever you want to say. Its very unfair. And I think its a very important issue, and I think they respect very much what I did. And nobody else would have had the guts to do it. Thank you all very much. Well be signing for Susan B. Anthony the full pardon very, very soon. Thank you very much. A woman who took this selfie with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny told on Saturday night of how the arch-critic of President Putin collapsed in agony just minutes later. The opposition leader posed with the female supporter moments before taking his seat on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday. The woman described how 40 minutes into the flight, Mr Navalny got up and went to the toilet, where he started 'screaming like a beluga whale'. A woman who took this selfie with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny told last night of how the arch-critic of President Putin collapsed in agony just minutes later She added: 'There were two young people with Alexei, a young man and a young woman, and they were screaming, "Don't shut your eyes Lesha [Navalny's nickname], breathe, breathe!" 'He didn't sound like a human being the way he yelled.' After an emergency landing at Omsk airport, about 500 miles south of Tomsk, Mr Navalny was taken to a local hospital and put into an induced coma. Doctors in Siberia claimed the 44-year-old had been left fighting for his life due to 'low blood sugar' but his allies rejected this and called on international help to uncover the truth. Mr Navalny was flown to Germany yesterday after his wife Yulia wrote a letter to Mr Putin demanding that he allow her husband to be flown to Berlin for treatment. He was escorted to Charite Hospital under heavy police protection and medics last night described his condition as 'serious'. After an emergency landing at Omsk airport, about 500 miles south of Tomsk, Mr Navalny was taken to a local hospital and put into an induced coma. He was later pictured on a stretcher before his medical evacuation to Germany from Omsk Mr Navalny drank a cup of tea at a cafe inside Tomsk airport, which his supporters suspect had been poisoned because it was all he ate or drank that morning. Mr Navalny was flown to Berlin on a Challenger 604 air ambulance arranged by the Cinema for Peace Foundation. Its founder, Jaka Bizilj, a friend of Mr Navalny, said: 'His health condition is very worrying. 'We got a very clear message from the doctors that had there not been an emergency landing at Omsk, he would have died.' Mr Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft and mobilising crowds of young protesters. The Russian government denies claims of poisoning. However, Mr Navalny has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings and rallies and sued over his investigations into corruption. He was barred from running in the 2018 Russian presidential election. The Mail on Sunday investigated questions over the authenticity of a published photograph of Mr Navalny sipping a cup of tea suspected of containing poison at Tomsk airport (above) Yesterday, a Mail On Sunday reporter visited the Vienna Coffeehouse counter at Tomsk airport (above) where the Mr Navalny was pictured and the backgrounds are identical In 2017, he was attacked by several men who threw antiseptic solution in his face, damaging an eye, and last year he was rushed to a hospital from jail where he was serving a sentence on charges of violating protest regulations. His team also suspected poisoning then. The Mail on Sunday has investigated questions over the authenticity of a published photograph of Mr Navalny sipping a cup of tea at Tomsk airport that is suspected of containing poison. Our reporter yesterday visited the Vienna Coffeehouse counter at Tomsk airport where the Mr Navalny was pictured by Pavel Lebedev, a Russian DJ and blogger. Comparisons of that photo and the scene yesterday show the backgrounds are identical. The cafe is closed and the area where Mr Navalny sat was cordoned off with tape, but not guarded. A saleswoman at a nearby souvenir shop said: 'Police closed the cafe and all the waitresses were interrogated. They were just sobbing here, poor girls.' The saleswoman, who did not want to be identified, said one of Mr Navalny's entourage bought the tea at the counter and took it to him at the table. South Korea started talks with China's top diplomat on Saturday, the first visit by a high-level Beijing official since the new coronavirus emerged in China late last year. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Communist Party Politburo, was meeting South Korea's new national security advisor, Suh Hoon, in the southern port city of Busan to discuss coronavirus cooperation, bilateral relations and the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean government said. Yang arrived on Friday and is to leave on Saturday, the government said in a statement. The talks come after the Covid-19 had undercut bilateral exchanges and stalled denuclearization negotiations involving North Korea. Suh, who took up the top security job last month after serving as intelligence chief, was to discuss North Korea, coronavirus cooperation and a potential trip to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping, presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said this week. Yang did not respond to a question, ahead of the meeting, on whether Xi might visit this year, according to a pool report. The two countries resumed exchanges last month when Seoul sent a high-level diplomat for a bilateral economic meeting. South Korea had largely managed to bring the first Covid-19 outbreak outside of China under control without major disruptions, but recent surges in cases prompted authorities to re-impose tighter distancing rules. President Nana Akufo-Addo has been challenged to a debate by former President John Dramani Mahama over their track record. This year's Presidential election is historic because this is the first time in Ghana that a former President is contesting a sitting Head of State. In touting the achievements of the Akufo-Addo administration, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, held a virtual Town Hall meeting and recounted the infrastructure record of the government to Ghanaians but the record has been questioned by the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The NDC Presidential candidate, John Mahama, is calling for a debate between him and the President to set the records straight on who among the two deserves to win the 2020 elections. "Today, I can see a scramble to grab even KVIPs and any infrastructure and tout it as an achievement. But it is easy to settle the issue of infrastructure. After all, the President says this election is going to be an election of track records, comparing his track record to my track record. "We can settle it easily, lets have a debate between two of us, the two Presidents. Let Nana Akufo-Addo come and sit down, let me sit down and let's debate our records. I am willing to present myself for debate, any day, anytime, anywhere and we will settle the matter once and for all," he said during a tour of the Volta Region. Reacting to Mr Mahama's challenge, Deputy Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye has asked President Akufo-Addo not to entertain a debate with the Ex-President. According to him, he will only endorse a debate between the President and a new Presidential candidate for the NDC but not John Mahama who has been a Vice President and eventually President of the Republic. This is because he noted, the works of the two leaders - President Akufo-Addo and Ex-President Mahama - are already clear to Ghanaians and they need no convincing about what Mr Mahama did while in government. "Someone says we need a debate. Must we have a debate in today's Ghana?" he queried. "Once the infrastructure or the project is there, it means there are people who are benefiting and that is the most important thing . . . If Joshua Alabi were to be the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), I, Dr. Okoe Boye, would go and beg Akufo-Addo to give him a chance for a debate because he is a new person. You don't know his intentions but John Dramani Mahama, he's been in the leadership of this country for eight good years . . . If you're been involved in the leadership of this country for 8 good years, you don't need [ a debate] a platform to come and tell us what you can do and how you do your things. Your works will speak for you," he emphasized on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'. 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 Covid-19 has rendered children, especially the girl child, particularly vulnerable. Many of them are out of school and in families which are economically impoverished. This means that the girl child may not be a priority when it comes to food or other resources available for the family. Economic distress contributes to malnutrition and further hampers childrens health and growth parameters. Such children are also more prone to being pushed into child labour to supplement the family income, and in case of girls, early marriages. In this backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement on Independence Day that the government is considering a proposal to increase the age of marriage for girls is a positive development. Children are cheap labour; they are not aware of their rights; their families are desperate ideal conditions for exploitative employers. In these fraught times, children, especially the girl child again, are much more vulnerable to trafficking. In many cases, families willingly give up their children to middlemen in the hope that they will have a better life elsewhere and also in return for money. Children are, also, often are caught in situations of domestic violence, which is rising at this time, with women being trapped at home and frustration and anger levels among former breadwinners being exacerbated. Many children are living with relatives, as their parents migrate to cities to look for work, making them vulnerable to abuse. Street children have been left with very little support even from non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), leaving them open to sexual and substance abuse and trafficking. The government has to figure out more proactive ways to save children from the dangers that the virus has heightened. The police have to be trained to be more alert to following up on cases of children going missing or being trafficked. A major complaint in pre-Covid-19 days from parents was that the police didnt take them seriously when they reported missing children. They were normally sent back home as the police felt that the child had run away or, in the case of adolescent girls, eloped, and, therefore, did not file FIRs in time. This must change. At the same time, trafficking and child abuse must be treated as more than just a legal problem. It has to be tackled at the community level. Local bodies such as panchayats and womens self-help groups should be roped in to map vulnerable families who are unable to take care of children. With schools closed and with this mid-day meal schemes becoming infrequent, if at all, despite the best efforts of the government, existing networks must be energised and funded to ensure at least one nutritious meal a day for the child who is at home. The government must also step up its fortified meal scheme, something that NGOs such as Naandi Foundation had done effectively for years before; as with many worthwhile schemes, it was shut down. I visited a kitchen run by Naandi in Hyderabad some years ago and found that a simple introduction such as fortified soya milk resulted in huge improvements in health for children. While the focus on medical resources and personnel cannot be compromised, the issue of protecting children and helping them come through this crisis cannot be given secondary place. The infrastructure exists in the form of various community organisations. The government must engage with them as well as the police to make sure that childrens safety, their health and nutritional well-being are not overlooked during this crisis. lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON There's a story here, as well as a meta-story that is deeper and more transcendent. The top-level story is that two young white women walked up to Abbey, a mother who was having lunch with Riley, her 7-year-old son, after having protested at Biden's DNC speech in Wilmington. They seized and destroyed Abbey's signs and stole Riley's MAGA hat, which they then threw into an inaccessible construction zone. When challenged, they hurled obscenities, after which they physically attacked both Abbey's friend and Abbey herself. Abbey caught it all on video. Without any further information, that's a newsworthy story. It shines a light on the sense of entitlement leftists have in the public square. Whether it's rioting, looting, stealing, or punching Trump-supporters, they believe they can do no wrong. Indeed, they are morally virtuous because they have been told since 2015 that Trump is racist and that his supporters are Nazis. We all know that in the fight against Nazis, nothing is off-limits. You can see the whole altercation in the video below. In the beginning, Abbey was naive enough to believe that if Riley just asked for his hat, the young women, having made their point, would give it back to him. Instead, they sneered at his tears and escalated their verbal and physical violence (language warning): Here are photos of the victims. Mother, Abbey and her son Riley. They were just waiting for a table at a restaurant across from the DNC convention when the attack happened. If Joe Biden supporters will do this to children what will they do you you? Sick. pic.twitter.com/j9fnc3025d Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 21, 2020 Abbey later explained what happened: I was with my 7 year old son across the street from Joe Biden's DNC Convention speech in Wilmington, Delaware. We were waiting for a table at a restaurant to eat dinner. We had just left a peaceful protest against Joe Biden. I was holding a pro-Trump sign. My son was wearing his MAGA hat. We were standing outside peacefully minding our own business waiting for our table. Suddenly, two Joe Biden supporters began to yell political epithets at my child. They ripped the sign from my arms and assaulted my seven year old son. The Joe Biden supporters laid hands on my child and ripped his "Make America Great Again" hat from his head while cursing at him and pushing him over. The two Joe Biden supporters verbally and physically assaulted my child. My 7 year old child was sobbing and screaming. Filled with the instinct to defend my child against his attackers I attempted to confront the Joe Biden supporters. All I wished to do was retrieve my 7 year old son's MAGA hat. I was punched in the face multiple times by Joe Biden supporters. My friend who joined me and attempted to defend us was punched in the face multiple times by the Joe Biden supporters. They beat me with their fists and purses. They stole my sons hat and threw my 7 yr old son's hat over the fence into a dirt filled construction site where we could not retrieve it. Both Joe Biden supporters attacked me. They attacked my child. I am a mother who simply wants to protect my child from those who would harm him and scar him for life. This vicious attack on an innocent child is exactly why I will be voting for Donald Trump. Joe Biden owes my son an apology for fomenting the hate that will now scar my son for life. If children aren't off limits to their violence who is? In response to Benny's tweet about the event, a woman posted another video showing that Biden-supporters don't just attack children; they're also racists (language warning): This is the Trump bumper sticker. pic.twitter.com/FlNI1InWlN Interracials for Trump (@sandyleevincent) August 21, 2020 Thankfully, Rileys story had a happy ending: Meet 7 year old Riley. Riley was supporting his President when vicious Joe Biden voters attacked him, stole his MAGA hat and pushed him. Riley was scared and cried in the street. That's where I met him. He wanted to call 9-11. Moments ago Riley got a call from the White House... pic.twitter.com/i9hxgyaUh5 Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 21, 2020 The obvious takeaway is that too many Democrats are hate-filled, violent, racist, and have no boundaries and Trump is a kind man. But there's also that meta-message, about which I've written before: in the war that the Democrats are waging against normal people in America, women are on the front lines. In a healthy society, women are nurturers who help channel male aggression into socially accepted practices. In an unhealthy society which is what leftists have created for women, especially in the education system women are angry, neurotic, hypersensitive people. Despite living in the freest society in the world, with more rights than women at any other time or place in history, they see themselves as victims. That phony sense of victimization turns women in feral animals. Leftism has conditioned them by dividing people into dozens of hostile subclasses. Each group believes that the American pie is not just finite, but shrinking. Group members conclude, therefore, that it's only through mortal combat that they will get their "fair" share. Image: Two Roman women fighting while a child cries, 1809, as modified, by Bartolomeo Pinelli, CC BY 4.0. Lyft car. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images For months, the state of California and two leading ride-hailing companies, Lyft and Uber, have been ensnared in a bitter legal battle. The issue at the heart of the conflict: Lyft and Uber dont want to adhere to Californias recent pro-worker legislation that would require them to treat their drivers some of whom work well over 40 hours per week as employees who are entitled to benefits. The companies have consistently argued that their drivers, who are currently classified as independent contractors, should not be considered employees. However, many drivers disagree. Next month, I turn 60, one driver told Motherboard. I want sick days, health insurance, and overtime pay, but they want to take that away. This week, the situation came to a head as a court-mandated deadline for Lyft and Uber to reclassify their employees was fast approaching. On August 20, one day before the deadline, Lyft announced it would be suspending operations in California, and Uber signaled that it would follow suit. That same day, a California appeals court granted an emergency stay for the companies to continue business as usual, avoiding a shut down for now. So whats going on? Are Uber and Lyft eventually going to cease operations in California? Heres what we know. California passed a landmark labor law last fall. California is one of the most pro-worker states in the country. Last September, it passed Assembly Bill 5, a landmark labor law that cracks down on the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. Misclassification is rampant, and often benefits employers: By misclassifying employees as independent contractors, companies can get away with underpaying workers and denying them benefits like overtime pay, paid sick leave, and unemployment insurance. Lyft and Uber have long argued that their drivers are not employees. Even before California passed AB5 last fall, both ride-share companies have contended that drivers should not be considered employees. According to the Washington Post, the companies have argued that the legislation doesnt apply to them, and that adhering to the law would harm their businesses, neither of which are profitable. (Both companies contend that they are technology platforms, not transportation companies, meaning their drivers do not contribute to the core of their business.) But per Wired, labor experts agree that under AB5, drivers qualify as employees, which would require Uber and Lyft to provide them with basic labor protections including health and unemployment insurance, minimum wage, paid sick days, and overtime pay. Lyft and Uber have also insisted that their drivers dont want employee status, but drivers tell a different story. We are waking up and saying hey its about time we get our rights, Hector Castellanos, a Uber and Lyft driver who has demonstrated in support of becoming full-time, told Motherboard earlier this month. I had an accident in 2017 and wasnt able to walk for 8 months, but did not receive any benefits from Uber or Lyft. But as employees, we dont have to wait for access to those benefits. California has been trying to crack down and Lyft and Uber for violating the law. The situation started to escalate in May, when the state of California and three major cities San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego sued Uber and Lyft for flouting the law. In June, Californias attorney general Xavier Becerra Becerra filed a request for a preliminary injunction; then, earlier this month, a California judge gave Uber and Lyft an August 21 deadline to reclassify their employees. Predictably, the companies did not acquiesce, and instead threatened to suspend operations. Threatening to shut down is not a new tactic for Lyft and Uber, and its one that has worked in the companies favor in the past: In the spring of 2016, both companies suspended service in Austin, Texas, after voters approved a ballot measure requiring fingerprint-based background checks from drivers, which the ride-hailing companies protested over concerns that the legislation would prolong the process of enlisting new drivers. Customers were upset, and, about a year later, Texas state legislators passed a bill removing the fingerprinting provision after which both companies returned to the city. The situation came to a head this week. On August 20, just one day before Californias deadline and after Lyft announced that it would be suspending operations at midnight a state appeals court halted the court order, preventing a shutdown. In short, the 11th-hour order grants the companies more time to complete their appeals. Now, the CEOs of Lyft and Uber have until September 4 to submit sworn testimony showing that they have developed a plan to comply with AB5, in the event that both their appeal and a current ballot measure (more on that below) fail. Oral arguments have been scheduled for October 13. The threatened shutdowns come at a brutal time for California residents. Like many gig economy workers, drivers for ride-hailing companies have suffered financially due to a reduction in workload amid the pandemic. By current estimates, ride bookings have fallen a staggering 75 percent in the past few months. Additionally, Wired reports that because Uber and Lyft dont consider drivers employees and as a result, dont pay into unemployment insurance programs they often dont quality to receive state-run employment. We have millionaires who are choosing not forcing but are choosing to lay off ordinary people in the middle of a pandemic because they choose not to follow the law, Cherri Murphy, an Oakland resident who drives full-time for Lyft, told the Washington Post. This is not a surprise to anybody; theyve had an extended amount of time to resolve this. The only people who put themselves against the wall have been Lyft and Uber. This legal battle also comes amid a relentless, sweltering heat wave that has sparked widespread uncontrolled wildfires in the Golden State that show no sign of abating, which have displaced tens of thousands of residents. As of Friday morning, blazes have scorched more than 660,000 acres. Lyft and Uber are trying to mobilize users around a proposition that could exempt them from the law. To further protect business interests, Lyft and Uber have been mobilizing around a November ballot measure called Proposition 22, which would exempt app-based ride-hailing and food delivery services from AB5. Per Motherboard, Lyft and Uber have spent a collective $90 million on their campaign to pass the measure which, if passed, could reduce drivers earnings to $5.64 an hour, by an estimate from UC Berkeley Labor Center. Californias minimum wage is $12 an hour. By Express News Service DEHRADUN: BJP MLA from Dwarahat on Saturday recorded his statement with the police in a case where he has been accused of rape by a woman. The MLA also shared WhatsApp chats between her wife and the woman. "We have recorded the statement of the MLA and further investigation in the matter is on," said Arun Mohan Joshi deputy-inspector general, Dehradun. The police have also started collecting evidence from the hotels in Almora, Delhi, Mussoorie, Nainital and other places the woman accused the MLA of taking her. The woman had told earlier that she will move Uttarakhand High Court seeking his DNA test to match with that of her 3-month-old daughter. Earlier, the MLA had written to the director-general of police, Uttarakhand expressing his objections over police behaviour. Senior police officials from the department said that the matter is being investigated and those who fail to cooperate in the case will face action. A case was registered against her last week on the complaint of the MLAs wife who accused the woman of blackmailing her husband and trying to extort Rs 5 crore. On August 16, the woman filed a counter-complaint against the BJP MLA, accusing him of raping her on several occasions and fathering her child. Uttarakhand State Commission for Women has already also the report in the matter by the state police till August 29, 2020. Earlier last week, a woman from Almora accused the BJP MLA of rape. She also cited a threat to her life and demanded a DNA test to prove that the accused MLA is the father of her child. (Natural News) As you may recall, a live radar-guided, air-to-air missile was found last week on the tarmac of the Lakeland, Florida airport. We analyzed the serial number and data details of this missile and found that it was a Matra R530F missile, made by French weapons contractors and designed to be used on French-made mirage fighter jets. (See photos below.) As we pointed out in a previous article, this missile had a live warhead and was equipped with propulsion fuel. It merely needed to be attached to a Mirage fighter jet and it could be launched against any aircraft flying over the skies of America. We speculated that even Air Force One could be theoretically brought down by this missile. Other media reports have confirmed that the Matra R530F missile was shipped into the United States via Amazon Air, which is an air cargo operation owned by Amazon, which is of course largely owned by Jeff Bezos who also owns the Washington Post, a CIA-run propaganda disinfo publisher that has conspired with the deep state to try to overthrow the President of the United States of America (Donald Trump). So when we speculate about a missile possibly being used to shoot down Air Force One, it really doesnt involve much speculation at all. Deep state operatives have already said they plan to remove Trump from office by force. This particular missile was acquired from Jordanians military and shipped into the United States, no doubt illegally. The entire coverage of this missile has been hush-hush from a national security point of view, and no one has been charged with smuggling this weapon into the country as far as the public knows. The markings say: MIS A/A MP EM F20 S520 Lot 82, Serial Number 5185 Now, our former military sources have conducted a deeper investigation into the possible deployment of this missile, and theyve discovered something rather shocking. In the same city where the missile was found Lakeland, Florida there exists a private corporation that offers contract air support services, including air-to-air missions, air-to-ground support, fleet missile defense and other contract services. Importantly, this corporation operates a fleet of over 80 ex-military fighter jets, including the Mirage fighter jet that is capable of carrying the Mantra R530F missile. The name of the company is Draken International, with the website DrakenIntl.com. And where is this company located? Lakeland, Florida. Deep state forces could try to hijack Draken aircraft to launch a missile against Air Force One Draken International is described by Sharp Magazine as, the worlds largest private tactical air fleet. As Sharp explains: Drakens CEO is Jared Isaacman Hes amassed a collection of military aircraft thats already the worlds largest privately owned tactical fleet. Draken has won every red air contract offered by the USAF in the past three years. The company owns 90 fighters and counting, and just announced plans to acquire 20 Mirage F1s from the Spanish Air Force. According to Drakens website: WITH A FLEET OF 150 TACTICAL FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, DRAKEN OWNS AND OPERATES THE WORLDS LARGEST COMMERCIAL FLEET OF TACTICAL EX-MILITARY AIRCRAFT. Draken openly talks about their contract air support services including aggressor support and air-to-air missions, all using ex-military fighter jets. What are the odds of a live French air-to-air missile being discovered on the tarmac of an airport in the exact same city where a private company exists that offers contract air support air-to-air missions and owns and operates nearly two dozen of the French Mirage aircraft capable of firing the very missile that was discovered there? Draken International claims to own and operate 22 Mirage F1M aircraft, any of which are capable of firing the live missile that was discovered in Lakeland, Florida. Our concern here isnt about Draken itself, but rather the possibility that deep state forces plan to perhaps steal a Mirage fighter jet or kidnap family members of Draken board members in order to force the company into giving up a fighter jet that could be armed with missiles to attack the targets of the deep state (such as the White House). When it comes to the deep state, theres nothing too lawless or evil for their people to pursue. What we are pointing out is that the resources to acquire a fighter jet, mount a live French missile, and fire it at Air Force One to assassinate President Trump are suddenly converging in the same city: Lakeland, Florida. This cannot merely be a coincidence. We believe someone may be targeting Draken and planning to hijack Draken resources to achieve a kinetic attack against the United States of America. Drakens top people are the whos who of military aircraft and weapons experts If anybodys eyebrows were raised about the discovery of the missile in Lakeland, it had to be the top corporate officers of Draken International. If you read about the officers and board members of Draken, these arent a bunch of newbies to the world of military aircraft. The executive team consists of former high-level military officers, DoD weapons specialists, fighter jet combat instructors and Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) veterans. The COO of Draken, for example, boasts of, 4000 hours including over 2500 combat and combat support hours in the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, E-8C JSTARS, and MQ-1B Predator. But Draken also has some sketchy partners from the world of weapons manufacturing, including one company that admitted to carrying out felony fraud against the United States of America. Draken counts as its strategic partners BAE Systems, a weapons systems contractor that has been steeped in criminal conduct. In 2010, BAE Systems pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States of America and paid a $400 million criminal fine due to its corrupt business practices and unlawful conduct. This was announced by the Dept. of Justice on March 1, 2020, in this press release which states: BAE Systems plc (BAES) pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to conspiring to defraud the United States by impairing and impeding its lawful functions, to make false statements about its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance program, and to violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), announced Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler. BAES was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates to pay a $400 million criminal fine, one of the largest criminal fines in the history of DOJs ongoing effort to combat overseas corruption in international business and enforce U.S. export control laws. Draken International touts its relationship with BAE Systems on its strategic partners web page, stating: Long standing defense contracting company BAE has teamed with Draken International in efforts to provide the new standard in Contract Air Services The strategic partnership between BAE Systems and Draken will combine the outstanding and safe past performance of BAE with the extensive fleet of Draken Aircraft and capabilities. This synergy will give unmatched customer service in the aviation defense industry. Confidence and capability are highlighted to ensure on time superior aviation assets service each and every contract with Draken International. To reiterate, we are not claiming any nefarious intent by Draken International, and it may be that the company is founded by pro-America patriots who love the U.S. Constitution and are making honest money by securing missions around the world to protect worthy assets. Nevertheless, when we see corporations like Draken bragging about partnerships with other weapons companies that have admitted to felony fraud and corruption, it reminds us of how dirty the defense weapons industry really is, and it brings up the obvious question: Does anybody at Draken have a past that could allow them to be blackmailed by the deep state? Drakens new CEO previously worked for DynCorp, which has been linked to human trafficking Just to make things even more concerning, the new CEO of Draken is Joseph Joe Ford, previously of DynCorp, a corporation steeped in criminal activities and child trafficking. Joe Ford is not personally linked to any of this, but he has emerged from a hornets nest of nefarious activity at DynCorp. According to a 2017 article in NewsPunch: A top army General has been arrested on charges of child rape as part of an elite pedophile ring investigation in the U.S. Former Vice President of DynCorp, Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene, has been charged with multiple counts of child rape which occurred between 1983 and 1989. His arrest represents the latest in a series of high-level pedophile ring busts by investigators tasked with ending human trafficking and child abuse by the elites in America. While potentially just a coincidence, Grazioplenes connections with DynCorp immediately raise a red flag, as the company has been embroiled in numerous high-level scandals involving the exploitation and trafficking of children for sex dating as far back as the Bosnia conflict during Bill Clintons tenure as US President. Revealing the extreme level of complicity, by DynCorp, in the illegal exploitation of children, former employee, Ben Johnston filed a RICO lawsuit against Dyncorp after he was allegedly fired for reporting human rights abuses by other employees during the Bosnian conflict. In a 2002 report titled Dyncorp Disgrace, Johnston was quoted: None of the girls were from Bosnia They were imported in by DynCorp and the Serbian mafia. These guys would say I gotta go to Serbia this weekend topick up three girls. DynCorp leadership was 100 percent in bed with the mafia over there. Now, it seems likely that Joe Ford didnt like what he saw at DynCorp, so he got out of that company as quickly as he could. (He worked there for 4 years and 9 months, according to his LinkedIn profile.) We arent accusing Joe Ford of anything at all. He might be a super awesome guy. Hes a U.S. Air Force veteran and previously worked for Beechcraft Defense Company. If I had to take a guess about Joe Ford, hes probably a very patriotic American who would never intentionally be part of any sort of plot to bring harm to the U.S. President or commit crimes against anyone. But people like Joe Ford can sometimes be targeted by deep state actors or seditious traitors who attempt to leverage his position at Draken to try to hijack aircraft. Thats why people like Joe Ford need to be running very good personal security teams because he may be at risk of a kidnapping or blackmail attempt to leverage his position at Draken so that deep state operators could gain control of a Mirage aircraft and use it to try to assassinate the President of the United States. In fact, this risk exists for all Draken officers, given that they command very powerful jet fighters which, when armed with the very kind of missile that was just discovered in Lakeland, Florida, turn a civilian fleet of aircraft into a literal private air force of missile-toting attack aircraft. (It also brings up the obvious question: How many missiles were not discovered and removed? How many missiles are sitting in a warehouse somewhere in Florida right this very minute, ready to be mounted on fighter jets and fired at the targets named by the deep state?) And thats a resource that a lot of deep state, anti-America spooks would like to get their hands on, no doubt. Sadly, treasonous traitor Barack Obama put a lot of seditious military personnel in power during his eight-year attempt to destroy America, and there remain anti-America traitors throughout the U.S. armed forces. We urge Draken to double down on corporate security Thats why we urge all the top people at Draken to redouble their corporate security efforts and make sure no outside forces succeed in hijacking the companys aircraft and using them to carry out assassinations or false flag operations designed to destabilize the United States and throw the November elections into chaos. If I were part of Drakens security team reading this article, I would immediately initiate an internal audit to identify blackmail vulnerabilities and security weaknesses, given how desperate the anti-America / pro-communist forces have become in their efforts to try to overthrow this nation. I would also take steps to increase the protection of immediate family members of Draken officers and advisors. We hope that Draken is run by patriots, and we pray that no weapon formed against the United States of America succeeds in its mission. And for the record, once again, we are not accusing Draken of anything at all. The premise of this story is that Draken has resources that treasonous elements who are actively working against America may try to hijack and deploy against America. Therefore, Draken needs to be on alert for its own sake. Furthermore, we call for President Trump to arrest all traitors and seditious actors operating in the United States of America, which includes the evil deep state traitors like Brennan, Comey, McCabe and others who will obviously do anything in their power to overthrow this nation and plunge America into an authoritarian, communist regime run by treasonous Leftists. Finally, I will reiterate that this website, which I founded, is 100% pro-law enforcement, pro-police and pro-military. We support veterans (and have donated lots of money to veterans groups over the years) and First Responders. We understand the world is a very dangerous place, and we thank God every day for U.S. nuclear submarine commanders, for example, and stealth bomber pilots who can help secure America by letting the enemies of this nation know that if they try to attack us, we will obliterate them. It is only by this mechanism that America can maintain any degree of safety whatsoever, in a world run by insane communists and madmen. If Draken is operating in support of this mission to protect America and help secure our constitutional republic, then we wish them the greatest success in doing so, and we urge them to maintain the highest security measures to prevent black hat actors from using their resources to potentially harm this nation. Read more about Draken International at: DrakenIntl.com China: US ineligible to demand UNSC snapback invocation IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Beijing, Aug 21, IRNA -- China Permanent Mission to the United Nations in a message underlined that the US is ineligible to demand the UNSC snapback invocation against Iran. "The United States, as a nonparticipant to #JCPOA, is ineligible to demand the Security Council invoke the #snapback mechanism," Chinese Mission wrote in its official Twitter account. "US letter does not constitute the "notification" specified in #UNSCR2231 and shall not be deemed as a trigger of snapback," it addd. Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the US has withdrawn from Iran nuclear deal and does not have the right to activate snapback. Zhao Lijian said that China had already said that the failure of the US draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council showed that unilateralism is no longer accepted and dominance-seeking behaviors will not succeed. He said that the US must, instead, put an end to its unilateral sanctions on Iran and return to right path of respecting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the decision of the UNSC. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to the chairman of the UN Security Council protested the US' illegal attempts to snapback sanctions on Iran, reiterating that the US has no right to reapply provisions of terminated resolutions. 9376**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Dont hold your breath waiting for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to green-light indoor dining in the New York City. And dont try to make sense of it. Because it doesnt make any sense, given the fact that our virus metrics have been great for months. Those are the metrics that were supposed to watch when it comes to re-opening society in the wake of the pandemic. But the ever-improving numbers dont seem to carry much weight these days. Even some of those whove applauded Cuomo and de Blasios handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the past are getting fed up with the dictatorial turn this has taken. De Blasio has dismissed out of hand even the possibility that indoor dining could be allowed in the city anytime soon. This even though indoor dining is allowed across the rest of the state, including as nearby as Long Island. Earlier this week, de Blasio seemed to suggest that he wouldnt be comfortable with indoor dining until we have a coronavirus vaccine, which by even the most optimistic predictions wont be until Christmas. Thats an egregious moving of the coronavirus goalposts. At a press conference, de Blasio said that restaurants and bars have been the nexus of virus resurgences in other areas. He said once we have a vaccine, we can really come back. This from the mayor whos stuffing kids back into public schools in another couple of weeks, despite the protestations of parents, teachers and principals. De Blasios health advisor, Dr. Jay Varma, pointed to how Hong Kong had recently closed bars and restaurants for a time after an uptick in cases. So now were not just watching our own metrics, were being restricted based on what happens in other countries. Great. De Blasio also had the temerity to boast about how bars and restaurants had been permitted to do take-out and delivery service, as well as outdoor dining. As if those measures come close to making restaurants whole. De Blasio makes it sound like restaurant owners should be grateful to be operating at all. When asked the other day if there was a timeline for allowing indoor dining, de Blasio said, No. We have to see a lot more improvement in fighting this virus, de Blasio said. With infection rates at 1 percent or lower for weeks? How much more room for improvement is there? Back when the virus was raging in April, we were told that if we hit certain benchmarks, we would responsibly re-open society. We had to tame the beast, Cuomo said. Well, weve hit those benchmarks, and then some, but de Blasio and Cuomo have reneged on their promise and have kept malls and indoor dining closed. Its one of the few things that the two political combatants agree on. Which should make all of us suspicious. Cuomo has said that greater density and a lack of social distancing compliance weighed against opening the city for indoor dining. As if other parts of the state dont have dense populations areas. He said restaurants may have to close for even outdoor dining later this year once the weather turns cold. He also said he understood the inconvenience that restaurant owners are experiencing. Awfully big-hearted of him. De Blasio has also said that gyms would not immediately re-open here, even though Cuomo has given the go-ahead for that. But de Blasio said inspectors wouldnt be available to do the mandated gym vetting because theyd be needed to make sure schools were safe first. Its another baseless executive decision made by the mayor, who along with the governor seems to fall more and more in love with his own power by the day. Restaurant owners are launching a lawsuit to force Cuomo and de Blasio to allow indoor dining. Lets hope theres still an industry left by the time the case is heard. Chandigarh, Aug 22 : Haryana Inspector General of Police Hemant Kalson, who is no stranger to controversies, was arrested by the police on Saturday for allegedly assaulting two women after trespassing into their houses in Panchkula district, officials said. In April 2019 he had faced suspension for allegedly firing into the air with a constable's semi-automatic gun outside the Circuit House at Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, while in September 2018 he was assaulted by passers-by in a case of road rage. In the latest episode, Kalson has been booked for two incidents in Pinjore town, some 30 km from here, both reported on Friday. In the first incident, a woman alleged that Kalson forcibly entered her house and beat up her daughter. In the second incident, a man in a complaint said Kalson allegedly abused his wife and assaulted him, besides threatening to shoot him. According to the first information report, he was allegedly in an inebriated state at the time of both incidents. Kalson, 55, is currently posted as IGP, Home Guards. In the 2018 incident, Kalson was behind the wheel, accompanied by a friend. They were travelling from Pinjore to Panchkula, when a SUV overtook the vehicle at a high speed. He allegedly chased that vehicle and forced the driver to stop the vehicle. After the incident, a video in which Kalson could be seen bleeding from the mouth, went viral. In the video, the crowd is heard abusing him. Even Kalson was allegedly heard saying, "I made a mistake, my hands are folded, what more do you want?" He is also heard telling the crowd that he is a DIG. By ANI NEW DELHI: Former Miss World and actor Manushi Chhillar who hails from the northern state of Haryana, celebrated her first Ganesh Chaturthi on Saturday with an eco-friendly Ganesha idol that will later grow into a plant. The 23-year-old actor took to Instagram to share several pictures from the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration at her house where she and her father are seen praying to the Elephant lord. She complimented the posts with a short note about her first ever experience of celebrating the festival and how her parents coming from the state of Haryana always wanted her to experience different cultures. "My parents always wanted me to experience different cultures and celebrate them. I'm from Haryana but Mumbai is my home too. This is the first year that I'm keeping Ganpati at home and I couldn't be happier," she wrote in the caption. "Celebrating festivals like this is very important because it brings people and cultures closer but if we can celebrate it in the most eco-friendly way, we will also contribute towards nature conservation," she added. The Former Miss India, further explained about her eco-friendly Ganesh idol that has seeds embedded in it, which will later sprout into a plant. "My idol has seeds embedded in it so I'm going to do the Visarjan at home in a clay tree pot. I'm looking forward to nurture the seeds well so that life sprouts from it. #HappyGaneshChaturthi," she wrote. The 10-day-long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with much grandeur in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat among other states. LANSING Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that 4 million free masks are available to protect Michigans most vulnerable populations from COVID-19. These masks are being made available to low-income residents, seniors, schools and homeless shelters through a partnership between Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Ford Motor Company and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). BSF personnel seized 600 kg of Hilsa fish during river patrolling at Fazipada in West Bengal's Murshidabad district along the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday. The silver-hued fish migrate to the upstream and rivers from the sea during the spawning season for having less salinity in the water and are caught. The fish, especially those caught in Padma in Bangladesh, has high demand in West Bengal markets. A Border Security Force (BSF) statement said the border guards on speed boat found the Hilsa hidden in plastic bags tied with bundles of jute bales floating in the water. The catch has an estimated worth of Rs 9.6 lakh in the Indian market. Four-five people, who were seen pulling the jute bundles dipped in water from the Bangladesh side, managed to escape, according to the statement. She originally shrugged off dating rumours and claimed they were just friends. But Gabby Allen and Brandon Myers appeared to be very much in love as they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes as they hit the town on Friday evening. The Love Islander, 28, and the Ex On The Beach hunk, 23, confirmed their relationship in July following growing speculation and they looked like the perfect match this weekend as they headed to Harry's Bar in London. Blonde beauty: Gabby Allen, 28, looked stunning in her all-white ensemble as she headed to Harry's Bar in London for drinks on Friday evening joined by her boyfriend Brandon Myers, 23 She wowed in an all white ensemble as she paired a cropped ivory t-shirt with a matching midi skirt that featured button detailing down the centre. The Love Island bombshell strolled through the streets of London in a pair of white open-toe heels and accessorised with some classic silver jewellery bangles. Her chic woven tanned bag rested on her shoulder and was adorned with a bohemian style olive green silk scarf. Happy: The Love Islander and her Ex On The Beach beau looked smitten, despite previously denying their relationship and claiming they were nothing more than friends Gabby wore a flawless makeup look and debuted her impeccable new hair extensions in a natural and effortless wave. Her boyfriend sported a stone-brown vest with matching trousers. Brandon also donned an incredibly stylish satin shirt that he left partially unbuttoned, revealing his various necklaces and slim-fitting vest. Windswept: Gabby's long blonde tresses danced in the wind as she was seen wearing an ivory cropped shirt and midi skirt with ruched detailing on the side that highlighted her curves Boho chic: She sported a neutral toned woven leather shoulder bag which she accessorised with an olive green silk scarf and she also wore understated silver jewellery He wore a pair of cream trainers and rivalled his girlfriend's bronzed complexion as they recently returned from a trip to Ibiza. They looked like the ultimate power couple as they held hands and made their way to the bar for an evening of cocktails. In June, Gabby insisted her fellow reality star was a 'really good friend' but nothing more following relationship speculation. High heels: The reality TV starlet opted for a pair of open-toe shoes with a wooden block heel that perfectly matched the rest of her outfit All dolled up: The Love Islander decided to go full glam with her makeup as she perfected the bronzed contour look and wore a coral lipstick that highlighted her golden glow New Romance: Gabby and Brandon were first rumoured to be dating in May when he posted a flirty comment on one of her bikini pictures but the beauty claimed they were just pals They were first reported to be dating in May, when he posted a flirty comment under one of her scantily-clad bikini snaps. But the fitness enthusiast insisted they are little more than close friends, telling OK!: 'No. We've known each other for a long time. He's the loveliest person and a really good friend of mine, but that's all it is. 'Someone must have seen him comment on a picture on my social media, and automatically assumed he's my boyfriend.' Baby mama: Her ex-boyfriend Marcel Somerville who she met in the 2017 Love Island villa announced earlier this year that he is expecting his first child with his fiance Rebecca Vieira Meanwhile her ex-boyfriend Marcel Somerville revealed that he is expecting his first child with his influencer partner Rebecca Vieira, and he recently announced that they have become engaged. Marcel and Gabby appeared on the 2017 season of the ITV2 dating show Love Island, in which they placed fourth, but she dumped him in February 2018 when she discovered he'd been unfaithful. Gabby also previously dated Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson until August 2019, when she accused him of cheating on her. By Kazeem Ugbodaga Critic, Femi Fani-Kayode has described the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, as the greatest threat to Christendom in the history of Nigeria. The law signed by President Muhammadu Buhari empowered a supervising minister to suspend the Board of Trustees of a church and appoint new one as well as suspend the account of the church. The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had rejected the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, saying appointing a supervising minister to suspend church trustees and appoint new one is Satanic. Reacting to the development, Fani-Kayode said those behind the CAMA law failed to understand that the gate of hell shall not prevail against the church, He said no matter what they do, Jesus remained Lord and the gospel shall continue to flourish. Though the legislation known as CAMA represents the greatest threat to Christendom in our history, those behind it fail to appreciate that the gates of hell SHALL NOT prevail against the Church. No matter what they do, Jesus remains Lord & the gospel shall continue to flourish, he tweeted. Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo had last Sunday rejected the CAMA law, saying that he could not be alive to witness a minister removing a board trustee and close the accounts of the church. He said the church is not a club and neither should it be mistaken for a company for the minister to have the power to remove a board trustee or shut the accounts of the church. Also, CAN, in a statement said The Church cannot be controlled by the government because of its spiritual responsibilities and obligations. How can the government sack the trustee of a church which it contributed no dime to establish? How can a secular and political minister be the final authority on the affairs and management of another institution which is not political? How can a non-Christian head of government ministry be the one to determine the running of the church? It is an invitation to trouble that the government does not have power to manage. Government should face the business of providing infrastructure for the people. Let them focus on better health provision, food, education, adequate security employment, etc. The government should not be a busy body in a matter that does not belong to it. The government does not have the technical expertise to run the church of God because of its spiritual nature. Related In response to the letter "Recent advertisement crossed the line," Aug. 6, finding fault with an ad about Israeli treatment of Palestinian children, as a member of one of the groups that sponsored the ad, I rise to its defense. The photo that accompanied the ad, showing an Israeli soldier manhandling a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, accurately represented the situation in the West Bank, and the caption to it clearly stated the boy had been accused of throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers. If Israel wants Palestinian youngsters to stop throwing rocks at its soldiers, let Israel return the lands it confiscated from those youngsters villages for the building of Jewish-only settlements. Carl Strock Saratoga Springs Lauren Newtown, the daughter of TV legends Bert and Patti Newton, welcomed her sixth child, a boy named Alby, into the world on Thursday. And on Saturday, Patti, 75, shared an adorable photo of Alby in hospital to Instagram, as she congratulated the proud parents on their bundle of joy. 'Little Alby James, we have all fallen in love with you,' she wrote alongside the photo. 'We have fallen in love with you': Patti Newton shared a sweet photo of her daughter Lauren's newborn son Alby in hospital (pictured) to Instagram on Saturday Patti continued: 'Congratulations Matt and Lauren. Can't wait to hold him xx.' Lauren and her champion swimmer husband Matt Welsh welcomed Alby seven weeks early on Thursday. 'Thank you for all the lovely messages,' Lauren told Instagram fans in a post on Friday. New addition! Lauren, 40, welcomed Alby, her sixth child, into the world on Thursday. Pictured with her mother Patti 'We are so thrilled to have our beautiful boy here safely,' the 40-year-old added. Lauren accompanied the message with a photo of husband Matt in hospital scrubs, cradling their precious newborn. Alby's early arrival comes after Lauren revealed she had been separated from her young children for weeks due to complications with her pregnancy. 'Thrilled to have our beautiful boy here safely': Lauren shared a picture of Alby in hospital on Friday to her Instagram account. He was born seven weeks early In July, she shared a photo to Instagram of her five young children, Sam, 11, Eva, nine, Lola, six, Monty, two, and Perla, 18 months, alongside a heartfelt message. 'Missing my gorgeous babies. It's been five weeks so far of not seeing them while I'm in hospital due to pregnancy complications,' she wrote at the time. Lauren had announced she was pregnant with her sixth child in May. About 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, equal to the volume involved in the cataclysmic Beirut blast, is stored in the port in Senegal's capital Dakar, officials said Thursday. The August 4 explosion at the Beirut port killed 181 people, wounded thousands and ravaged huge areas of the Lebanese capital. Official negligence and corruption have been blamed for the detonation of the huge stock of explosive ammonium nitrate stored unsecured in a portside warehouse for years. Ammonium nitrate has a dual use as fertiliser or in explosives. Senegalese port authorities Thursday said about 3,050 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had arrived in Dakar. "Of this, 350 tonnes were already sent to Mali," the port authorities said in a statement. The remainder is also destined for Mali, but the landlocked country has been sealed off following a coup on Tuesday. The owner of the ammonium nitrate had proposed storing it on a plot of land he owns in an area 30 kilometres (19 miles) outside Dakar that is being developed as a satellite town. But the environment ministry turned it down, port official Baba Drame told AFP. "We have asked the owner to take measures to take the product out of Senegal," he said. Senegalese President Macky Sall on Wednesday asked a cabinet meeting to draw up a plan to make depots storing hazardous chemical products secure. Dakar port authorities said they had taken "all necessary measures to avoid a similar disaster" like the Beirut blast. It has been 19 days since the weekly $600 enhanced unemployment benefits expired, leaving 30 million Americans in a lurch. We owe it to people waiting to get back to work across the country not only to extend unemployment benefits to help them pay their bills, but to tie these benefits to economic conditions so workers are not held hostage by another cliff like this one, more than half of the Democratic caucus wrote in a letter to Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). by Biju Veticad Due to pandemic-related health regulations, the synod was held via videoconference. Some 61 bishops joined in from all around the world. Participants called on the faithful to increase the nations production capacity, encouraging agricultural and industrial activities. They also urged cooperation with the authorities to help societys poorest, irrespective of caste or creed. Since the start of the pandemic, the Syro-Malabar Church has spent US$ 7.3 million to help the poor. Ernakulam (AsiaNews) The second session of the 28th Synod of Syro-Malabar Church ended last night. During the three-day conference, participants examined and discussed the Church's commitment to the poor in the age of the pandemic. The synods first session was held earlier this year, from 7 to 15 January 2020; the second one took place from 19 to 21 August via videoconference due to health regulations to contain COVID-19. Overall, 61 out of 64 Syro-Malabar bishops joined in, from Toronto to Sydney, from Italy to Great Britain, as did the bishops of Kerala and other Indian dioceses. In his opening address, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, Card George Alencherry, said that the time had come to make fundamental changes in the pastoral care of the faithful. Other speakers spoke about what the Church did for the faithful and for the population during the pandemic. the most important point though was the discussion about the socio-economic consequences of the epidemic on ordinary people. To this end, The Church, said Card Alencherry, should focus on the integral development of the faithful. The prelate also urged the bishops to work with the authorities to host, for example, quarantined expatriates in Church institutions, as well as help the faithful achieve some financial security. "We need to encourage our faithful to boost the nations production capacity, encouraging agricultural and industrial activities, he said. However, the most pressing issue is ensuring food for all those who have been badly affected by the health emergency. Church authorities, institutions and parishes must help societys poor, irrespective of caste or creed, the cardinal explained. India has reported so far 2,975,701 cases with 55,794 deaths. But the economic consequences have been even more serious. Due to the lockdown, hundreds of millions of domestic migrant workers have lost their jobs, increasing the number of the extreme poor. Recognising that the government alone cannot solve these problems, Syro-Malabar Church has offered to help the authorities any way possible. Meanwhile, since the start of the pandemic in India, the Church has spent at least US$ 7.3 million to help the needy, through its social service department (Spandhan). During their deliberations, the bishops expressed appreciation for the parishes that provide rice and vegetables at the entrance of their churches for the needy, who are encouraged to take what they without asking for permission. In the communique issued at the end of the Synod, the bishops urge the faithful to follow Jesus, who got involved with the poor, fed them and created a Church that stands by them, that is a "poor Church", as Pope Francis often points out. Alencherry took advantage of the occasion to thank the pontiff for making the Church of Saint Anastasia available to the Syro-Malabar community in Rome. For the bishops, ultimately, the best way to express our humanity and fraternal love is to give food to the hungry. Her '31 million' divorce was finalised four months ago. And on Saturday morning, Lisa Armstrong, 43, appeared to confirm her romance with a married man, after fans reached out to her on Twitter to congratulate her on the happy news. The makeup artist's new relationship with James Green, 37, comes three years after her split from Ant McPartlin, 44, was announced. Loved-up! On Saturday morning, Lisa Armstrong, 43, appeared to confirm her romance with a married man, after fans reached out to her on Twitter to congratulate her on the happy news Lisa looked to be happier than ever as she was seen enjoying an outdoor date with her rumoured new boyfriend James in London earlier this month. And, the make-up artist appeared to confirm their romance after a fan got in touch on social media. Her follower tweeted: 'Just love the fact that, A. Your Career continues to soar. B. You have a handsome good man who clearly cares for you (Finally). 'I wish you...... Love, life and magic in all you do.' Case of the ex: The notoriously private star's new relationship with James Green, 37, comes three years after her split from Ant McPartlin, 44, was announced (Pictured together in 2010) Confirmation? The make-up artist appeared to confirm their romance after a fan got in touch on social media Rather than denying the relationship rumours, Lisa retweeted the message for her followers to see, adding three kiss-blowing emojis, and added: 'Thank-you Kathy xx.' The blonde is said to have met James before lockdown but started seeing him properly once restrictions started to ease. An onlooker who spotted the pair together earlier this month, told The Sun: 'She and James both looked really happy. 'They were very lovey-dovey as you are in the early stages of romance. They were chatting intently, holding hands, and she was laughing a lot. 'They made no effort to disguise their feelings. After the pictures of the couple emerged, a fan wrote to Lisa on Twitter: 'Yes Lisa! He is fit! So chuffed for you, get in!!!' 'Fit': The head of make-up and hair for Strictly Come Dancing seemed to confirm their relationship as she responded to a delighted fan on Twitter The head of make-up and hair for Strictly Come Dancing retweeted the message with her 142,000 followers and added three smiley face emojis. 'She also liked another tweet from a fan that told her: 'You f***ing Queen.' MailOnline has contacted Lisa's representatives for further comment. Meanwhile, her ex-husband Ant continues his relationship with his former personal assistant and girlfriend of two years, Anne-Marie Corbett, 43. Lisa and Ant finalised their divorce back in April after their split in January 2018 following the presenter's highly documented battle with painkillers and alcohol. Love life: The TV icon has been dating his former personal assistant Anne-Marie Corbett, 43, for two years (pictured in November 2019) Earlier this year, Saturday Night Takeaway host Ant was reported to have handed over 31 million to Lisa, including their 5 million home in West London. The beauty expert was said to have been the 'peacemaker' during an eight-hour long discussion about her divorce from the TV star, claimed The Sun. The publication first alleged the TV veteran offered up more than half of his estimated 50 million fortune, but was 'delighted' that the case has come to an end as he can 'move on', two years after announcing their split. However, as the news broke, the former musician took to Twitter to deny the reports, posting: 'Nope a load of nonsense AGAIN....' She went to 'like' tweets that stated: 'no amount of money could ever compensate for what this poor girl has had to endure', and 'Get what you can! 'You deserve it! Terrible treatment of you since you found out when we did! And with a so called friend! It's heartbreaking behaviour. 'I bet the money means nothing in some respects, it certainly can't buy the respect she deserves or make up for the sh***y spineless way he scurried off & tried to silence her. 'Whatever the sum is I'm sure it will be put to much better use & I wish her all the best'; and 'Why do people care what you get, no amount of money big or small can change the fact a heart was broken'. [sic] At the start of 2020, the former couple were said to be on civil terms, with the exes speaking have 'without an intermediary' as they continue to share custody of their pet Labrador. All over: The makeup artist and the presenter finalised their '31 million' divorce back in April after their split in January 2018 (pictured on their wedding day in 2015) Late last year, friends of the former couple told The Mail On Sunday that despite efforts by Ant to keep their split low-key, Lisa still wanted her day in court. She is understood to have felt that Ant 'got away with a lot' following their split. She was also believed to be dismayed and deeply hurt that he moved on so quickly when he started a new relationship with Anne-Marie. A source close to the couple said: 'Ant has been very generous in terms of the financial settlement but Lisa is totally the opposite of someone who is motivated by money. 'She doesn't care about that she earns her own. But she has been so hurt by all of this. 'What the general public and his fans don't realise is that Ant's decision to end the marriage came after years of Lisa trying to save him from himself. 'There were at least three years when she was at her wits' end and it was tough. Watching him move on was very, very difficult. Lisa is very much aware that a judge may not award her as much as Ant is offering but she doesn't care. 'She has suffered tremendously in all of this and she wants her day in court.' Their union legally came to an end during a 30-second hearing in October 2018, finalising over a decade of marriage. He can now marry his 'rock' Anne-Marie. Ant and Lisa met at a roadshow in Newcastle in the mid-1990s while Lisa was an aspiring pop star in Deuce. He had often spoken of their struggle to have children. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. The vast majority of American police departments do not require that officers have a college degree. But the recent deaths of Black men and women while in police custody have refocused attention on police training and education. VOAs Dora Mekouar reports. Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, the Vice-Presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on Ghanaians to cherish and uphold the prevailing peace. She said absolute peace and social cohesion remained pre-requisite to facilitate sustainable development, and advised Ghanaians to guard against tendencies that could disturb the peace in the electioneering. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was speaking during a courtesy call on the members of the Sunyani Traditional Council to introduce herself as the NDCs running-mate for the forthcoming December 7, Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Accompanied by Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, the General Secretary of the NDC and other party officials, Prof Opoku-Agyemang is embarking on a two-day visit to Bono and Bono East, to introduce herself and interact with some traditional authorities in the regions. The NDCs Vice-Presidential candidate underscored the need for Ghanaians to bury their differences and to live at peace with each other to consolidate the gains and to strengthen the nations fledgeling democracy. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang appreciated the many contributions of traditional authorities towards nation-building. On educational development, she said the next NDC government would strengthen Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth. In that direction, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC government would complete abandoned educational projects to create a conducive environment to promote TVET education. She called for the support of the traditional authorities to enable the NDC to regain political power and facilitate rapid socio-economic growth and development. Oboaman Bofotia Boa-Amponsem II, the Kurontirehene of Sunyani Traditional Area, who welcomed Prof. Opoku-Agyeman, and her entourage, advised the political parties to conduct clean campaigns in the electioneering. He said politicians needed to guard against personality attacks and inflammatory statements that could cause misunderstanding, trigger political violence and soil the image of the nation. Oboaman Boa-Amponsem II advised them to be decorous by ensuring tolerance and decency in their pronouncements for their followers to emulate to facilitate violent-free elections. 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 Berlin, Aug 22 : Alexei Navalny, a leading Russian opposition figure who fell ill after a suspected poisoning, arrived in Germany on Saturday from Siberia for treatment. On Saturday, Navalny's medical evacuation flight, paid for by the German NGO Cinema for Peace, landed at Tegel airport in Berlin, the BBC reported. The 44-year-old staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin is being treated at the Charite hospital in the German capital. His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said in a tweet: "Massive thanks to everyone for their support. The struggle for Alexei's life and health is just beginning." Yarmysh said it was a pity that doctors had taken so long to approve his flight as the plane and the right documents had been ready since Friday morning. Navalny has been in an induced coma since Thursday after he fell ill during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow and his plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, Siberia A photograph on social media appeared to show him drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe before the flight. His team suspects a poisonous substance was put in his tea, the BBC reported. The head doctor at the hospital where Navalny was being treated in Omsk, Alexander Murakhovsky, warned late on Friday that doctors did not recommend flying, "but his wife insists on her husband being transferred to a German clinic". "The patient's condition is stable," deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. Navalny has made a name for himself by exposing official corruption, labelling Putin's United Russia as "the party of crooks and thieves", and has served several jail terms. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text "I have certainly seen it and Ive heard similar reports from colleagues," Austin Hospital director of intensive care Dr Stephen Warrillow said. "There may be something about COVID where oxygen levels fall and they kind of feel okay and they can even look okay and they suddenly hit a wall." Austin Hospital director of intensive care Dr Stephen Warrillow, in one of the hospital's wards earlier this year. Credit:Justin McManus Doctors historically sedated people with very low levels of oxygen, quickly hooking them up to mechanical ventilators. But now, many are keeping COVID-19 patients conscious for as long as possible and having them roll over in bed, continuing to breathe on their own with oxygen support. There are also notable differences with coronavirus when compared to other viruses that invade the lungs such as swine flu. COVID-19 patients often become sickest seven to 10 days after testing positive. There seems to be this pattern where they may have a second, later deterioration," Dr O'Brien said. Patients have appeared to be recovering from the virus only to be taken off a ventilator and then deteriorate quickly again a few days later. Everything about the way we nurse has changed, Royal Melbourne Hospital intensive care nurse Annette Dlugogorski said. We used to have all the staff gathered together in a room with a patient, but now, we might have one nurse in there speaking to a doctor with a team on loudspeaker on the phone outside the room. Annette Dlugogorski and a colleague care for a patient in Royal Melbourne Hospital's intensive care unit. Credit:Joe Armao As Australian doctors and nurses watched their colleagues in faraway lands grapple with the unusual virus in January, they have had to learn as they went. Ms Dlugogorski spent days in simulation training learning how to safely put on and remove full protective equipment. Then, there was a sense we had dodged a bullet in April, before a second, more deadly surge of infections. Staff in the intensive care units across Australia have learnt to sweat beneath pale blue isolation gowns, masks and face shields that dig into their skin as they check vitals, hovering inches away from the airways of coronavirus patients. Loading Hospitals with empty waiting rooms and bedsides have become the new normal. But it is the absence of family in the intensive care units that doctors and nurses struggle with most; the calmness that comes with having a loved one by a patients bedside or feeling their touch. The way their presence can slow down the heart rate of a distressed patient. You can learn so much about the patient from their family, said Ms Dlugogorski. "It's really hard seeing a family member saying goodbye to a dying patient and not be able to give them a hug. Whenever I think about it, it makes me really sad." Royal Melbourne Hospital intensive care nurse Annette Dlugogorski. Credit:Joe Armao When Ms Dlugogorski calls families to update them, sometimes she puts the phone on loudspeaker so their loved one can hear their voices. Other times, she quietly reassures patients with messages from their family. If it was my loved one, thats what I would want for them, she said. "Its privilege to look after these people. We try our best to comfort them. Unless death is imminent, families are not allowed to visit. Gut-wrenching decisions are made over which two people should witness their loved ones final living moments. "It is heartbreaking," Western Health intensive care doctor James Douglas said. "Hard conversations with families are made even more challenging." Intensive care doctor James Douglas at the ICU ward at Western Health's Sunshine Hospital. Credit:Penny Stephens It was late in the evening during his shift at Sunshine Hospital early this year, when an elderly man gasping for breath with a fever walked in. Chest x-rays revealed shadows on his lungs. I remember thinking this is probably it, Dr Douglas said. It's been incredible to see how quickly research is being done and new treatments are coming out." But in between the sheer exhaustion, the seemingly endless cycle of hard shifts of caring for our sickest in the toughest of times, there are stark moments of beauty when the ordinary becomes the magical. There are the days a coronavirus patient sits up in bed for the first time, or a group of nurses and doctors clapping and cheering as another patient takes their first step in weeks. It can be hearing a patients voice for the first time as they are weaned off a tracheostomy tube inserted into their throat to help them swallow. At the start, they cant speak or they dont have their voice back yet," Dr Douglas said. "But as they get better and their lungs slowly improve, you can deflate the little balloon in it and suddenly they can speak again. Seeing their eyes widen and the smile on their face when they hear their own voice is incredibly special." Without a vaccine or cure, Melbourne hospitals are trialling the promising antiviral drug remdesivir with preliminary evidence suggesting it can hasten the recovery of hospitalised COVID-19 patients by interrupting the virus ability to replicate. Doctors are also administering anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone which seems to reduce the chances of dying if you're in hospital. Each week, Western Health runs a medical journal group where doctors analyse the latest coronavirus studies emerging globally and tweak their treatments. We now know the people who are more at risk, Dr Douglas said. Men seem to get sicker and need ICU care more than women. Elderly people seem to preferentially be hit along with those with underlying health problems like heart disease and obesity." Loading Dr Douglas has also cared for young, healthy patients and men in their 40s, like him. We are very lucky in Australia that we have incredibly good healthcare system, Dr Douglas said. At Western Health, we are seeing some of the highest caseloads of anywhere. The fact we have still been able to do one nurse per critically ill COVID patient and we havent expanded our ICU into triple or quadruple numbers has meant that we can give the same model of care more that we normally do. More than 2000 healthcare workers have become infected with COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Some have been left fighting for life and fears are growing that many are being infected in their workplaces. It something that causes a lot of anxiety, Dr Douglas said. "It is always in the back of your mind. Youre in this uniquely horrible, yet incredibly privileged situation of actually being able to help people during a very, very difficult time. ICU nurse Steph Lord treats a coronavirus patient at The Austin hospital, one of the many facilities to undergo expansions in preparation for a surge in patients. Credit:Justin McManus Recovery for coronavirus patients is gruelling. For every day spent in intensive care, a patient will likely spend a week in a recovery ward. For those who experience organ failure, the prognosis declines sharply. If a patient is sick enough to need dialysis mortality rates hover at 50 percent. Loading As the rates of new infections plummet across Melbourne for the first time in weeks, promising signs are on the horizon. On Friday, just one coronavirus patient was in The Austin's intensive care unit. Mr Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson, the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive has called on Ghanaians to vote massively for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the December 2020 Election for more development in the country. He said the renewal of the Presidents mandate for another four-year term would empower him to continue to provide roads, potable water, school structures, and health facilities among others to improve the living standard of the citizenry. Mr Wilkinson made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when he cut the sod for the construction of a 26-kilometre road to link seven communities in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. The beneficiary communities include Oduman, Nsakyina, Manhean, Afuaman, Oshuman, and Borkorborkor. Mr Akwasi Afrifa Mensah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the area appealed to the people to vote for him and the President to complement efforts to meet their aspirations by providing projects to enhance their living condition. Nii Odum Nsakyi V, the Nsakyina Mantse expressed gratitude to the President and the Municipal Chief Executive for the construction of the road and gave the assurance of the support of the people. He called on the contractor of the road project to provide excellent work to win the admiration of the residents. 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 Coronavirus Updates: An emergency use authorisation allows unapproved vaccine candidates to be used in high-risk groups for a limited period Auto refresh feeds Across the world, the number of deaths has doubled to just over 800,000 since June 6, with 100,000 fatalities in the last 17 days alone, while more than 23 million cases have been registered. And in Asia, South Korea, which had largely brought the virus under control, became the latest country to announce it would boost restrictions to try to stem a new outbreak. Western Europe, particularly Spain, Italy Germany and France, has been enduring infection levels not seen in many months, sparking fears of a fully-fledged second wave. The global toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 800,000, according to an AFP count on Saturday, with numerous countries ramping up restrictions in an effort to battle an eruption of new cases. The fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from 29 of the 30 districts of the state. Three fresh fatalities were registered in Cuttack, two in Sundargarh and one each in Bolangir, Ganjam, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts, he said. Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 75,537 on Saturday with the detection of 2,819 fresh infections, while nine more fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 399, a health official told PTI. The ministry's figures showed that three people died from disease caused by the virus, bringing total deaths to 35,430 in Italy since the pandemic began. Total infections number 258,136. Italy recorded 1,071 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the worst daily number since lockdown was lifted in May, the health ministry reported on Saturday. Three more persons aged 63 years, 55 years and 60 years of age lost their lives in Cachar, Kamrup and Sonitpur districts respectively, he added. The persons affected included a 77-year-old from Kamrup Metropolitan district, which primarily cinsists of the Guwahati city. The others are a 77-year-old and a 60-year old from Dibrugarh district the fourth one is a 46-year old man from Jorhat, Sarma said. The toll in Assam due to the pandemic rose to 234 with seven more succumbing to it, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. The seven deceased are from Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Kamrup, Sonitpur and Kamrup Metropolitan districts, Sarma tweeted. Indias coronavirus tally on Sunday breached the 30-lakh mark after the country reported 69,239 new cases in the last 24 hours. The countrys toll rose by 912 to 56,706. Of the overall tally of 30,44,940, India now has 7,07,668 active cases while more than 22 lakh people have recovered from the infection "Twenty-three people have tested positive for COVID-19. Their reports were received on Saturday evening. On the same day, six patients recovered," District Magistrate Jasjit Kaur said. The officials said that a woman from Thanabhawan town died at a hospital on Saturday, taking the death toll to 15 in the district. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district has increased to 150 with 23 people testing positive for the infection, officials told PTI on Sunday. The district also reported a death from the novel coronavirus and the toll now stands at 15, they said. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that 3,52,92,220 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till yesterday (August 22). Of these, 8,01,147 were tested yesterday. There are 7,07,668 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 23.24 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. With a single-day spike of 69,239 infections, the country's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 30,44,940, while the death toll climbed to 56,706 with 912 fatalities being reported in a span of 24-hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.The COVID-19 case fatality rate has declined to 1.86 percent. India's COVID-19 tally sprinted past the 30-lakh mark, just 16 days after it crossed 20 lakh, while 22,80,566 people have recuperated in the country so far pushing the recovery rate to 74.90 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 1,13,884 with 1,284 more people testing positive for the disease, a health official told PTI on Sunday. The fatality count in the district has reached 3,240 as 26 more people succumbed to the viral infection on Saturday, he said. Rajasthan reports 697 new COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths today, taking the total cases to 69,961 including 950 deaths, 54,252 recoveries and 14,759 active cases Health teams went to Saket Colony on Friday and to the hospital mentioned by the other two persons on Saturday to take them for treatment at a medical facility, the officials said. It was found that they had provided fake information, Chief Medical Officer Dr Praveen Chopda said. Two of them claimed to be staffers of a hospital here, while the third person had given his address as Saket Colony, they said. Three people who tested COVID-19 positive in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district cannot be traced as they provided fake information and phone numbers during sample collection, officials said on Sunday. The cumulative recoveries stood at 6,657, Director of Health and Family Welfare S Mohan Kumar said in a release here. A total of 1,282 samples were tested during the period. The COVID-19 tally in the union territory rose to 10,522 and the toll mounted to 159 with the addition of 412 fresh cases and eight deaths, the Health Department said on Sunday. There were 3,706 active cases after the discharge of 350 patients in the last 24 hours ending at 10 AM. After consultation with the home ministry and the health ministry, a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been firmed up, he said. According to the SOP, the actors facing the camera will be exempt from wearing masks. And crew members will have to adhere to the guidelines of the health ministry, reports NDTV. According to Hindustan Times, Union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said film and television programme production can be resumed with all the necessary health protocols in place amid Covid-19 pandemic. Mukherjee was admitted to the hospital in Delhi Cantonment on 10 August and was operated for removal of a clot in the brain. He had also tested positive for COVID-19. There is no change in the health of former President Pranab Mukherjee and he continues to remain on ventilator support, the Army''s Research and Referral hospital told PTI on Sunday. Doctors attending on the 84-year-old Mukherjee said his vital parameters are stable. The state had last reported its highest single-day surge of 2,924 cases on 15 August. Fifty-three other coronavirus patients have also died, but the cause of their deaths was attributed to some other reasons. Of the new 2,993 cases, 1,879 were reported from different quarantine centres, while the remaining 1,114 were detected during contact tracing, he said. Odisha on Sunday registered its highest single-day spike of 2,993 COVID-19 cases and 10 more deaths due to the infection. With this, the state's COVID-19 death toll has mounted to 409 and the infection tally reached 78,530, a health official said. Risk-based approach includes considerations such as intensity of transmission in the area, the child's ability to use masks, access to masks, adequate adult supervision, potential impact on learning and psycho-social development and interactions with people at high risk of developing serious illness, the organisation said in a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) document uploaded on August 21. Children aged 12 and older should wear masks like adults while those aged 6-11 should wear them on a risk-based approach, the World Health Organisation has said, reports moneycontrol. A Business Today report had said that India's first Covid vaccine-Serum Institute's 'Covishield'- will be commercialised in 73 days. "COVISHIELD will be commercialized once trials are proven successful & requisite regulatory approvals are in place. Phase-3 trials for Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are underway. Only once vaccine is proven immunogenic & efficacious,SII will confirm its availability officially," the company said. "Presently, government has granted us permission to only manufacture the vaccine and stockpile it for future use." the company said, reports ANI. Serum Institute of India clarified on Sunday that the current claims over COVISHIELD's availability, in the media are completely false and conjectural. There is no scientific evidence that the drug works against COVID-19, a fact stressed not only by medical scientists but by some homeopathic practitioners themselves. In its presentation made before the World Health Organisation on August 20 on Gujarat's COVID-19 prevention strategy, the health department said it distributed Arsenicum Album-30 to 3.48 crore people, which is more than half of the state's population of 6.6 crore. The Gujarat health department has said it distributed homeopathic drug Arsenicum Album-30 to more than half of the state's population as prophylaxis since March after the outbreak of COVID-19, reports PTI. PTI has earlier reported how perhaps for the first time the Railways has refunded more than it has earned from ticket bookings, registering a negative passenger segment revenue of Rs 1,066 crore in the COVID-19-hit first quarter of 2020-21. The RTI has found that the Railways, which had suspended its passenger train services since 25 March, cancelled 1,78,70,644 tickets. The Railways has cancelled more than 1.78 crore tickets since March this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and refunded an amount to the tune of Rs 2,727 crore, a RTI has found. The cluster at Sungei Tengah Lodge was among the largest in Singapore before the dormitory was declared cleared of COVID-19 by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Jul 21, the Channel News Asia reported. Two of the new COVID-19 cases reported in Singapore on Saturday were linked to 55 previous cases to form a new cluster at Sungei Tengah Lodge dormitory at 500 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said. A new COVID-19 cluster has been reported in Singapore's biggest dormitory housing foreign workers, including Indian nationals, about a month after it was declared to be fully cleared of the coronavirus. E-passes are not required to travel to and from Puducherry, announced the Union Territory administration today, reports ANI. Ripunjoy Kakoti and Roushan's wife were also afflicted with the disease, the officials said. Chetia and Kakoti were suffering from fever and cough and their swab samples were tested. Roushan and his wife tested positive for the infection during raping antigen tests and were advised home isolation, they said. Dhubri Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra hadtested positive for COVID-19 last week. A total of 3,310 Assam Police personnel, including Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, have tested positive for the infection till date. Eleven police personnel have died, while 2,698 have recovered and 601 are undergoing treatment, officials said. Three senior Assam Police officers, including two Superintendents of Police, have tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, health officials said. Tinsukia SP Shiladitya Chetia and his Kokrajhar counterpart Rakesh Roushan have tested positive for the infection, they said. Tinsukia's Additional Superintendent of Police With the addition of 1,101 new coronavirus positive cases on Sunday, Gujarat's COVID-19 count climbed to 86,779, the state health department said. The toll in the state reached 2,897 as 14 patients succumbed to the infection during the day, it said. As 972 patients were discharged from various hospitals on Sunday, the total number of recovered cases in the state rose to 69,229, the department said in a release. The state has now achieved the recovery rate of 80 per cent, it said adding that the number of active cases stood at 14,653. The number of COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad district rose by 177 to 30,197 on Sunday, the Gujarat health department said. With five more fatalities, all from the city, the toll reached 1,685, it said. This is the fourth day in a row that Ahmedabad has been reporting more than 150 cases in a day. A total of 172 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of recoveries to 25,104. Of the 177 cases, 153 infections were reported from Ahmedabad city while 24 cases were reported from rural parts of the district, the health department said. The chorus for postponing various examinations, including NEET and JEE, grew louder on Sunday with over 4,000 students observing a day-long hunger strike to press for the demand in view of rising COVID-19 cases. The protest came on a day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the government must listen to the 'mann ki baat' of students and arrive at "an acceptable solution" and his party demanded that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) be deferred. The man in the viral photo is seen pouring liquor in a glass from a bottle while sitting on a hospital bed while food items served in aluminium foil containers are in front of him. A handcuff is also seen dangling from his right wrist. Katras police station officer-in-charge Ras Bihari Lal identified the man as 30-year-old Shantu Gupta, who was arrested on the charges of extortion on Thursday and was forwarded to jail. As he tested positive for coronavirus infection, the police admitted him to the central hospital of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), which was converted to a dedicated COVID19 facility, on Friday. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday orderedan investigation after a photo purportedly showing a COVID-19 positive prisoner drinking alcohol inside a hospital ward in Dhanbad went viral. One person tweeted the photo to the chief minister and he retweeted it directing Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Umashankar Singh to probe the matter and take action against those who were responsible for the irregularity. Singh said that the sub-divisional magistrate and the sub-divisional police officer concerned would carry out the investigation. "The chief minister has been informed of the progress of the probe," he said. China has authorised emergency usage of COVID-19 vaccines developed by some select domestic companies, a Chinese health official has said. An emergency use authorisation, which is based on Chinese vaccine management law, allows unapproved vaccine candidates to be used among people who are at high risk of getting infected on a limited period. "We've drawn up a series of plan packages, including medical consent forms, side-effects monitoring plans, rescuing plans, compensation plans, to make sure that the emergency use is well regulated and monitored," Zheng Zhongwei, head of China's coronavirus vaccine development task force, told state-run CCTV on Saturday. One month has passed since China officially launched the urgent use of COVID-19 vaccines on 22 July, while the vaccines were going through clinical trials, Zheng said. Recipients who got their first dose since then revealed they had few adverse reactions and none reported a fever. coronavirus death toll to 610, a health bulletin said. The fresh infections have taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 1,22,155, it said. Patna district reported the highest number of new cases at 203, followed by Begusarai (159), Muzaffarpur (127), Bhagalpur (115) and Saharsa (120), the bulletin said. Bihar's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1.22 lakh on Sunday as 2,247 more people tested positive for the infection, while nine fresh fatalities pushed the state's of COVID-19, this contagion has not even spared me. But, I am not showing any symptoms. My request to all please stay at home and follow the guidelines of the government," he tweeted. Mahapatra is now in home isolation at his Panskura residence in Purba Medinipur district, sources said. West Bengal Environment Minister Soumen Mahapatra on Sunday said he has tested positive for COVID-19. Stating that he is asymptomatic, the minister urged people who had come in contact with him recently to be in home isolation. "In the present alarming situation due to the outbreak Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabaskar on Sunday inaugurated a plasma bank at a government hospital, the second in the state, to treat COVID-19 patients. The Rs 25 lakh facility is established with an aim to collect and store plasma from those who have recovered from the disease and help coronavirus patients recuperate quickly, he said. Last month, the government set up the first plasma bank at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai. The push on Sunday came a day after Trump tweeted sharp criticism on the process to treat the virus, which has killed more than 175,000 Americans and imperiled his re-election chances. Pushing for breakthroughs in treatments for the coronavirus, White House officials suggested Sunday there were politically motivated delays by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in approving a vaccine and therapeutics for the disease. The accusations, the latest assault from President Donald Trumps team on the so-called deep state bureaucracy, were presented without evidence and just hours before Trump was set to hold a news conference to announce an apparent advancement in therapeutics. This president is about cutting red tape, said White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. He had to make sure that they felt the heat. If they dont see the light, they need to feel the heat because the American people are suffering. Coronavirus LATEST Updates: China has authorised emergency usage of COVID-19 vaccines developed by some select domestic companies, a Chinese health official has said. The first serological survey in Assam was launched by the Minister of state for Health and Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika on Sunday to assess whether people surveyed have developed immunity to novel coronavirus. Children aged 12 and older should wear masks like adults while those aged 6-11 should wear them on a 'risk-based approach', the World Health Organisation has said According to the SOP, the actors facing the camera will be exempt from wearing masks. And crew members will have to adhere to the guidelines of the health ministry Of the overall tally of 30,44,940, India now has 7,07,668 active cases while more than 22 lakh people have recovered from the infection India's coronavirus case count raced past 30 lakh on Saturday, showed an unofficial tally based on information provided by staes and Union territories, while the toll rose to 56,762 and recoveries climbed to 22,71,054. India is the third-worst affected country by the viral infection, said news agency PTI, which compiled the data. The virus has claimed over eight lakh lives globally. However, according to data released by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday morning, the overall case count in India has climbed to 29,75,701 with the country recording its highest single-day spike of 69,874 new coronavirus cases. The toll climbed to 55,794 with 945 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. But the number of recoveries also surged to 22,22,577 pushing the recovery rate to 74.69 percent on Saturday while the fatality rate dipped to 1.87 percent, said the ministry. India on Saturday also crossed the significant milestone of having conducted over 10 lakh tests in a day for the detection of the novel coronavirus, with more than 3.44 crore such tests conducted so far. The COVID-19 case count in Telangana crossed the one-lakh mark with 2,474 new cases while the toll touched 744. In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said his father, veteran Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren, and his mother Roopi, tested positive for the viral infection and are placed in home quarantine. Recoveries exceed active cases by 15 lakh, says health ministry The home ministry, in its morning update, said that there are 6,97,330 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country, comprising 23.43 percent of the total caseload in the country. While the country's COVID-19 case count has surged to 29.75 lakh, the total number of recoveries has surged to 22,22,577 and exceed active cases by over 15 lakh as on date, it said. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, at the inauguration of a make-shift NDRF hospital in Ghaziabad, said that India has the "best" COVID-19 recovery rate, which is improving every day, and the "lowest" mortality rate in the world. Taking a potshot at government critics, Vardhan said "many intelligent people, scientists and naysayers" had estimated that India, with a population of about 135 crore, will see 30 crore COVID-19 cases and about 50-60 lakh people will die by July-August, and the country's healthcare system was "incapable" to combat the disease. "However, I am happy to say that in the eighth month of the battle, India has the best recovery rate of 75 percent and against an estimate of 30 crore affected we have not even reached 30 lakh cases." "In fact, 22 lakh patients have recovered and gone home and another seven lakh are going to be cured very soon," he said. The minister said these successes were achieved due to the "coordinated" efforts with the participation of everyone the government and the people. Centre asks states to ensure unrestricted movement of goods, people Meanwhile, the Centre asked all states to ensure that there are no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods during the ongoing unlocking process. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said there were reports that local level restrictions on movement were being imposed by various districts and states. Drawing attention to the Unlock-3 guidelines, Bhalla said such restrictions are creating problems in inter-state movement of goods and services and are impacting supply chains, resulting in disruption of economic activity and employment. The unlock guidelines clearly state that there shall be no restrictions on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods, he said in the letter. The guidelines also stated that no separate permission, approval or e-permit will be required for movement of persons and goods for cross land border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries. The home secretary said the restrictions amount to violation of the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs under provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005. JMM chief Shibu Soren tests positive Rajya Sabha MP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president Shibu Soren and wife Roopi have tested positive for COVID-19, his son and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said. Taking to Twitter, the chief minister said "respected father Dishom Guru ji" and mother were diagnosed with the disease on Friday night, and they are undergoing home quarantine. The 76-year-old president of the ruling JMM in the state is revered as 'guruji' (master) by his followers. Hemant Soren ( - ) (@HemantSorenJMM) August 22, 2020 "With the blessings of the people of Jharkhand and the entire country, they will soon be among us, the CM tweeted. Seven other members of the JMM chief's household have also tested positive for the viral infection, reported news agency PTI quoting official sources. The chief minister, who lives at his official residence, close to the JMM chief's government bungalow, will undertake the test on Monday -- third time in two months. Earlier, Hemant had taken the test on two separate occasions first time after coming in contact with infected Cabinet colleague Mithilesh Thakur, and the second time after 17 employees at his office were diagnosed with the disease. On Tuesday, state health minister Banna Gupta was diagnosed with the disease. Punjab minister tests positive In Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has tested positive for COVID-19. "I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to him joining us at work soon," said Singh. My Cabinet colleague and Cooperation & Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has tested positive for #Covid19. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to him joining us at work soon. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) August 22, 2020 Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's residence in Muktsar district was declared as a micro containment zone after five security personnel posted there tested positive, a health official told PTI. Punjab on Saturday reported 45 deaths and 1,320 fresh infections, pushing the death count to 1,036 and total infections to 40,643. Telangana's case count crosses one lakh Telangana's overall case count rose to 1,01,865 as 2,474 new cases were added. With seven more people succumbing to the virus, the toll in the state mounted to 744. However, the state's recovery rate at 77.29 percent was higher than the country's recovery rate of 74.69 percent. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal were among the other states which added high numbers to their case tallies. While Maharashtra reported 14,492 new cases and 297 deaths, Andhra Pradesh reported over 10,000 fresh infections. The overall count in the southern state climbed to 3,45,216 and the toll mounted to 3,189. Gujarat its highest single-day spike of 1,212 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count of infections to 85,678, the state health department said. The number of fatalities rose by 14, including six in Surat, which is the highest in the state, to 2,883, it said. A total of 980 patients were discharged in the day, taking the number of recoveries to 68,257, the department said, adding that the recovery rate has reached 80 percent. With a record 3,232 new cases in a single day, West Bengal's caseload went up to 1,35,596. The toll reached 2,737 with 48 more people succumbing to the disease, said a bulletin issued by the state health department. With inputs from agencies A mourner from Robert Trump's funeral has allegedly punched a restaurant worker in the face telling them 'you don't know how to speak to people' because the server told them they couldn't fit their large party in the restaurant due to COVID-19 rules. The unidentified attacker assaulted a server at Fig & Olive restaurant in Washington DC Friday night leaving him with a suspected broken nose, just hours after Donald Trump held a funeral service at the White House for his younger brother, according to reports from NBC. A restaurant worker told the outlet the mourner 'clocked [the server] right in the nose' after he told the 'unruly party' there was no space for the group to dine. Some of the people in the group were allegedly still carrying funeral programs from the White House service, the sources said. The restaurant confirmed to DailyMail.com in a statement Saturday that one of its workers had been assaulted Friday night. The spokesperson said they 'cannot confirm or deny' the attacker was a guest at Robert's funeral but confirmed the group had attended a funeral earlier that day. A mourner from Robert Trump's funeral has allegedly punched a restaurant worker in the face telling them 'you don't know how to speak to people' because the server told them they couldn't fit their large party in the restaurant due to COVID-19 rules. Pictured Donald Trump at the White House service Friday The unidentified attacker assaulted a server at Fig & Olive restaurant in Washington DC (pictured) Friday night leaving him with a suspected broken nose, according to NBC NBC News White House Correspondent Geoff Bennett tweeted late Friday night that he had received a tip about an alleged bust-up involving the Trump funeral party at the DC branch of Fig & Olive restaurant. A source said someone who was 'in town for Robert Trump's White House funeral' punched the server at the restaurant. Bennett tweeted that a restaurant worker confirmed the altercation, which allegedly happened when the restaurant couldn't accommodate the large group. 'I'm told some in the group were still carrying funeral programs. The "unruly" group lashed out when the restaurant couldn't accommodate their large party,' he tweeted. 'Somebody blindsided one of my servers. Clocked him right in the nose,' a restaurant worker told NBC. 'My server's nose is crooked. Pretty sure the guy broke it.' The attacker, who the employee did not identify, went on to accost the victim for not speaking to them in the right way, the employee said. 'They didn't apologize. Just said, "You don't know how to speak to people,"' they said. NBC News White House Correspondent Geoff Bennett tweeted late Friday night that he had received a tip about an alleged bust-up involving the Trump funeral party at the DC branch of Fig & Olive restaurant 'It's a pandemic, doing the best we can... Totally uncalled for.' The worker told NBC they believe the server's nose is broken. Security at City Center DC, the development housing the restaurant, and police were said to be handling the matter but the restaurant staff said neither 'did anything'. It is not clear who the attacker is but the employee told NBC no 'high-profile' Trump was involved. A spokesperson for Fig & Olive told DailyMail.com Saturday a worker had been assaulted by a person who had attended a funeral earlier in the day but that they could not confirm or deny whether it was the funeral of Robert Trump. 'A member of our team was indeed assaulted by a guest last night. We cannot confirm or deny they were a guest of that particular funeral, but we can confirm their group had attended a funeral procession that day,' they said in a statement. The spokesperson branded the actions of the guest 'incredibly unfair' as staff adapt to the new COVID-19 restrictions. 'Since reopening from the temporary dine-in closures due to Covid-19 restrictions, our Fig & Olive DC team has worked incredibly hard to rebuild and we have faced many challenges during the reopening period,' they said. 'It is incredibly unfair our team had to deal with what occurred last night, and we will make sure the necessary steps are taken to address this. 'We have no further information to share at this time.' The Metropolitan Police Department in DC said Saturday it had 'no reports indicating MPD responded to that location yesterday for an assault'. A security person at the City Center DC development refused to comment on the situation to DailyMail.com Friday nightbecause they said they 'were not there at the time'. The bust-up allegedly came after Trump held a private funeral service at the White House for Robert who died last week one day after the president flew to New York to be by his bedside. Trump and Melania Trump cut somber figures as they watched pallbearers carrying Robert's casket out of the North Portico of the White House and down the steps to a waiting hearse late Friday afternoon Members of the Trump family embrace following the funeral of Robert Trump at the White House Trump and Melania watch the casket of his brother Robert be placed in a hearse and driven away from the White House Trump and Melania Trump cut somber figures as they watched pallbearers carrying Robert's casket out of the North Portico of the White House and down the steps to a waiting hearse late Friday afternoon. Robert's widow Ann Marie Pallan Trump, 55, - who he wed back in March - looked on tearfully and was joined by Donald and Robert's sister Elizabeth Trump Grau, 78, and her husband James Grau, 84, a former film producer and one-time events executive at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Elizabeth choked back tears while bagpipes played Lord Lovats Lament in the background - a tribute to the familys roots as their late mother Mary Anne MacLeod came from Scotland. They were joined by the president's children who were all pictured on the steps of the White House to pay their respects to their uncle. Barron Trump towered over his siblings Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, Eric Trump and wife Lara and Tiffany Trump. Also present were Robert's stepchildren Genna Nixon, 31, and TJ Pallan, 25, and their respective partners Flynn Nixon and Laura Taylor. Genna and TJ were seen comforting their distraught mother and Robert's widow Ann Marie at the bottom of the steps. David William Desmond, 59, Roberts oldest nephew and the only child of Maryanne Trump Barry, from her first marriage to David Desmond, was also pictured on the steps. The two brothers pictured together in 1999. Robert died Saturday age 71 after 'suffering brain bleeds from a recent fall' Several mourners embraced and comforted each other as the black casket was placed inside the hearse and driven away. Around 200 people were invited to the private ceremony which was reportedly personally paid for by the president but only a few dozen were seen on the steps. This is the first time a deceased person was held at the US seat of government since President John F. Kennedy's lay in state and his funeral procession started from there following his assassination back in 1963. The service made Trump's brother one of only a handful of private citizens to have had their funeral service in the White House in its entire history. Robert died in hospital Saturday at the age of 71 after 'suffering brain bleeds from a recent fall'. He is known for his role as Big D**k Richie in the 2012 comedy-drama Magic Mike and its sequel Magic Mike XXL, which premiered in 2015. But Joe Manganiello made it clear that he is not interested in reprising his role for a third installment of the saucy flick, despite the franchise's undying popularity. 'I'm retired,' insisted the 43-year-old actor in an interview with People published Friday. No way: Joe Manganiello made it clear that he is not interested in returning for a third Magic Mike film, despite the franchise's undying popularity; Joe pictured in February Though he has put his stripper persona behind him, Joe has refused to let his close friendship with his Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL co-star Matt Bomer, 42, go to the wayside. Joe said that he 'always talks' to Bomer, who is currently starring in the HBO Max series Doom Patrol. 'I got so much from going to the drama school that I went to in terms of learning and technique, but one of the great things that I got is all of the friends I have that work in the business,' he explained. Both Manganiello and Bomer studied acting at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Retired: 'I'm retired,' insisted the 43-year-old actor in an interview with People published Friday; Joe pictured in Magic Mike in 2012 Iconic: He is known for his role as Big D*ck Richie in the 2012 comedy-drama Magic Mike and its sequel Magic Mike XXL, which premiered in 2015; Joe pictured in Magic Mike XXL in 2015 He continued: 'And one of the great things is the friendship that I have with Matt. Matt and I always stay in touch, and talk and catch up, and grab lunch.' One topic of particular excitement for Joe in his interview with People was his new action-comedy film The Sleepover, which debuted Friday on Netflix. The Sleepover, which stars Watchmen actress Malin Akerman, follows the story of two young siblings who learn that their 'mother is actually a former high-end thief in the witness protection program.' Besties: Though he has put his stripper persona behind him, Joe has refused to let his close friendship with his Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL co-star Matt Bomer, 42, go to the wayside; Joe and Matt pictured in 2015 The Sleepover: One topic of particular excitement for Joe in his interview with People was his new action-comedy film The Sleepover, which debuted Friday on Netflix; Joe pictured with Malin Akerman in The Sleepover In the film, Manganiello portrays a jewel thief, which required him to engaged in 'big choreographed fight scenes' - something he thoroughly enjoyed. 'It was a way to make people laugh through physicality and tell the story that way, which was really fun.' When asked how he stays in tip top shape for his roles, Joe revealed that he works out a total of six days a week in the home gym he shares with wife Sofia Vergara, 48. Premise: The Sleepover, which also stars Watchmen actress Malin Akerman, follows the story of two young siblings who learn that their 'mother is actually a former high-end thief in the witness protection program' Action: In the film, Manganiello portrays a jewel thief, which required him to engaged in 'big choreographed fight scenes' - something he thoroughly enjoyed 'It's different at 43 than it was 33, but it's a lot of fun,' remarked Manganiello about preparing for 'stunt roles.' Joe and Sofia, who began dating in June of 2014, have been married since 2015. In June, the couple joyously celebrated their 'six-year dating anniversary.' Jessica Easterly Durning and her sister, Audrey Gutierrez, spent hours on the phone with each other - talking, watching reality TV. When their schedules got hectic, they swapped long Facebook messages back and forth that mostly included song lyrics or hashtags with powerful words or phrases to lift each other up. The sisters, who grew up mostly in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, now lived in different states, Jessica in New Orleans, Louisiana and Audrey in Biloxi, Mississippi - so they relied on their frequent phone calls. We could talk for hours about anything, Audrey told Dateline. She was so happy-go-lucky. Like, if you were feeling down, you could talk to her and she would pick you up. Audrey, along with Jessicas best friend, Maria Creel, both told Dateline those long calls with Jessica are what they miss the most. It was Maria who Jessica frantically called just two days before she disappeared in August of 2019. Maria told Dateline she was at home in Alabama on August 12 when she missed a call from Jessica. And then a second call. And a third call. When the two finally connected a few minutes later, Jessica asked Maria to come pick her up at the house she shared with her husband and her stepdaughter, in New Orleans. She didnt go into specifics, only that she needed to leave, Maria said. But it was a 2-hour drive and I didnt have anyone to pick up my kids from school. So we started making a plan for me to pick her up the next morning. The last time Maria heard from Jessica was in a text that read, ok just hang on, idk whats gonna happen when I get home. Jessica and her friend, Maria Creel. (Photo provided by family.) But two days later, Maria hadnt heard anything from Jessica, which she said was unusual. It was about 9 p.m. on August 14, Maria said, when she got a message from Jessicas Facebook account. It was Jessicas husband, Justin Durning. He asked, Is Jess with you, Grace and I are worried???? Grace is Justins daughter and Jessicas stepdaughter. When I read that message, my whole body went cold, Maria told Dateline. I knew right then something terrible had happened. Story continues In a flurry of frantic messages, Jessicas husband told Maria that he last spoke to her around noon that day and that she had left everything behind, including her cell phone, car keys, money and her ID. Maria told Dateline she called the New Orleans Police Department to perform a welfare check at Jessicas house on General Haig Street. That evening, Jessicas husband filed a missing persons report. Jessica with her sisters, Audrey and Amanda. But Jessicas 43rd birthday on August 17 came and still there was no trace of her. Ive always talked to her on her birthday, Ive always called her, Jessicas sister Audrey said tearfully. And that year I called her. And I didnt get an answer. Thought maybe she was just out. But I shouldve known something was wrong. And I didnt I just didnt think this could ever happen. On August 22, a week after Jessica was last seen, Audrey, their other sister, Amanda, and their cousin, traveled to New Orleans to speak with detectives at the New Orleans Police Department. But first they decided to conduct their own search in Jessicas neighborhood. Audrey said they were driving when a foul smell prompted them to get out of the car and search on foot. It was Audrey who made the horrific discovery. Along the tree line of a wooded area of City Park near the intersection of Orleans Avenue and Kenilworth Street, about two blocks from Jessicas home, was a body clad in a black tank top, black shorts and black shoes. I was devastated, Audrey told Dateline. I knew right away it was her. I couldnt believe this was happening. Audrey called the police and an investigation was launched. But it would be three months before the body was identified. On November 8, 2019, the body was positively identified as Jessica Easterly Durning, according to the Orleans Parish Coroners Office. Jessicas family told Dateline they believe foul play was involved in her death and that her body was placed where she was found. Gary S. Scheets, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department told Dateline this week that the case remains open and active and is being investigated by the 3rd District detectives. This thing would not have taken this long as it has had she not laid in the New Orleans sun for a week and a half before her body was found, Jessicas stepfather Rick Schmitt, of Summerdale, Alabama, told WDSU after receiving the results. Thats what made the autopsy to difficult The fact that she was there, everything points to she was dumped there; she did not die there. Rick Schmitt added that his stepdaughter was a good woman who made close friends that she kept for life. She shouldnt be dead right now, he said, with tears on his cheeks. Two more months passed before Jessicas family received her autopsy report on January 15, 2020. According to Orleans Parish Coroners Office Spokesman Jason Melancon, the autopsy found evidence that Jessica sustained a nose injury as well as a a small linear fracture to her jaw around the time she died. However, in the report signed January 8, the pathologist did not address how these injuries might have been sustained. The Coroners Office classified both the cause and manner of Jessicas death as undetermined. In an email to Dateline, NOPD Spokesperson Gary S. Scheets said Jessicas case remains an unclassified death and is not currently classified as a homicide. He added that the investigation remains open and active. This month marked a year since Jessicas body was found, and her family and friends are still left with many unanswered questions. Maria, who has been friends with Jessica for at least 20 years, told Dateline their phone calls filled a place in her heart that is now empty. I still cant believe shes gone, Maria said. Its been a year, but that doesnt mean were giving up on her. Were never backing down - and we will get justice for Jessica. Its what she deserves. Jessicas friends and family continue to rally for justice for Jessica, who they described as an outgoing, fun and beautiful person who could always put a smile on your face. Her sister, Audrey, maintains a website dedicated to the case and has kept their love of hashtags going with the most important one of all -- #Justice4Jessica. She was such a beautiful person, Audrey said. Ive never met anyone thats had anything bad to say about Jessica. She was a good friend. She was a great sister. I cant believe shes gone. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Third District at 504-658-6030 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 and toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta has said the former President, John Dramani Mahama has been insincere with his criticism of the Akufo-Addo governments handling of the financial sector cleanup. The Minister in an interview with Citi News on the sidelines of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2020 manifesto launch said it is disingenuous for the former President to suggest that the cleanup was harsh and needless, given the positive results generated by the move. I think it is kind of difficult and disingenuous for me when I hear that kind of talk and that is a former President so you need to give him proper respect and honour but we came and met an asset quality review which said these banks were bankrupt and it has been lying on their desks for over a year and the hard decision to take was not being taken, the Minister explained. The Banking sector has since 2017 seen a series of clean up exercises carried out by the Bank of Ghana and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ken Ofori Atta pointed out that the clean up had led to a major restructuring which yielded positive results. No restructuring is perfect but must be done and I am unequivocal about that. At this juncture, the banks are stronger, they have been consolidated. Even those who were not strong enough but had the chance, we decided to give them money. 96 or 98 percent of the people have gotten their money. If you look at the resilience we have had currently and given the devastation of the pandemic in the world, there is no way Ghana will be where it is. I think it is quite easy to take one or two outliers and decry the policy but it took courage and real management of resources for us have to a strong financial institution. The former President has been an avid critic of the banking sector clean-up. He had earlier suggested that the revocation of licenses of some financial institutions in the country was harsh and extreme. The clean-up has resulted in the collapse of over 400 financial institutions 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies or money lenders, 15 savings and loans companies, eight finance house companies, and two non-bank financial institutions. ---citinewsroom - The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that it believes a vaccine will be ready by the end of 2021 - The real challenge is equitably distributing the vaccine across the world, ensuring that poorer nations have access to it - Currently, there are over two dozen companies working on a vaccine right now with some expecting results before the end of 2020 PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked countries to take part in the global agreement that countries that are unable to afford access to the Covid-19 vaccine will be able to distribute it to their population. The COVAX global facility has been created to helped pool funds from richer countries and organisations to help develop a Covid-19 vaccine and distribute it across the globe. Briefly.co.za learned that the WHO hopes that a vaccine will be ready by the end of 2021. COVAX is part of a broader programme called the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims to coordinate the rolling out of Covid-19 vaccines, including tests and treatments. Currently there are more than a dozen drug companies in a race against time to develop a safe and functioning Covid-19 vaccine. A number of these companies are expected to reveal if their vaccines are safe and work by the end of 2020. Dr Anthony Fauci, a US infectious diseases expert, told Reuters that a trial being conducted by Moderna Inc could have positive results as soon as November. Dr Anthony Fauci is the leading expert on infectious diseases in the United States. Photo credit: Facebook/@USAID Global Health Source: Facebook Drug companies are already preparing their production capacity to meet the demand of a new vaccine when it is ready and the US government is aiding these efforts with Operation Warp Speed. Fauci expects millions of doses will be ready by early 2021. This along with efforts from other companies could see a vaccine available on a global scale by the end of 2021. The danger is that rich countries may be able to access the vaccine ahead of poor nations and people may struggle to afford the vaccine which could cost upwards of $40 (R690). There are also political ramifications. If countries choose to withhold vaccines from the world this could cause political tension, particularly between the US, China and Russia, who are all feverishly working on vaccines. Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that the second round of Covid-19 vaccination trials is set to kick off this week in South Africa. Wits University will be screening participants for the trial today. In the second phase of vaccination trials, SA will be evaluating if the nanoparticle S-protein in the Covid-19 vaccine known as NVX-CoV2373 protects against Covid-19 disease in adults aged 18 to 64 years old. NVX-CoV2373 is produced by the biotech company, Novavax (Maryland, USA). Novavax is a late-stage biotechnology company that develops next-generation vaccines for serious infectious diseases. In other news, a report by Daily Mail indicates that the Australian government is considering banning citizens in the country from flights, restaurants and public transportation if they don't get a Covid-19 vaccine. Dr Nick Coatsworth, the deputy chief medical officer, made the disclosure on Wednesday, August 19 at a press conference. According to Coatsworth, health officials and ministers would discuss measures to encourage Australians to take the coronavirus vaccine. "Looking at specific things like not being able to go into restaurants, not being able to travel internationally, not being able to catch public transport... these are clearly policy decisions that will be discussed." 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 After 14 years in the food business and 10 years on Valencia Street in San Francisco, Venezuelan restaurant Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen is shuttering permanently at the end of August. Owner Adriana Lopez Vermut confirmed the news to SFGATE, saying it was a "very hard decision" to close. "I ran the numbers and I'm going to have to either get a loan or incur debt and it's just not something that I'm ready to do," Lopez Vermut said. "When I opened Pica Pica, it opened in Napa at the Oxbow Public Market and it was 2008. Immediately, the big [financial] crisis hit us and so we survived that, obviously. But there's only so many crises that I can handle." Lopez Vermut explained that in more recent years, office catering had become a larger part of Pica Pica's business model. Delivery had come to make up 25% of the restaurant's sales last year, with 25% from dine-in customers and 50% from catering, she estimated. Then the pandemic struck, and shelter in place changed everything. "What I started seeing over the years was that people were going into restaurants less and less," Lopez Vermut said. "When the pandemic hit and shelter in place happened, we immediately stopped receiving office orders and dining obviously went out ... I think that as I've been getting information from a lot of the tech companies that we have served for many years, that they're not coming back or they're not planning to come back until January that 50% is gone for good in terms of sales." During shelter in place, Lopez Vermut said she and her team had raised money to make 30,000 meals for local homeless organizations, help managing to retain 17 employees. "We went far and it was really incredibly rewarding and I was able to keep everybody employed, which was amazing," Lopez Vermut said. "So the point was, the tagline was, 'Food for families, jobs for hourly employees.' And the point was just making sure that we keep everybody employed." Still, the restaurant was not able to ride out the hardships, not to mention the pricey rent a restaurant space on Valencia Street commands. "I think the next two years in the city are gonna look hard in the restaurant industry," Lopez Vermut predicted. "But I think that, like it was in 2008, I got a great deal on that [Valencia Street] location when I first came out to negotiate in 2010, and there's going to be some really cool stuff happening [in the future], but I think we just have to hang in there ... and it's just going to be hard for people like me who just don't have much left to keep going." Lopez Vermut ran the restaurant with her father as business partner, starting Pica Pica around the time of the birth of her first child, despite working in venture capital prior to starting the business. Pica Pica's Oxbow location in Napa eventually closed, as did a Pica Pica location in Castro, but the family made their home on Valencia Street for years, focusing on growing that location and its customer base. The restaurant found its niche among the celiac community, serving gluten-free and allergen-friendly items, which they had become known for, Lopez Vermut said. Pica Pica was also one of the few options for Venezuelan food in San Francisco, proudly serving its arepas to customers. Although the restaurant is closing, Lopez Vermut still has some plans in place for the future. There are children who need help with distance learning, the Pica Pica cookbook she's been thinking about writing and even a signature hot sauce that she's been considering launching as a product. The hardest thing, she noted, was thinking about the team she's led at Pica Pica and the customers she's welcomed into the restaurant. "I started Pica Pica after my daughter was born in 2006," Lopez Vermut wrote in a goodbye email to customers. "My father asked how I was going to ensure that my Latin and Venezuelan heritage was alive and palpable for my family. So we decided to open an 'arepera' together. We had dreams of making Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen a big company with thousands of restaurants all over the country and share our love for Venezuelan culture and cuisine. We never got to that goal but we survived for fourteen years and my four children along with the tens of thousands of people who ate our food, understand and appreciate my heritage. So I consider Pica Pica an enormous success." Pica Pica's last day will be Aug. 30. Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen is located at 401 Valencia St. in San Francisco. Dianne de Guzman is the Food + Drink Editor at SFGATE. Email: dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com A flipped over car was found near where the man was stabbed (Picture: SWNS) A man stabbed to death after being chased through a council estate asked for a blanket as he lay dying in the middle of the road. The victim, believed to be in his 20s, was stabbed in Brixton, south London, on Thursday evening. Witnesses said he desperately tried to avoid his attackers but reached a dead-end on Overton Road. Police have launched a murder investigation after he died on the same night at hospital. A man, 19, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday. He is being questioned at a police station in south London. Read more: Tower Bridge 'stuck' open after 'mechanical fault' with roads left gridlocked Police have arrested a man, 19, on suspicion of murder (Picture: Getty) A teaching assistant and mother who lives in the building where the victim was seen running through the corridors said she felt shocked and saddened by the young loss of life. Margarida Lopes, 50, said she had seen people fleeing through the corridors for years, often jumping up and over balconies. She said: He was conscious and he was asking for a blanket. He was tilting his head up. It took a good hour before they took him away so I dont know if he was severely injured and they were trying to stabilise him before taking him away on the stretcher. The tops of his legs were bandaged and he had a wound at the top of his chest towards his shoulder. Read more: Paedophile councillor jailed for arranging sex acts with fictional three-year-old girl Lopes added: I was so sad to think of this young loss of life and all he had ahead of him. It is such a waste. Why would people want to be killing one another? Detectives have linked the incident to a car that was found overturned nearby and think it may have crashed into another vehicle before flipping. The victim has yet to be formally identified but authorities have informed his next of kin of his death. A post-mortem examination on the body is scheduled on Sunday. MONTREAL - The Quebec government has issued provincewide guidelines to police forces regarding street checks, but the policy is raising concerns from various rights groups. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2020 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Police look on as they move a homeless man away from a street corner in Montreal, Saturday, August 22, 2020. Quebec's Public Security Department has released guidelines for the province's police forces on street checks to ensure they aren't random, unfounded or discriminatory.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes MONTREAL - The Quebec government has issued provincewide guidelines to police forces regarding street checks, but the policy is raising concerns from various rights groups. Quebec's Public Security Department released the guidelines Friday afternoon, in a four-page document that stipulates the practice of stopping of citizens to collect and record their personal information shouldn't be random, unfounded or discriminatory. The policy mirrors one introduced by Montreal police in July aimed at curbing arbitrary and discriminatory stops. The provincial guidelines say that while stops are essential for public safety, they must be based on observable facts or information that gives police reasonable grounds to intervene. The guidelines, which came into effect Thursday, state that those situations could include assisting someone; preventing a crime, a breach of the law or incivility; collecting information; or identifying a wanted person. A spokeswoman for the Public Security Department said in an email that it was necessary for the province to introduce the policy given the current social context in Quebec, and the rules will ensure uniformity across police forces. But some rights groups question why such a policy was introduced without any consultation, and they're raising concerns over what it doesn't address. Montreal police had pledged to introduce a policy after a damning 2019 report by independent researchers showed people from certain backgrounds were much more likely than others to be stopped by police. But the provincial policy came into effect ahead of a local public consultation on Montreal's plan, said Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR). "This guideline came out barely 10 days before the City of Montreal consultation on pretty much the same issue," Niemi said. Niemi said he's concerned the provincial policy undercuts the consultation process and blunts any public participation, input or criticism of the Montreal police policy. "This guideline pretty much pulls the rug out from under the feet of that city consultation it makes it redundant because this has become provincial policy," he said. The union representing municipal police officers welcomed the policy. "It clearly outlines the practices already in force it is an additional tool that synthesizes the laws that already guided our interventions," Francois Lemay, president of Quebec's federation of municipal police officers, said in a statement. Niemi agrees while having a uniform, provincewide policy does have some merit as it spells out what police can do, there are circumstances that aren't covered such as the issue of the racial profiling of Black drivers. It also allows for checks related to incivilities, which raises concerns of social profiling and discrimination for certain segments of the population, Niemi said. "Policies against incivilities lead to discrimination and abuse of police powers in low-income areas and neighbourhoods," Niemi said, noting that often means places where racialized populations live. "It will be a licence for a police officer to intercept and fine anyone for 'uncivil conduct,' and we've never had a public discussion about this policy at the provincial and municipal level before." While the Montreal police plan requires officers to collect detailed data, including the person's ethnocultural identity, after they stop and question someone, the report will only be required if the information gathered from the stop is considered to be of interest to the police force. Montreal's policy comes into force later this year. Ontario introduced rules in 2017 to ban checks in certain situations. Nova Scotia announced last year it would halt the practice after a review ruled such checks illegal. The Quebec Civil Liberties Union, which had recommended at the end of 2019 that Montreal do away with the practice altogether, said the provincial policy didn't have any input from those most affected. "The avenue that seems to be favoured at the moment by the department is to try to supervise an illegal and discriminatory practice," said spokeswoman Lynda Khelil. "One wonders what is the message that the Quebec government is sending to the population by authorizing the police forces in Quebec to continue to make arrests which are illegal and discriminatory." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2020. with files from Vicky Fragasso-Marquis. A former police officer in the north-central province of Nghe An on Thursday agreed to pay back VND682 million (US$30,000) he had received from a neighbor after being pressured by the female lender and her family, who erected a tent and camped outside in front of his house for six days straight. Trinh Van Nha, chairman of Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An, said on Thursday evening that Tran Dinh Duc, who was a former deputy police chief of the district, had paid back VND182 million ($7,850) as the first installment of the debt he owes to his female neighbor, Ngo Thi Chung. Duc pledged to return the remaining VND500 million ($22,150) to Chung in three months, according to the chairman. Earlier, Chung said in her report that during her time working at Ducs house, she gave him VND682 million to have him purchase a plot of land on her behalf. The amount of money was from her husband, a guest worker overseas. She recently asked the former cop whether he had purchased the land or not, but he dodged the question. Later, he denied having received any money from her at all. Chung said she had no document to prove the transaction as she had complete trust in the man. Since August 14, Chung and her relatives and friends had gathered in front of Ducs house to pressure him into giving the money back. They erected a tent and camped outside the residence, refusing to leave for six days straight. Ngo Thi Chung and her family members erect a tent in front of the house of a former police officer to pressure him into paying back VND682 million (US$30,000) in debt in Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An Province, Vietnam. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre The unusual occurrence attracted the attention of around a hundred people, forcing Duc and his family to stay inside their house. The case also prompted the local police unit to carry out an investigation. They directly spoke to the two families to settle the case. After Duc agreed to repay the money he owes on Thursday, many neighbors congratulated Chung and her family on the news. Late the same day, Chung and her family removed the tent and brought their makeshift beds home after six days sleeping in front of the former police officers house. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! MUMBAI: After the Supreme Court nod, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday (August 21) started its probe into the Sushant Singh Rajput death case in the city as it collected relevant documents and reports from the Mumbai police, officials said. A special investigation team of the CBI, consisting of officers, other personnel and also forensic experts, on Friday grilled Sushant's cook Neeraj Singh at the DRDO and IAF guest house where the officials are staying. A vehicle, in which the cook was seen sitting next to a CBI official, was spotted entering the guest house complex. The probe team will record statements of people connected with the case, sources said. Here are some of the questions CBI put before the staff: What happened on June 14? How was Sushant Singh Rajput's mood that day? How was Sushant's mood on June 13, a day before he was found dead at his residence? Did Sushant have dinner on June 13? What did Sushant do on 14 June morning? Who was present at actor's Bandra residence at the time of his suicide? Who all lived with Sushant and for how long? When did you come to know that no sound is coming from inside Sushant's room? How was Sushant's door opened and who called the keymaker? Who managed to take care of the house? How long had Rhea Chakraborty been living with Sushant in the house? Did Rhea and Sushant ever get into a fight? When Rhea left the house on June 8, what all things did she take with her? Did she take away any important documents with her? Did you come down to meet Rhea while she was leaving the house? Did someone came to meet her at that time or did leave with someone? When did Sushant get into depression? Who gave him food and his medicines? Who did Sushant spend his maximum time with? How was Sushant's mood after June 8? Did Sushant's sister come to his residence after Rhea left and how long did she stay? Who brought down Sushant's body from the ceiling fan; and at behest of whom? Do you think Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide and what could be the reason? According to reports, Sushant's cook Neeraj spent the entire night in the DRDO guest house where he was questioned about the case. Neeraj was brought to the guest house on Friday by the CBI team for questioning. Another team of the CBI, led by a superintendent-rank officer Nupur Prasad, spent around 10.30 hrs at Bandra police station, where an ADR (accidental death report) was registered after the alleged suicide by the actor. The team collected case diary of the ADR and other important documents related to the investigation of the case, which included autopsy and forensic reports. The CBI team also met DCP Abhishek Trimukhe, who was heading the Mumbai police probe team. Today, a CBI team can go to Sushant's Mont Blanc flat and recreate the death scene. The process can take at least 4 to 5 hours. The second team of CBI is likely to visit a team of doctors at Mumbai's Cooper Hospital who performed post-mortem on Sushant. During this time, members of the forensic team from Delhi will also be present. The third team of CBI is expected to interrogate Deepesh Sawant, keymaker who broke open Sushant's door and Rajat Mewati today. (Natural News) In an effort to stem the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) on campus, universities throughout America are asking students to report peers who they suspect to be infected. Other systems also ask students to file reports if they think there are people who arent following COVID-19 prevention guidelines. While these programs mean well, enforcing them might have unfortunate implications, especially if some students abuse the system. Experts have already spoken up about the implications of these systems meant to monitor potential coronavirus cases and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Who wants to join the coronavirus police? At the University of Miami (UM), a system allows students to anonymously report any concerns about unsafe behaviors of their peers. The reports will then be reviewed by university administrators who will contact the student of concern by the next business day to provide assistance before any student reaches a crisis level. Meanwhile, UM faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to directly contact the school authorities for suspected cases. As a safeguard, UMs Report a Concern website warns that anyone providing false information may be subject to University disciplinary action. At Texas A&M University (TAMU), faculty members and administrators can use a similar system to file a report if they think someone else on campus has been infected with the coronavirus. At Tulane University, students and other university members are encouraged to speak up about problematic behavior related to COVID-19. Depending on the incident being reported, students can also call the university police. On the reporting page announcement, Erica Woodly, Tulane Dean of Students, called on students to keep an eye out for these so-called incidents. She wrote, Do you really want to be the reason that Tulane and New Orleans have to shut down again? Meanwhile, Yale University tells students to make reports concerning COVID-19 to the university hotline. Concern or unnecessary policing? At the University of North Georgia (UNG), students can use a COVID-19 Concern for Others Form. This system, however, has been subject to backlash. Soon after the system was announced, concerned members of the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) sent a letter to the university, claiming that the UNGs form may violate students right to privacy and could possibly censor speech. The SLF letter acknowledged that while colleges have a duty to protect student health and safety, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic affecting most of the country, students First Amendment rights remain unchanged. The SLF letter noted that despite the pandemic, colleges and universities cannot engage in viewpoint or content-based discrimination, cannot enact vague and overbroad policies, and cannot chill student expression. The SLF brought up several ways that the UNG COVID-19 Concern for Others Form can be abused: Students who want to prevent a controversial speaker from visiting campus can use the form to do so. The form can be used to stop a student organization from encouraging others to join their cause if someone reports members of the organization as symptomatic. While these scenarios are only examples, the SLF letter emphasized that without stricter reporting guidelines and limits, similar events could be quickly ended just by using the form. According to the SLF, the form could also violate students Fourth Amendment rights by forcing students to get tested for coronavirus even without cause. As the Fourth Amendment states, individuals cannot be subject to unreasonable searches and seizures. Involving students in contact tracing Aside from asking students and staff alike to report anyone who could have been exposed to coronavirus, some universities have started various student volunteer programs to reduce the spread of the virus. At Columbia University, a Student Ambassador program allows students to a peer leader and expert on COVID-19 prevention, the Columbia Community Health Compact and resources for students. Campuses are even turning to technology to keep a closer eye on students. In a move reminiscent of 1984s Big Brother, the University of Denver requires all students to install an application on their smartphones that will then track their location to expedite contact tracing efforts. (Related: Massive backlash forces Michigan university to back down from enforcing medical device to monitor coronavirus symptoms.) But even though many universities in the country readily encourage students to help prevent the spread of coronavirus by reporting their peers, two Ivy League academics advised universities that asking students to join the coronavirus police isnt a good move. Both Karen Levy, an assistant professor at Cornell University and Lauren Kilgour, a doctoral candidate at Cornell, acknowledge that involving students in COVID-19 prevention makes sense. However, the systems currently being enforced may not be as effective as initially hoped. They can also negatively the students who are put in very tough positions. While some students find it easy to report suspected cases of COVID-19, others may find it hard to report their friends and possibly subject them to harsh penalties. Students may also fear being socially ostracized if they are revealed to have snitched on their peers. Students could eventually be burdened by the added responsibility of helping prevent the spread of coronavirus and the potential personal costs of reporting their fellow students. And while these systems can help keep campuses safe, the anonymity they provide can also be abused. The forms can be used to get revenge on other students or to fuel competition between various student organizations. Visit Pandemic.news for more information about how universities are handling the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: CampusReform.org CanesCare.StudentAffairs.Miami.edu NYTimes.com Multiplex companies such as PVR and Inox are pleading with mall owners for a complete rent waiver through the months that they have been shut, and once they are allowed to resume operations, their request is for a 50:50 revenue share with mall owners until their business picks up. Despite multiplexes contributing close to 25 per cent of a mall's footfalls, not many mall operators are open either for a rent waiver or a revenue share. With business being far from satisfactory, mall operators' argument is that they too have liabilities and can't afford a complete rental waiver. After all, multiplexes occupy anywhere between one-tenth to one-fourth of a mall's space. "We also have fixed costs, loans on the asset which needs to be paid off. The moratorium is only for a limited period, we need cash to keep the asset alive," argues the CEO of a leading mall. Also Read: PVR, Inox Leisure shares gain up to 8% on reports cinema halls may open from September Multiplex companies are among the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have had absolutely no revenue through the lockdown period. Though malls have opened in most parts of the country, the multiplexes are still not allowed to be operational. To add to this, the multiplexes, even after they are operational, will have to cope with shortage of content, as many producers have released their films on digital platforms since the reopening of multiplexes has been stalled indefinitely. Even if the multiplexes open up, the content crisis will remain, as most new projects have been delayed due to the pandemic. While a few Bollywood and Hollywood releases could come to their rescue as soon as they open, their content pipeline will dry up post reopening until the new slate of films are ready for release. "Unlike a brand that deals in tangible merchandise, multiplexes have to depend on film studios and distributors for content which looks uncertain in the immediate short term, resulting in deep revenue losses," points out Shirish Handa, Chief Business Development Officer, INOX Leisure. With a substantial reduction in revenues and no change in real costs, Handa says his company's bottomline doesn't look safe. "Until the business recovers, a revenue-sharing approach is most suitable for the multiplex as well as for mall owners to tide over this tough phase," Handa adds. Also Read: PVR confident of going back to pre-COVID revenue levels in 3-6 months Nitin Sood, CFO, PVR, also admits that his company is in talks with mall owners for a rent waiver. "We are seeking a complete rent waiver during the period we have been shut and asking either for lower rental or a revenue share for at least a year. We are hoping that we will reach an amicable agreement." "The mall owners would have to take a pragmatic approach towards the situation and help them survive this period with everyone understanding the inter-dependence of malls and multiplexes to survive and thrive. Both parties will have to find a mutually beneficial and sustainable mechanism to sail through the current situation, since both cannot survive without the other," points out Bimal Sharma, Head (Retail Advisory and Transaction Services), CBRE South Asia. A multiplex, explains Anuj Kejriwal, CEO and MD, Anarock Retail, needs to operate at a 30-32 per cent occupancy cost at an all-India level to breakeven. "With restrictions on seating capacity, they will in any case find it difficult to meet the basic seating requirement. Therefore, both mall owners and the multiplexes need to understand each other's needs and work out an amicable arrangement," says Kejriwal. "The three major sources of footfall for a mall are cinema, F&B, and events. While events are not going to happen for some time and F&B has its own challenges, the malls have to ensure that the cinemas are open," Kejriwal further explains. Also Read: Majority of people against reopening multiplexes, resuming international flights Mukesh Kumar, CEO, Infiniti Mall, says they have already offered up to 50-70 per cent rent reductions to their retail tenants as well as a 50 per cent cut in the common area maintenance fee. "There is still no clarity as to when the multiplexes will be allowed to resume. We will work out an amicable solution once they open up." Manoj Agrawal, CEO, Viviana Mall, says that they are in discussion with all their partners for an amicable solution to the current crisis. "The requests received from various retailers are being evaluated in light of the agreed terms with individual retail partners as well as their performance over the years. Also, as mentioned, based on government guidelines, we want to reopen Viviana Mall for our valued customers and retailers alike at the earliest. Commercial and business requirements are very important but these would have to be taken up at an appropriate time which could possibly be post reopening of the mall," Agrawal adds. The provinces police watchdog is investigating after a 66-year-old man fell from his ninth-storey balcony on Friday while Toronto police were present. Toronto police attended to a man in distress who was hanging from an apartment balcony on Outlook Avenue near Jane and Eglinton around 4:30 p.m. that afternoon, according to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Officers were able to speak to the man from a neighbours balcony, and said they tried to negotiate with him to deter him from harming himself. Their attempts were not successful, and the man fell to the ground, police told the SIU. The man died on the scene, according to the SIU. His identity is not being shared at the request of family. An autopsy on the body will begin Sunday. Ontarios watchdog is responsible for investigating any instance where police interaction results in death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. Six investigators, including two forensic investigators, have been assigned to the case. Five officers are being interviewed. The SIU has been called in to investigate others falling from balconies with police present in recent months. On May 27, 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet fell to her death from her highrise balcony after Toronto police were called to bring the woman to a psychiatric hospital. Another man fell to his death from his 15th-floor balcony while police were present on May 5 in London, Ont., the SIU said. Miriam Lafontaine is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @mirilafontaine Read more about: Police said Friday that they caught two people red-handed trying to vandalize a statue of Christopher Columbus in Rhode Island. Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey said the two had been among a group that tried to spray paint on the Columbus statue across from town hall at around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. Officers, however, intervened before any damage could be done, he said. The two suspects were found carrying spray paint, stenciling material and other items. Lacey said the group also had a jug of red paint they intended to pour on the statue. Lacey said Jasmina De Leon Gill, 28, of Providence, and Toni Jonas Silver, 25, of Boston, were each arrested on misdemeanor charges of injury to a public monument and trespassing. They pleaded not guilty during their arraignment Thursday in Wakefield district court and are due back in late September, according to court records. Their lawyer declined to comment Friday. The privately run Westerly Library and Wilcox Park, where the Columbus statue is located, called the incident troubling and disappointing in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday. Questions about an historic community asset like the Columbus statue should be addressed with thoughtful, respectful dialogue - not with vandalism on private property by out-of-towners in the middle of the night, the statement read, in part. We look forward to arriving at a conclusion to this issue through a respectful process and thank the community for their support. Westerly's Columbus statue, like others nationwide, has faced increased scrutiny following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Officials in Boston and Providence removed Columbus statues that have been the focus of vandalism and protests in recent years. Columbus sailing expeditions led Europeans to discover America, opening the door to centuries of exploration, conquest and settlement that included establishment of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the killing of scores of Native Americans. Flour power! Uma Thurman rocks a striking cream hat reminiscent of a puff pastry as she jets out of Venice When it comes to her personal sense of style, it's often been said that she likes to march to the beat of her own drum. And when Uma Thurman arrived at the Marco Polo Airport as she prepared to depart Venice on Tuesday, she stood out once again in a truly individual ensemble. The statuesque actress turned heads as she made her way into the terminal wearing a large cream hat resembling a puff pastry. Scroll down for video Upper crust: Uma Thurman cut a striking figure in a large cream hat as she departed Venice on Tuesday Pulling off the risky fashion move effortlessly, the screen star teamed her headgear with a black fitted jacket over a long black shirt and black leggings, which showed off her endless legs. With a black-and-white patterned scarf tied and draped around her neck, the blonde beauty aired her toes in a yellow pair of flip-flops. And, just to add to the slickness of her ensemble, the star rocked a pair of tortoise shell cats eyes sunglasses, with just a wisp of her blonde tresses peeping from beneath her hat. Travelling in style: The actress added balance to her ensemble with an all-black outfit, save for her yellow flip-flops and red leather handbag The night before, she stepped out to attend the premiere of her new film Nymphomaniac Vol. alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg. The actresses arrived at the Venice Film Festival red carpet in sultry black dresses, though Charlotte's was far more daring than Uma's. Gainsbourg, 43, was leather-clad in a cutaway one-sleeved dress, while her 44-year old American co-star opted for a more demure gown. Black is the new black: Uma Thurman and Charlotte Gainsbourg opt for dark gowns at the Nymphomaniac Vol. II premiere at Venice Film Festival The camera loves her: Uma poses for photographers on the red carpet, Monday night There was certainly something retro about Uma's dress choice, featuring a nipped-in waist and a full midi skirt, with button detail on the top leading to an embroidered collar. Thurman added some black sandals, a metallic clutch and diamond stud earrings with a matching bracelet to complete her look, while applying a smokey effect to her eyes. The actress wore her blond hair in a pretty plaited updo, that seemed less provocative then her co-star Charlotte's stand out dress. Retro: With a cinched-in waist, button and embroidered detail Uma had a Fifties look going on She does it well: The Hollywood star certainly knows how to walk a red carper The daughter of Serg Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin showed off her slim legs in the leather minidress and Mary-Jane heels, but kept her brunette hair down in a simple straight style and wearng barely there make-up. Charlotte and Uma were joined by their co-star Stellan Skarsgard, but it seems Shia LaBeouf wasn't around to make an eventful appearance on the red carpet, like he had done at Berlin Film Festival earlier this year for Nymphomaniac Vol. 1. Elegant arrival: Though Uma isn't a featured cast member in Vol. II she still showed up to support the film It's her colour of choice: Charlotte wore an equally sexy black dress earlier in the day Obliging: Charlotte signs autographs for fans gathered outside the Venetian theatre Seligman: Stellan Skarsgard plays a bachelor who helps Gainsbourg's Joe in both films from Lars von Trier Earlier in the day Charlotte and Stellan had attended a photocall for the film, as part of the 71st Annual Venice International Film Festival, and it seems the actress has a penchant for black dresses. In the two-part film offering from Lars von Trier, she plays the central role of Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her sexual life to Stellan's bachelor Seligman after he finds her beaten up in an alley. Uma isn't in the Vol. 2 cast, which includes Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, and Michael Pas. Nymphomaniac is the third and final entry in von Trier's unofficially titled 'Depression Trilogy', after Antichrist and Melancholia. It seems black was the colour of choice on the red carpet as elsewhere, US actress Frances McDormand and director Lisa Cholodenko attended the premiere of Olive Kitteridge Parts 1-2 in dark dresses too. The night before, Adam Driver hit the red carpet for his new film Hungry Hearts, directed by Italian filmmaker Saverio Constanzo. Star arrival: Clive Owen was spotted arriving at Marco Polo airport in Venice on Monday Dapper: The handsome British star was dapper in his blue blazer and dark trousers Travelling in style: Clive grabbed a water taxi as he made his way to his Venice hotel on Monday TV star: The Hollywood actor recently took a break from the big screen to star in US TV series The Knick The Star Wars actor was joined by the director and co-star Alba Rorwacher for the Venice premiere of the psychological drama. Meanwhile, Clive Owen was spotted arriving at Marco Polo airport in Venice on Monday. The handsome actor was dapper in a blue blazer, light blue sweater, newsboy cap and black scarf which he paired with dark trousers. He recently left the big screen for the small, starring in new US TV series, The Knick. Back to black: US actress Frances McDormand (L) and US director Lisa Cholodenko arrive for the premiere of Olive Kitteridge Parts 1-2 in dark dresses too Imperial Valley News Center Puerto Rico Legislator Indicted for Theft, Bribery, and Fraud San Juan, Puerto Rico - A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 13-count indictment against legislator Maria Milagros Charbonier-Laureano (Charbonier), aka Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, as well as her husband Orlando Montes-Rivera (Montes), their son Orlando Gabriel Montes-Charbonier, and her assistant Frances Acevedo-Ceballos (Acevedo), for their alleged participation in a years-long theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy. The indictment charges Charbonier, Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and Acevedo with conspiracy; theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; and honest services wire fraud. Charbonier, Montes, and Montes-Charbonier are facing two counts of money laundering. The indictment also charges Charbonier with obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone. According to the allegations in the indictment, from early 2017 until July 2020, Charbonier, Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and Acevedo executed a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by engaging in a theft, bribery, and kickback scheme. In early 2017, Charbonier inflated her assistant Acevedos salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to $2,100; this amount increased to nearly $2,900 by September 2019. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo would keep a portion, and kick back between $1,000 and $1,500 to Charbonier, Montes, and Montes-Charbonier. Puerto Rico legislator Maria Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, her family, and her associates allegedly carried out a brazen scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through bribery, kickbacks, theft, and fraud, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. When elected officials betray the people's trust in order to enrich themselves at the publics expense, the Justice Department will hold them accountable. I encourage those who have information of public officials involved in criminal acts to come forward. We will continue investigating and prosecuting elected officials whose criminal conduct enriches themselves at the expense of the government and their constituents, said U.S. Attorney Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. I commend our partners from the FBI for their tremendous efforts investigating this matter, particularly during the pandemic. I would also like to recognize the Public Integrity Section attorneys who supported this investigation and traveled to Puerto Rico in order to work with our District to present this case to the Grand Jury. Most of the work we do takes place behind the scenes. Quality investigative work requires time and patience, said Special Agent in Charge Rafael Riviere Vazquez of the FBIs San Juan Field Office. It is my hope that the people of Puerto Rico never doubt that we are doing the work that we have been entrusted to do. Public Corruption is FBI San Juan's priority and it will continue to be a priority. Puerto Rico belongs to each and every one of us, and together we can take it back. The indictment further alleges that the defendants used a variety of means to transfer the kickbacks from Acevedo to Charbonier and her family. Allegedly, Acevedo would sometimes transfer cash by hand to Montes, Montes-Charbonier, and other individuals connected to Charbonier; Acevedo would sometimes transfer kickbacks in approximately $500 increments to Montes or to Montes-Charbonier using ATH Movil, a mobile phone application that allows individuals who bank at certain financial institutions to send money to each other through an interface on their cell phones; and, at times, Acevedo left cash kickbacks in a pre-determined location, such as Charboniers purse or inside of a vehicle, for Charbonier to later collect. The money laundering counts against Charbonier, her husband and son involve the secretive maneuvers that the Charbonier family used to move their illegally derived cash among themselves in a manner designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of that cash. The indictment also charges Charbonier with obstruction of justice. After learning of the existence of the investigation into illegal activities in her office and after learning that a warrant had been obtained for one of her phones, Charbonier allegedly proceeded to delete certain data on the phone. In particular, Charbonier deleted nearly the entire call log, nearly all WhatsApp messages, and nearly all iMessages associated with this phone, the indictment alleges. The indictment is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria L. Montanez Concepcion from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Puerto Rico. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A wreath laying ceremony in Kanturk during the past week remembered the 100th anniversary of the killing by British forces of War of Independence volunteers Jack O'Connell and Paddy Clancy at Derrygallon. History recalls that on 14th August, 1920, a British army plane made a forced landing near Clonbanin with 20 British soldiers deployed from Kanturk garrison to guard the plane. Just before dawn on the following morning a party of about 20 volunteers under Jack O'Connell, the Battalion OC, moved into the area, with the intention of attacking the armed guard. When they got to the fence adjoining the field, they were surprised by a sentry, who was shot dead as he attempted to fire on them. The British had now been alerted and opened fire on the volunteers. As the element of surprise had elapsed, the Volunteer party retreated without sustaining any casualties. Subsequently, the Crown Forces actively attempted to track down those responsible for the attack. At Derrygallon, three miles south-west of Kanturk, Paddy Clancy and Jack O'Connell had been sleeping at O'Connell's house when it was surrounded by police and soldiers. The two tried to fight their way out but some distance from the house they were both shot dead. The men had been seen in the area by an informer who immediately passed on the information to the British forces in Kanturk. Paddy Clancy held the post of creamery manager at Allensbridge Co-Op near Newmarket, only just appointed leader of the soon to be formed brigade flying column. 100 years on, volunteers O'Connell and Clancy were remembered at both Derrygallon and in Kanturk Square, a wreath was laid by Noel Keating in the company of Michael Kelly, Tommy O'Neill and Jerry Hickey, Chairman, Kanturk Community Council. Texas Christian school plans to hold in-person classes despite county ban Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian school in Texas plans to hold in-person classes with social distancing measures despite a county-wide ban on in-person public and private school classes to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Laguna Madre Christian Academy in Port Isabel, a K-12 school, intends to resist an order enacted by officials in Cameron County, with the stated plan to reopen on Aug. 31 for in-person instruction. Jeremy Dys of the First Liberty Institute, a legal nonprofit that represents the academy, sent a letter on Tuesday to Cameron County Chief Legal Counsel Juan Gonzalez about the matter. LMCA certainly appreciates the delicate situation presented by COVID-19, wrote Dys. Nonetheless, we must insist that Cameron County respect the laws and fundamental freedoms of this state and nation. Dys cited guidance issued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in July stating that private schools are exempted from orders closing in-person public school instruction. We need not restate General Paxtons legal analysis, nor the copious citations he made to cases from the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme Court of Texas that outline a fundamental principle that cannot be neglected, even in the face of a worldwide pandemic, continued Dys. private, religious institutions retain the freedom to determine when it is safe to resume in-person meetings or instruction, not the State of Texas, nor Cameron County. Cameron Countys order must yield. The academy plans to implement public health measures, including limiting the facility to students and essential staff, checking temperatures and wearing facemasks. Last Thursday, Gonzalez rejected the Academys plan to reopen and rejected the guidance provided by Paxton earlier this year. Cameron county is of the opinion that Paxtons guidance is not grounded in legitimate or correct legal analysis, wrote Gonzalez, as reported by local media outlet KVEO. Further, it is nothing more than an opinion and does not have controlling legal authority over the situation. In his July 17 letter to private schools, Paxton argued that even if a county government has a compelling interest to shut down schools, blanket government orders closing all religious private schools are not the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. Thus, as protected by the First Amendment and Texas law, religious private schools may continue to determine when it is safe for their communities to resume in-person instruction free from any government mandate or interference, Paxton wrote. Religious private schools therefore need not comply with local public health orders to the contrary. Dys told KVEO that if the county decides to take action against the school, well have no choice but to make a very vigorous defense. The law is fairly clear on this, while the county can certainly ask and make requests, and provide good information useful to the decision-making process of these religious institutions, [the schools] are entitled to a degree of autonomy under Supreme Court law and in the law of the state of Texas as well, Dys said. Dys' letter comes as religious schools in California have filed a lawsuit over Gov. Gavin Newsom's order that closes both public and private schools in California as part of the state's continued lockdown in response to the novel coronavirus. In Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan issued an emergency order earlier this month clarifying that private schools are exempt from orders mandating the closure of schools until October. Abolishing notary and photo ID requirements to cast a ballot in the state would lead to electoral disruption and facilitate voter fraud, Attorney General Mike Hunter said in a news release Friday. Hunters comments are in response to a lawsuit filed in Tulsa federal court that challenges the constitutionality of those requirements and others as a condition to cast a ballot in the state. The lawsuit, filed in May by the Oklahoma Democratic Party and the national congressional committee of the Democratic Party, seeks to have a judge declare that notarization, witness and photo identification requirements to cast a ballot in Oklahoma impose undue burdens on the right to vote in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. While the state of Oklahoma has waived the notarization requirements for mailed absentee ballots cast during the June primary and Tuesdays runoff elections due to COVID-19, the waiver would not apply during the November general election unless Gov. Kevin Stitt extends an emergency declaration. The lawsuit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions to prohibit the burdensome restrictions and procedures. By AFP BERLIN: Kremlin critic and opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has suffered a suspected poisoning, was in a stable condition in hospital on Saturday after being flown to Berlin following a standoff over his medical evacuation from Russia. An air ambulance carrying Navalny, chartered by the German NGO Cinema for Peace, touched down at 8:47 am local time (0647 GMT) at the military wing of Berlin's Tegel airport. His spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh tweeted that "the plane with Alexei just landed in Berlin". "Navalny's condition is stable," Jaka Bizilj, the head of the Cinema for Peace foundation, told AFP after the landing. Berlin's Charite hospital confirmed in a statement that it had admitted Navalny and was carrying out an "extensive medical diagnosis". The 44-year-old lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner, one of President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, went into a coma after falling suddenly ill Thursday on a plane to Moscow that had to make an emergency landing in Omsk. Aides say they believe Navalny was poisoned, apparently by a cup of tea at the airport, and blamed Putin, though Russian doctors said tests showed no trace of any poison. Doctors treating him in Omsk had refused to let Navalny leave but reversed course after his family and staff demanded he be allowed to travel to Germany. As the plane left Omsk at around 8:00 am local time (0200 GMT), Navalny's wife Yulia posted a picture on Instagram of him being carried on a covered stretcher and thanked supporters for their "persistence". "Without your support, we wouldn't have been able to take him!" she wrote. Russian doctors have said he is in a coma and breathing through a ventilator in a grave state. They have said tests did not find any trace of poison, however, that Navalny appeared to have a "metabolic disorder" and to have suffered a sharp drop in blood sugar levels. The regional interior ministry said police detected an industrial chemical after swabbing Navalny and his luggage, although doctors said this would not have caused his condition. The air ambulance arrived in Omsk on Friday morning but Russian doctors initially said Navalny was too "unstable" to be moved. Appeal to Putin They announced on Friday evening they had agreed to let him be transferred after German doctors examined him and the Cinema for Peace foundation said they were "willing and able" to transport him to Berlin. The turnaround also followed a letter from Navalny's wife with a direct appeal to Putin and after aides asked the European Court of Human Rights to intervene with the Russian government. Navalny is the latest in a long line of Kremlin critics who have fallen seriously ill or died in apparent poisonings. His wife told journalists that she wanted Navalny to be "in an independent hospital, whose doctors we trust". Yarmysh tweeted that "the battle for Alexei's life and health is just beginning... but at least now we've taken the first step." The air ambulance was dispatched to take Navalny to Berlin after Chancellor Angela Merkel extended an offer of treatment. European Union leaders including Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have voiced concern for Navalny, who has faced repeated physical attacks and prosecutions in more than a decade of opposition to Russian authorities. Navalny lost consciousness shortly after his plane took off on Thursday from Tomsk in Siberia, where he was working to support opposition candidates ahead of regional elections next month. Yarmysh said he had seemed "absolutely fine" before boarding the flight and had only consumed a cup of tea at the airport. She said she was sure he had suffered from an "intentional poisoning" and blamed Putin. 'Freed hostage' She also claimed Russia's refusal to evacuate Navalny was a ploy to "play for time" and make it impossible to trace poison, posing a "critical threat to his life". Navalny has made many enemies with his anti-corruption investigations, which often reveal the lavish lifestyles of Russia's elite and attract millions of views online. He is the latest in a long line of Kremlin critics who have fallen seriously ill or died in apparent poisonings. The director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation that Navalny founded, Ivan Zhdanov, confirmed on social media that the organisation was "continuing its work". Many supporters expressed relief he was going for treatment outside Russia. "I feel as relieved now as if terrorists had freed a hostage after long negotiations," fellow opposition politician Ilya Yashin tweeted, criticising the delay in Navalny's departure. "I want to believe that this wasted time won't cost Alexei his life." The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Fall River on Saturday afternoon. The warning, which also includes Warwick and Cranston, Rhode Island, is in place until 6:15 p.m. There could be winds up to 60 miles per hour and hail the size of a quarter is possible, the weather service said. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Fall River MA, Warwick RI, Cranston RI until 6:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/tQIKPfFONl NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 22, 2020 Another severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for East Falmouth, Forestdale, Falmouth and Buzzards Bay, and is in place until 6 p.m. Theres also a special marine warning in place for the Nantucket Sound, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound until 6:15 p.m., the weather service said. Another special marine warning was issued to include the Rhode Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay and Vineyard Sound until 6:45 p.m. Special Marine Warning including the Nantucket Sound, Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound until 6:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/ZFCbFLHhgL NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 22, 2020 Meteorologists with the weather service said thunderstorms are expected to remain strong near south coastal Massachusetts, including upper Cape Cod, through at least 6 p.m. Storms may strong to damaging winds, large hail and heavy downpours, but should weaken as sunset approaches. [5:15 pm] #Thunderstorms will remain strong across #RI and south coastal #MA including upper #CapeCod thru at least 6 pm, then weakening as sunset approaches. Until then a few storms may contain strong to damaging winds, large hail and heavy downpours. #Severe #Storms pic.twitter.com/CVTDOeeWEh NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 22, 2020 Related Content: Back-to-back sweeps later and the Blue Jays don't seem to be slowing down. Toronto pulled out a great victory in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays to extend their winning streak to six in a row. Charlie Montoyo's team had to fight hard at Tropicana Field going all the way to extra innings, but managed to win 6-5. Monday - W Tuesday - W Wednesday - W Thursday - WW Friday - W FINAL: #BlueJays 6, Rays 5 pic.twitter.com/4rJp0iT2tR Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 22, 2020 Biggio knocked in Brandon Drury from second to start the 10th with a double off Aaron Loup. Biggio went to third on a sacrifice bunt before Gurriel hit a sacrifice fly as the Blue Jays went up 6-4. Rays' Yandy Diaz began the bottom of the 10th with an RBI single against Jordan Romano. The reliever got a grounder from Hunter Renfroe with two on for his first career save. Toronto got a very good start from Matt Shoemaker, pitching five innings, and collecting 4 hits, 2 earned, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. Montoyo pulled Shoemaker after 74 pitches. Theyre deep, Montoyo said prior to the Jays sixth consecutive victory, the teams longest winning streak since 2016. Deep in the bullpen. Deep in the rotation. Deep on the bench. They can match up with anybody. By ALGERNON DAMMASSA LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS LAS CRUCES The New Mexico Civil Guard lost its Facebook account Wednesday after the social media company said it took sweeping action against hundreds of pages, groups, ads and Instagram accounts tied to offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organizations and QAnon. The NMCG has staged an armed presence, with its members often donning military fatigues, at political demonstrations around the state in 2020, including several denouncing police violence and public statues depicting Spanish conquistador Juan de Onate. In June, the group appeared at a vigil in Las Cruces, stating they had assigned themselves to guard the vigil against out-of-town provocateurs. Also present were armed men identifying themselves as members of the Boogaloo Bois, a loosely organized anti-government movement. Later in the month, NMCG members were present at a June 15 protest in Albuquerque when Steven Ray Baca a counterprotester who is not part of their group was captured on video assaulting protesters, and then shooting and critically wounding a man after protesters chased Baca away. Civil Guard members at the scene were arrested and disarmed by Albuquerque police, but not charged in the incident. However, in July, Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrez filed suit in district court seeking an injunction preventing NMCG from organizing and operating as an unauthorized armed force in New Mexico. On Thursday, 10 NMCG members named in the lawsuit filed a counterclaim against Torrez, seeking unspecified damages and legal costs while claiming their arrests were unlawful and that their weapons, seized when they were arrested, still have not been returned to them. While the Facebook crackdown targeted hundreds of accounts and groups associated with the right-wing conspiracist movement known as QAnon, it also banned those associated with a variety of militia organizations, as well as anarchist and anti-fascist groups. Facebook reported it removed 980 groups, 520 Pages and 160 ads from Facebook Wednesday, and restricted more than 1,400 Instagram hashtags. While we will allow people to post content that supports these movements and groups, so long as they do not otherwise violate our content policies, we will restrict their ability to organize on our platform, the company said in a statement. The NMCG had issued several musters via Facebook, calling for volunteers and announcements about training events in several New Mexico counties. It also posted screenshots of several Las Cruces residents in a June post, claiming they were local antifa supporters, with a warning to watch your six, yall, which some of the residents took as a threat. At the time, NMCG founder and then-spokesman Bryce Provance told the Las Cruces Sun-News the message was intended as a warning to militia members about potentially dangerous individuals. Washington : The United States has played down Russian reports that already tense ties between the old foes have plunged to chilly new lows. On Thursday, The State Department denied a Kremlin claim that communications are frozen, noting that Secretary of State John Kerry had called his Russian counterpart as recently as Tuesday. The Pentagon also noted that on the same day Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the claim, its officers had held a video conference with Russian commanders on how to stay out of each others way in Syria. Practically all levels of dialogue with the United States are frozen, Peskov told Mir TV, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. We dont communicate with one another. Or we do so minimally, he added, causing surprise in Washington. I dont know exactly what to make of that comment, State Department spokesman John Kirby said. Obviously, we dont agree and have issues with Russia on a variety of issues, but dialogue has not been broken. Kirby said Kerry had spoken to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday by telephone to hear about talks Russia had hosted with Iran and Turkey to seek a solution to the crisis in Syria. Look, theres a lot of issues where dialogue and communications between the United States and Russia remain important, and for our part, we remain committed to that dialogue and that communication, Kirby said. It doesnt mean that were always going to agree and it doesnt mean that theres not going to be tensions. But as far as were concerned, communications are not frozen and dialogue is still happening. Differences are still being discussed, debated. Russia finds itself locked in its worst standoff with the West since the Cold War over its 2014 annexation of Crimea, the conflict in Ukraine and lingering disagreement about the conflict in Syria. US President Barack Obamas administration on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining sanctions on Moscow over Crimea with new financial restrictions on Russian businessmen and companies. The Russian foreign ministry said it regretted the new sanctions. The White House this month also pointed to direct involvement by Russian President Vladimir Putin in cyber-attacks designed to impact the US election. The upcoming presidency of Donald Trump raises questions over the future of US policy toward Russia given his apparently softer line on Putin. Putin himself has reiterated Moscows readiness to work with the Trump administration once the president-elect takes office in January, stressing the importance of normalizing the countries relations. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday took over the probe into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput as directed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The central agencys officials landed in Mumbai on Thursday night. They have divided themselves into four teams to carry out the investigation in the high-profile case. While one team will translate documents from Marathi to English, another will be questioning people involved in the case. A third team is coordinating with senior officials in Delhi and handling logistics in Mumbai while the fourth one met deputy commissioner of police (Zone 9) Abhishek Trimukhe at his Bandra office on Friday to collect the case related documents. Rajput was found dead at his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14. Here are the recent developments on Sushant Singh Rajputs death case: CBI questions Sushant Singh Rajputs cook Neeraj Singh The CBI on Friday questioned the late actors cook Neeraj Singh and house manager Samuel Miranda. Singh was on Saturday brought to the guest house in Mumbais Santacruz, where the CBI officials are staying, for the second round of questioning. Forensic experts meet CBI officials A team of forensic experts also arrived at the guesthouse on Saturday morning, according to news agency ANI, while some CBI officials were spotted leaving the guesthouse for further investigation. Rhea Chakraborty had no relationship with Rajput on the day of his death: Lawyer Rajputs father KK Singhs lawyer on Friday said that Rhea Chakrabortys visit to the mortuary is very suspicious since no relationship with Rajput on the day of his death. He pointed towards the possibility of tampering with evidence. In what capacity was she allowed to see the body of Sushant? I believe she was taken from the backroom. Without showing grief, without sobbing, without breaking down, clearly exposes her mind that she was probably wanting to accept the blame of his death and she has no regret of it. She had no affection for Sushant, lawyer Vikas Singh told ANI. AIIMS team to look into the possibility of murder After the CBI approached the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to assist it with the probe, the hospital formed a five-member board of forensic experts to look into the autopsy reports of the late actor. We will look into the possibility of murder. However, all probable angles will be thoroughly examined, AIIMS forensic department chief Dr Sudhir Gupta was quoted as saying by PTI. Rhea Chakrabortys WhatsApp chats with Mahesh Bhatt surface online A conversation on WhatsApp between actor Rhea Chakraborty and film director Mahesh Bhatt has again surfaced online. On June 14, the morning of Sushants death, Chakraborty sent Bhatt a message at 9:35am, Goodmorning sir. I demand my dose of energy via the morning quotes you send on WhatsApp. Thats it love you. Later in the day at 2:35pm, Bhatt texted Chakraborty, Call me, but did not receive a response. He called her twice on WhatsApp between 4 and 5pm. ED asks Rajputs sister about missing funds The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recorded Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Priyankas statement on Friday and asked her about the missing funds from the actors bank accounts, according to officials quoted by news agency ANI. Scientists are now studying the body of an Ice Age puppy that was perfectly preserved after they have made an unexpected discovery. According to scientists, they found a piece of one of the last woolly rhinos inside the stomach of the Ice Age puppy. Oldest puppy In 2011, Russian researchers first excavated the preserved and furry body of the canine. They still have not figured out if it is a dog or a wolf. The preserved body was found in Tumat, Siberia. Inside the puppy, which is said to be 14,000 years old, was a hairy piece of tissue. At first, scientists thought that the fragment belonged to a cave lion because it has fine yellow fur. However, tests done by experts at Stockholm's Natural History Museum showed that it is not the case. Love Dalen, a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Center for Palaeogenetics, which is a joint venture between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History, said that when they got the DNA back, the fragment did not look like a cave lion. Also Read: NASA's Osiris-Rex Conducts Tests Before Landing on Asteroid Dalen said that they have a reference database and mitochondrial DNA from all mammals, so they checked the sequence data against that and the results that came back showed that it was almost a perfect match for woolly rhinoceros. Dalen added that it was completely unheard of and he is not aware of any frozen Ice Age carnivore where they have found pieces of tissue inside. After radiocarbon dating the sample, scientists determined that the rhino skin that they found was around 14,400 years old. According to the professor, the puppy dated around 14,000 years ago. They also know that the woolly rhinoceros went extinct 14,000 years ago, which means that the Ice Age puppy has eaten one of the last remaining woolly rhinos. Experts still do not know how the Ice Age puppy came to have a piece of rhino in its stomach. A PhD student at the Center for Palaeogenetics, Edana Lord, stated that the puppy and the rhino would have been the same size as the white rhino that we see today. Lord co-authored a paper studying the death of the woolly rhino. Lord added that it is unlikely that the Ice Age puppy killed the woolly rhino itself. The researchers also found it curious that the puppy died shortly after allegedly eating the woolly rhino. Dalen added that the Ice Age puppy might have died shortly after eating the woolly rhino because it is not very digested. He said that they still do not know if the Ice Age puppy is a wolf, a wolf cub or maybe it came across a baby rhino that was dead, or the adult wolf ate the baby rhino. They also think that as the Ice Age puppy, the mother rhino may have had her revenge. 18,000-year-old Siberian puppy In 2019, scientists also discovered the body of a canine near Yakutsk, in eastern Siberia. The canine was preserved by permafrost and the specimen's fur, teeth and nose are still intact. According to CNN, scientists used carbon dating on the canine's rib bone, and experts from Sweden's Center for Palaeogenetics confirmed that the specimen had been frozen for 18,000 years. However, extensive DNA tests have been unable to show whether the animal was a wolf or a dog. Related Article: Telescope Captures 2 Planets Around Baby Sun Far Out in Space Scientists Are Excited @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. AUSTIN The recount in the Republican primary runoff to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd is over, with Trump-backed candidate Tony Gonzales maintaining a slim victory over opponent Raul Reyes. Reyes paid for the recount after a razor-thin loss to Gonzales in Julys Republican runoff for the 23rd Congressional District, a swing district that has long been targeted by Democrats. The final stretch of the recount Friday, which held up Gonzales win by a few dozen votes, ends a nail-biting series of events. A crowded GOP field competed in March, with no candidate receiving a majority. That forced the top two candidates into a runoff election that was delayed by the governor for six weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic. The runoff, initially too close to call, ended narrowly in Gonzales favor after an additional delay of three weeks as the votes were tallied. Tony Gonzales has won the primary runoff at every stage: on election night, when the canvass was complete and throughout the recount, Gonzales campaign spokesman Matt Mackowiak said. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Reyes called it off Friday evening after a review of ballots in Bexar, Medina, Uvalde, Kinney, Val Verde, El Paso and Crockett counties. Without a sizable shift in the vote margin after a recount in the most populous parts of the district, I have decided to end the recount, he said in a release. The conclusion brought a sigh of relief from the Gonzales campaign, which has grown increasingly frustrated with delayed results. The 23rd District is a lot of ground to cover for any candidate: Stretching from San Antonio to El Paso, it includes 29 counties and 800 miles of the border with Mexico. Plus, tight elections are becoming the norm in the district, where Hurd beat Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones by about 900 votes in 2018. In May 2019, she committed to running again in 2020, and she won the Democratic primary in March. Hurd announced in August 2019 that he would not seek re-election. At that point, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the race lean Democratic, which has not changed. The postponed election and recount efforts created division and delay (that) is only helping Nancy Pelosi and Gina Jones, Mackowiak said. Gonzales, a former Navy cryptologist, received President Donald Trumps endorsement early last month and has campaigned on a conservative platform touting his support of the Second Amendment, strict border regulations and support for small businesses. Reyes, who had been backed by U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, challenged him from the right. As ballots were recounted this week, Jones released her second television ad, a 30-second hit called Issues in which she touts her support for national security, vocational training and broadband expansion. Her latest financial filing indicates that she has about $3 million on hand considerably more than Gonzales, who has roughly $400,000 in his campaign coffers. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Trump in the 23rd District by 4 percentage points. Jones campaign spokeswoman Sharon Yang said Friday that the Democrat is well-equipped to defeat either of them in a district President Trump lost and will lose again. Reyes initiated the recount July 31 after a 45-ballot loss in the runoff. On Friday, the Gonzales campaign said it won by 42 votes; Reyes team had said the difference was 39 votes. President Donald Trump has lashed out at the Food and Drug Administration, accusing the agency of attempting to delay approval for coronavirus vaccines and treatments until after the presidential election. 'The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics,' Trump tweeted on Saturday from the White House. 'Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!' the president continued. Trump went on to tag FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who has repeatedly vowed that the agency is committed to speeding safe and effective interventions to approval, guided by science and not political consideration. President Donald Trump has lashed out at the Food and Drug Administration, accusing the agency of attempting to delay approval for coronavirus vaccines FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has repeatedly vowed that the agency is committed to speeding safe and effective interventions to approval, guided by science and not politics Scientists, public health officials and lawmakers have expressed concerns that the Trump administration will pressure the FDA to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine in advance of the November presidential election, even if data from clinical trials do not support its widespread use. Earlier this week, a top FDA official who will help decide the fate of a coronavirus vaccine has vowed to resign if the Trump administration approves a vaccine before it is shown to be safe and effective. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, made the statement in response to concerns raised on a conference call late last week of a vaccine working group. Marks told Reuters he has not faced any political pressure and that the FDA would be guided by science alone. 'I could not stand by and see something that was unsafe or ineffective that was being put through,' he said. 'You have to decide where your red line is, and that's my red line. I would feel obligated [to resign] because in doing so, I would indicate to the American public that there's something wrong.' He added that he would equally object if someone sought political gain by holding up approval of a vaccine that was shown to work, and that was safe. A woman (L) has her swab sample collected by a LAB24 laboratories team member for COVID-19 testing at the Mexican Consulate's parking lot in Miami, Florida on August 15 Michael Caputo, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees FDA and NIH, said the government aims to identify a safe and effective vaccine by January 2021. Speculation about the FDA approving a vaccine under political pressure 'only undermines confidence in the public health system,' Caputo said in a statement. 'I've never met one FDA regulator who wouldn't resign over improper pressure, and that's how America knows their seal of approval is the gold standard.' Trump's approval ratings have fallen sharply in the wake of a pandemic that has killed more than 173,000 Americans and infected over 5.5 million. The race to produce a vaccine has become the centerpiece of his administration's response. Earlier this month, Trump said a vaccine was possible before the November 3 vote. In a statement on Thursday, FDA Commissioner Hahn said that under Marks' leadership, the agency's scientists are monitoring the COVID-19 vaccine trials, 'the data from which will be the deciding factor for any FDA approval.' Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, has also said publicly that political considerations will not influence any decision on a coronavirus vaccine. Large-scale clinical trials of the leading vaccine candidates from Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca were launched in recent weeks. The FDA has scheduled a meeting of its advisory committee of outside experts on coronavirus vaccines on October 22. Marks said the trials were enrolling volunteers 'reasonably well' and that it was 'possible' data could be available to interpret as early as October. If not, the committee could still discuss broader regulatory issues regarding a vaccine, he said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi lashed out at the US on Friday for its completely unreasonable demand to reimpose sanctions on Iran. On Thursday, the US formally asked the UN to trigger the snapback, a mechanism under the 2015 nuclear accord that allows a participant to restore pre-2015 sanctions on Iran, on the grounds that Tehran has significantly violated the agreement. But Wang told a press conference after a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in southern China that the US request was absurd. He argued that it was totally unreasonable for the US to withdraw from the agreement in 2018 and then try to initiate the mechanism now. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Its not only ignoring international law, but asking others to ignore it too. And its even threatening to sanction those law-abiding countries, he said, where does this absurd logic come from? Britain, France and Germany also oppose Washingtons actions and have argued that it has no legal right to do so. A joint statement on Friday said the three European countries hope to preserve the 2015 deal, which includes the lifting of all international sanctions against Iran. Wang criticised the US for failing to fulfil its international responsibilities when unilaterally withdrawing from the agreement in 2018. He said the demand to trigger the snapback procedure is harming its credibility and that of international law. The US only considers its own interest. It complies with an international agreement when it serves its interests and refuses to do so when it doesnt, he said. He also repeated Beijings suggestion that another multilateral platform for security in the Gulf should be established on the basis of the 2015 accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Story continues Washington insists that as a permanent UN Security Council member, it has the right to seek to restore sanctions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the request on Thursday citing significant non-performance by Iran. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UNs nuclear watchdog, Iran has violated some of the terms of the deal, but Tehran said this was the result of the US breaching the accord by withdrawing from it and reimposing unilateral sanctions. The European participants in the agreement had tried to bring Iran back into compliance, but despite extensive efforts and exhaustive diplomacy on the part of those member states, Irans significant non-performance persists, Pompeo said. The European members are concerned that the reimposition of sanctions may cause Iran to quit the deal. We call on all UNSC members to refrain from any action that would only deepen divisions in the Security Council or that would have serious adverse consequences on its work, France, Germany and the UK said in their joint statement on Friday. This article Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says US demand for Iran sanctions is completely unreasonable first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has stepped up the security of Dharamshala-based Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama after the recent arrest of Charlie Peng, a Chinese spy in Delhi. State director general of police Sanjay Kundu said on Saturday that the police are probing the Himachal links of Peng, 42, who is accused of a 1,000 crore hawala racket and allegedly bribing Tibetan monks living in Majnu-Ka-Tila, a Tibetan settlement in Delhi, to gather information on the Dalai Lama and his aides. The police are probing the links of the recently arrested Chinese man in Delhi with Himachal. Though the Dalai Lama has avoided moving out of his residence amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we have put his security on high alert and all necessary measures have been taken, the DGP said. The Dalai Lama, 85, has a three-tier security. CONCERNING DEVELOPMENT Tibetan government-in-exile information secretary Tsewang Gyalpo Arya said that the arrest of the spy earlier this month was a concerning development. China should concentrate on containing the Covid-19 virus that originated in Wuhan rather than sending spies or intruding borders. The only good thing is that the Government of India, the state government and Tibetan security are alert. We are in touch with security agencies in Dharamshala, Arya said. Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue said: China seems to be provoking everybody in the world and I wouldnt be surprised if they remembered us in this moment of frenzy. We have to be extra careful. Stating that India has provided the best possible security to the Dalai Lama, Tsundue said, Every Chinese national approaching the office of the Dalai Lama must be thoroughly checked without exception by Indian security. The intelligence agencies should share notes with their counterparts in Delhi, Kathmandu, Nepal border areas and Beijing for better coordination and analysis. FORMER PLA MEN CAUGHT Though the Dalai Lama gave up his political role in 2011, Dharamshala continues to be the nerve centre of Tibetan activities, closely watched by the Chinese regime. In the past 16 years, eight Chinese travellers have been caught for suspicious activities. They were arrested for travelling without valid documents. Few were held based on information from Indian intelligence agencies and others on tip-offs from the central Tibetan administrations security department. Most of those arrested, including Liu Xiadon, have been associated with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Xiadon was arrested in the second week of July at the inter-district barrier in the Rakkar area of Kangra. Police found Liu had undergone Chinese army training for three months in 1997 and served the PLA till 1999. Another Chinese national, who was in the PLA till 2000, was caught in McLeodganj in 2008. The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency will head to Tehran next week to press Iranian authorities for access to sites where the country is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material, the organization said Saturday. It will be the first visit to Iran of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi since he took office last December and comes amid intense international pressure on the country over its nuclear program. The focus will be on access to sites thought to be from the early 2000s, before Iran signed the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Iran maintains the IAEA inspectors have no legal basis to inspect the sites. "My objective is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the agency has related to safeguards in Iran and, in particular, to resolve the issue of access," Grossi said in a statement. "I also hope to establish a fruitful and co-operative channel of direct dialogue with the Iranian government which will be valuable now and in the future." The Iranian delegation to international organizations in Vienna tweeted that "we hope this visit will lead to reinforced mutual co-operation." Since President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, the other countries involved France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China have been struggling to keep it alive. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But with the reinstatement of some American sanctions, Iran's economy has been steadily deteriorating, and Tehran has begun violating provisions of the agreement to try to pressure the other countries to do more to offset those sanctions. U.S. ratcheting up pressure At the same time, Iran has continued to provide IAEA inspectors with access to its nuclear facilities one of the major reasons the countries still party to the agreement stress that it's important to keep it alive. Story continues Last week, the U.S. ratcheted up the pressure, officially informing the United Nations it was demanding the restoration of all UN sanctions on Iran, arguing that Iran is in non-compliance and invoking a provision of the nuclear deal to "snap back" even more sanctions. Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via The Associated Press Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, who often disagree, all declared the U.S. action illegal, arguing it is impossible to withdraw from a deal and then use the resolution that endorsed it to reimpose sanctions. Iran has also rejected the move, but the U.S. has stuck to its guns, declaring that a 30-day countdown for the snapback of penalties eased after the 2015 agreement was signed had begun. The five nations and Iran are due to meet in Vienna on Sept. 1. CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- More than 50 people came to Cleveland Heights post office to protest President Donald Trumps attacks on mail-in voting and Postmaster General Louis DeJoys proposed changes to postal operations. Protestors lined the lawn near the post office on Severance Circle, waving and shouting to mail truck drivers who cruised by honking their horns in solidarity. Others driving past the post office also honked their horns in support. All of the protestors wore masks and maintained socially distancing. Many of the protestors also brought signs: Honk if you love your post office. Honk if you love postal workers, We all need out post office. And Save USPS, fire Dejoy. More than 50 people came out to support postal workers at Cleveland Height's post office Saturday morning.Kaylee Remington The Cleveland Heights protest was to coincide with protests elsewhere across the nation. People were expected to gather at their local post offices at 11 a.m. Saturday in support of their postal workers and to counter Trumps opposition to mail-in voting. Trump has repeatedly said he opposes mail-in voting this November, and suggested despite a lack of evidence that it could result in massive voter fraud. Meanwhile, DeJoy announced earlier this week that he would suspend until after the Nov. 3 election changes in postal service operations that he has said were needed to address his agencys financial problems. The announcement came as some Democratic states indicated they that would file lawsuits challenging the changes. CNN reported that DeJoys reversal means that retail hours at post offices will not change, mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain in place and no mail processing facilities will be closed. At Saturdays rally in Cleveland Heights, Beth Wachter, a resident of neighboring University Heights, said Trump is trying to suppress votes and taking away the rights of people through the mail. All he (Trump] keeps saying is its [the election] rigged, she said. No it isnt. Wachter wants peoples voices to be heard through mail-in voting. I think its very important. Thats our constitutional right in this country to vote, Wachter said. DeJoy has taken drop boxes, machines and hes not bringing them back. We need to have a mail service that isnt politicized. Sharona Hoffman, also of University Heights, said its completely unacceptable to use the post office for political means. We demand that the slow downs in delivering mail be stopped, be fixed, she said. That sorting machines be put back together, mailboxes be put back where theyre supposed to be. This is not only meant to prevent people from using main-in ballots, but it hurts people. People arent getting their checks, their essential deliveries, medications, supplies. More than 50 people came out to support postal workers at Cleveland Height's post office Saturday morning.Kaylee Remington Its unprecedented and disgusting, Hoffman said. We want voting by mail to be priority and to be reliable and for us to be able to trust that our ballots will arrive and be counted. Cleveland Heights resident Marie Vibbert attended the rally said the postal service is a vital part of democracy and society. People need medicines, people need communication especially in rural areas. I mean, they rely on the postal service for everything, she said. I dont understand why they cant impeach DeJoy because hes clearly dismantling the services. DeJoy told a Senate hearing Friday that he will prioritize mail-in balloting in upcoming elections. Trump said, in a news conference last weekend, that universal mail-in voting would be catastrophic, and make the United States a laughingstock all over the world. Read more stories on cleveland.com: Ohios Rob Portmans among Republicans defending Postmaster General Louis DeJoy at Senate hearing Jim Jordan defends President Trumps call to boycott Goodyear and says the company, not Trump, is engaging in cancel culture Post Office says it will hold off on changes until after November election Dismantled equipment behind Cleveland post office raises delivery questions Record Number of Tech Devises for LACCD Students Ordered For Fall 2020 Semester; Open Enrollment Continues For All The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is moving forward with one of the single-largest bulk orders of laptop-style devices in the history of Californias community college education system to help meet the burgeoning technology needs of its students to complete lessons in remote learning platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LACCD Board of Trustees unanimously voted 7-0 in special session Wednesday, Aug. 19 to approve an emergency purchase totaling nearly $3 million for more than 14,800 Surface Go devices for students who enroll at the Districts nine colleges for the Fall 2020 semester. About half of these devices will be given away for free to students with demonstrated financial needs and the other half will be distributed as loaners. Already, about 4,000 Chromebooks have been distributed at no cost to L.A. College Promise students for the Fall 2020 Semester as part of the Districts free tuition program. A second bulk order for about 7,500 more devices is planned for October. All of this comes after about 12,000 devices were already distributed to students for the Spring 2020 semester. To date, LACCD will purchase and distribute nearly 40,000 Chromebooks or Surface Go devices to students during the Spring and Fall 2020 semesters since the COVID-19 emergency began earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT Our students have a real need for this technology to meet their educational goals within remote learning environments. This isnt an option, its a necessity, and LACCD is rising to the challenge to help our students, LACCD Board of Trustees President Andra Hoffman said. The current, limited supply of devices are only available to students who are enrolled in the Fall 2020 Semester. Open enrollment with guaranteed admission is ongoing. New students must first apply to the college of their choice by visiting at lacolleges.net, while existing students can use their student email and enroll in classes via the LACCD special student portal. At LACCD, we recognize these are challenging times for students and families and that the digital divide is real for working families who are trying to make ends meet. Providing basic technology tools that students need to be successful removes a key barrier to their success. We guarantee each student a seat in class and the opportunity for a better future. Why delay? Enroll now. Classes begin on August 31 and throughout the semester, LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D., said. Currently enrolled students who want to apply for a Surface Go must log into the student portal at MyCollege.laccd.edu. All applications will be reviewed and awards are based on demonstrated financial need. The application process opened earlier this week and nearly 2,000 applications have already been received. Advertisement A huge California wildfire has grown to become the second largest in the state's history as 14,000 firefighters battle more than 500 blazes that have scorched one million acres and killed at least six. The LNU Lightning Complex Fire has now spread across a staggering 314,000 acres wiping out any homes, trees and entire neighborhoods that cross its path. The blaze that began in the popular wine region of Napa County has now consumed four other counties including Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Stanislaus destroying 560 structures and damaging another 125. Officials warned Saturday it is now the second-biggest fire California has ever seen - a marked change from less than 24 hours earlier when it was the tenth-largest in recent history. 'This entire LNU Complex is now the second-largest wildland fire in state history,' said Sean Kavanaugh, incident commander with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Donald Trump issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration Saturday to boost the state's emergency response to the wildfires, after Governor Gavin Newsom pleaded with the president to grant the declarations Friday. The National Guard has also been activated and is ready to send in helicopters and 240 crew members to help the embattled fire crews that have got the blaze only 15 percent contained. Shocking footage shows the California wildfires seen from space as more than one million acres of the state have been destroyed Firefighters watch flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County on Friday. The huge wildfire has grown to become the second largest in the state's history The LNU Lightning Complex Fire has now spread across a staggering 314,000 acres wiping out any homes, trees and entire neighborhoods that cross its path. Pictured a firefighter at the LNU Friday Firefighters make a stand in the backyard of a home in front of the advancing CZU August Lightning Complex Fire Friday in Boulder Creek Officials warned Saturday the LNU (pictured) is now the second-biggest fire California has ever seen - a marked change from less than 24 hours earlier when it was the tenth-largest in recent history The LNU overtook the SCU Lightning Complex as the biggest fire Saturday, despite officials doubling the number of fire crew to 1,000 drafted in to fight the LNU Friday in desperate efforts to bring it under control. The SCU fire has now burned around 292,000 acres, making it the third-largest fire in state history. The largest wildfire California has ever seen was the Mendocino Complex that burned more than 459,000 acres back in 2018. Fears are growing that the LNU and SCU are edging closer to its record after they surged from being the respective 10th-largest and seventh-largest fires the state has ever seen just one day before. More than 13,700 firefighters have now been drafted in to try to bring the ever-increasing fires under control across the state, with around 2,600 tackling the two biggest blazes alone. Two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department had to be rescued after becoming trapped while battling a blaze Friday. As of Saturday, the Golden State is under the grip of more than 585 wildfires - including almost two dozen major fires - which have scorched almost one million acres. Almost 14,000 firefighters battle more than 500 blazes that have scorched one million acres and killed at least six Smoking embers re-ignited around sunset on Friday, after fire destroyed dozens of homes in Santa Cruz The National Guard has been activated and is ready to send in helicopters and 240 crew members to help embattled fire crews More than 13,700 firefighters have now been drafted in to try to bring the ever-increasing fires under control across the state, with around 2,600 tackling the two biggest blazes alone The blazes are accelerating along the path of destruction, after officials counted 771,000 acres destroyed Friday - an expanse bigger than the whole state of Rhode Island. At least six people have now been killed by the wildfires, with the mammoth LNU Complex fire claiming at least four lives. Three victims were found inside a burned down home in Napa County Wednesday where, just over a week ago, people were enjoying vineyards in the famed wine country. Its fourth victim was in Solano County, Cal Fire confirmed. Another person - a utility crewman - died Wednesday while he was helping clear electrical hazards for first responders at the same fire. At least six people have now been killed by the wildfires, with the mammoth LNU Complex fire claiming at least four lives. Crew at the CZU fire Friday night Experts are warning that the worst is yet to come as forecasts show more lightning strikes headed for the state over the coming days Dry thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds have been forecast for Sunday - something the state only experiences around every 15 years A home is engulfed in flames along Empire Grade Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains community of Bonny Doon near Santa Cruz A home ravaged and car burnt out by the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire Friday in Boulder Creek Cal Fire warned more lightning is expected into Tuesday and encourage all residents to have an emergency evacuation plan Many of the fires were sparked by an abnormally high number of lightning strikes last weekend while the state is in the midst of a heatwave The LNU overtook the SCU Lightning Complex as the biggest fire Saturday, despite officials doubling the number of fire crew to 1,000 drafted in to fight the LNU Friday in desperate efforts to bring it under control. Pictured a firefighter on the CZU As of Saturday, the Golden State is under the grip of more than 585 wildfires - including almost two dozen major fires This came after a firefighter helicopter pilot was killed in a crash at the Hills Fire in Fresno County earlier that day when trying to drop water onto the inferno below. The state's resources are at breaking point with almost 100 percent of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection fire engines already committed to tackling the blazes. Its emergency response to the fires has been hard-hit by the lack of inmate firefighters available at present, after more than 800 were released due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inmate firefighters make up about 43 percent of Cal Fires crews, reported LA Times, meaning the state has been left with a shortage of much-needed resources at the time when they need them the most. With state resources at breaking point, Gov. Newsom is calling on other states and countries to draft in help. The governor announced Saturday Trump had approved his request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to help the state's emergency response to tackling the wildfires. It means federal aid will be available for the emergency response and recovery efforts including crisis counseling, housing and unemployment assistance and legal services for those displaced by the fires. The move from the White House came just days after Trump appeared to blame the citizens of California for the fires telling them 'you've got to clean your floors' and saying he would 'make them pay for it'. 'I see again, the forest fires are starting. They're starting again in California. And I said, "You've got to clean your floors. You've got to clean your floors,"' the president said at an event in Pennsylvania Thursday. Trump blamed 'years' of leaves and broken trees saying 'they're like, like so flammable.' 'Maybe we're just going to have to make them pay for it, because they don't listen to us. We say you got to get rid of the leaves,' he added. Trump appeared to backtrack on his harsh words and approved the declaration Saturday after Newsom asked for federal aid. Newsom admitted Friday that California is 'putting everything we have' into tackling the wildfires but it has not been enough to halt them in their tracks. 'We are not naive by any stretch about how deadly this moment is and why it is essential... that you heed evacuation orders and that you take them seriously,' Newsom said. 'We simply haven't seen anything like this in many, many years.' The governor issued an SOS call to other leaders and nations to help save the Golden State from the blazes. Ten states, including Oregon, New Mexico and Texas, have pledged to send in fire crews and Newsom is also pleading with Canada and Australia for help where he said they have 'the world's best firefighters.' Firefighters work to contain a blaze during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Friday The governor issued an SOS call to other leaders and nations to help save the Golden State from the blazes The wildfires have scorched almost one million acres across the Golden State and forced thousands to evacuate their homes Experts are warning that the worst is yet to come as forecasts show more lightning strikes headed for the state over the coming days. Dry thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds have been forecast for Sunday - something the state only experiences around every 15 years. 'With severe drought and exceptionally dry fuels present, dry thunderstorms could spark additional wildfires this weekend,' the National Weather Service said. 'The western US and Great Plains are shrouded under a vast area of smoke due to ongoing wildfires that extend from the Rockies to the West Coast.' Cal Fire reinforced these concerns tweeting that more lightning is expected into Tuesday and encouraging all residents to have an emergency evacuation plan. Many of the fires were sparked by an abnormally high number of lightning strikes last weekend while the state is in the midst of a heatwave. Islamabad, Aug 22 : At a time when Afghan Taliban, the United States and the Ashraf Ghani government of Afghanistan are on the verge of initiating the intra-Afghan dialogue, Pakistan government has issued a statutory notification, ordering imposition of sanctions on those Afghan Taliban leaders and groups, including the Haqqani Network, who are on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanction list. In the notification, the government has enforced immediate steps including assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo on the Afghan insurgent group, the Haqqani Network. Government sources confirmed that the step has been taken in compliance with the UNSC sanctions against the group. As per the government source, Section 10 of the statutory notification aka SRO, explained the purpose of issuance of the new SRO which maintained "in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 2 of the United Nation's Security Council Act 1948, the Federal Government is pleased to order that the Resolution 2255 (2015) be fully implemented" in reference to the Taliban leaders and affiliated entities listed in the annexure attached to it. The SRO holds importance as it has been issued after the review meeting on the progress made against terror financing and money laundering by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Pakistan has been working on the implementation of the 27-point action plan, and the action is necessary if it wants to get off the grey list of the global watchdog list. Pakistan government has also passed laws from the upper and the lower house (Senate and National Assembly) to meet the FATF requirements. The SRO, issued on August 18, 2020 has also been issued in line with the same compliance with an aim to get Islamabad out of the FATF grey list and save it from being pushed into the black list, which may be disastrous for the cash-strapped economy of the country. "The SRO issued by Pakistan on 18 August 2020, only consolidates and documents the previously announced SROs as a procedural measure and does not reflect any change in the Sanctions List of sanction measures," said Zahid Chaudhri, spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). "Upon any change by the Committee (UN Security Council Taliban Sanctions Committee), all states including Pakistan implement these Sanctions," he added. It is pertinent to mention here that a similar SRO was issued by Pakistan on Daesh and Al-Qaeda with similar bans imposed on all individuals and entities associated with the groups. And a similar order was issued to list Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and all groups and individuals including Hafiz Saeed, in the country's terror list, seizing their assets, bank accounts and imposing travel bans. When he returned home from the horrors of the First World War, a thankful Walter Brown planted an oak tree on the edge of his farm. Standing tall more than a century later, it symbolises the longevity of his ancestors relationship with the land in Rutland. The Brown family has tilled the soil in the Welland Valley for more than 300 years, but Walters grandson Andrew fears the new Agriculture Bill will mean he is the last. Mr Brown, 56, says the Bill fails to protect the UKs world-leading food and welfare standards. And that could be the final nail in the coffin for 40,000 family farms which would be replaced by massive US-style feedlots, where tens of thousands of cattle are crammed into pens with poor environmental standards. Andrew Brown on his family farm with his grandfather's oak tree that he planted when he came home from World War One but he fears farm could be ruined by US trade deal Even though my grandfather lived through the Depression, I think he and my other ancestors would be absolutely amazed at how difficult farming has become, he said. I urge the Government not to throw family farms under the bus for a trade deal when we are and will continue to be the backbone of rural society, food production and environmental protection in this country. Walter saw action at the Somme and Passchendaele with the Leicestershire Yeomanry, and his brother George was killed five days before the Armistice. After Walters death in 1979, his son John took over and doubled the size of the farm to the current 620 acres. They kept sheep and cattle on permanent pasture alongside the River Welland and Andrew recalls as a child going out into the hayfields, helping stack bales up and feeding the lambs on the bottle during lambing season. Andrew switched to arable farming when his three children were young and still uses Walters 1958 tractor, affectionately named Phut Phut because of its noise. But he says the Government is heading down a dangerous path that neglects the farming industry and would make the UK reliant on food imports. Andrew, the former High Sheriff of Rutland, said: If we do a trade deal with the US and they suddenly allow in foods produced to a much lower standard such as hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken then it wont be a level playing field. The whole thing undermines British agriculture and farmers simply wont be able to compete. 'It comes down to economics and if I cant survive, then Im not going to carry on. Its a simple choice and a lot of farms are going to have to make that decision fairly soon. The issue of welfare standards really is the final nail in the coffin for family farms in this country. The Mail on Sunday has launched a Save Our Family Farms campaign to protect British farmers by keeping controversial US food products off UK supermarket shelves. Walter Brown on tractor: Taken circa 1968. Dog sat on his lap was called Twister. The tractor, which was bought new in 1959, is called Phut Phut and the family still occasionally use it Despite repeated Government assurances that it will not compromise Britains food production standards in any transatlantic trade deal, MPs failed in May to back a bid to enshrine the promises into law. The deal is expected to return to the Commons next month. Andrew believes the Government is terrified of failing to strike a deal with US negotiators, adding: If the Agriculture Bill passes without an amendment, I predict there will be 30,000 to 40,000 fewer farmers in this country in the next five to ten years. People generally support British farms until they go to a shop and they see something a bit cheaper. And who can blame them? Andrew has converted one of his barns into holiday cottages and runs educational visits for school children. He has also helped to create a community woodland of 3,500 trees, which is home to barn owls, skylarks and red kites, but does not think such diversification will prevent his farm from being taken over by massive feedlots. He said: Farmers are often the backbone of a local community and help out when required. I dont think your big corporate farms are going to do any of that sort of thing. It would be sad if this came to an end with me. H olidaymakers have rushed to get home to the UK to beat new quarantine measures placed on Croatia. From 4am on Saturday, travellers arriving to the UK from Croatia have to self-isolate for 14 days after a spike in coronavirus cases led to the Government removing the country from its safe travel list. At London Heathrow Airports Terminal 5 on Friday evening, British Airways flights arriving from the Croatian city of Dubrovnik and the capital Zagreb were among the last to arrive in the UK before the quarantine deadline. Travellers returning from Austria and Trinidad and Tobago must also now isolate for two weeks. It comes as further local restrictions were also implemented at midnight in areas of Greater Manchester and Lancashire as local Covid-19 case numbers increased. People have now been told not to socialise with anyone outside their household, and funerals and weddings limited to 20 people. The Government said it was concerned that a rise in people testing positive for coronavirus in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle was due to social mixing particularly among 20 to 39-year-olds. Holidaymakers in Croatia / Reuters Thomas Maguire, 63, a sales manager from Northern Ireland, was due to fly back from Croatia on Sunday, but returned to beat the deadline due to the impact it would have on his family. He branded the rule changes as a complete shambles, saying he had spent nearly 400 on his flight which he hoped to recoup through insurance. Why they decided to do it the way they have done it, its not in support of any scientific evidence that Im safer today than I would be tomorrow, he said. Cases have soared in Croatia as the country took in foreign tourists / AFP via Getty Images Adam and Katie Marlow, from Buckinghamshire, were forced to drive a hire car three hours from the coastal city of Zadar to Zagreb to catch a new flight home instead of returning on Saturday. The couple decided to come back earlier than planned due to 33-year-old Ms Marlows pregnancy and her need to return to work on Monday. They said their new flights costs around 300, while the care hire was another 100. Asked about the Governments handling of the travel corridor rules, Mr Marlow, 37, who works for a financial company, said: With most of the changes I support everything they do, I would say though that they should publish the criteria for where the cases are. Then we could have kept have an eye on it and we could have maybe made a different decision and maybe an earlier decision and it might have cost us a bit less money. People on the beach in Croatia / REUTERS Mrs Marlow, a sales manager, who is due in October, added: Completely understand why they are doing it, but it would be good to have a bit more warning, because we only had 24 hours notice. Thats all we had. But Steve Laws, 53, a company director from Thame in Oxfordshire branded the Governments actions as shambolic. He spent around 2,000 to return from his holiday eight days early with his wife and three children. There are zero checks at immigration, he said on Friday night. The process was a complete farce." People enjoying the sun in Croatia / AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Imperial College Londons Professor Ara Darzi said regular home testing could be the UKs best hope against the pandemic and warned the UK may need to increase its current testing to one million or even ten million a day. The co-director of the colleges Institute of Global Health Innovation is overseeing a study of home testing involving 100,000 people and wrote in The Daily Telegraph: Mass testing is not merely our best defence against the spread of the virus, it is also key to giving the country the confidence it urgently needs. And unlike a vaccine, which is still many months away, simple, easy and cheap tests, some based on saliva, with results in as little as 10 minutes, are already out there. The recommendation comes as people in Oldham in Greater Manchester, as well as Pendle and Blackburn in Lancashire were told not to socialise with anyone outside their household from midnight on Saturday. They were also advised to avoid using public transport unless it is essential. Oldham in Greater Manchester / AFP via Getty Images The number of people attending weddings, civil partnerships and funerals should be no more than 20 people, made up of household members and close family only, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said. Fridays announcement stopped short of a localised lockdown, where businesses would be closed, which Oldham councils leader Sean Fielding had earlier this week warned could be catastrophic for the area. He tweeted: We have reached agreement with the Government that Oldham will not go in to full local economic lockdown. Some additional restrictions will be introduced, however. The Government said people can still shop and go to work and that schools and other childcare settings will open as normal under the new restrictions. Also on Friday it was announced that Birmingham is being added to a watch list as an area of enhanced support and Northampton becomes an area of intervention. Oldham in Greater Manchester / AFP via Getty Images West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said some people have not been strict enough with coronavirus measures and the DHSC said he would be meeting Health Secretary Matt Hancock and local council leaders on Friday to discuss urgent next steps. Meanwhile the Greencore sandwich factory in Northampton closed from Friday, with staff and members of their households having to isolate for 14 days. It was announced last week that more than 200 people had tested positive for Covid-19 after an outbreak linked to the factory. The Department of Health said Mr Hancock will bring in regulations to ensure that this self-isolation period is legally enforced and warned that anyone who does not abide by the rules without a reasonable excuse could be fined. The Greencore factory in Northampton / Google StreetView Restrictions in Wigan, Rossendale and Darwen have been lifted, the department said, bringing them into line with the rest of England. Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days. Pendle, which is in second place behind Oldham, has a rate of 67.3, down from 108.6, while Blackburn with Darwen is in third place. There, the rate has fallen from 88.2 to 56.1. A medical expert has warned the UK may need to boost testing to 10 million per day / Getty Images DHSC said coronavirus cases are rising quickly in Birmingham, with 30.2 cases per 100,000 and more than half of cases in the last week in people aged 18-34. Fridays numbers for Birmingham show a rate of 25.5 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to August 18, down from 29.2. The new restrictions will not apply in the Darwen area of the Blackburn with Darwen upper tier local authority area, parts of Pendle, in Rossendale or in Wigan. But they do come on top of the existing ban on indoor gatherings of more than two households in place across parts of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. Sam Purcell, a well-known, hugely promising talent on the Sligo music scene, has been named Ireland's most talented young drummer following a nationwide search by Earagail Arts Festival. The award will allow him to study with Co. Armagh born David Lyttle, who has been hailed as one of the world's great jazz drummers and Ireland's leading jazz musician. For a decade Lyttle has maintained a jaw-dropping tour schedule that over the past year alone has included shows in Russia, Finland, Spain, Vietnam, Thailand, Jamaica, Beurit, Israel, Lebanon, Malyasia and Singapore. He has been nominated in both the MOBO Awards and the Urban Music Awards and is the only Irish artist to receive either accolade. Recent media reports indicated that Lyttle and Liam Neeson had been working together for Hot Press magazine's celebration of Van Morrison's 75th birthday. Sam, who is 15 and attends Summerhill College, is a member of the Saffron Trio and has taken part in the Sligo Jazz Project, a partner in the award along with Jazzlife Alliance and Falcarragh Winter Jazz Festival, since the age of 9. He received his Grade 8 in 2018, through the Sligo Contemporary School of Music under Ken 'Tonto' McDonald A short film made by Lyttle for Earagail Arts Festival shows Sam boating and longboarding in Sligo. He says he loves the water but most of all loves drumming and was only two when his parents bought him a drum kit. "I'm really excited to win the Earagail Arts Festival and Jazzlife Alliance young Irish drummer award and I'm also excited to study with David Lyttle." The award will also see him perform with Irish jazz stars on the rise Micheal and Conor Murray, from Donegal later, in the year and into 2021. Lyttle, who is artistic director of Jazzlife Alliance, a not for profit organisation which mentors exceptional talent, says: "I've known Sam for a few years, from the Sligo Jazz Project, and I'm constantly impressed with his improvement. "I think he has the potential to be a world class musician and I think he is a great role model for other young musicians on the island." Eddie Lee, Sligo Jazz, said: "Sam Purcell is one of those rare beings whose talent and potential was instantly recognisable from an early age. Sam came to our summer school as our then youngest ever participant aged 9 and his star has risen meteorically in the ensuing six years." The WA government has warned federal ministers and MPs their Western Australian staff might be refused permission to re-enter the state if they attend next week's parliamentary session. New rules also mean that when WA's 28 federal MPs and senators including Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann return from Canberra, they would be forced to wear face masks and maintain a record of close contacts, and would be banned from attending "non-work related public gatherings". The House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The details of the tightening in border restrictions were revealed in a letter from WA's state emergency coordinator Gary Dreibergs sent to the state's federal politicians on Friday night as many were preparing to travel to Canberra. He also said there would also soon be "directions issued in relation to non-WA Commonwealth parliamentarians visiting WA", which could mean federal ministers, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who do not represent electorates in the state could face strict border measures. Actor Sooraj Pancholi has announced a leave of absence from Instagram, after his name was linked to the deaths of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his one-time manager, Disha Salian. Sooraj and his family have denied any connection to the deaths and have also filed a police complaint in this regard. He has said that he never met Disha Salian. On Saturday, he wrote on his Instagram stories, See you Instagram! Hopefully will see you someday when the world is a better place. I need to breathe #Suffocated. Sooraj has deleted all but one Instagram post, marking his 28th birthday in 2018. Sooraj in an earlier interview to India Today had said that his mother was worried about him after the recent news reports came in. He said, 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. Also read: Aditya Pancholi says Kangana Ranaut should return Padma Shri now that her theory on Sushant Singh Rajputs death has been disproved On Friday, Soorajs father, Adiya Pancholi, also commented about the situation. In an interview to Aaj Tak he said, One foolish guy posted and all this major media picked it up and made it into an issue. This is not fair. Everyone has to be responsible, we had to go through so much pain. He added, I am not on social media but they are trolling Sooraj that he is a murderer. This is the reason he had to turn his comments off. What is this? Sooraj and his mother, Zarina Wahab, have both dismissed reports that suggested he knew Disha Salian, or had thrown a party on the night before Sushants death. Several other Bollywood personalities have either deleted their social media accounts or have muted the comments on their posts as a major backlash ensued against insiders after Sushants death. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON China has been working on building the world's largest genetic database as Chinese police gather blood samples from around 700 million males, including children, all over the country. According to new research, police have been doing rounds in communities and even schools to draw blood samples as the Chinese government aims to create a national DNA database. It has been reported that the government has been compiling genetic information since 2017. In June, The New York Times reported that the project will allow the state to track down the male relatives based on their genes. This will also boost the country's surveillance powers, including artificial intelligence, facial recognition systems, and advanced security cameras. This will also enhance the government's efforts to use genetics to restrain its citizens, particularly tracking ethnic minorities and other targeted groups. Meanwhile, police officers said this database will help track criminals and aide in criminal investigations. Authorities from a rural county in northern China told computer engineer Jiang Haolin that if he did not give out blood samples, he and his family would be deprived of benefits such as going to a hospital and traveling. Thus, Jiang had no choice but to give his blood sample. Aside from showing up in houses, police officers are going to schools to collect DNA. In a Chinese southern coastal town, schoolboys lined up while police officers pick their tiny fingers with a needle. Also, officers went across tables in a school about 230 miles to the north to take young boys' blood samples. Read also: Facebook And NYU Langone Health Develop FastMRI That Only Requires A Quarter of the Traditional Data Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company Thermo Fisher sold the tailor-made DNA testing kits to China, which were used by the police to collect samples. Despite criticisms from the U.S. government, Thermo Fisher pushed through with the contract. However, in 2019, the biotech giant reportedly stopped selling the DNA testing kits to the Xinjiang region, where the authorities have been persecuting the local Muslim population for years. Authorities have been surveying the Uighur minority, a Turkic group, who lives in the oil-rich region. Surveillance cameras are installed everywhere, and spyware is installed on people's smartphones. Privacy and abuse concerns over the DNA project However, the project raised concerns about privacy and abuse from some officials in China and human rights advocates within and outside the country, particularly as the government forces everyone to submit their genetic codes. Rights activists warned that the national DNA database could invade the people's privacy rights since the collection is done without consent since citizens do not have the right to refuse if they are in an authoritarian state. Activists are also worried that officials may punish the family of activists and dissenters. Human Rights Watch researcher Maya Wang told the NYT that this database allows the authorities to locate "who is most intimately related to whom" and may lead to having the entire families by punished because of an individual's activism. Wang added that there will be "a chilling effect on society as a whole." Read also: China Launches 'Clean Plate' Campaign to Clamp Down Mukbang; YouTubers Have Undeclared Ads? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by: CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor In the Aug. 2 edition, I was struck by two articles: The Front Page article, Racial tilt in arrests for pot and the Spaces real estate section article Purchase Plan." In the first article, we read that 97 percent of those arrested or ticketed for marijuana offenses in Albany in the last year were Black or brown citizens yet Black and white people use marijuana at roughly the same rate. We were informed that the practice unfairly harms minority communities. How many of these tickets or arrests result in a criminal record, even for a minor offense? Once a person has a criminal record, they may be banned or severely restricted from employment in a large number of professions and job categories. They may be denied housing, and social benefits, they may find increased difficulty in pursuing an education. A man allegedly laughed as he repeatedly kicked his mum in the back and stomach, a court heard yesterday. Craigavon Magistrates Court, sitting in Lisburn, also heard claims that Nathan Amor (21) held a piece of broken glass to his mother's neck, causing a cut, before shoving her to the ground where he allegedly kicked her repeatedly "while laughing". Amor, from Portadown but with an address at a Salvation Army Hostel in Belfast city centre, appeared at court via videolink from police custody to be charged with two offences - causing his mum actual bodily harm and criminal damage to a TV, a TV bracket and a curtain pole on Tuesday. While a police officer said he believed he could connect Amor to the charges, a prosecuting lawyer said there were objections to bail as the latest incident was the "latest in a litany" of domestic assaults allegedly committed against his mother. She described how Amor had been invited to his mother's house for dinner but he had "lost his temper" and ripped curtain poles and a TV bracket from the wall. Amor allegedly picked up a piece of broken glass which he "held at his mother's neck" causing a small cut, said the lawyer who claimed that he "pushed her to the ground and repeatedly kicked her to the back and stomach while laughing". Arrested and questioned, Amor "gave no comment" police interviews and the lawyer said there were objections to bail due to his record being "quite frankly, appalling" so there would be "substantial grounds for believing that if you grant bail he will re-offend". Defence solicitor Conor Downey told the court there "is a long history" between mother and son with each making allegations against the other, allegations which are often withdrawn. He submitted that police concerns could be assuaged by Amor being bailed to the Belfast hostel and barred from contacting his mum or going to the Portadown area. While District Judge Rosie Watters freed Amor on his own bail of 500 and imposed those suggested conditions, she warned him "you are lucky to get bail at all". Adjourning the case to September 18, the judge warned him to stay away from his mother and Portadown. Phuket taxi drivers protest loan repayments PHUKET: Phuket tourism transport drivers, including drivers of taxis and tour vans, today (Aug 22) held another small protest at Sapan Hin to call for the finance division of Toyota not to enforce loan repayments for the vehicles, which may see the vehicles repossessed. tourismCOVID-19economics By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 22 August 2020, 10:36PM Narong Chutong, representing the drivers, today presented a petition of more than 1,100 members in the group calling for a reprieve on loan repayments for tourism drivers vehicles. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Narong Chutong, representing the drivers, today presented a petition of more than 1,100 members in the group calling for a reprieve on loan repayments for tourism drivers vehicles. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Narong Chutong, representing the drivers, today presented a petition of more than 1,100 members in the group calling for a reprieve on loan repayments for tourism drivers vehicles. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub About 80 drivers gathered at Sapan Hin today, repeating their call for a moratorium on finance repayments. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub About 80 drivers gathered at Sapan Hin today, repeating their call for a moratorium on finance repayments. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub About 80 drivers gathered at Sapan Hin today, repeating their call for a moratorium on finance repayments. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub About 80 drivers gathered at Sapan Hin today, repeating their call for a moratorium on finance repayments of at least three months, but hopefully extended up to six months or even a year. Narong Chutong, representing the drivers, today presented a petition of more than 1,100 members in the group calling for a reprieve. Mr Narong said that the drivers were facing extenuating circumstances due to the COVID-19 economic crisis. He added that their plea has been submitted to Toyota executives. "I have already contacted Toyota Finance Company and Toyota Company and I have been following up with each of them all along, Mr Narong said. Today, we meet in earnest in submitting a letter with the following claims: requesting a moratorium on all additional debt from three months to six months or even one year. We also asked for Phuket to be the first province for the company to provide assistance to debtors. We also asked to restructure the installment payments without interest. A representative of the Toyota company has already referred the matter to the companys top management in order to alleviate the suffering for Toyota customers. It is currently under consideration, Mr Narong said. Mr Narong pointed out that the drivers currently have no income, and hence cannot pay such debts. We are waiting for the response from Toyota to our requests. We will inform people of the result of their consideration at the next opportunity, he said. Hollywood star Charlie Sheen slams the Danish Government over the arrest of 14 anti-whaling activists on a boat he funded Charlie Sheen donated one of three Sea Shepherd boats seized in Faroe islands Actor accuses Danish authorities of assisting in 'brutal slaughter' of pilot whales Group alleges one of its members pulled from a car and assaulted Australian activist Krystal Keynes to face court on September 25th Hollywood star Charlie Sheen has denounced Danish authorities over the arrests of 14 Sea Shepherd activists, including an Australian, in the Faroe Islands. The actor donated one of three inflatable boats used by the conservationalist group to try to save a pod of pilot whales being lured toward hunters on the island of Sandoy. Krystal Keynes, from Exmouth in Western Australia, was among 14 activists who were arrested and detained by Danish officials. The boats were seized by the Danish navy. Scroll down for video Actor Charlie Sheen accused the Danish authorities of being complicit in the 'brutal slaughter' of a pack of pilot whales One of 14 activists who were arrested and detained by Danish officials, which also includes Australian Krystal Keynes Sheen accused the Danish authorities of assisting in the 'brutal slaughter'. 'I am proud that a vessel bearing my name was there and did all it could to try to stop this atrocity,' the Anger Management star said. 'The 40-foot Zodiac called the BS SHEEN that I donated to Mr (Sea Shepherd leader Paul) Watson's tireless and heroic efforts, has been shamefully seized. This level of insidious and vicious corruption must be dealt with swiftly and harshly.' A Danish Naval helicopter used to assist in the slaughter of 33 pilot whales in the Faroe Islands WARNING GRAPHIC: Barbaric: Vast numbers of the mammals are slaughtered each year on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark Sea Shepherd claims one of the activists, Spaniard Sergio Toribio, was pulled from a car and assaulted while monitoring the hunt from land, suffering a broken finger. Vast numbers of the mammals are slaughtered each year on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark. Sea Shepherd claims one of the activists, Spaniard Sergio Toribio, was pulled from a car and assaulted by Danish authorities The brutal method of whaling in the Faroe islands is to force the whales into a bay before being hacking them to death with hooks and knives The method involves the mammals being forced into a bay by flotillas of small boats before being hacked to death with hooks and knives. Many locals defend the hunt as a cultural right, but animal rights campaigners have denounced it as a "brutal and archaic mass slaughter". A crunch meeting took place in the Riverside Park hotel yesterday evening at which members of the Vintners' Federation outlined their concerns over the current crisis to elected representatives. While the outcome of the meeting wasn't finalised as this newspaper went to press it's understood that some members of the organisation were intending to call for a complete ban on all pubs opening. One of the points highlighted at yesterday's meeting was how pubs in rural Ireland are at crisis point and if something isn't done to support the industry it will signal not just the end of many rural pubs but also be to the overall detriment of rural Ireland. A report commissioned by the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) and Ibec representative group Drinks Ireland, recently indicated that on-trade alcohol sales will decline by 50 per cent or more for the remainder of this year and that 265 pubs in Wexford are in line for such a reduction in business for the remainder of 2020. Local Ferns publican Tom Dunbar, who is also on the VFI national executive, and who was at yesterday's meeting in the Riverside Park Hotel, said the situation in County Wexford is critical. 'We were led to believe we would be opening up and then the date was changed but all the while we have been given no specific guidelines,' he told this newspaper prior to yesterday's meeting. 'We have no regulation at all with regard to what we should be doing, yet 99 per cent of people are trying their best to do things right,' he said. Mr Dunbar said it's 'very frustrating' that 40 per cent of businesses around the country can open up because they serve food but ones that don't can't open. A number of the Federation's member outlined their concerns to this newspaper last week about the fact that at present some pubs can open up as long as they serve food while those that don't serve food can't. Annette and John Gaynor run Gaynor's Pub in Wexford town and Annette says the 9 rule has seen many pubs 'pass themselves off as gastro pubs' so that they can continue to operate. 'We all know the fallout from this,' she said. 'This was the worst decision by far by the powers-that-be. The 9 rule opened the doors, pardon the pun, for some wet pubs to pass themselves off as gastro pubs. 'These wet pubs became food pubs overnight, resulting in them being able to open via this loophole: using tactics such as serving a bag of chips from the local takeaway, issuing dummy food receipts, phantom food orders, empty pizza boxes to feign meals, the examples are endless.' Dolores Sidney, who runs Alice Brady's in Taghmon, told this newspaper that her business is teetering on the brink. 'We've been surviving since this began, but the pressure is coming on now. There's bills there since March which haven't been paid,' Dolores admits. A full report on the meeting will be published in next week's issue of this newspaper. India will record 68 lakh fewer female births between 2017 and 2030 due to sex-selective abortions, says a new study. Using official data, an international team of researchers estimated that the average annual number of missing female births between 2017 and 2025 would be around 4,69,000 per year and is likely to increase to 5,19,000 per year between 2026 and 2030. The researchers projected sex ratio at birth in the largest 29 Indian states and union territories that covered 98.4% of Indias population in 2011. As many 17 states (and union territories) showed an inclination for preferring sons, as per the study that makes the projection with a statistical model using government data. Most of them are concentrated in north-west India. In particular, the effect is most significant in nine states: Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. There has been a reported imbalance in India in the sex ratio at birth (SRB) since the 1970s due to the emergence of prenatal sex selection and the cultural preference for male babies. The Centre in 1994 brought out the pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique Act to check the menace of female foeticide. The law was amended later to give it more teeth. However, there have been suspicions on its implementation by authorities. "The imbalanced sex ratio at birth is indirect evidence that sex-selective abortion still exists," principal investigator Fengqing Chao from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia told DH. Among all states and UTs, Uttar Pradesh has the largest contribution to the number of missing female births. It will have 20 lakh less female births between 2017 and 2030, representing nearly 30% of the national total. The average annual missing female births in Uttar Pradesh are projected to be 141,000 during 20172025 which increase to 151,000 during 20262030. Utter Pradesh is the most populous state in India. The number of births in this state is also the largest. The number of missing female births takes into account both the imbalanced SRB and the number of births, Chao said. According to the official data, Indias sex ratio (number of females to 1000 males) fell to 896 in 2015-17. The sex ratio is on a downward slide since 2011-13 when it was 909. Subsequently it fell to 906 (2012-14); 900 (2013-15) and 898 (2014-16). The study flags the issue, which is getting worse every day. But the estimate is conservative as the problem is worse, commented Punit Bedi, a gynaecologist and foetal medicine specialist at Delhis Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, who campaigned against female foeticide for years. The issue has gone out of our mind; it doesnt mean the problem has disappeared. The study was published in the journal PLOS One earlier this week. UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath UP: Elections not won on exit polls basis, results will be surprising: Kamal Nath UP assembly passes Recovery Of Damages Bill without discussion India oi-Deepika S Lucknow, Aug 22: The state assembly on Saturday passed several important bills, including the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Properties Bill, 2020, without any discussion amid the Opposition protest and sloganeering against the government. Soon after the House met and paid tributes to two of its former members Vivek Singh and Kunwar Bahadur Misra, the Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House, shouting slogans and holding banners to lodge their protests over law and order, the government's handling of COVID pandemic and flood in the state. But an undeterred House took up its business agenda, allowing the government to pilot its bills and get them passed within minutes without any discussion. The other bills which were passed included the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Disease Control Bill, 2020 and Cow-Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Congress leaders slam Yogi Adityanath govt over caste violence, crimes against women Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was present in the House, gave a statement on the law and order situation and measures being taken to deal with the Corona pandemic and presented statistics, asserting that Uttar Pradesh was much better poised on both the fronts than other states. He also attacked the Opposition for being ?bereft? of issues and ?trying to mislead? people. Later the brief monsoon session, which was scheduled to continue till Monday was adjourned sine die with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna abruptly moving a proposal for it. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 18:59 [IST] Hyderabad, Aug 22 : The usual pomp was missing as Ganesha Chaturthi began on a subdued note on Saturday in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in view of COVID-19 pandemic. The 10-day festival started under the shadow of the pandemic, with the devotees confining the celebrations to their respective homes. As authorities banned installation of idols in public places, the puja and other festivities were restricted. The festival began on a lackluster note in Hyderabad, which ranks only after Mumbai in terms of the scale of the annual festival. For the first time in over four decades, no pandals or makeshift tents were erected at public places to display the Ganesha idols in the city. The Telangana government has appealed to people to celebrate the religious festival at their homes. Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav urged people not to hold any public event. According to Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi, the organiser of the annual festivities in Hyderabad, the traders and residents' welfare associations have not installed Ganesha idols for the first time in four decades. Every year, thousands of big idols of the elephant god are set up in markets, on roads, in colonies and other public places. During the 10-day festival, over 50 lakh devotees used to throng these venues to participate in puja and other festivities. According to festival organisers, the pandemic had directly or indirectly impacted livelihood of three lakh persons in Hyderabad and other parts of the state. They included idol-makers and other workers engaged for organising the festival. The size of Khairatabad idol this year has been reduced to just nine feet in height. It once used to be the tallest idol in Hyderabad. It is the first time in its 66-year history that the idol size has been reduced. Every year, the organisers used to increase the Ganesha idol's height by one foot. This year, the organisers had planned to install a 66-feet-tall idol. Though the organising committee installed the idol, no public puja was conducted. Every year, the state Governor used to perform puja on the first day of the Ganesha festival. This year, there will also be no auction of 'laddus' by the organisers of various Ganesha pandals or immersion processions. Lakhs of people used to take part in the mammoth processions organised to mark the culmination of the festivities. Thousands of idols were carried from various parts of the city and surrounding areas to the Hussainsagar lake in the cithy's heart for immersion. Meanwhile, Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao greeted people on Ganesha Chaturthi. The Governor appealed to the people to celebrate in a safe manner by following the COVID 19 precautions. The Chief Minister wished for prosperity and good health for people. "He prayed to Lord Ganesha that very soon the coronavirus pandemic should end and normal life restored for each and everyone in the country in general and the state in particular," said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office. Rao along with his family members participated in Ganesha puja at his official residence. Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also greeted people on the occasion. The Andhra Pradesh government issued guidelines for the festival and urged devotees to perform puja at their homes instead of public places. The usual pomp and gaiety was also missing from celebrations in Vijayawada, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and other places. New Milford is launching a community computer lab at the John Pettibone Community Center, Mayor Pete Bass recently announced. Bass said the room came about as the town works to update and reconfigure its IT infrastructure. The older town computers were repurposed for the room. He said he had the goal to create this lab as a way to help students, including offering it up for the Youth Agencys homework club. It will also be used to offer residents financial literacy education with the United Way. This is part of my plan as we address opportunities for all of our residents to use to help them ( and their families) become more financially secure, Bass said. The IT, facilities, park and recreation and social services departments as well as the Youth Agency worked on the initiative, he said. More than a year on from the birth of Prince George the world is gearing up for the birth of another royal heir, this time in Monaco. Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene attend the annual picnic in 'Le Parc Princesse Antoinette' in Monaco yesterday, once again giving the excited population and worlds media- a glimpse of the Princesss burgeoning baby bump. The 36-year-old royal certainly seems to be enjoying an early pregnancy glow, looking tanned and radiant at her husbands side holding a delicate bouquet of pink and white roses. Scroll down for video Prince Albert and his wife Princess Charlene attend the annual picnic in 'Le Parc Princesse Antoinette' The royal couple announced they are expecting their first child just two months ago, and a tiny bump was just visible under Charlene's deep blue dress The Princess, 36, carried a small bouquet of pink and white roses as the pair greeted children in the park The Princess wore a collared sleeveless dress in a deep blue, with a matching belt resting just above her tiny bump. She kept her footwear sensible with a pair of tanned ballet pumps and swept her blonde hair back off her face in a chic low chignon. Charlene and her 56-year-old husband were welcomed by dancers wearing traditional costume as they arrived for the event, known as Monacos picnic. They looked relaxed throughout the low key event, though Albert kept his attire formal for the official engagement in a blazer, shirt and tie. The pair married on July 1 2011 and announced they were expecting their first child just two months ago. Charlene wore a collared sleeveless dress in a deep blue and swept her blonde hair back off her face in a chic low chignon, while Albert chose a smart blazer, white shirt and tie The pair were welcomed by dancers wearing traditional costume as they arrived for the event The annual event, known as 'Monaco's picnic' is held in the Princess Antoinette Park In June, Prince Albert told The Associated Press that he and his wife were 'overjoyed', 'thrilled' and 'very excited' about the impending arrival of their child. He said they are 'taking every cautious step to make sure everything goes well'. Albert, now 56, was a longtime bachelor who has acknowledged fathering two children out of wedlock - daughter Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born in 1992 to American Tamara Rotolo, and Alexandre Coste, born in 2003 to Togo native Nicole Coste. The couple have not slowed down their royal duties since the announcement however, attending a charity event together on Friday. When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex married Prince Harry in May 2018, royal fans and experts speculated that they would form a close-knit bond with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Unfortunately, that never happened. In the year or so prior, the royal brothers relationship had become increasingly fractured and they continued to drift apart. Meanwhile, Meghan and Kate had very little in common. Instead, the Duchess of Sussex formed bonds with her mother-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Eugenie, and her royal mentor, Sophie Countess of Wessex. In fact, the royal couple the Sussexes spent the majority of their time with might surprise you. The Duke & Duchess of Sussex in deep conversation with the Earl of Wessex at the #CommonwealthDay Service. pic.twitter.com/VvuPRXorqQ Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) March 9, 2020 RELATED: Meghan Markle Was Convinced There Was a Conspiracy Against Her in the U.K. So She Isolated Herself at Frogmore Cottage, Source Claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were very close with Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex When the Sussexes moved to Windsor in early 2019 ahead of their son Archies birth, Meghan in particular formed a close connection with Sophie who lived nearby. The women had similar interests and were adament about having privacy for their children. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Express, According to sources, the Queen has earmarked Sophie as a royal mentor for Meghan. The two spent time together at Royal Ascot last year and are understood to get along well. The pair share similar backgrounds, as Sophie, like Meghan, gave up a successful career (in PR) to marry into the Royal Family, so is in a position to help Meghan. In fact, it had been rumored that Prince Edward along with Prince Charles had been working to mend the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry. RELATED: Meghan Markles Pregnancy News Did Not Go Down Particularly Well With Princess Eugenie Meghan Markle and Prince Harry hung out with Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank the most Though the Sussexes were close with the Wessexes, they spent a great deal of time with Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry, Finding Freedom reveals. They were also the closest of friends. In fact, the princess was one of the first people the prince told about Meghan. Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write, 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 say that she gives great advice and has always been beyond wise for her year. She was nothing but encouraging about his new relationship. In fact, Eugenie, whod long wanted to see her cousin settle down and be happy, told friends she loved Meghan and that she was just the tonic for him. Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank went on a double date with the Sussexes in Canada early on in their relationship. RELATED: Kate Middleton Isnt Very Close With Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie, Source Reveals This is how Princess Eugenie really felt about Meghan Markles pregnancy announcement In the days leading up to Princess Eugenies wedding in Oct. 2018, the Sussexes announced Meghans pregnancy. The Princess of York was reportedly displeased that the news would overshadow her big day. According to Finding Freedom, the baby announcement did not go down particularly well with the princess. An insider explained, [Princess Eugenie] told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news. Still, the princess did not hold a grudge against her cousins. The book also reveals that when Archie was born he received several visits from Eugenie and Jack. When the world opens again, its quite possible the princess and her husband will visit the Sussexes at their new Santa Barbara estate. Future Enterprises Ltd. (FEL) announced on Saturday that it has postponed its board meeting to be held on August 22, by a week to August 28. The board was expected to discuss the merger of three group companies- Future Lifestyle, Future Supply Chain, and Future Retail- in the meeting. Meanwhile, FEL did not divulge any reason for the postponement of the crucial meeting. "This has reference to our letter dated 16th August, 2020, regarding intimation of the date of the Board Meeting of the company which was scheduled to be held on Saturday, 22nd August, 2020, inter alia, to consider and approve audited financial results of the company for the quarter and year ended on 31st March, 2020. We hereby further inform you that due to some unavoidable circumstances, the said meeting has been postponed and is re-scheduled to be held on Friday 28th August," the company informed exchanges in a statement. Also Read: Future Group lenders may take 40% haircut even after Reliance buys key businesses Meanwhile, Kishore Biyani's Future Group is in talks with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail to sell its flagship Future Retail to pay mounting debts. The companies have supposedly reached an agreement regarding certain terms and conditions, and a deal worth Rs 24,000-27,000 crore could be signed soon. The deal will make RIL the number one player in brick-and-mortar space in India across categories such as fashion, groceries, and merchandise, and will lead to Biyani's exit from the retail business. The company was supposed to take a final call on the stake sale to Reliance Retail during the board meeting on Saturday, August 22. The meeting has been seen as a crucial one since it came in the wake of Rs 100 crore worth interest payment on senior secured dollar notes, whose deadline - after 30 days grace period -- ends on August 21. The non-payment of interest will place Future Retail Ltd in the 'default' category. Future Group has accrued heavy debt over the years. As of September 30, 2019, debt at Future Group's listed entities rose to Rs 12,778 crore from Rs 10,951 crore as on March 31, 2019. The Group had the March deadline for repayment of some of these dues. But the Reserve Bank of India's loan moratorium provided a breather. J&K: How alert forces have wrecked havoc for the terrorists India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 22: The security forces have wrecked havoc on terror groups in the Valley. This year alone 26 top commanders have been gunned down by the security forces in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K's Director General of Police, Dilbagh Singh said that two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba were shot dead in the past three days along with four other terrorists. He also said that infiltration of terrorists from across the border had decreased by half this year. This is thanks to the alertness of the forces and the excellent border management. Due to this for the first time the level of infiltration has come down by 50 per cent when compared to the past, Singh also said. Terrorists kill civilian in J&K He said that the local recruitment has gone down a lot and also added that the children in the Valley are listening to their advise to stay away from the gun. We have successfully broken the leadership structure of the terrorists in Kashmir. 26 top commanders have been killed in encounters across the Valley so far, Singh also said. On the killing of Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist Naseeruddin, Singh said that he was involved in the killing of six CRPF personnel in two separate terror strikes. He was also involved in the murder of a local police man. We had reports that he was planning to carry out a big strike in North Kashmir, Singh also said. In the past four days, three encounters have taken place across Kashmir in which four terrorists of A and A+ category have been killed. These were top commanders and were part of the list of top 10 terrorists operating in Kashmir. Their killing is a big relief for the people. Commenting on the killing of Sajjad Ahmed Mir, a Lashkar commander, he said that he was luring the youth to take up arms. We have picked up several such youth and ensured that at least 16 of them were brought back to the mainstream. We will continue to bring more such youth back into the mainstream, Singh also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 8:58 [IST] Despite opposition from environmentalists, salvage crew has begun preparing to sink MV Wakashio, the Japanese ship that ran aground on a reef and spilled tonnes of oil into the blue water off the coast of Mauritius. The ship leaked 1,000 tonnes of oil into the sea and recently split into two. As per The Guardian reports, the larger part of the ship has already been towed by crews 15 km out to sea and is to be flooded so that it sinks to a depth of over 3,000 metres, the smaller part of the ship remains wedged on the reef. Read: Mauritius Oil Spill: Captain Of Japanese Ship Charged With 'endangering Safe Navigation' Damage done may be 'irreversible' Experts and scientists have not been able to determine the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill but claim that it may be irreversible. The oil that leaked from the ship already appears to have reached certain exceptional zones of marine life such as the Ile aux Aigrettes nature reserve. A large number of creatures in the idyllic water have been threatened, from the seagrasses blanketing sand in the shallow waters to clownfish residing in coral reefs. Read: Japanese Relief Team Leaves For Mauritius Environmentalists have raised objections to government plans because the areas that they plan to sink the ship is where whales give birth and nurse their young, informed Sunil Dowarkasing, an environmental consultant and former member of parliament in Mauritius. The sinking of the ship may also negatively affect the waters as it will ve contaminated by large quantities of heavy metal toxins. Malian authorities have claimed that the decision where the larger part of the ship will be sunk has been decided after long deliberations with conservationists and other experts, once filled the larger part of the ship may take hours to reach the bottom. Authorities in Mauritius have also recently arrested the captain of the Japanese ship, MV Wakashio. Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar has been charged with endangering safe navigation. The captain is currently in custody and awaits a bail hearing next week. Read: Head Of Mauritius Marine Conservation Society On Oil Spill Read: India Sends Chetak Helicopter To Mauritius To Help Contain Oil Spill The Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead five Pakistani intruders in self defence after the infiltrators opened fire on the Indian troopers along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjabs Tarn Taran district early on Saturday morning, senior officials of the force said. Ammunition and drugs were recovered during a search operation at the site, which falls under the Dal border outpost in the district. One AK-47 assault rifle with two magazines and 27 live rounds, four .9mm Berretta pistols with seven magazines and 109 live rounds, 9kg heroin, two mobile phones and Rs 610 in Pakistani currency were recovered from the infiltrators, a BSF spokesperson said. According to senior officials aware of the developments, troopers of BSFs 103rd battalion first noticed the movement of two infiltrators who were trying to take cover under paddy crop near the border around 11:30pm on Friday night. When the troops checked the suspected movement in the cameras installed at the border, they found that there were five suspects, said BSFs inspector general (IG), Punjab Frontier, Mahipal Yadav. Following this, a surveillance operation was launched around 5am and the area was cordoned off. The Pakistani armed intruders were then asked to stop and surrender, but instead they opened fire at the BSF personnel, he said, adding that Indian troops retaliated in self defence Punjab shares a 553km frontier with Pakistan, apart from Jammu, Rajasthan and Gujarat -- which together constitute the remaining part of the International Border. According to the IG, prima facie, it appears the five men were trying to infiltrate as they were carrying arms and drugs, but their exact motive will be ascertained by the Punjab Police during their investigation. The mobile phones recovered by the intruders could contain vital information, Yadav said. Yadav added that the BSF is likely to lodge a strong protest with Pakistan Rangers deployed along the other side of the border -- and ask them to keep vigil. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Tarn Taran, Dhruman H Nimbale said a case has been registered against the five unidentified intruders under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act , Indian Passport Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS Act at the Khalra police station in the district. The Dal outpost is located in the Khalra border region in the district. The bodies of the five men have been handed over to district police officials for identification and further investigation. No documents were recovered from their possession. Protocol states that after getting the post-mortem of the suspects, Tarn Taran police will hand over the bodies back to the BSF, which will then ask Pakistani Rangers to claim them. The paramilitary force seized over 356kg heroin and 25 illegal weapons so far this year, officials said. Punjab Police had said in October last year that some Pakistani miscreants had attempted to use drones to smuggle weapons into India along the Khalra border. This was disclosed by the police after they busted a Pakistan-backed Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terrorist module in October 2019 with the arrest of four persons from Tarn Tarans Chohla Sahib village. The police recovered two drones from them. On Wednesday, student residential advisors (RAs) for Cornell Universitys dormitory system held a one-day strike over unsafe working conditions as the university prepares for thousands of students to return for in-person learning. Cornell is located in Ithaca, in upstate New York. Overlooking Ho Plaza from atop McGraw Tower, with Sage Hall and Barnes Hall in the background The strike action was spontaneously organized in response to the universitys reckless reopening plans, which left RAs with even larger workloads than in pre-pandemic semesters. RAs do not have a union or representation in Student Campus Life. They published a list of demands for personal protective equipment (PPE), hazard pay for having to physically work with dozens of students during this semester, standardized responsibilities, and a representative who can participate in Housing and Student Life meetings, among others. About 50 RAs participated in the single-day strike on Wednesday beginning with the student workers sitting out an online instructional webinar about the RA jobs. The opposition from the RAs garnered significant support from the student body and university staff. The RAs twitter page, formed on August 19, quickly gained attention from alumni, professors and graduate student workers. It took less than one day for Cornell administrators to agree to meet with a representative of the RAs to discuss the demands. The administration was no doubt worried about bad press amid the unfolding disaster at many other colleges and universities that have pushed ahead with in-person learning. Following the meeting on Thursday, the Cornell RAs announced via Twitter that they were ending their strike in order to negotiate the demands with the administration. As of Friday evening, there was no further information regarding an agreement between the two parties. Cornell RAs have so far taken a brave stand against the reckless reopening policy of their school. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth and student movement of the Socialist Equality Party, supports the students in their fight against unsafe working conditions. However, we urge the Cornell RAs to consider the broader issues, and dangers, involved. Under the current conditions, it is incredibly dangerous for students, staff and faculty to return for in-person learning at all. Cornell is expecting between 4,500 and 5,000 undergraduate students to move into on-campus housing next week. This represents a decrease of only about 30 percent from the normal capacity of 7,000. Many hundreds of students who will live off-campus in Greek housing or subleased apartments have already begun moving into the area. The Cornell reopening plans were outlined in a statement published on June 30. It states that the school reopening plans are based on modeling (produced by a Cornell professor) that concludes that students are safer on campus than at home. The cornerstone of Cornells reopening plan is the research conducted by Cornell professor Peter Frazier, who concluded that residential instruction, when coupled with a robust virus screening program of the form we intend to implement, is a better option for protecting the public health of our community than a purely online semester. This plan has nearly identical testing and containment protocols as have been used at Ivy League and other elite universities, including testing undergraduates twice a week. The theory is that students will be safer if they are on campus, monitored very closely, and tested routinely. However, despite the universitys supposedly sound modeling, their official statement made a clear warning of the risk involved: There are, of course, limits to the predictive power of epidemiological modeling There is simply no way to completely eliminate risk, whether we are in-person or online; even under the best-case projections, some people will become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and some will develop the severe form of the COVID-19 disease. The arguments made by the administration are riddled with holes. Most notably perhaps, these testing and containment plans do not extend beyond the community of those paying tuition and living in campus housing. Cornell, like nearly all universities around the country, has no plan to provide randomized or stratified testing for the population of Ithaca as they welcome thousands of students into the area. Cornell University is in Tompkins County, New York, with a population of slightly over 100,000 residents. The town will soon be flooded with thousands of students from all over the country who could very well catch and spread the virus during the course of their travel. There is no doubt that if Cornell is allowed to reopen for in-person learning it will lead to more infections, more hospitalizations and more deaths. For colleges and universities that have so far moved ahead with in-person learning, the results have proved disastrous. Only days after starting in-person courses this fall, several universities, including Princeton and the University of Southern California, have already been forced to hastily cancel or postpone their plans and reinstate online learning. On Tuesday, Notre Dame announced that it was moving all undergraduate classes to remote instruction for two weeks, and Michigan State asked undergraduates who planned to live in residence halls to stay home while they transition to remote formats. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which did not conduct widespread testing prior to reopening last week, announced Monday that all undergraduate instruction would be moving online immediately. This move came after four separate outbreaks occurred on campus during opening week, leaving 130 students infected and several hundred more quarantined. One administrator and professor at Yale University, Laurie Santos, the Head of Silliman College and a psychology professor, sent a chillingly honest email to campus residents this week telling them that they may be killed by COVID-19 while attending school this semester: We all should be emotionally prepared for widespread infectionsand possibly deathsin our community. You should emotionally prepare for the fact that your residential college life will look more like a hospital unit than a residential college. In Cornells reopening plan, the residential advisors are made into part-time managers of the activities of dozens of students each, helping to enforce the social distancing measures within the dorms and stop such activities as parties. Students should be warned that it is very likely that when the inevitable outbreaks do occur on campus, the administration will follow the lead of other leading universities in blaming students bad behavior for the clusters of infections. Some colleges have even used the virus as an excuse to beef up campus police. Boston College, for example, is hiring a Boston police detail to keep an eye on and break up parties on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Despite the irresponsibility of some students, the scapegoating of youth for the rise in COVID-19 cases is founded on a lie. The unbridled spread of COVID-19 is not the fault of a relatively small number of students but is a direct consequence of the criminal response of the American ruling class to the pandemic, which has been entirely based on the demands of the financial and corporate elite. The ruling class is determined to reopen schools because it is a central pillar of the broader goal of reopening the economy and getting workers back to work to produce profits. The IYSSE urges students, faculty, staff and others at Cornell to broaden their struggle beyond their current demands. We urge students to join teachers and staff at schools and colleges around the country in opposing the reckless drive to reopen schools. In order to prepare for such a struggle, the Socialist Equality Party has launched the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. The committee is hosting an online meeting today to discuss how teachers, students, parents and other workers can organize a fight back. We urge Cornell students to attend the meeting at 3 p.m. EDT (12 p.m. PDT), today, August 22. Bus to London New Delhi: Lockdown continues in many parts of the world due to the corona virus epidemic. Air travel has also been restricted by many countries. Meanwhile, a travel agency has offered a unique journey between Delhi and London. This trip is unique because it will be arranged by bus instead of plane. A company from Gurugram has organized a trip called 'Bus to London' on August 15. The 70-day tour will take passengers by road from Delhi to London. The travel company made the announcement on social media on August 15. Advertisement PhotoAccording to company, the trip will start from India and end in the United Kingdom. In between, travellers will visit countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Only 20 passengers will take part in the tour from Delhi to London next year. All the seats of this bus will be of business class. In addition to the 20 passengers on board, there will be a driver, an assistant driver, an agent of the managing company, and a guide. Guides will continue to change in 18 different countries. Photo Advertisement The travellers need to have 10 visas for this journey and the good news is the organisers will take care of the passengers visas and they just need to sit back and relax. It is said that accommodation of the passengers will be arranged in 4 star and 5 star hotels during the trip. According to the report, you will have to pay Rs 15 lakh for the bus ticket from Delhi to London. People who cannot pay Rs 15 lakh in one time can also pay the fare in installments. The founder of the travel company said that he and his associates have traveled from Delhi to London by car in 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well. Coronation Street fans were left confused during Friday night's episode after doctors left morphine out next to drug addict Abi Franklin while she was in hospital. Eagle-eyed viewers of the ITV soap called out the unrealistic plot hole when the mechanic - played by Sally Carman - was rushed to see medics after a serious accident at her garage. During her shift, her boss and boyfriend Kevin, was called out to help a customer who had broken down and, while he was gone, an engine fell on top of Abi. Blunder: Coronation Street fans were left confused during Friday night's episode after doctors left morphine out next to drug addict Abi Franklin while she was in hospital Fans were astonished when Abi was left at the hospital dealing with the pain at one point left alone, lying just meters away from the morphine. The episode showed her crying as she read a goodbye card from her children when a doctor asked if she needed someone to talk to. Mother-of-three Abi has been dealing with the emotional stress of having missed saying goodbye to her twins Charlie and Lexi before they went to Australia with their adoptive parents because she was at work. Heartbreaking: Friday night's episode then showed her at the hospital dealing with the pain of her arm injury when she was at one point left alone Pain: During her shift, her boss and boyfriend Kevin, was called out to help a customer who had broken down and while he was gone an engine fell on top of Abi She told the doctor: 'I don't need a counsellor, I just need something to take the pain away.' When the medical staff rushed off to see another patient, they left the drugs cabinet unsupervised and the recovering addict helped herself to a handful of pills. However her ex-boyfriend Peter Barlow walked into the room, just at the moment she tried to stash them in her pocket. Mistake: When the doctor and nurse rushed off to see another patient they left the drugs cabinet unsupervised and the recovering addict helped herself to a handful of pills Fans of the show on Twitter were quick to call out the blunder and raise the point that a doctor would never leave an open drugs cabinet in a patient's room. One wrote: 'Never in a million years do they leave meds around like that.' Another tweeted: 'BS!! They do not leave the drugs trolley open like that, never.' However fans of the show on Twitter were quick to call out the blunder and raise the point that a doctor would never leave an open drugs cabinet in a patient's room A third said: 'Oh my god Abi is BREAKING ME.' Peter then saved Abi from taking the pills and assured her he wouldn't tell anyone about what had happened. Abi broke up with Peter when she realised he didn't want her to join him sailing around the world on his boat. But over the past year, since the pair have moved on with other people, fans seem to think that there could be potential for the two to rekindle their romance. Three days after the 68-year-old England-born Indian owner of an orphanage and children shelter home in Jharsuguda district of Odisha was arrested over allegations of paedophilia, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights asked Odisha government to furnish detailed report on the matter by the end of August this year. Taking cognizance of the matter under section 13 (1) (j) of the CPCR Act 2005, the NCPCR asked the Odisha chief secretary to issue directions to district level officials and women and child development departments for inspection of each and every home, institution, hostel, school and day care centre run by John Patrick Bridge, who ran a child shelter home called Faith Outreach in the Cox Colony area of Jharsuguda town. The Commission also asked the Odisha government to find out the number and types of child care institutions run by Faith Outreach and whether the NGO was registered under JJ Act 2015. It also asked whether inspection committees were formed as per JJ Act and sought the latest report in respect of the homes run by Faith Outreach. On August 19, Odisha police had arrested 68-year-old Bridge following a complaint by a tribal boy about the latter sexually abusing him. In his complaint, the victim alleged that when he had gone with Bridge to his native place in Rayagada district for Christmas in 2015, then the latter had sexually abused him inside an SUV. The boy, who has now become a major, alleged that he was sodomised by Bridge but could not reveal it due to shame and fear. Also Read: 6 arrested for Bihar gang rape after video surfaces After a complaint was lodged at Jharsuguda police station under section 341 of the IPC (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 10 POCSO Act (aggravated sexual assault ) and section 3(i) (r), 2 (va) of SC/ST (POA) Act, Bridge was arrested. Also Read: Odisha Lokayukta demands to bring vigilance department under its control, gets support Bridge arrived in India some 25 years ago on an evangelical mission and started Faith Outreach in Jharsuguda to provide education to the tribal students. As per the description on the website of his organisation, he decided to dedicate his life for the poor when he saw the poverty in the western tribal belt of Odisha. He later married a Tamilian girl named Delphine alias Dell and took Indian citizenship in 1992. In the Faith Outreach facility at Jharsuguda town, he ran two schools, a baby care center, which provided a home and care for abandoned babies as well as a childrens home that provided clothing, education, medical care and daily food to over 400 poor children. The organisation also has a training centre that prepares volunteers to work as social workers in the local communities. The shelter homes and schools run by Bridge have been sealed after his arrest. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON so no additional coal-fired thermal power plants will be developed in the 2020-2030 period, heard a working session between Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and some ministries and departments on August 14. A view of a coal-fueled power plant. No additional coal-fired thermal power plants will be developed in the 2020-2030 period - PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH Speaking at the working session discussing the National Power Development Planning VIII in the 2021-2030 period with a vision toward 2045, Deputy PM Dung said that the country will shift to renewable energy sources in the year to come, but still ensure the environmental protection and the development of gas-fired and liquefied natural gas power sectors. The move is aimed at reducing Vietnams reliance on imported gas, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported, citing Dung. Deputy PM Dung also encouraged local investors and firms to join power production and exploit renewable power sources and liquefied natural gas for power generation. It is necessary to map out a plan for the energy development based on huge potential and socioeconomic situation in each locality, according to Dung. At the session, Tran Ky Phuc, head of the Vietnam Energy Institute, a consulting unit for the National Power Development Planning VIII, said that power demand predicted in the National Power Development Planning VIII would be lower than that in the adjusted National Power Development Planning VII. It is forecast to drop by three or four billion kWh in 2020 and some 9-10 billion kWh in 2030, according to a study conducted by the institute. However, power consumption in the 2021-2030 period is expected to rise by 8% each year. SGT Ankara: A monitoring organisation says Turkey restricted access to social media websites after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive. IS released the video late on Thursday, which purports to show the killing of two soldiers captured while fighting the militants in or around the northern Syrian town of al-Bab last month. Turkish officials have not commented on the video. Turkey Blocks, an internet monitoring website, said it had detected the throttling of Twitter and YouTube, affecting many users in Turkey. ALSO READ: (Islamic State releases video showing captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive) Turkey frequently restricts access to social media websites to prevent the spread of graphic images and other material authorities say would harm public order or security. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. In recent years, the European Union has protected itself from migrant flows from poverty-stricken and conflict-ridden countries by building what has come to be known as Fortress Europe, including policies of remote control or policing at a distance. Lebanon is a case in point. As Middle East Eye reports, the country is home to more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees and 200,000 Palestinians, giving it the largest refugee population per capita in the world; around a third of Lebanons inhabitants are refugees. The EU has used humanitarian and development aid to outsource the management of refugee flows, sending more than 2.3bn ($2.8bn) in aid to Lebanon since 2011. EU aid to Lebanon dovetails neatly with the amount of media attention received by the Syrian crisis, suggesting a correlation with fears of being invaded by refugees. The budget of the EU humanitarian aid office in Beirut doubled the day after the body of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi was found on a Turkish beach, an EU official based in Beirut told MEE on condition of anonymity. The EU has faced criticism for primarily focusing on stopping the influx of refugees to Europe. European aid has been supplemented by increased security support focused on Lebanons land border with Syria, and improving security at Beirut airport and the port of Tripoli. Since 2012, the international community, led by France and the UK, has spent around $1.6bn on security assistance to Lebanon. By turning Lebanon into a buffer state, the EU has left it to carry the humanitarian burden for all of Europe, raising several important issues. Firstly, the efficiency of such a system is questionable, as international support for the Syrian crisis has not been commensurate with the immense needs. And Lebanon is buckling under its worst economic crisis in decades, with almost half of the country living below the poverty line and unemployment soaring to 35 percent. Security prism The recent Beirut explosion has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and had a dire impact on Syrian refugees, about a quarter of whom live in Beirut. But the EU strategy was already doomed in the long run, as the Lebanese government has consistently opposed refugee integration. A lack of legal status, restricted access to the labour market and conflicting policies and practices have pushed many Syrians into illegality and informal structures, according to a report from the NGO Lebanon Support. Secondly, the European response has promoted an exclusively security-focused approach to refugees, who are depicted as potentially dangerous elements, rather than as victims of war or asylum-seekers. Since 2015, the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Europe has been increasingly intertwined with security concerns over potential terrorist threats. Refugees who formerly lived in Islamic State-held territories have faced public resistance. The security prism through which refugees have been viewed has contributed to the normalisation of xenophobic rhetoric in Europe. In one recent example, Rachida Dati, a former European Parliament member, linked the far-right shootings in Hanau this year to Germanys migration policy. A political choice Finally, promoting the narrative of a refugee crisis is problematic because it depoliticises the EU response, making it appear as the only viable option. In reality, the choice is deeply political. By referring to a European refugee crisis, politicians have fostered a new sense of emergency along Europes borders, justifying the EUs militaristic response. By depicting refugees as an existential threat, officials create a framework where everything is allowed, the EU official based in Beirut told MEE. This deeply Eurocentric perspective ultimately deflects responsibility away from the EU. European governments could have chosen to take advantage of resettlement channels for Syrian refugees offered by the UN; integrating non-EU migrants would have benefitted an ageing Europe, supporting the pension system in a region where the number of working people is shrinking. Yet, less than three percent of the Syrian refugees who arrived in Lebanon have been resettled in Europe - even as more than 90 percent of Syrian refugees are hosted by the neighbouring states of Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Staying the course By foisting the task of accommodating refugees onto countries such as Lebanon while publicising their humanitarian pledges, European governments convey the impression that the crisis has been solved. But the EU cannot continue to bankroll this inefficient and unethical system. Amid the coronavirus crisis, the Syrian displacement catastrophe has almost disappeared from European news, while Covid-19 provides a justification for further strengthening borders. The dire situation in Lebanon has made the situation even more hopeless, exacerbated by the recent deadly explosion, which has left many questioning how the country will ever recover. Yet even this state of emergency has not been enough to convince European leaders to change course on their policy towards Syrian refugees. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images A federal judge on Thursday struck down President Donald Trump's effort to block Manhattan prosecutors from obtaining his tax returns. The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Manhattan district attorney's subpoena for eight years' worth of Trump's tax returns was valid but said his lawyers could still raise legal and constitutional objections in lower courts. Trump's lawyers subsequently asked a federal judge in New York to toss out the subpoena, arguing that it was overly broad and that Trump has absolute immunity from being investigated while in office. On Thursday, US District Judge Victor Marrero dismissed Trump's attempt, saying it was "as unprecedented and far-reaching as it is perilous to the rule of law and other bedrock constitutional principles on which this country was founded and by which it continues to be governed." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A federal judge on Thursday dismissed President Donald Trump's effort to block Manhattan prosecutors from obtaining his closely held tax returns. US District Judge Victor Marrero called Trump's legal attempt "as unprecedented and far-reaching as it is perilous to the rule of law and other bedrock constitutional principles on which this country was founded and by which it continues to be governed." The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is in a drawn-out legal battle with the president over its investigation into hush-money payments to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is investigating whether the Trump Organization violated any state laws while facilitating the payments to Daniels. Michael Cohen, Trump's former longtime lawyer, has accused the president and senior executives of his company of engaging in "financial fraud" while coordinating the payments. After Cohen's testimony, New York prosecutors subpoenaed eight years' worth of Trump's personal tax returns. Trump sought to block the subpoena by arguing that a sitting president is immune from criminal investigation or prosecution. Story continues The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Manhattan district attorney's subpoena was valid but said Trump could still raise constitutional and legal objections in lower courts. Trump's lawyers then asked Marrero to toss out the subpoena, arguing that Trump has absolute immunity and that the subpoena is overly broad because it seeks eight years' worth of tax returns while the investigation centers on the 2016 hush-money payments. On Thursday, Marrero referred to the president's team's argument that, hypothetically, even if Trump were to shoot someone in the middle of New York's Fifth Avenue an example Trump first brought up during the 2016 campaign he would be immune from prosecutorial scrutiny. "They declared that under their theory of temporary absolute immunity, even if the President (presumably any president) while in office were to shoot a person in the middle of New York's Fifth Avenue, he or she would be shielded from law enforcement investigations and judicial proceedings of any kind, federal or state, until the expiration of the President's term," Marrero wrote. "Short of that time lapse, they argued, 'nothing could be done' by the authorities to prosecute the crime. "As this Court suggested in its earlier ruling in this litigation, that notion, applied as so robustly proclaimed by the President's advocates, is as unprecedented and far-reaching as it is perilous to the rule of law and other bedrock constitutional principles on which this country was founded and by which it continues to be governed." Read the original article on Business Insider A mother-of-two who rose to fame for her hilarious Instagram posts has opened up about her battle with severe post-partum depression and mania following the birth of her sons which left her feeling suicidal. Laura Belbin, from Portsmouth, whose Knee Deep in Life account has 441,000 followers, regularly pokes fun at outrageous celebrity outfits, poses and sexy adverts by recreating them with a heavy dose of reality. She was branded a legend by social media users last year after she poked fun at the 'upside-down' bikini trend made famous by an Italian model by constructing her own - out of a bin bag. In her new book, which is named after her infamous page, the blogger shares a brutally honest account of her early struggles with motherhood. Laura, who is mum to Elliot, nine, and Toby, five, reveals she started Knee Deep in Life in 2016 following a dark period of several years in which she felt like 'a switch had been flicked off' - which she attributed to unsupportive GPs. Laura Belbin, from Portsmouth, pictured right, who is best known for recreating 'sexy' adverts in her own unique style, has penned a book about her experience of motherhood. Pictured: Laura recreating a model's Insta shot (right) Laura said she always wanted to be a mother but doctors let her down, failing to spot her symptoms of depression. Pictured: Laura with sons Elliot and Toby She also discusses the impact of vile trolls who leave hurtful comments on her posts. Speaking about her experience of postnatal depression after the birth of her eldest son Elliot, Laura told FEMAIL she raised the alarm after experiencing acute insomnia, bouts of violence and feeling like she did not want to have a child anymore. But she claims her GP told her to 'get a grip and get on with it' and insisted all women experience such feelings after birth. 'I always wanted to be a mum and it's not how I expected it to be,' she admitted. 'I have been let down by doctors who completely failed to see my symptoms of depression and didn't really treat me very nicely.' Laura said her doctor prescribed her a five-day course of medication and was told she needed to 'sort herself out'. At a later check-up where she cried and suggested she might be suffering from PND, another doctor told her to go on a website, which left her feeling helpless. Laura was branded a legend by social media users last year after she poked fun at the 'upside-down' bikini trend. She joked she was 'smuggling binbag' up her bottom every time she swallowed while wearing the skimpy creation. The bizarre 'upside-down bikini' trend, which involves tying string swimwear around your breasts, was first paraded by 27-year-old model and blogger Valentina Fradegrada, pictured right Laura explained she's taking her musings from blog to book form to help other mums who have experienced similar struggles. Pictured: Laura after Elliot's birth Laura said she was disappointed by her experiences with her GP after giving birth and told how she turned to less traditional treatments including acupuncture. Pictured: Laura and son Toby as a baby After the birth of her second son, Laura stopped washing up and said she barely looked after her children. Pictured: Her husband Steve with Toby, five, and Elliot, nine In an attempt to improve her mental health she tried less traditional treatments including acupuncture, but they failed to address the root of her depression, which manifested itself four years later after the birth of her second son Toby. 'I hit a level of rock bottom I didn't know existed,' Laura recalled. 'I stopped washing up, I didn't want to look after my kids, I barely looked after them. At one point we had to move in with my parents because I just couldn't cope. 'And once again, I think my doctor's surgery really lacked knowledge on post-natal depression. They weren't listening to me and I really wasn't getting the help that I needed. 'I remember this one day, Toby was 11 weeks old, I had terrible insomnia. I didn't cry, I had no feelings, it was like someone had gone inside a room, flicked the light off and that was it, it was gone.' What is post-natal depression WHAT IS POST-NATAL DEPRESSION? Postnatal depression is caused by a combination of hormones and the psychological and environmental changes brought by birth. It can persist for weeks, leaving the sufferer with a persistent feeling of tiredness, lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS? Mood swings after birth The emotions experienced by a new mother can be complicated. Postnatal, or postpartum, depression affects about 13 per cent of all new mothers. According to the Institute of Psychiatry in London it also affects around seven per cent of fathers who, while not suffering from the raging hormones of a new mother, can experience feelings of anxiety and panic. Almost all mothers, regardless of whether they suffer PND, will experience mood fluctuations. Your post-labour exhaustion will compound the confusion you feel on becoming a parent. Often mothers feel on a high for the first few days after birth, as the excitement of a new baby coupled with all the celebrations and congratulations makes them euphoric. This high is likely to crash after a few days, as the reality of sleepless nights and constant demands sets in. Many mothers feel a loss of identity, as all attention turns away from them towards the child. You can feel like a mere incubator who has lost an individual personality. Your personality nurtured over decades becomes subservient to one that is only a few days old. Relations between you and your partner might become strained under the responsibility and the non-stop demands. HOW CAN YOU TREAT IT? There are measures that doctors can take in order to accelerate recovery. Talk first to your health worker, GP or doctor. Your GP might refer you to a counsellor or psychologist. This allows you to talk through your problems and possibly solve them. Trying to build up social contacts, either through your family or through mother and baby groups, can also alleviate your feelings of isolation and anxiety. Some parts of the UK are covered by a screening programme which aims to identify women who may be showing the first signs of postnatal depression. USEFUL CONTACTS Association for Postnatal Illness National Childbirth Trust Gingerbread (for single parents) SANE Advertisement Laura told how opening up her life to other people by launching her blog helped her to overcome her struggles. 'There is such a stigma around mental health that you kind of don't want to be the one in a room raising your hand and going, "Oh, by the way, I self-harmed," or "By the way, I used to starve myself as a teenager and I live with anxiety." You don't want to be that person,' she said, adding that it was 'scary'. 'That was the most horrific thing I could possibly have gone through and to come out the other side of it, being here and being strong enough to pull myself through, talking about it, it needs to be OK.' Laura also shared her own version of a shot featuring a blonde model in lingerie baking a cake Laura believes her doctor's surgery lacked the necessary knowledge on post-natal depression. Pictured: Laura recreating a model's Instagram shot She said the positive response to her Instagram account has been overwhelming. Laura said many women have messaged her to thank her for 'opening up about some things [they've] never been brave enough to talk about'. Much like her popular Instagram account, the book is full of brutally honest anecdotes, ranging from how her body changed after birth to her bouts of depression. Laura said social media platforms should make it more difficult to create fake profiles to reduce trolling. Pictured: Laura with her book in one of her trademark satirical poses But Laura's online fame has seen her become the target of abuse from vile trolls who leave nasty comments on her posts. 'These people are missing something that we cannot begin to comprehend. Somebody who chooses to go online and talk nastily about somebody else has deep rooted issues that I can't fathom, because I am not them nor have I been them,' she said. 'I feel sorry for them that they would take that much of their own time to destroy other people. I know people that have been horrifically affected by trolls.' She added: 'Social media has a much bigger responsibility to make it much more difficult to create a profile so that one person can't have 15 faceless profiles that they can hack at people.' Mumbai, Aug 22 : Actor Gajraj Rao has shared his checklist on the kind work he wants to do. Gajraj has been in the industry for almost two decades. He ventured into Bollywood in 1994 with Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen" and was later seen in films like "Dil Se...", "Black Friday", "Talvar" and "Rangoon". However, his luck turned in 2018 with "Badhaai Ho". He was since then done films such as "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" and "Lootcase" Talking about what kind of work he looks forward to doing now, the 49-year-old actor is realistic, He wants roles that suit his age. "It (the film) has to have a good script, then I get to do a different role. The roles that suit my age and are viable in the project (are the ones I want). I am getting a lot of scripts and reading them. Hopefully I will come with some good work for the audience in the coming years," Gajraj told IANS. The actor will next be seen in the Ajay Devgn-starrer "Maidaan". Britons consume 20million chickens and several hundred thousand pigs every week. During lockdown, we ate even more. Cranswick, based in East Yorkshire, was a key beneficiary of that increased appetite. One of the UK's leading pork producers, Cranswick processes more than 3million pigs a year, creating premium sausages, bacon, joints and other treats. The group has become a major player in the poultry market too, milling its own feed, breeding and rearing birds and processing them at a brand-new facility in Eye, Suffolk. Cock-a-hoop: Cranswick has an impressive dividend record, increasing payments every year for the past three decades The site was opened just a few months ago, it is now fully up and running, capable of handling more than 50million chickens a year. Last week, Cranswick's chief executive, Adam Crouch, delivered an upbeat trading statement. Turnover in the three months to the end of June was almost 25 per cent higher than during the same period in 2019 as people stayed at home, prepared more meals from scratch and indulged in more cooked breakfasts, using Cranswick produce. Sales have remained robust over the summer and, even if demand tails off in coming months, Crouch expects this year's results to be ahead of previous forecasts. Analysts responded to the trading update with enthusiasm, forecasting an 11 per cent rise in turnover to 1.85billion for the 12 months to March 31, 2021, and a 14 per cent increase in profits to 116million. Cranswick has an impressive dividend record too, increasing payments every year for the past three decades. That looks set to continue, with brokers expecting the payout to increase from 60.4p to 64p for the current financial year, and then to 68p in 2022. The group supplies all the main supermarkets, as well as Marks & Spencer and the discounters Aldi and Lidl. Pork is Cranswick's biggest sales item but its range has increased substantially in recent years, including barbecued fare, pies and pasties, and deli treats, such as olives and charcuterie. The firm has burnished its environmental credentials too, with a commitment to minimise waste, reduce energy consumption, cut back on plastic use and, above all, promote animal welfare across the business. The wellbeing of employees is also paramount, with thousands of key staff awarded a bonus of 500 each for their work during lockdown. Cranswick's emphasis on quality and sustainability attracts fans not just in the UK but overseas too. Exports are growing and China is a big customer, particularly since the spread of African swine fever almost halved the country's pig population. Midas verdict: Midas recommended Cranswick in 2007, when the shares were 8.45. We looked at the stock again in 2014, by which time it had risen to 11.88. Today, Cranswick shares are 37.68. The price appreciation is well deserved, as the business has come on in leaps and bounds over the past 12 years. Investors may choose to sell some stock and bank a profit, but they should keep at least 50 per cent of their shares, as Cranswick is well managed and Crouch is determined to keep on delivering the goods. Traded on: CWK Ticker: Main market Contact: cranswick.plc.uk or 01482 275000 National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay has asked Ghanaians to renew the mandate of the party on December 7. According to him, the party has more to offer Ghanaians and the extension of its mandate will be in the right direction. Speaking at the launch of the NPP's 2020 manifesto at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Saturday, August 22, 2020, Freddie Blay said they have been able to improve the countrys ailing economy in less than four years. He said, giving the NPP another four years in office will be a positive move in further safeguarding the future on Ghana. Within the three and a half years, we have kept our faith with the people of Ghana to a very great extent. We have fulfilled our promises largely and this is evident all over the country, and it could be seen in the extent that the economy has been repaired in spite of its mercy state we found it. Touching on the manifesto dubbed Leadership of Service Mr. Blay said the document has been put together with the interest of Ghana in mind. [The 2020 manifesto] is an indication of what NPP was in 2016 and is now and will be in the future, tackling the economy and advancing good governance for all of us. We are therefore asking people in this country that come December 7, based on what we say we will offer, take us seriously, vote for us again and we will deliver, he added. ---citinewsroom BERLIN (Reuters) - Residents of Germany's capital Berlin can do their bit to ensure the city's trees get enough water during the hot summer months as part of a new neighbourhood initiative. The platform, dubbed "Giess den Kiez" - which can loosely be translated as "water the 'hood" - was launched by CityLAB, a foundation-backed body that looks at future concepts for Berlin's metropolitan area. On an interactive map https://www.giessdenkiez.de users can trace and track 625,000 trees in Berlin, including their type, age and water needs. Once an account has been set up users can exchange information, enabling better coordination to take care of trees in the city. "And each time a tree has been watered it can be entered into the system, with the correct amount of litres which shows other users that you've taken care of a tree," Malgorzata Magdon of the CityLAB initiative said. The city of Berlin said that due to extreme weather, including storms and drought, there were 7,000 fewer trees at the end of 2019 compared with 2016. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Christoph Steitz; Editing by David Holmes) Zookeepers will keep watching mother and cub at all hours in the coming week, listening for the squeaks from the newborn that let them know all is well. After about a week, Mei Xiang will feel comfortable leaving her cub for the first time and will get up to eat. The keepers will then use a wall to separate the pair momentarily to inspect the cub for the first time. The Supreme Court has set a new deadline of September 30 for completing trial and pronouncing verdict in the criminal case against BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti for demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. The apex court had, in May, asked special judge, Surendra Kumar Yadav to complete the trail and deliver its judgment by August 31. A 3-judge bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman extended the deadline by one more month after taking into account the report by Yadav stating that the trial was at its fag end. Having read the report of Mr. Surendra Kumar Yadav, learned Special Judge, and considering that the proceedings are at the fag end, we grant one months time, i.e., till September 30, 2020, to complete the proceedings including delivery of judgment, the bench which also comprised justices Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said in its order passed on August 19. This would be the fourth instance of the top court setting a deadline for completion of trial in the case. The BJP leaders are on trial for the 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. They have been charged for various offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including promoting enmity between religious groups (section 153A), making statements affecting national integration (section 153B) or which are likely to cause public mischief (section 505). In April 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered that the additional charge of criminal conspiracy under section 120B of IPC should be framed against the accused BJP leaders. The apex court had also ordered the special court to complete trial within two years. Subsequently, the court had taken up the matter in July 2019 and extended the deadline for completion of trial and delivering the verdict by 9 months. That deadline expired on April 19 and the special judge Yadav wrote to the apex court on May 6, 2020 seeking further extension of time. The court then took up the matter on May 8 and set a deadline of August 31 while also asking Yadav to make use of video conferencing facilities to ensure that recording of evidence is complete and there is no inordinate delay in concluding the trial. The top court had, on November 9, 2019 decided the title suit to the disputed site at Ayodhya in favour of Hindu parties while also acknowledging that the demolition of Babri Masjid which stood at the site was a calculated act. During the pendency of the suits, the entire structure of the mosque was brought down in a calculated act of destroying a place of public worship. The Muslims have been wrongly deprived of a mosque which had been constructed well over 450 years ago, the November 9 judgment said. WellSpan York Hospital announced it will prohibit all visitation with some clinical exceptions and suspend all volunteer activities effective immediately, according to a statement from the hospital on Aug. 21. The hospital made these changes due to the rising rates of sustained community transmission of COVID-19 in York County. Exceptions are made for maternity patients, who are allowed one birth support person and parents of neonatal patients. Deliveries of food and flowers are also restricted if they cannot be left with staff at main entrances outside the hospital entry Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Face coverings are required to be worn by all patients or approved visitors over the age of 2, regardless of COVID-19 status. All patients and support persons are required to complete a health screening that includes a questionnaire when they arrive at the hospital. Some exceptions are made for outpatient procedures, testing or surgery as well. One person can accompany the patient to the screening location and pick them up when its done but must wait in their car or outside the hospital campus. In the Emergency Department, patients can be accompanied to the entrance of the ED screening location but must wait in their car or leave the hospital until the patient is discharged. End of life patients are allowed two visitors in the unit at a given time. Understanding how birds respond to extreme weather can inform conservation efforts PhysOrg Tardigrades Have DNA Armour, And We Just Got Closer to Understanding How It Works ScienceAlert Dounreay Nuclear Power Site Available For Reuse In the Year 2333 BBC AI Helps Forecast Volcanic Eruptions Wall Street Journal #COVID-19 Covid pandemic could last for another TWO YEARS says World Health Organisation chief in grim prediction as he calls it a once-in-a-century health crisis that spread quicker than Spanish flu Daily Mail China? Australias Construction Industry Faces Bloodbath, Says Lobbying Group Clamoring for Bailout, after Riding up the Housing Bubble Wolf Richter Brexit Old Blighty New Cold War In case the "color revolution" operation in Belarus wasn't already obvious, this is a US government-funded neoliberal Belarusian regime-changer gleefully spreading a video of a plane in Miami, Florida flying the Nazi occupation Belarusian flag that is being used by the protesters https://t.co/jOa2JHPEia Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) August 21, 2020 You cant trust the media on Evo Morales Carl Beijer (UserFriendly) Big Brother is Watching You Watch Hackers Leak Alleged Internal Files of Chinese Social Media Monitoring Firms Vice Imperial Collapse Watch US is willing to dismantle the UN Security Council to put pressure on Iran RT (Kevin W) Trump Transition 2020 Post Office Califorina Burning CalPERS NYCLU Publishes Over 300K Police Misconduct Records After Court Order Lifted Gothamist Marble Ridge to liquidate funds after Neiman Marcus scandal: letter Reuters. Hoo boy. Microsoft Plans Cloud Contract Push With Foreign Governments After $10 Million JEDI Win CNBC Uber and Lyfts threat to leave California over labor law would have been illegal in many countries Salon WordPress Founder Claims Apple Cut Off Updates To His Free App Because It Wants 30 Percent The Verge Apple fires back in court, says Epic Games CEO asked for special treatment CNBC Palantir, Techs Next Big IPO, Lost $580 Million In 2019 New York Times Most of What You Read about the Bankruptcy Filing Rate Is Wrong Credit Slips. From a couple of weeks ago, still important. Class Warfare Antidote du jour: From Scott on the 20th. Please extend your condolences. Arnolds kidneys have failed and he will be put down tomorrow. He stopped eating Monday and has lost half of his weight. RIP And a bonus from LaRuse: Here is a photo of a polyphemus moth I encountered on my morning run today. It was struggling in the grass, hopefully with nothing more serious than damp wings, but it froze in this defensive posture as I approached. It was easily 5 across the wingspan. See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here When the Olympic torch traveled across the country prior to the 1996 Atlanta games, Curtis J. Guillory was the only bishop in the Catholic Church to carry it. Guillory, who has spent the last 20 years serving as bishop of the Beaumont Diocese, passed a different type of torch Friday, officially handing over the flame of faith to his successor in Southeast Texas. That new leader of the local diocese is David L. Toups, who was ordained Friday inside what he called the prettiest church in the nation St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont. Toups, 49, is now the sixth Bishop of the Beaumont Diocese, which includes nine counties and more than 68,000 Catholics. Today, you get to hand off the flame of faith that I promise to keep burning brightly in Southeast Texas, Toups said while speaking to Guillory during the ordination. It was a busy day for the new bishop, starting with a luncheon held at the Holiday Inn Hotel on Walden Road in Beaumont. Inside a conference room at the hotel, Toups mingled and laughed with fellow bishops, priests and family members, then gave a blessing before the lunch started. Guillory was in attendance and shared the meal with Toups. When the lunch ended, those in attendance made their way to St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica to prepare for the 2 p.m. ordination. As the ceremony started, a procession made up of priests and fellow bishops stretched down the road before entering the church. Toups, wearing a full face shield in addition to his robe, greeted members of the procession with a beaming smile and a cautious arm bump showing respect for his colleagues while still adhering to coronavirus safety guidelines. Once everyone was inside the church, Guillory was the first to speak, reflecting on his time as bishop and welcoming Toups to Beaumont. I can remember sitting where youre sitting 32 years ago, said Guillory, who served as auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston before coming to Beaumont. Guillory was the first African-American bishop to lead a diocese in Texas and was the longest-tenured of five bishops at the Diocese of Beaumont since it was formed in September 1966. Following Guillorys remarks, Toups was presented as a candidate to Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who then asked for the reading of the mandate. DiNardo spoke during the ceremony as well, first praising Guillory for his resilient leadership especially as of late through multiple tropical storms and a pandemic. These have been tough years in the Diocese of Beaumont, as with all of Southeast Texas, and yet you and your people have been resilient, DiNardo said to Guillory. DiNardo then turned his attention to Toups, noting the great responsibility that comes with being a bishop today. DiNardo specifically mentioned racial injustices and the importance of diversity while addressing Toups. Respect for the human person is on your docket now, David. Toups, who speaks Spanish, expressed similar sentiments while acknowledging the challenges todays culture presents. He believes theres never been a better time to be a bishop. The youngest of three children, Toups was born in Houma, Louisiana, before his family moved to Clearwater, Florida, when he was in high school. He attended Florida Southern College and graduated from Saint John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. In 1997, Toups was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. He also has studied in Rome, worked in Washington, D.C., and held pastoral positions in Florida. During the ordination, Toups took part in multiple sacred ceremonies. He stood attentively before the Cardinal as he answered questions during the Promise of the Elect, then laid flat on his stomach for the Litany of Supplication a prayer in which the congregation asks God to grace the bishop-elect. Toups was anointed with sacred chrism on his forehead and given the book of gospels. The bishops ring was presented to him, as was the mitre and the crosier. After those ceremonies, Toups knelt before Cardinal DiNardo, who was the first to lay hands on him as a blessing. Fellow bishops followed DiNardo and did the same. When Toups officially took the bishops chair for the first time, those in attendance responded with a roaring applause as they stood up and cheered. Toups proceeded to walk through the church and bless the congregation, then led his first communion as bishop. It was a welcome fitting for a bishop. Toups said hell do the best he can to live up to the responsibility. To all of the faithful in the Diocese of Beaumont, today, I am all yours, Toups said. I will strive to spend myself in your service and to love you as Christ loves his bride, the church. Thank you for your support and warm Texas welcome. mfaye@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/mattGfaye Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 11:33:54|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Tourists take a walk in Xijingyu Village of Jizhou District, north China's Tianjin, Aug. 21, 2020. Over the past years, Xijingyu Village has been vigorously promoting rural tourism, characterized by homestay, agritainment and folk lifestyle photography. In 2019, tourism in Xijingyu Village contributed over 8 million yuan (about 1.2 million U.S. dollars), and villagers' disposable income has reached 23,000 yuan per capita. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Samsung is reportedly planning to launch yet another addition to its popular M-series smartphone next month. As per reports, the smartphone will be known as the Galaxy M51, a device that has made headlines in the past as well. However, the latest leaks, as provided by tipster Ishan Agarwal have now dropped more hints as far as specifications of the Galaxy M51 are concerned. However, there are no official words from Samsung regarding the release of the new phone. Samsung Galaxy M51 Expected Specifications As for specifications, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy M51 is expected to feature a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O display which means that it will have a hole-punch cutout. On the software front, the phone is expected to run on Android 10 based One UI 2.1 while under the hood, the device will be powered by Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 730 processor, coupled with two memory options of 6GB or 8GB RAM with 128GB of onboard storage. Coming to the cameras, the quad rear camera setup of the phone will include a 64-megapixel primary lens paired with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide secondary lens, and the other two being a 5-megapixel portrait lens, and another 5-megapixel macro lens. For selfies and video calling, the Samsung Galaxy M51 is tipped to pack a 32-megapixel camera at the front. Having said everything, the highlight of the Samsung Galaxy M51 is undoubtedly going to be its massive 7,000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging tech. Notably, Samsung offers a large 6,000mAh battery on a bunch of models under the Galaxy M series. So, users can expect more battery life on this new phone, and that too, with a single charge, if Samsung ends up shipping the 7,000mAH inside the Samsung Galaxy M51. While there is no word on the pricing yet, it is safe to assume that the phone will be priced below Rs 30,000 range, given its impressive specifications. Flash China has handed over a third batch of medical supplies to Kyrgyzstan to help fight COVID-19, the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan said on Wednesday. The handover ceremony in Bishkek was attended by Chinese Ambassador Du Dewen and Vice Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Aida Ismailova. Speaking at the ceremony, Du said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Kyrgyzstan have been steadfast in supporting each other and helping each other. "The two sides have actively promoted the cooperation in building the Belt and Road Initiative and proved with actions that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative," she noted. The ambassador also stressed that the epidemic will not shake the confidence of China and Kyrgyzstan in friendly cooperation. "China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to uphold the vision of a community with shared future for mankind and jointly push forward the building of a health community between the two countries and to jointly defeat the epidemic," Du said. Ismailova thanked the Chinese side for the provided assistance on behalf of the government of Kyrgyzstan, the press service of the Kyrgyz Government reported. "Today we have received another batch of humanitarian aid from the friendly people of the People's Republic of China," she said, adding that earlier, a group of Chinese medical experts visited Kyrgyzstan and provided consultative advice to their Kyrgyz colleagues. She also noted that under the initiative of the president of Kyrgyzstan, hospitals are being built in all regions of the republic and buildings are being renovated, which will be reequipped as medical facilities. The aid received from China will be directed, among other things, to equip these hospitals, Ismailova said. The humanitarian cargo consists of medical equipment, medicines and personal protective equipment. According to the country's Ministry of Health, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, 42,325 COVID-19 cases have been registered in Kyrgyzstan. A 25-year-old woman who disappeared while jogging in Arkansas has been found murdered near her home. Police said the body of Sydney Sutherland was discovered in Newport on Friday, following a three-day search operation using K-9 units and helicopter crews. Sutherland was last seen running on State Hwy 18 between Newport and Grubbs around 3pm on Wednesday, Fox 16 reported. Jackson County Sheriff David Lucas confirmed a man has been arrested in connection to her death and is expected to be charged with homicide. Sydney Sutherland (left) 25, was found murdered near her home in Newport, Arkansas on Friday. Quake Lewellyn, 28, (right) a farmer from Jonesboro, has been named by local media as the man arrested Friday and charged in connection to her death This still shared from Ring footage of a family member is believed to be the last picture of Sutherland and was taken just 90 minutes before she went on a run near her home Wednesday Sydney was last seen running on State Hwy 18 near her home at around 3pm on Wednesday Details on where exactly Sutherland's body was found and how she was killed were not immediately released. 'We do have a suspect in custody at this time. However I can't release his name until he's formally charged,' Lucas said in a press conference. He was later identified by local news station KARK 4 on Saturday as 28-year-old Quake Lewellyn. He has been charged with one count of capital murder, according to online jail booking records cited by the outlet. Footage from local media showed Lewellyn in handcuffs and being taken into the Arkansas State Police Headquarters in Newport on Friday. Police said the man is a farmer from Jonesboro and was known to the victim, but the nature of their relationship is unclear. Prior to Friday, police had discovered Sutherland's iPhone about a quarter-mile from her home. She was reported to have gone on running with her phone and Apple Watch. The alleged suspect 28-year-old Quake Lewellyn being taken into custody on Friday MOMENTS AGO: The Jackson County Sheriff and Arkansas State Police just transported someone into the countys jail. #ARNews pic.twitter.com/sjJtFJqCvW Mitchell McCoy (@MitchellMcCoy) August 21, 2020 Sutherland's body was found near her home on Friday however further details on where she was murdered and how she died were not immediately released Hundreds from the Jackson County community aided the search in the area near her home Sutherland lived with her boyfriend, pictured, and worked as a nurse at Harris Medical Center A UPS driver reported to have seen Sutherland jogging in the area of Jackson County Road 41. Other reports of a Texas truck being seen in the area were dismissed by police who said the rumor was damaging the investigation. On Thursday, a relative shared what is now believed to be the last picture of Sutherland, taken from Ring footage at their house not long before she went on her run. Sutherland worked as a nurse, according to her Facebook page She is seen in pink sneakers, black shorts and a white tank top moving items on the trunk of a car. Her car and other items remained at home as she went on her run and she was reported missing on Wednesday evening when she didn't return. 'This was at 1pm on 8/19/20 at our house. She went for a walk around 230pm by her house on HWY 18. Please help us find our sassy!!' wrote Summer Sutherland. Her remains were found the next day just north of her home and the suspect was taken into custody a short time later. The sheriff's office has not revealed how they identified the suspect or if evidence was found at the scene. According to FOX16, the State Medical Examiners Office confirmed the identity of the body found Friday as Sydney Sutherland through DNA. Her body has been sent to Arkansas Crime Lab as the investigation continues. A bond hearing and arraignment may be as soon as Monday as after prosecutor Henry Boyce reviews the case and decides on formal charges, FOX16 states. Sutherland worked as a nurse, according to her Facebook page, and lived with her boyfriend. Sutherland was described by her coworkers as bright and outgoing She regularly jogged along the highway near her home. Pictured with her boyfriend The sheriff confirmed there was no indication of any issues with her boyfriend when the search was launched. She worked at Harris Medical Center in Newport, where co-workers described her as bright and outgoing. 'Shes very close to her family,' her co-worker Jennifer Eddington told WMC5 before she was found. 'We just know that she wouldnt leave on her own without contacting somebody, thats not her nature at all.' The sheriff has praised the local efforts in the search for Sutherland in what was a 'very tragic case'. 'Its taken a toll, it really has,' he said. 'Just because I know the people of this county. I know this family personally. I know this young lady personally. Ive known her and watched her grow up. It hits me personally.' Sutherland shared regular photos to Facebook of her work as a nurse. Pictured in her scrubs Sheriff Lucas said he knew Sutherland personally and described her death as 'tragic' The close-knit Jackson County community has been left heartbroken by her death Lines of cars had joined the search to find Sutherland in the small close-knit community. Over 200 volunteers joined the sheriff's office along Highway 18 desperate for any signs of the missing woman. 'We are not surprised,' Eddington said. 'Jackson County is just that way. Were a close community. We just want her to be safe and be found.' The discovery of her remains have left the community heartbroken as they share tributes to the young woman. 'I'm sitting here trying to find the words to say and I can't find none. No words can take away the pain Sydney's family is feeling,' wrote Jackson County Emergency Management on Facebook. 'I want to thank all the hundreds of volunteers who showed up over the last 3 days and helped in any way you could. I really do appreciate it and I tried to tell you all personally but if I missed you THANK YOU!' The Tripura government has ordered a probe into the inclusion of 130 voters from the states Phuldungsei village on Mizoram voters list. The village that borders Mizoram is located over 300 kilometres from capital Agartala and has a population of 640. We have heard about the matter [and] already asked our concerned higher officials to conduct a probe into the matter, said Tripura minister NC Debbarma. Sub-divisional magistrate Chandni Chandran raised the issue in a letter to magistrate Raval H Kumar after the scrutiny of Mizorams voters list. She pointed out the 130 voters have been added to Mizoram voters list even as they are ration holders in Tripura. She stressed the urgency of demarcating the exact boundary between the two neighbouring states and incorporating the entire Phuldungsei Village Council in Tripura. ....the road leading to Kawnpui border village of Jampui hill RD block is regarded as the boundary between Tripura and Mizoram in Phuldungsei where the Eastern side belongs to Mizoram and the western side is Tripura. Traditional Phuldungsei VC [village council] as a whole (despite Eastern side falling in Mizoram) has been accepted as a part of Tripura. Hence, the inclusion of the VC and its residents in Mizoram electoral rolls seems to be problematic. There is an urgent need to demarcate the exact boundary between Mizoram and Tripura incorporating the entire Phuldungsei VC in Tripura, the letter said. The village council elections in Mizoram would be held on August 27. District Magistrate of Mizorams neighbouring Mamit district, Lalrozama, could not be reached for a reaction. Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance founder Pradyot Bikram Kishore Manikya Deb Burman said the boundaries of Tripura cannot be negotiable and asked the state government to deal with the issue firmly. We want an investigation on how people can hold two voting cards in two separate states and also demand that our state government take strict measures to ensure that no territory is seen as a part of another neighbouring state, he wrote on his Facebook page. He asked the state government to open a police outpost at Phuldungsei and cancel the election process and the illegal voting cards. Letters to the Editor View(s): Parliamentary election 2020: In the eyes of the voter In the presidential election in November last year, 13.38 million (83.72% of total votes) exercised their franchise. In the August 5 parliamentary election, only 12.34 million voters (75.89%) voted. Voter apathy is further vindicated by the number of rejected votes. Rejected votes at the 2019 presidential election was 135,452 . At the parliamentary election earlier this month the third highest polled was the rejected votes 744,373 (4.58% of total votes). That is 600,000 more than the presidential election. Effectively, 1.6 million voters (10% of total voters) who cast their vote in the presidential election chose to stay at home or spoiled their votes. Can this be due to; complications in the ballot paper, deliberate manipulation too many independent groups voters being unaware of how to cast their vote especially the elderly being at quarantine centres stuck out of the country due to the pandemic OR a protest vote anti-government or anti other parties Electronic voting technology Those in quarantine centres couldnt vote and we should look at bringing about a mobile voting system or an electronic voting technology. Electronic voting technology is ideal for Sri Lanka to speed up the counting of votes (especially the preferential votes) and to declare results faster. This would reduce the cost of paying staff to count votes manually; and provide improved accessibility for disabled voters; Voters save time and cost by being able to vote independently from their location. This may increase overall voter turnout; citizens living abroad will be able to cast their votes. Proportional Representation System The Proportional Representation system was introduced to ensure broader representation by candidates from political parties and independent groups and to avoid any party obtaining a majority so that Parliament will have an equally vibrant opposition to check and balance the government. In 1970 Sirimavo Bandaranaike ruled for seven years because of the majority won. In 1977 J. R. Jayewardene won a five-sixths majority and brought a new Constitution to introduce the Executive Presidency which has now become a bane to this country. In 2010, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government received a strong electoral mandate and they introduced the 18th Amendment. In all these three instances, democracy was doubly challenged. Minority parties With the Proportional Representation system many small parties were formed based on race, religion, language and other identities. Currently its a norm that these parties contest as an alliance and go solo in areas they have a majority voter base. i.e. SLMC and ACMC contested alone in Batticaloa and Ampara districts respectively while being part of the SJB alliance in other districts; the SLFP which contested as part of the SLPP led alliance in most districts contested separately in Jaffna and got a seat; SLMC and ACMC forged together the MNA and won a seat in Puttalam. This may be a way of collecting more seats and having an eye on a bonus seat. Magical figure The SLPP was fortunate to receive a strong electoral mandate in the recent parliamentary election. If by chance they had fallen short of the magical figure of 113 seats then the bargaining would start with loads of paybacks to buy over parliamentarians. In similar situations the minority parties hold the carrot to break or make governments. Parliamentarians too once elected forget to voice the aspirations of their vote bases and settle for plum luxuries. Lineages In Sri Lanka, DNA studies reveal that the major ethnic groups in the island namely Sri Lankan Tamils, Sinhalese (Upcountry and Low Country) and Veddahs are genetically related. Therefore parties based on race, religion, language or other identities should be discouraged. Every citizen must breathe and think as Sri Lankans. In such inclusiveness, politics based on petty agendas that have sown division in our society will be a relic of the past and a national undertaking to develop our country will be visible. Majority In the parliamentary election the people have spoken loudly and clearly and given the SLPP power with 145 seats. With power comes great responsibility and we hope that the President and Parliament will deliver this to the people so that this victory sets the stage for an era of reviving the economy from the present plight so that all citizens can enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life in Sri Lanka. Economic revival The government needs a team of experts to develop a recovery strategy. The team should comprise qualified and credible experts, with international experience, who can provide the government with independent advice on formulating an economic recovery strategy, monitor outcomes and suggest short term and long term policy corrections. The opposition too should put petty agendas aside and co-operate with the government and similarly see that the rights of all people are respected through implementation of good governance measures. Vinodini Jayawardena Via email Is it fair to limit the term of presidency? I fail to understand why the Presidents term is restricted to two terms. It has been proven beyond doubt that if this rule prevailed in Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew would never have had the opportunity of steering the country to be a major force in the world. It should be left to the choice of the citizens to decide, especially as it was proven recently that we have a mature electorate and they have given the necessary power to the most stable political party to make the necessary changes in the form of amendments and a new constitution for the benefit of all. My argument is that if a rejected presidential candidate has the right to contest several times why is a person who has completed two terms successfully deprived of contesting again. As a result, we, the voters are put in a quandary having to choose the best out of the candidates, who may have been rejected by the voters previously or some unpopular person, while the more capable person is deprived of contesting for the third time. In fairness, this rule has to be changed where it clearly defines that all citizens have the right to contest the presidency any number of times. It is up to the voters to decide whom they want as their president for the next five years and vote accordingly and allow any citizen the basic right to contest any number of times. The other alternative is to bring in the clause that any person has the right to contest the presidency only twice. If the term of office of a President is restricted to two, in that case the term of office of a Prime Minister also should be restricted to two terms. However, under the present system, while a person who has served two terms of presidency is ineligible to contest again, a Prime Minister who has held that post for more than two terms is eligible to continue, regardless of any restrictions. Isnt it unfair that a President who has been directly elected by the people is restricted to two terms, while a person who is elected by one district is eligible to continue as Prime Minister for many terms? Therefore, it is high time an amendment is passed in Parliament restricting the term of Prime Minister also to two terms regardless whether he/she has served consecutively or not. This amendment will provide frustrated young members with leadership qualities an opportunity to serve the country better. They will be given the opportunity to practise their new ideals and principles without having to spend many years under the thumb of one person. Thus it is more important we amend the constitution to restrict the period of office of a Prime Minister to a maximum of two terms. Or in fairness to all citizens, the people should have the right to serve the country as President or Prime Minister for any number of terms. It is unfair that a president who is elected by the electorate directly is limited to two terms due to no fault of his/hers. R. W. W. Via email No trace of poison found in Navalny tests: Russian doctor Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 10:13 AM A senior doctor in a Russian hospital says no trace of any poison has been found in tests conducted on Alexei Navalny, an opposition figure, who is reportedly in serious condition in a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk. Navalny lost consciousness on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday morning. The plane had to make an emergency landing due to a sudden deterioration of his health, said his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh who claimed, "Alexei has toxic poisoning." The deputy head of a hospital in Siberia, Anatoly Kalinichenko, however, said in a briefing on Friday that no poison had been found in tests conducted on Navalny. He said that the hospital already had a full diagnosis of Navalny's condition, but he could not disclose it yet. The chief surgeon at the hospital, Alexander Murakhovsky, also said on Friday that Navalny's condition had improved a little overnight, but that he was still unstable. He said that moving him would put his life at risk because he was still in a coma and his condition was unstable. Navalny's team, however, accused Moscow of ordering a ban on transporting him in "an attempt on his life." His spokeswoman claimed that doctors had previously consented to his being moved, but had withheld their agreement at the last minute. "This decision, of course, was not made by them but by the Kremlin," Yarmysh said. Spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov said that Kremlin would help move Navalny abroad if necessary and wished him a "speedy recovery." Peskov said there was no evidence yet to back claims that Navalny had been poisoned, adding that "we are reading this information." The dispute over moving Navalny broke out after an air ambulance was sent to take him to Germany for possible treatment. While Russia vehemently denying any foul play, there is speculation whether certain actors might have been trying to implicate Moscow and use that as leverage. The allegation is the latest in a series of accusations against Moscow that includes the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former double spy, and his daughter in Salisbury in southern England. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged attack which left Skripal unconscious for weeks. Putin said back then that the Skripals case benefited London more than Moscow. West warns Russia over Navalny's 'poisoning' The West has reacted to the incident with the White House national security adviser ,Robert O'Brien, saying that the news was "extraordinarily concerning" and could affect US-Russia relations. "He's a very courageous man. He is a very courageous politician to have stood up to Putin inside Russia, and our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family," O'Brien said. "If the Russians were behind this ... it's something that we're going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward," he added. German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed concern over Navalny's condition and said he could receive treatment in Germany or France. "I hope that he can recover and naturally whether it be in France or in Germany he can receive from us all the help and medical support needed," Merkel said in a joint news conference with Macron. The UN human rights office also described Navalny case as "very worrying," saying that he must receive all necessary medical treatment, "Reports of what has happened to Alexei Navalny are very concerning and very worrying, said UN human rights spokesman Liz Throssell. "It is important that he get all adequate care that he needs to be able to make a recovery." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment At the end of June, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted a coordinated operation in Tehran and two other Iranian cities, aimed at disrupting the countrys house church movement and sweeping up members of the Iranian Christian community. Intelligence agents raided the home of one recent convert and arrested several of the other Christians who had gathered there. The rest were ordered to forfeit their mobile phones and leave identifying information with the agents, meaning that the threat of arbitrary arrest will likely haunt them for the foreseeable future. That threat was underscored by the fact that persons not present at the gathering were issued summons and arrested at their homes in another leg of the operation, bringing the total number of arrests up to 12. This crackdown was by no means unique in the recent history of the Iranian regimes treatment of religious minorities. It was, however, the largest mass arrest of Christians to be publicly reported in recent months. And it may be a warning sign of things to come. It may not be possible to say with certainty until the charges against the arrestees have been revealed, but the June 30 arrests may prove to be an early example of Tehrans implementation of new laws that have been highlighted by advocates for Iranian Christians and other persecuted religious groups. Passed in mid-May, amendments to Articles 449 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code broaden the judiciarys conception of what may be deemed a criminal sect. Anyone who is convicted of deviant psychological manipulation or propaganda contrary to Islam can be deemed a member of such a sect. This in turn can lead to additional charges that the sect as a whole is working to undermine national security or is committed to enmity against God. Conviction on either of these charges can result in lengthy prison sentences or even capital punishment. The same is true of several other religious or political charges that are vaguely defined and are routinely used to justify punishment for anyone who seems to challenge the status quo or the hardline ideology behind Irans theocratic system. By changing the law to make harsh punishment even easier, the regime may be adding new religious dimensions to a crackdown on dissent that has been escalating in response to more open challenges of this kind. Opposition to the clerical dictatorship has never been in short supply, but for much of the Islamic Republics 41-year history, it has remained largely underground, much like the house church movement. However, these and other movements for change have developed wide-ranging networks in recent years, leading to a sense of something like mainstream acceptance. Mutual support among dissidents and activists contributed to two nationwide uprisings over the past two years, to say nothing of the countless smaller-scale activist movements that have challenged the regimes dominance over Iranian society. On July 17, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), will be holding its annual celebration of the Resistance movement, referred to on this occasion as the Free Iran Global Summit. Socially distanced because of the coronavirus pandemic, the event will be live-streamed from a number of locations where the NCRIs members and supporters will be gathering in their own countries. Those supporters include global security experts, politicians, human rights advocates, and religious leaders like myself. Each of these supporters may have a slightly different reason for participating in the summit, but most are sure to agree that the situation inside the Islamic Republic is as urgent as it has been in many years. The potential escalation in arrests of Iranian Christians is just one aspect of this. Those arrests will have to be added to a massive catalog of political prisoners, all suffering in the harsh conditions of the Iranian criminal justice system, exposed to an ever-worsening coronavirus infection, on account of peaceful political, social, and spiritual activities. The 2018 uprising alone resulted in thousands of arrests, and some of its participants are still facing prosecution as a result. Worse still, dozens of Iranian activists were fatally shot or tortured to death while that movement was still ongoing. Yet that crackdown paled in comparison to the regimes response to another nationwide uprising in November 2019. In that case, authorities under the direction of the Revolutionary Guards killed an estimated 1,500 protesters in cold blood before once again adding thousands of individuals to Irans prison population. Advocates for each and every oppressed group in Iran should recognize the potential for this situation to get much worse in the wake of recent uprisings and underlying trends in popular dissent. And with that in mind, they should look to the Free Iran Global Summit as a sounding board for ideas about how the international community and the Iranian people can work together to prevent that outcome. As concerning as Tehrans crackdowns are, they are also prominent signs of the regimes vulnerability and its panic in the face of increasingly bold and increasingly effective opposition to hardline Islamist ideology. With adequate support from the international community, the authors of that opposition may yet overcome the regimes repression and set the groundwork for a future system that provides freedom and popular sovereignty to Muslims, Christians, Jews, and every other demographic that has been struggling to survive the Islamic Republic for the past four decades. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity has said that he is proud to be part of the current... Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity has said that he is proud to be part of the current administration. According to Adesina, criticising Buhari and his government cannot erase the gains that have been made. The Presidential aide said this when he appeared on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Friday. In a country of 200 million people, you will always have critics, Adesina said. He said this does not change the fact that Buhari is at work and wont stop to do what it has set out to achieve for the country. Adesina admitted that there are security challenges in the country, adding that You cant rejoice when you have a loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. But it is relative to say it is worsening. We are not where we were. I am proud of this government, he said. I am proud that I am a partaker, that I am an insider. I believe that it is genuinely serving the country and to the best of its ability. According to him, some people have chosen to play politics with criticising the administration, others have shown understanding. In a democracy, you are responsible for the people, he said. But you have people who are playing politics with development, security, and loss of lives. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 14:55:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the four-day Democratic National Convention (DNC) concluded Thursday night with now presidential nominee Joe Biden's speech bringing him to the pinnacle of his nearly half-a-century political career, comments on the highlights of and regrets about the event kept pouring in on Friday. Although the Democrats tried to make full use of this most important occasion in the 2020 election so far to contrast President Donald Trump's failure of leadership and unfitness for the presidency with Biden's sturdiness and decency as a political veteran, The Washington Post regretted that the convention stopped short of hitting Trump's most notorious scandals as well as the biggest catastrophe of his presidency. "Over eight total hours, the Democratic convention made countless critiques of the Trump administration's policies. But it did not make much use of the scandals that had defined long stretches of his presidency and captivated news outlets. While Trump is only the third president to be impeached and stand trial in the Senate, none of that came up. Neither did the arrests of some of his close campaign advisers," wrote the Post's David Weigel. On the same day when Biden delivered his acceptance speech, a federal judge in New York blocked Trump's latest bid to conceal his tax returns to prosecutors, and the former chief strategist for his presidential campaign, Steve Bannon, was indicted on charges of defrauding donors in a crowdfunding campaign for building the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The Post went on to bemoan the fact that the resolve to win back the Republican-controlled Senate was not declared as strongly as Democrats' determination to propel Biden to the White House. "Democrats' chances of keeping the majority of the House of Representatives are looking pretty good, but the Senate is a much harder lift," it said. While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged in his speech that "we must win back the Senate" and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly underscored in hers that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump are "standing in the way" of better policies for the American people, the Post argued "you wouldn't know the Senate was in play from watching the Democratic convention." Besides not giving the liberals enough spotlight for them to advocate their policy agenda, analysts also reckoned that the Democrats didn't seem to have paid much attention to appealing to the so-called Obama-Trump voters -- those who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 or 2012 (or both) but later cast their ballots for Trump in 2016. Trying to reach out to the Obama-Trump voters "just wasn't a major theme for Democrats, even though Biden has proved particularly talented at connecting with this group of voters over his career," it added. Reactions to Biden were mixed from commentators for the New York Times. While some praised his masculinity, empathy and patriotism, others said that the Democrats, instead of putting forth policies envisioning a post-Trump America, focused too much on Biden's personal tragedy to make his humanity shine. "It's also worth noting the image constructed by this convention: Joe Biden as a traditionally masculine American man who seeks to provide and protect, while also showing empathy. It is also Joe Biden as a traditionally patriotic American man, vouching for a younger generation of leaders," said the Times' Jamelle Bouie, who was echoed by Melanye Price, saying "Biden was eloquent on issues of race, on the pandemic, on the economy and on the discomfort and uncertainty Americans are feeling. He understands the emotional appeal in elections." Daniel McCarthy said "the overemphasis on the nominee's family this last night of the convention made it feel like Biden is running for grandpa, not president. It's a sign of how weak Biden and his program are: His campaign depends on sentiment, COVID-19 and Trump." Hector Tobar held a similar opinion, saying "the Democrats gambled big that they can rebuild the big tent of the party on the foundation of Joe Biden's humanity. Millions more of us can now recite the details of his remarkable family and political biography. But the party passed on putting forth concrete (and contentious) policies to shape a post-Trump world." On the Republican side, Vice President Mike Pence on Friday morning criticized the speeches rendered during the DNC as presenting "a grim vision for America." "So many of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention were so negative," Pence told "CBS This Morning," pointing at Biden, saying he "amazingly ... never mentioned the violence that has beset major cities across this country." On the economy, which Biden said was "in tatters" now amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pence offered a counterargument, saying "Joe Biden said last night the economy's not going to come back until the coronavirus is over. Newsflash to Joe Biden - the economy is coming back. The only real threat to our economy is a Joe Biden presidency." In a separate interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo, the vice president lambasted Biden's policy agenda, saying: "Last night, in Joe Biden's address, we heard a lot of platitudes, but if you read between the lines, you heard about Joe Biden's plan to raise taxes, increase regulation and take us back to all the same policies of the last administration that resulted in the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression." He described Biden's agenda as "of higher taxes, socialized medicine, open borders, abortion-on-demand, and continued calls to cut, defund, disassemble law enforcement that's driving violence in the streets of our major cities." Pence told the CBS program that speakers at next week's Republican National Convention will present the Trump administration's "record of results" achieved during the last three years, which he said included rebuilding the military, cutting taxes and "a commitment to law and order." Enditem Activists and painters joined together Friday and Saturday to emblazon a message on the streets of Paterson: Black Lives Matter. On Friday, activists from the citys Black Lives Matter group began painting a Black Lives Matter street mural on Broadway, extending from Church Street to Straight Street, said Zellie Thomas, a group organizer. Representative image Keralas Life Mission that provides financial assistance to the homeless to build houses has landed in a controversy, with foreign funds being sourced perhaps without complying with central government clearances under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. According to details of the MoU signed on July 11, 2019, between the Red Crescent, UAE, and the Kerala government, the former has agreed to provide financial assistance to the tune of Rs 20 crore. Of this, Rs 14.5 crore is for housing and Rs 5.5 crore for a health centre at Vadakkanchery, in Thrissur district. Once the state governments role and alleged kickbacks started doing the rounds, the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) went into a huddle over the MoU signed by the Life Mission CEO on behalf of the state government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier denied any direct association between the state government and the Red Crescent. The latest controversy over Life Mission has been triggered by Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the gold smuggling case, who is said to have received a commission of Rs 1 crore from the Red Crescent. Giving a further spin, Unitac Builders, the construction company given the contract to build homes, now claims it paid over Rs 4 crore as commission for the Red Crescent-funded project. The details pertaining to who got paid is likely to add to the misery of the government. Meanwhile, the sleuths are taking a fresh look as to why did Suresh and the chartered accountant of M Sivashankar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans former principal private secretary, keep a bank locker with joint operating rights. Now, the intelligence agencies are likely to consider other alarming possibilities. The first is if senior members of the state government are beneficiaries in the Life Mission deal. The second one pertains to more such deals playing out simultaneously, originating from foreign countries, especially the United Arab Emirates. The third one would consider the presence of more conduits such as Suresh and drop points other than bank lockers for kickbacks. Finally, the probability so far not acknowledged in the public domain could it be that the gold smuggled via diplomatic route was meant as gratis for deals fixed, favours rendered? One needs to look back at the post-flood days of August 2018 when there was a flurry of announcements regarding the UAEs financial aid to Kerala. It started with a big ticket announcement by the CMO that Vijayan had been informed about the UAE promising Rs 700 crore as assistance for flood relief work. After a couple of days UAE Embassy officials in Delhi clarified that the UAE had not announced anything officially. Soon came what was then the last word from the CM, that he had been informed by none other than Lulu Groups MA Yusuff Ali about the aid. The promise for aid soon became hearsay and things didnt move further as the Centre did not deem it a matter worth pursuing. Much water has flown into the Arabian Sea since then with Kerala bracing for repeat floods each August. The UAE consulate in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram has flourished as many politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen in Kerala have paid scant respect to protocols that should have governed transactions with a foreign country, represented by that consulate. The likes of Suresh, with one foot in the UAE consulate and the other in the state secretariat, why even the CMO, have emerged setting new benchmarks in the power they wield. Some others doubled as consultants and special officers, their value determined by each ones capacity to bring in funds. Hitherto unglamorous departments were repositioned during investment melas. If the story currently unfolding in Kerala holds true to its script, the Rs 20 crore deal powered by Rs 4 crore kickback can only be a prelude. Its sequel would be the real story as it would showcase the wheeling and dealing of Dubai involving the entire gamut of Keralas businessmen, politicians, film-makers and ordinary job-seekers. For many in Kerala, the UAE, especially Dubai, seems to be the preferred destination for deal-making; and they seem to forget that while engaging with a foreign country it is the Ministry of External Affairs that plays the anchor role, not the state department. Clearly, Kerala enjoys a special relationship with the Emirate. Paul Morigi/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images A group of Silicon Valley and Wall Street executives have donated $30 million towards an initiative to research the therapeutic applications of MDMA, a psychedelic drug as an ingredient in ecstasy. The research aims to seek approval from the FDA for the use of MDMA to treat PSTD. If successful, it would be the first ever psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to earn FDA approval. Psychedelic research has long been tied to interest from Silicon Valley's elite. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A veritable who's who of Silicon Valley and Wall Street have donated $30 million to fund research exploring the therapeutic use of the psychedelic drug MDMA, according to a report released on Thursday. If successful, the research, which focuses on treating post-traumatic stress disorder, will make MDMA the first psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to earn FDA approval. In recent years, psychedelic substances, including MDMA, LSD, and the psilocybin found in magic mushrooms have received greater attention for their therapeutic potential. Since 2010, studies have examined psychedelics as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety, addiction, and more. Some have called the wave of research a "medical renaissance." The resurgence of psychedelics can be tied to enthusiasm from many tech executives. In his book, "How to Change Your Mind," author Michael Pollan describes how big names of San Francisco were drawn to Esalen, a retreat center and New-Age mecca located in Big Sur, California, where they discussed their enthusiasm about potential uses for psychedelics. Steve Jobs is said to have partaken in psychedelics and have advised that Bill Gates do the same. Silicon Valley's stressed-out young professionals made headlines for embracing "micro-dosing," a practice of taking small amounts of LSD during the workday with the goal of boosting their creativity. Story continues Donors for this MDMA/PTSD study are no exception to this trend. Bob Parsons, founder of the web-hosting company GoDaddy, gave $2 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Genevieve Jurvetson and her husband Steven, who co-founded the automation startup Fetcher, donated $2.6 million. Joby Pritzker, the Silicon Valley investor whose private equity company has holdings in Tesla, Uber, and SpaceX, donated over $1 million and is on the board of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Multiple donors said that their interest in funding psychedelic research comes from hope that the drug could be an effective mental health treatment for veterans. Parsons, who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam war, said that he personally suffers from PTSD, and many other donors have ties to the military. "Psychedelic research has been thought of as 'fringe' for a long time. But there's nothing 'fringe' about PTSD," said Parsons, according to a MAPS press release. "There are millions of people with PTSD in the U.S. alone, and that includes veterans like me, first-responders like those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. All of them deserve better, significantly more effective treatment options than we give them today. That's what this research is about." The drug currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for treating PTSD, and interim analyses suggest that the drug is on track to be submitted to the FDA for approval as soon as 2022, with the possibility of a decision as soon as 2023. Read the original article on Business Insider The outlook for pharms is better than for other sectors, say market analysts Mumbai: The healthcare and technology sectors stood out in the first quarter (Q1) of FY 20-21 while aggregate performance decline was largely led by the automobiles, metals and capital goods sectors. Healthcare had a spectacular quarter due to strong revenue and better operating leverage, sharp margin improvement due to cost savings. US market performance impacted overall profits of select companies. Among the IT companies, Q1 performance led to upgrades for most companies. The brokerage firlm Motilal Oswal said in its Q1 FY21 result review, "Q1 FY21 corporate earnings came in above our muted expectations. Cost control and cash preservation were effectively deployed as tools to offset the headwinds from lockdown-induced volume declines, Just 6 per cent EBITDA decline in the Nifty 50 companies despite 30 per cent revenue decline happened on account of the ability of India Inc. to drive cost control when needed." Gautam Duggad, a research analyst with Motilal Oswal, said healthcare companies had a spectacular run this quarter with profit before tax/profit after tax registering growth of 29 per cent and 27 per cent year on year (yoy) versus our estimated decline of 6 per cent/5 per cent yoy. This was largely led by significant cost savings in the domestic formulation segment and market share gains by API companies. However, the benefit was offset to some extent by subdued performance in the US, Duggad said. Healthcare and Technology earnings stood out both in absolute and relative terms and we expect these sectors to show continued strength ahead, Duggad said. Aggregate US sales of pharma companies declined 8.3 per cent yoy in Q1FY21. Sharp reduction in Taro sales resulted in 34 per cent yoy decline in US sales for Sun Pharma. As the lockdown eases, marketing spends in the domestic formulations segment is expected to gradually increase. However, the pandemic has led companies to re-evaluate their cost savings initiatives due to increased use of the digital medium. Thus, we expect structural improvement in profitability versus pre-COVID levels in the domestic formulations segment, the review said. With inclination to buy from Chinese suppliers reducing, we expect better growth prospects for the API business. The reduced international travel is also expected to keep regulatory risk under check for companies, which have sites under compliance. Overall, outlook for the pharma sector remains positive over the medium term, the review said. Another trend observed in Q1FY21 was rural India outperforming urban clusters in all sectors. Financials, telecom, oil and gas and healthcare should contribute to the incremental growth in Nifty profits in FY21. On the other hand, Autos, capital goods, cement, Metals and Utilities sectors are expected to drag, the review said. American Frozen Food Institute and North Carolina State University release study results Arlington, Va., Aug. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- From April to August 2020, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), in partnership with North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers, conducted a scientific literature review to understand the nature of survival and persistence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in foods and on food contact surfaces and food packaging materials, and the potential for foodborne transmission. Their work confirms that, although there is a slight chance for virus contamination, there is no evidence for the spread of SARS-CoV-2 through consumption of food or in association with food packaging, and no known cases of foodborne COVID-19. This conclusion substantiates similar statements made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). There is just no scientific evidence in the currently available literature to support that SARS-CoV-2 can be spread by foodborne routes, said AFFI Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs Dr. Sanjay Gummalla. Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition at NC State, and former NoroCORE Scientific Director added, External contamination of food with the virus can only occur by direct exposure to relevant secretions from infected individuals, or indirectly were the food to come into contact with a surface or hands that were contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. The scientific literature confirms that surface contamination can occur, and that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to be inactivated by freezing. The virus can persist at refrigeration and ambient temperatures for a matter of hours to days, depending upon a variety of environmental conditions and the state of the virus (aerosol vs. surface-deposited), among other factors. 1, 2 Story continues However, Dr. Gummalla reiterates, It is highly unlikely that the virus could be transmitted from consumption of, or contact with, frozen foods. For that to happen, a person would need to consume food contaminated with viral particles, then the virus would have to reach the respiratory tract, and infection would result only if an amount equal to the infective dose happened to come into contact with the right cells to initiate virus infection. Alternatively, a person would have to handle contaminated food with their hands, then transfer the virus by touching the nasal region or eyes, and again infection would result only if a sufficient amount of virus gained entry to the individuals respiratory tract. Frankly, all the stars would have to align for such a sequence of events to occur. Dr. Jaykus explains, The overwhelmingly higher and most significant mode of disease transmission is through exchange or release of respiratory droplets laden with the virus, with transmission facilitated by close contact to an infected individual actively shedding the virus. Expending resources on unsubstantiated foodborne routes threatens our efforts to focus on control strategies we know work against respiratory spread. Relative to recent reports of SARS CoV-2 detection in some high protein foods or on food packaging materials,3 it is important to note that there are not yet scientifically vetted protocols available for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in these sample types. This is especially important since the methods used are unlikely to be able to discriminate between virus that can cause infection versus remnants of infectious virus. While there has been media reporting on samples testing positive, its not clear exactly what the methods are or if the decisions to implicate foods are based on the best available science, said Dr. Ben Chapman, professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. Dr. Jaykus concluded, We are currently relying on unsubstantiated reporting to implicate foods in SARS CoV-2 transmission. The international scientific community must come together to assure that any future implications are based on sound science that is universally accepted for making risk management decisions. # # # The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) is the member-driven national trade association that advances the interests of all segments of the frozen food and beverage industry. AFFI works to advance food safety and advocates before legislative and regulatory entities on the industrys behalf to create an environment where members foods and beverages are proudly chosen to meet the needs of a changing world. 1 https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(20)30046-3/pdf Kampf et al., Journal of Hospital Infections. 2020. v. 104, p. 246-251 2 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2004973; van Doremalen, et al., Aerosol and Surface Stability of HCoV-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Compared to SARS-CoV-1. medRxiv 2020 3https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-food/chinese-cities-find-coronavirus-in-frozen-food-imports-who-downplays-infection-risk-idUSKCN259330 Attachment CONTACT: Adrienne Seiling American Frozen Food Institute 202-503-6242 aseiling@affi.com What went wrong with the Peuse By Gamini Weerakoon Doubletalk View(s): View(s): Blackouts are a fact of Sri Lankan life in this second decade of the 21st Century. At Nawala where blackouts are of frequent, if not of daily occurrence, we asked a long-standing resident and legal pundit if anything positive can be done about it and he rejected it outright. Its Jus naturale (law of nature) in these parts for long years was his sardonic comment. However, a six-hour islandwide blackout is rare and a much more serious thing, even a staunch supporter of the SLPP (Pohottuwa) Party admitted over the phone during the blackout. Last Mondays blackout will certainly have a negative fallout in many aspects, including the economy. We have looked at the political fallout on this new Rajapaksa government which is now revving up to take off to the promised Vistas of Splendour and Prosperity. We see it not as a hiccup but a big dent in the sleek supposedly shatterproof political structure of the SLPP that arrived unscathed after going through two gruelling tests presidential and parliamentary elections. After the two victories, the supporters of this party were convinced of the invincibility and the ability of their leaders to sail through hell fire and brimstone. Their hopes and emotions had risen to cocky heights. But, then, as their state ministers the Second X1 were assuming duties and monks were chanting pirith to bless the aspirants, came a blackout that lasted for about six hours. Never mind the auspicious times and other rituals that went awry but the belief that everything that Gota does works to clockwork precision was blasted. Even more, the country was in darkness at an auspicious moment and nothing could be done about it for hours! It was not a setback to the work programme of the new government. But it shook the belief and ego of those staunch and even fanatical supporters who believed that Gota can do no wrong Certainly, President Rajapaksa is not to be blamed. No President can look after every fuse, trip switch or sacred cow in the country, but the myth of infallibility, military super-efficiency, etc that have been building around him since his days as Defence Secretary in the last days of The War were shaken. Politically whether he desired such magical attributes or not he had gained great mileage from such beliefs. The political division of the country was well revealed during those dark hours on Monday. Rajapaksa supporters kept assuring that power would be restored in a matter of minutes while others riled them by querying whether we had reached Singapore standards overnight. Election statistics repeated ad nauseam does not bridge the divide. What the defeated, sulking UNPers say among themselves is that the Rajapaksa victories were nothing very great having been given on a silver platter to them by their leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. As the leader of the UNP for 24 years without much success to show, he clung on to the leadership. Even after mass desertions, he continued to hold on to power. Finally, at the elections, the Rajapaksa party had no opposition. It was a walk in the park for them. The hard fact, however, is that the Rajapaksa party is now well ensconced in power with a two-thirds majority and is getting ready to frame a new constitution that would enable them to rule the country according to their thinking. The UNP is in shambles, with Sajith Premadasa leading the most number of UNPers while the official leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and a Gang of Four mediocrities trying to go their way. The latest is that despite a massive electoral rejection he has now declared that he will retain the leadership of the UNP till the next provincial councils elections. Do Wickremesinghe and his Gang of Four hope to win the provincial councils elections or does he want the UNP to remain in shambles so that a reunited party or Sajith Premadasas Samagi Jana Balavegaya cant present a stronger opposition? That of course will delight the Rajapaksas. Earlier he had come out with a sensible suggestion that Karu Jayasuriya, the only respected senior UNPer, be made the leader of the party. That would have enabled the shattered parry to reunite but Wickremesinghes latest decision to remain as leader ends all that. It is indeed regrettable that Wickremesinghe is playing the role of a crematorial chief of the party. He has served the party well having taken over its leadership and led it after Prabhakaran systematically annihilated most leaders. He fought presidential elections to a very close finish with Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa and lost due to unfortunate developments that went against him such as a bribe paid to Prabhakaran who passed a fiat to all Tamil voters not to vote for Wickremesinghe. But he had led the party for 24 years without success and the writing was on the wall that he failed to read. Peuse (Fuse) Getting back to the blackout, we returned home after a journey out of Colombo around 6pm to find our home hot and humid. Reaching out for a fan, we found it dead, without power. After a shower we retired to an open window and began noticing fireflies which had slipped our memory for years. We reminisced to times about 70 years ago when Mt. Lavinia was under developed and blackouts were a regular feature plunging houses into darkness. When that happened the call all round was: send for Peuse (Fuse). Peuse was a decrepit employee of the UC given a small and cubicle in the Mt. Lavinia market beside a beef stall and was the official assigned to look after power failures in houses at night. He was fully inebriated by twilight and a power unto himself, initially refusing to oblige to desperate calls by residents. Only santhosams offered could make him move and Peuse after energising himself further hitched his tattered sarong, mounted his rusty bike and arrived at his destination. He told residents that the UC was to blame for giving unlimited connections to homes and he had to bear the brunt of it all. He then took out his magic box containing a thin wire coil which he wound around the burnt-out fuses by the electricity meter and pushed them in place. Lo and behold Peuse had dispelled darkness and brought light to grateful inhabitants at home! They rewarded Peuse once again, as an insurance payment for the next blackout. Our darkness at Nawala vanished at 7.55 pm enlightening all at home and brought us that feeling of Deja vu and Peuse of seven decades ago. We may sound facetious in comparing Peuse with the highly qualified electrical engineers of those gigantic power houses of Norochcholai and like. But the effect is the same for mere mortals like us: dispelling of darkness. President Rajapaksa and his Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma may not know much about electrical gadgetry and need not know but they must have the best available engineers to tell them what went wrong on Monday. Appointing commissions of inquiry is the standard practice but that we all know will be like going round the mulberry bush. There should be a presidential and ministerial adviser to tell them what went wrong for them to make their own decisions. (Gamini Weerakoon is a former editor of The Sunday Island, The Island and Consulting Editor of the Sunday Leader) Crash Landing On You is a popular South Korean series based on love, comedy and the enmity between the two Korean countries. It stars big names like Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun and Seo Ji-hye in the lead role. Directed by Lee Jung-hyo, the series tells the story of two pairs of star-crossed lovers. The plot of Crash Landing On You revolves around a South Korean Chaebol heiress called Yoon Se-Ri who goes missing while paragliding. She gets stranded in the forest in North Korea (forbidden to South Koreans) when Ri Jeong-hyeok, an army official, saves her. He tries to get her back home secretly but along the way, they fall in love with each other. On the other hand, is Seo Dan who is a wealthy department store owner who has been arranged to marry Ri Jeong-hyeok. But they have met only a few times before. She, however, falls in love with the conman Gu Seung-jun who is on the run after an embezzlement fraud committed with Yoon Se-ris brother. He was also engaged to her. If this is remade in India with a Bollywood cast, heres a list of actors perfect for the roles. Ri Jeong-hyeok- Hrithik Roshan He is the army official who helps Se-ri get back to South Korea secretly but ultimately falls in love with her. Known for playing army man in movies like Bang Bang and War, Hrithik Roshan seems ideal to essay this role on screen. Image credit: Hyun Bin Instagram, Hrithik Roshan Instagram Yoon Se-ri- Sonam Kapoor She is the rich heiress to Chaebol. She also owns her own fashion and beauty companies. She crash-lands in North Korea and meets Ri Jeong-hyeok. Known for her impeccable fashion sense, Sonam Kapoor seems like just the actor for this role. Image credit: Son Ye-jin Instagram, Sonam Kapoor Instagram Also Read: Can Tiger Shroff Play Sylvester Stallone In Hindi Remake Of 'Rocky'? See Cast Also Read: Can You See Rana Daggubati As Keanu's Neo In South Remake Of 'The Matrix Revolutions'? Seo Dan- Taapsee Pannu She is the department store owner who was engaged to Ri Jeong-hyeok. However, after returning from Russia, she falls in love with a conman. Known for her brilliant acting chops, Taapsee Pannu seems perfect for this role. Image credit: Seo Ji-hye Instagram, Taapsee Pannu Instagram Gu Seung-joon- Ranveer Singh He is the conman who was previously engaged to Se-ri. But after committing an embezzlement fraud, he runs away to North Korea where he meets and falls in love with Seo Dan. Having played a conman in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, Ranveer Singh seems he might be able to pull off this role. Image credit: Kim Jung-hyun Instagram, Ranveer Singh Instagram Also Read: Can You See Rajat Kapoor Playing Infamous Wanted Bhai In TV Remake Of 'Welcome Back'? Also Read: Can You See Ranbir & Ranveer As Neal & Del In 'Planes,Trains & Automobiles' Hindi Version? 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. 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7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5) NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic start to increase, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged citizens to maintain specific social distances. In an attempt to avoid the spread of COVID-19 at the population level, medical robots and Telehealth are gradually involved in the roles of sanitizing patients' quarters, distributing medications, and supplying meals to ill people. Supplying supplies to households and delivering effective services to injured patients remained a major obstacle, and this is where Telehealth is creating a space for them. The new pandemic is growing in demand for healthcare robots as they play a crucial role in the process of drug distribution, patient evaluation, and medical workers' infection control. Telehealth the use of portable equipment, including audio physician trips and distant customer monitoring instrumentsexpands the scope of doctors and service suppliers beyond traditional clinical environments. Telehealth allows a steady connection between nurses and caregivers, and provides suppliers with a continuous flow of real-time patient wellness information. Telehealth facilities leverage technology to provide long-distance health-related education to improve customer results. Telehealth facilities can be provided through a multitude of techniques, including telecommunications, remote patient monitoring instruments such as portable technology, live video chat, digital data transmission, and portable safety (mHealth) applications for mobile devices. Market Analysis: Global Telehealth Market Global Telehealth Market is registering a healthy CAGR of 22.67% in the forecast period of 2019-2026. This rise in the market can be attributed to the increasing elderly population, growing occurrence of chronic diseases and developments in telecommunication structure. Few of the major market competitors currently working in the global telehealth market are Giffen Solutions, Inc., Capsule Technologies, Inc., Chiron Health, Cisco, Biotricity, A&D company, Limited, OSI Systems, Inc., Biotronik, Koninklijke Philips N.V., AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc., Global Media Group, Inc., BioTelemetry, Inc., Resideo Technologies, Inc., Masimo., eVisit Telemedicine Solution, edgeMED Healthcare, INTeleICU, iMDsoft, InTouch Technologies, Inc., AirStrip Technologies., American Well, among others. Get Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts along with COVID 19 Analysis @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-telehealth-market Succeeding in the Wake of the Emergency Telehealth can play a critical role in the current pandemic by reducing human involvement and shielding health staff from infection. This will involve measuring patients' temperatures, disinfecting equipment, measuring specimen swabs and delivering much-needed psychological assistance to patients in isolation. Researchers are now beginning to illustrate the cyclical aspect of technology right after the recession. The COVID-19 contraction would accelerate labor-replacement automation as business sales see a fall. This might have arrived during the 'cultural shock' as automation eliminates low-skilled jobs. Get to Know COVID-19 Significant Impact and Post Opportunities click on below link https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/covid-19-impact/global-telehealth-market Competitive Analysis: Global Telehealth Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of telehealth market for global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa. Global Telehealth Market By Component (Services, Software, and Hardware), Mode of Delivery (Web-Based Delivery Mode, Cloud-Based Delivery Mode, and On-Premise Delivery Mode), End User (Providers, Payers, Patients, and Other End Users), and Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) - Industry Trends and Forecast to 2026 Access Full Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/singleuser/global-telehealth-market New Telehealth Market Development in 2019 In September 2019, Amazon.com, Inc., announced the launch of amazon care that will help their employees to meet their needs as it includes telemedicine and an online chat with nurse that will bring medication to the employee's office or house. Scope of the Telehealth Market Telehealth Market is segmented on the basis of countries into U.S., Canada, Mexico in North America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America as a part of South America, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC)as a part of Asia-Pacific (APAC), U.A.E, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA). All country based analysis of the telehealth market is further analyzed based on maximum granularity into further segmentation. On the basis of component, the market is segmented into services, software, and hardware. Based on mode of delivery, the market is segmented into web-based delivery mode, cloud-based delivery mode, and on-premise delivery mode. The end-users covered for the report are providers, payers, patients, and other end users. Telehealth is defined as an equipment type that is being used by physician to monitor distant customer and audio trips while maintaining a connection between caregivers and nurses with real time patient wellness information. Telehealth facilities can be provided using portable technology, digital data transmission, portable safety application and others. Some of the Major Highlights of TOC covers: Chapter 1: Methodology & Scope Definition and forecast parameters Methodology and forecast parameters Data Sources Chapter 2: Executive Summary Business trends Regional trends Product trends End-use trends Chapter 3: Industry Insights Industry segmentation Industry landscape Vendor matrix Technological and innovation landscape For More Insights Get FREE PDF version of Detailed Table of Content with Respective Images and Charts @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-telehealth-market Research objectives To perceive the most influencing pivoting and hindering forces in Telehealth Market and its footprint in the international market. Learn about the market policies that are being endorsed by ruling respective organizations. To gain a perceptive survey of the market and have an extensive interpretation of the Telehealth Market and its materialistic landscape. To understand the structure of Telehealth Market by identifying its various sub segments. Focuses on the key global Telehealth Market players, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To project the consumption of Telehealth Market submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies To analyze the Telehealth Market with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. 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Click here https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/inquire-before-buying/?dbmr=global-telehealth-market Key Pointers Covered in the Telehealth Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2026 Market Size Market New Sales Volumes Market Replacement Sales Volumes Market Installed Base Market By Brands Market Procedure Volumes Market Product Price Analysis Market Healthcare Outcomes Market Cost of Care Analysis Market Regulatory Framework and Changes Market Prices and Reimbursement Analysis Market Shares in different regions Recent Developments for Market Competitors Market upcoming applications Market innovators study Market Drivers Increase in the elderly population is contributing to the growth of the market Growing occurrence of chronic diseases is boosting the growth of the market Developments in telecommunication structure is driving the growth of the market Need for accessible possible treatments due to increasing medical costs is propelling the growth of the market Market Restraints Legality, secrecy, and security concerns is restricting the growth of the market Narrow compensations in the U.S. is hindering the growth of the market Slight or little alertness of telemedicine among developing country is hampering the growth of the market Key Developments in the Market: In April 2019, Best Buy joined partnerships with TytoCare, an Israeli-based telehealth firm, to deliver TytoHome equipment solely on the best buy page and in selected shops in Minnesota. For $300, Best Buy clients can now buy a portable evaluation tool that allows remote diagnosis of medical problems such as ear infections, fever, allergies, lower respiratory infections, and rashes, and advise the primary care physician at any moment, anyplace. This cooperation allowed businesses to launch an advanced item in the industry. In January 2019, VRHealth announced the implementation of the first telehealth-VR medical system, which contains applications specifically intended for customers to use at home. VRHealth participates in AARP Innovation Labs. With this cooperation with AARP, VRHealth resides at the AARP Innovation Lab and integrates the key characteristics of its item into Alcove VR's Health and Wellness segment, a virtual reality service that allows households to communicate regardless of cost, moment or movement limitations. BROWSE RELATED REPORTS About Data Bridge Market Research: An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today! Data Bridge Market Research sets forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. Contact: Kabul, Aug 22 : US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said there was "no legitimate reason" to delay the intra-Afghan negotiations that have been postponed over differences on the release of controversial Taliban prisoners by the Kabul government. Khalilzad made the remarks in a tweet on Friday condemning the death of high-ranking education official, Abdul Baqi Amin, in an explosion in Kabul on Wednesday, reports TOLO News. "The right tribute to Amin is for all sides to reduce violence and immediately start intra-Afghan negotiations," Khalilzad said, adding that "there is no legitimate reason for delay". The special envoy said that Amin's "death at the hands of spoilers who seek to delay and derail Afghan peace is tragic." Meanwhile, Najia Anwari, spokesperson for State Ministry for Peace Affairs, said there were ongoing consultations about the release of the controversial Taliban prisoners and the release of the Afghan government hostages held by the militants. "Following this issue and after the release of the hostages of the Afghan security and defense forces kept with the Taliban, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will enter into dialogue with the Taliban group," she said. According to government officials, France and Australia have opposed the release of six Taliban inmates who are accused of killing citizens of those countries. According to government data, out of the 400 prisoners in question, 156 of them have been sentenced to death; 105 accused of murder; 34 accused of kidnapping that led to murder; 51 accused of drug smuggling; 44 of them are on the blacklist of the Afghan government and its allies; six accused of other assorted crimes; and four are accused of unspecified crimes. The list of 5,000 prisoners was given to the Afghan government by the Taliban to be released ahead of the intra-Afghan negotiations, which are expected to be held in Doha. The Korean peninsula has been hit by record-breaking precipitation, with state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reporting last week that floods had destroyed 40,000 hectares (154 square miles) of farmland, 16,680 homes, and 630 other buildings all over the country. Commercial satellite imagery of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, the countrys main nuclear facility, caught the attention of analysts at 38 North, a North-Korea analysis website funded by the Washington-based Stimson Center. 38 North reported that although the five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon does not appear to have been recently operating, "damage to the pumps and piping within the pump houses presents the biggest vulnerability to the reactors." "If the reactors were operating, for instance, the inability to cool them would require them to be shut down," the report said. RFAs Korean Service Thursday interviewed Olli Heinonen, former Deputy Director-General for Safeguards at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and current distinguished fellow with the Stimson Centers 38 North program. He discussed the potential damage that the flooding could cause to Yongbyon and the Pyongsan uranium mine, another flooded facility. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. A view of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center on the bank of the Kuryong River in Yongbyon, North Korea, July 22, 2020. By August 6, 2020 the area had become flooded. Airbus Defence & Space and 38 North/Pleiades via Reuters RFA: It has been reported that the North Korean nuclear facility in Yongbyon was affected by the recent flooding. Do we have a major catastrophe on our hands? Heinonen: As you know, I have been several times to Yongbyon, and I have also been there during flooding, and actually this flooding is about as bad as I think I saw when I was there. I think the first big flood I saw there, maybe it was in 1992, that long ago. So I think my first reaction to these images, which also come from the organization which I now serve, the Stimson Center, North Korea is aware of this flooding, they dont come as a surprise, and they have taken some countermeasures in the design of these nuclear facilities to overcome any troubles. This is the first point, and Ill return to it soon. The second thing we need to keep in our mind is actually that these facilities are practically not operating now. So when you look at the satellite image survey, the five-megawatt reactor doesnt operate, the experimental light-water reactor is under construction, the processing plant is far away from the river, but it still needs water in order to maintain it. Same issue the uranium enrichment part, they need some water but the actual operation, we are not so sure how much its operating now. And then there are some other installations that use radioactive material. Not nuclear material, but [they conduct] radioactive experiments for medical, scientific and other purposes. I dont think this flooding has had much of an effect on those, so from an overall safety point of view, there is not a huge concern for the time being. The next question: Has this flooding caused damage to the equipment there? I dont think there is any huge damage for the following reasons: Lets look now at the experimental light-water reactor and the five-megawatt reactor. I think that they can go for a while without having much water in use, or taken from the river, so they can stop the pumps In addition to that, these kinds of installations, when they operate, they have a kind of filtering system in the front of the piping that takes the water. So it will also sieve away some of the dirt, so if they need to temporarily take some water I think they can perhaps manage it. But certainly under current circumstances, you cannot go to long-term operations until the water level comes down, and until the front of these water-taking places are cleaned and put back in full order. So this is my take on this, and I have seen them also designing and participating in a reactor that was built in Syria. And I was at that point in the IAEA and we have actually written some Syria reports about the water for that reactorand it was I think, a fairly normal industrial arrangement for the water to be taken from the river, and how this system was made in such a way that it can handle also flooding. Now we see that the intake building or the pump house in Yongbyon, particularly for the reactor, is surrounded by water, but I dont think that it makes a huge damage on that because at least in Syria we saw that the electronics part was fairly well protected. Then I also see that the people have not looked at the other water intake places. They are all concentrated only on water intake for the five-megawatt reactor and the experimental reactor. On the other side of the river is a pump house which probably takes water to the river and the situation there is pretty much the same as for the reactor, so there is a lot of water around the pump house so thats where we are. So I dont think that there is any dramatic situation. They need to do some fixing, but its not very likely that they are all destroyed. There is one thing that people also need to remember. The construction of the buildings, in North Korea, their standards are not that advanced as you and I have become used to. For example when it rains a lot, in some facilities, water can get to the cellar because of the poor isolation in the basement. So thats another thing that is probably taking place in some of the facilities. Were just not seeing it because satellite imagery will not show it. What kind of damage has that caused? Its hard to say. Most likely they just need to pump some water away and clean the premises, the cellars, and the lower levels of those buildings. But again, I dont think it will stop the operation of those facilities, since it didnt do anything in the 1990s, so why would it do that today? RFA: What is the danger of flooding at the Pyongsan uranium mine? Heinonen: When you do the uranium mining, you use a lot of water to clean the ore, which in this case is anthracite coal in Pyongsan. So you have to clean it, you have to dissolve it, and then when you do this cleaning and this dissolution, you recover uranium, which is fine, but the same time you leave a lot of radioactive waste like radium, thorium, and then both of those, they are radioactive materials, so at one point in time, they decay to radon, which is a gas. So, when you have these big ponds where the wastewater goes, we dont know how well they are designed and how they deal hen there is a huge rainwhether the rain just falls into these open ponds, or whether they overflow and then this radioactive waste gets to the environment, groundwater, and then eventually either to the river, or to the drinking water of the people. If that takes place, then it has an impact. Also, we dont know how well these ponds are actually made. In normal cases, actually they are like huge swimming pools. So they are not such that there is a pond or lake on a normal rice paddy or normal ground. You need to isolate this waste liquid from the rest of the ground water. Since we dont know how they have done that, I think thats why when we look at this heavy rain, which was also in the Pyongsan area, that might be a matter of concern. There is a possibility that water might overflow and get to the environment. Im not so worried about the milling facility itself, the one that takes the ore and separates uranium there, because they are chemical processes and they happen in piping and vessels and various tanks, so it should not impact the operations of those. But the waste containment ponds are a different story. When you look at the image on the website, there are actually two such ponds. One is near the actual mine, up there on the mountain, and then there is a pipeline that [connects with the] milling facility, and then the liquids, which are waste from that milling facility, they cross the river in another pipe and go to a pond over there. So those two ponds, one on the other side of the river and one up there on the mountain, I think, may have some risks when there is such a heavy rain as we have seen in the last couple of weeks. Reported by Sangmin Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Dark material is central to their film Nymphomaniac Vol. II, and so Uma Thurman and Charlotte Gainsbourg certainly represented it well at it's premiere Monday night. The actresses arrived at the Venice Film Festival red carpet in sultry black dresses, though Charlotte's was far more daring than Uma's. Gainsbourg, 43, was leather-clad in a cutaway one-sleeved dress, while her 44-year old American co-star opted for a more demure gown. Scroll down for video Black is the new black: Uma Thurman and Charlotte Gainsbourg opt for dark gowns at the Nymphomaniac Vol. II premiere at Venice Film Festival The camera loves her: Uma poses for photographers on the red carpet, Monday night There was certainly something retro about Uma's dress choice, featuring a nipped-in waist and a full midi skirt, with button detail on the top leading to an embroidered collar. Thurman added some black sandals, a metallic clutch and diamond stud earrings with a matching bracelet to complete her look, while applying a smokey effect to her eyes. The actress wore her blond hair in a pretty plaited updo, that seemed less provocative then her co-star Charlotte's stand out dress. Retro: With a cinched-in waist, button and embroidered detail Uma had a Fifties look going on She does it well: The Hollywood star certainly knows how to walk a red carper The daughter of Serg Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin showed off her slim legs in the leather minidress and Mary-Jane heels, but kept her brunette hair down in a simple straight style and wearng barely there make-up. Charlotte and Uma were joined by their co-star Stellan Skarsgard, but it seems Shia LaBeouf wasn't around to make an eventful appearance on the red carpet, like he had done at Berlin Film Festival earlier this year for Nymphomaniac Vol. 1. Elegant arrival: Though Uma isn't a featured cast member in Vol. II she still showed up to support the film It's her colour of choice: Charlotte wore an equally sexy black dress earlier in the day Obliging: Charlotte signs autographs for fans gathered outside the Venetian theatre Seligman: Stellan Skarsgard plays a bachelor who helps Gainsbourg's Joe in both films from Lars von Trier Earlier in the day Charlotte and Stellan had attended a photocall for the film, as part of the 71st Annual Venice International Film Festival, and it seems the actress has a penchant for black dresses. In the two-part film offering from Lars von Trier, she plays the central role of Joe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who recounts her sexual life to Stellan's bachelor Seligman after he finds her beaten up in an alley. Uma isn't in the Vol. 2 cast, which includes Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth, and Michael Pas. Nymphomaniac is the third and final entry in von Trier's unofficially titled 'Depression Trilogy', after Antichrist and Melancholia. It seems black was the colour of choice on the red carpet as elsewhere, US actress Frances McDormand and director Lisa Cholodenko attended the premiere of Olive Kitteridge Parts 1-2 in dark dresses too. The night before, Adam Driver hit the red carpet for his new film Hungry Hearts, directed by Italian filmmaker Saverio Constanzo. Star arrival: Clive Owen was spotted arriving at Marco Polo airport in Venice on Monday Dapper: The handsome British star was dapper in his blue blazer and dark trousers Travelling in style: Clive grabbed a water taxi as he made his way to his Venice hotel on Monday TV star: The Hollywood actor recently took a break from the big screen to star in US TV series The Knick The Star Wars actor was joined by the director and co-star Alba Rorwacher for the Venice premiere of the psychological drama. Meanwhile, Clive Owen was spotted arriving at Marco Polo airport in Venice on Monday. The handsome actor was dapper in a blue blazer, light blue sweater, newsboy cap and black scarf which he paired with dark trousers. He recently left the big screen for the small, starring in new US TV series, The Knick. Back to black: US actress Frances McDormand (L) and US director Lisa Cholodenko arrive for the premiere of Olive Kitteridge Parts 1-2 in dark dresses too Many Flagstaff Unified School District teachers returned to their classrooms this week for the start of the academic year, lessons prepared and their classrooms decorated around them. The only thing missing was their students. My team and I are very excited: were here at school, were getting ready, but then it keeps hitting us that theyre not coming, Marshall Elementary Schools Melissa Bianco said of her kindergartners. Thats the sad part, but then we have to think, 'Well were not herding cats like we do at the beginning of the year,' and thats a little bit of a change. But then you miss it. The district has opted to proceed with virtual learning until at least Oct. 9, the end of its first quarter, in response to COVID-19. On Thursday, Apache and Yavapai counties met the state benchmarks for reopening schools for partial in-person learning, but Coconino has not yet met the mark for COVID-19 testing positivity. Although the sadness and disappointment were present as teachers reflected on the first week of school, they remained enthused about being able to see their students, even if it was just virtually. The kids are excited, theyre loving it. They have their own iPads and they were thrilled to come to school, said Susan Burdick, a third grade teacher at Thomas Elementary. I love that theyre excited and their excitement in turn makes me excited. Ill admit, we got through the first week and every day there was a hiccup, but we got through it. I told my students were going to learn together, especially with the technology. Learning curve Bianco and Burdick, who have been teaching for 15 and 30 years, respectively, said it was like going back to their first year because of all the new things they had to learn in order to teach. Burdick, who typically uses hands-on activities to teach math, is now having to use online programs instead, while Bianco is working to figure out how to teach kindergarteners the social-emotional skills they need to succeed in school. For many teachers, the first week was one of figuring out technology issues and helping students and their parents gain access to class content. Its exciting to learn these things and to solve problems and be able to help the parents when we can, Bianco said. Theyre just so grateful and appreciative because they dont feel good when they cant help their students and thats been kind of the main job: getting them where they need to be, getting the access, helping them with technological issues and the distance hand-holding that we can do. Burdick said she was glad to be back at Thomas, where she could get help from coworkers who have been able to hold an occasional meeting and even eat lunch together as they follow social distancing requirements. Before entering the building, teachers check their temperatures, she said, and they wear masks throughout the day. She expects the digital learning process to improve daily, as it did this week, but is hopeful that students can return to school in October. That would be my dream. I would love to be able to come back, Burdick said. But I hope, whether we come back or continue with online learning, I hope that I can do the best I can with the digital learning to help them achieve as much growth as they can under the circumstances. As a full-time counselor at Marshall Elementary and an FUSD parent, Jenn Carrozzino said she has been impressed with student engagement so far, even from her own children. My son is actually tired by the end of the day, which is great. Thats how he is when he normally goes to school, and so hes getting stimulated and having that energy used, which I just think is amazing, Carrozzino said of her second-grader. 'Any way, anywhere' Carrozzino, who will be teaching lessons on topics such as friendship, inclusion and diversity in the coming weeks, said she has also been pleased by the way teachers are handling the balance of screen time and breaks. Rather than just release students for these brain breaks, they have been suggesting specific activities like running outside, playing with pets or riding their bicycles so kids dont simply turn on the television. Carrozzino, who has been mostly working from home, said this has inspired her to incorporate small breaks into her own schedule. Typically when Im in the school I would just allow the day to carry me and would take those breaks and be walking as I go from one student to the next or from one class to the next, but now that Im sitting in a Zoom [meeting], to remind myself that that for the five minutes I have in between [I need to] get out of this space for a moment and actually take this five minutes to do something for myself to make sure Im not burning out, she said. Jacquie McGregor, Mount Elden Middle Schools music teacher, who has experience teaching online, said it has been interesting to see other teachers start virtual teaching from scratch, but theyve been doing so without hesitation for the sake of their students despite the many differences in the school day. For McGregors own choir and orchestra classes, although she is able to listen to her students perform individually, when its time to come together, everyone has to hit their mute button because of the lag in Wi-Fi. Just to have the experience to be making music its lighting up the kids faces, theyve missed it so much. There is that missing moment of being in a classroom where youre in an ensemble and its all coming together, but to just be able to do it, its bringing a lot of excitement to the students. And to me, McGregor said. She has also noticed her middle-schoolers embracing new forms of communication during the school day. Kids will open up with you in a chat box in ways they wouldnt always face-to-face. Those students that maybe wouldnt feel comfortable coming up and telling me something, theyll put it in a chat in a minute, McGregor said. There was a lot of concern about what would happen with students, but I think teachers across the district, were finding that theyre not afraid to build relationships with us. Theyre right there with us, they still trust us, they know we care. Ive missed that, so to be able to do that again is pretty exciting. McGregors advice for teachers just starting their virtual instruction is to be patient, especially during the start. The first two weeks are hardest because you have to relearn everything and youre learning a whole new way of teaching, but after those two weeks, it is still just teaching, she said. Be yourself. Dont change. Just be who you are because good teachers can teach any way, anywhere. And they do. Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253. 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. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois compared coward-in-chief Donald Trump to Democratic nominee Joe Biden as a potential commander in chief on the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. Duckworth, an Army veteran who lost both legs in combat, said that Biden knew the sacrifices the families of military members had to make because his late son Beau served in Iraq. Neither Trump himself nor any of his adult children have served in the military. Joe knows the fear that military families live because hes felt that dread of never knowing if your deployed loved one is safe, Duckworth said. He understands their bravery because he has had to muster that same strength every hour of every day Beau was overseas. Thats the kind of leader our service members deserve, one who understand the risks they face and would actually protect them by doing his job as commander in chief. Duckworth then turned her attention to Trump, noting his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his response to reports that Russia was paying bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. Instead, they have a coward in chief who wont stand up to Vladimir Putin, read his daily intelligence briefings or even publicly admonish him for reportedly putting bounties on our troops heads, Duckworth said. Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks during the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. (via Reuters TV) In 2004, Duckworth was flying an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq when the chopper came under attack. She was so seriously wounded in the ensuing crash that her fellow soldiers initially thought she was dead, but she survived and entered politics when she returned to the U.S. Duckworth was first elected to the Senate in 2016, defeating Republican incumbent Mark Kirk. Previously, she had represented Illinois in the House and worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Obama administration. She became the first sitting senator to give birth in 2018 and was the second Asian-American senator to be elected, after Hawaiis Mazie Hirono. Story continues According to a New York Times report on the vice presidential selection process, Duckworth impressed the search team, but there were concerns that her eligibility might be challenged because she was born in Thailand to a Thai mother. However, by the usual interpretation of the Constitution, Duckworth is a natural-born citizen because her father was American. Last month, Duckworth was attacked by the Trump campaign and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who called the Purple Heart recipient a vandal and moron for suggesting there could be a dialogue about potentially removing the statues of Founding Fathers who owned slaves. In a New York Times op-ed responding to the comments questioning her patriotism, Duckworth noted that her ancestors fought alongside Washington in the Revolutionary War. What some on the other side dont seem to understand is that we can honor our founders while acknowledging their serious faults, including the undeniable fact that many of them enslaved Black Americans, wrote Duckworth. Because while we have never been a perfect union, we have always sought to be a more perfect union and in order to do so, we cannot whitewash our missteps and mistakes. We must learn from them instead. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 18:52:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An employee in downtown Athens works at a bar at midnight in Athens, Greece, on Aug. 20, 2020. The Greek government announced on Friday more measures to contain the spread of coronavirus after a spike in COVID-19 cases from the beginning of August. Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management at the Ministry of Citizen Protection, announced that the closure of bars, restaurants imposed in several regions and islands including Mykonos and Santorini last week, is extended to Attika region as well. A 10-day curfew, along with the mandatory use of masks is imposed on the islands of Paros and Antiparos in the Cyclades in both indoor and outdoor areas. The same curfew was imposed last week on the island of Poros, where businesses were ordered to shut down by midnight. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Tripura law minister Ratan Lal Nath on Saturday said that the state government is considering to hold its assembly session at a park here due to the coronavirus outbreak. The session is scheduled in the third week of September and it will be difficult to maintain social distancing in the assembly house, said Nath who paid a visit to the Heritage Park. The law minister said that assembly sessions in many states such as Assam were held outside the assembly building. However, the final decision on holding the assembly session in the open is yet to be taken, he added. Tripura on Saturday registered 280 new coronavirus cases, pushing the states tally to 8,389, a senior health department official said. The total cases include 2,240 active cases, 6,061 recoveries and 70 deaths. Nearly 238,000 samples have been collected for Covid-19 testing so far. Tripuras budget session, which started on March 20 was cut short by two days due to the pandemic and was called off soon after the budget was passed in the assembly. (With inputs from PTI) A young woman who fled Manchester to join Islamic State with her twin sister has been moved to a high-security Syrian detention camp with her young son. Twin sisters Salma and Zahra Halane fled their home in Chorlton when they were 16 years old to travel to Syria in June 2014. They were described as academically gifted but were said to have become radicalised and ran away overnight to join a so-called ISIS 'caliphate'. But after ISIS lost its last territory to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in March 2019, the fate of the two young women was unknown. Zahra Halane (above), who fled to Syria when she was 16 with her twin sister in June 2014, has reportedly been moved after trying to escape from Al Hol camp Sources in northeast Syria have told The Telegraph that Zahra was recently caught trying to escape from the Al Hol camp, where she had spent 16 months. Ten thousand foreign women and children live in Al Hol, in a crowded annex separate from more than 55,000 Syrian and Iraqi citizens in the camp. Last week, Zahra was reportedly transferred out of a women's prison to a new high-security extension to Roj camp in northeast Syria with her son Ismail, who is thought to be four or five years old. But there are concerns from humanitarians that some of the most dangerous ISIS supporters have been moved to the new extension, camp sources told The Telegraph. Zahra and Salma, who have become known in Britain as the 'terror twins', remain committed ISIS supporters, women in Al Hol camp have claimed. Salma's whereabouts are unknown but it is believed that she is still alive, while her son was reportedly killed in fighting at Baghouz. In December 2013, Salma was caught viewing ISIS propaganda at their sixth form college, which included images of a suicide vest, a boy with a machine gun and a British jihadist in Syria. The whereabouts of Salma Halane are unknown but it is believed that she is still alive, while her son was reportedly killed in fighting at Baghouz Zahra has been moved to a high-security extension of Roj camp (above) in Hasakah, northeast Syria, which is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) The college did not alert the police at the time because she claimed that she was trying to find her older brother, who had previously travelled to Syria to fight. The twins, who have an older sister and seven brothers, left their fled their family home having stolen 840 from their father and crossed into Syria in July 2014. Both young women moved to Raqqa, the capital of the caliphate, and married Islamic State fighters. Last month, Russia Today Arabic interviewed an unnamed woman after she was caught trying to escape from Al Hol camp. The Telegraph have reportedly identified the woman as Zahra. Speaking Arabic, the woman said: 'I want to go back home. 'If you have money, there are different ways [of escaping] and it happens very fast. You can get to Turkey easily.' The twin sisters whereabouts became unknown after ISIS lost its last territory in March 2019. Pictured, an unidentified woman walks in Roj camp in March 2019 Corrupt guards and drivers have reportedly used hidden compartments inside water tanks to smuggle people out of Al Hol and into Turkey. A Turkish woman who escaped from Al Hol said she knew the twins for 'over five years', both in the Islamic State and in the camp. Speaking of Zahra's escape attempt, she anonymously told The Telegraph: 'I don't know where the other one might be honestly but they left together.' The twins, who lived in Denmark before moving to Manchester when they were young, are believed to have told camp authorities they want to return there. The UK Government is believed to have subjected the sisters to an exclusion order and revoked their residency, according to their mother Khadra Jama. Mekedatu padayatra: After Karnataka HC chides Cong, Siddaramaiah says permission not taken for protest Amid leadership debate, Congress Working Committee to meet on August 24 India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 22: Amid a debate over the leadership issue, top Congress leaders will meet here through video-conferencing on Monday and are likely to discuss the matter. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, will meet at 11 am on Monday, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on Saturday. "A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be held on Monday, the 24th August, 2020 at 11.00 AM via video conferencing," he said in a tweet. All permanent and special invitees to the CWC have been invited to the meeting, where the leadership issue is also likely to be discussed, besides the current political situation in the country. There has been a clamour within a section of Congressmen for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the president of the grand old party again. EC guidelines fall short of ensuring conduct of polls in 'free, non-partisan' manner: Congress The CWC meet comes close on the heels of Congress president Sonia Gandhi completing a year as the interim party chief, a post she accepted last year after her son Rahul Gandhi stepped down. A debate is again raging in the Congress over the uncertainty related to its leadership. In an official media briefing two days ago, the Congress said its workers across the country want Rahul Gandhi to take charge of the party. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 23:56 [IST] Open letter to the tourism authority and the Thai government A German man staying in Phuket has made a plea to the Thai Government to understand how the visa amnesty expiring on Sept 26 will force many foreigners currently staying in Thailand to return to countries where second waves of COVID-19 are rampantly spreading. Here is his open letter to the Thai authorities: opinionCOVID-19healthimmigration By The Phuket News Saturday 22 August 2020, 11:41AM People queue near an information board promoting free COVID-19 tests for travellers arriving at Berlin-Schoenefeld airport in Schoenefeld, south of Berlin, on July 31, 2020. Germany made coronavirus tests mandatory for travellers returning from at-risk areas, as fears grow over rising case numbers blamed on summer holidays and local outbreaks. Photo: AFP This open letter is a request and also a cry for help. My name is Bernhard Stoever. I am one of the many long-term tourists who have been lucky enough to be able to extend their stay in Thailand since the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. I firmly believe that this saved many peoples lives! Thanks to the prudent Thai policies, the first wave of global contagion was combated in an exemplary manner. For that, too, I and all stranded would like to thank you very much. And, of course, we would like to especially thank the Thai people who have received us with such indescribable hospitality. Thank you so much Thailand! However, the expulsion on September 26th hits us particularly hard. I would like to use my example to show you what this change does in individual cases. The same applies to many stranded people. I am a writer, 68 years old, live in Hamburg and am currently in Phuket. Everything is fine with me in terms of health. Nevertheless, I am extremely endangered in Germany. Every year in autumn and winter, Germany and Europe are attacked by a dangerous flu virus that makes millions of people seriously ill and kills tens of thousands, mainly among the elderly. And the course of the disease becomes more severe from year to year. Unfortunately, I am very susceptible and get the flu every year. It was particularly bad three years ago and I almost died from it. So I decided to spend the winter in Thailand, which I learned to love a long time ago. Here I dont get any flu and live healthy. But the Covid-19 virus changed a lot. The second virus wave is now looming in Europe and Germany and will be probably even worse than the first. Together with the flu virus and the high age of most returnees, this means a huge risk for many people. And I too admit with discomfort that if I have to return to Germany in September, I may never see Thailand again. For me, as for many others, it is really a matter of life or death. My big request to you: Is it perhaps possible to issue a provisionally residence permit for the stranded, so that they can determine the return flight themselves? Or is it possible to make repatriations dependent on the danger that exists in the home country. Nobody wants to die in a corona hot spot. Perhaps a small argument that counts is that we behave in accordance with the law, adapt to the Thai conditions, have a very good relationship with the people, pay our rent regularly, eat out and make contributions to the community like all others . In these difficult times all have to stick together even more than before. And if you give us the chance also we stranded will do our part. Bernhard Stoever, Phuket India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist India logs over 3.17 lakh new Covid cases in last 24 hours; daily positivity rate up at 16.41 per cent COVID-19 fatalities may be much more than what is being reported Tests per day, per million: Odisha stands second in India India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Aug 22: Odisha has achieved a significant milestone in becoming the second state in the country to conduct the maximum number of COVID-19 tests per day per million population. The Union Health Ministry data suggests that Odisha is conducting 1,265 tests per million per day. Goa on the other hand is conducting 1,825 tests per million per day. When it comes to the national average of 580, Odisha is far ahead. "#Odisha has emerged second leading state in the country by conducting 1265 tests per million per day, compared to national average of 580 as per @MoHFW_INDIA. Odisha has been consistently ramping up tests for identification and treatment of #COVID19 positive cases. #OdishaCares, " the Chief Minister's Office, Odisha said in a tweet. #Odisha has emerged second leading state in the country by conducting 1265 tests per million per day, compared to national average of 580 as per @MoHFW_INDIA. Odisha has been consistently ramping up tests for identification and treatment of #COVID19 positive cases.#OdishaCares pic.twitter.com/j0UCZ3EbE5 CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) August 21, 2020 Ramping up testing significantly, the Odisha government has been collecting 50,000 samples per day and this has decreased the positivity rate from 9.2 per cent to 5.5 per cent. This drop in number may point at a downward trend in Odisha. A press note from the Odisha government said, "Odisha is a role model for the nation and globally in handling of the Covid battle and the recent information on Covid testing by Union Government, placing Odisha in 2nd position in India is just another initiative of the Odisha Government to win the war against Covid." Odisha has reported 72,718 COVID-19 cases and 390 deaths. However a total of 48,577 patients have already been cured. Odisha stands way ahead of bigger states such Madhya Pradesh, ( daily tests per million), Rajasthan (309), West Bengal (365), Maharashtra (579) and Punjab (546). Even when compared to developed states such as Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, Odisha is way ahead. Total eclipse of the UNP marks 2020, partys annus horribilis View(s): The total eclipse of the United National Party sun in Lankas political firmament was made dramatically visible on Thursday morn when it was conspicuously absent from Parliament, where it had dominated the august chamber with its stately presence as a national institution since the grant of independence 72 years ago. The extent to which the people had clearly shown its gross displeasure toward the UNP in the Lankan electorate was self-evident when translated into numbers in Parliament where not even a single member had been elected to grace Lankas supreme legislature and add voice to the proceedings. One year ago the grand old party of Lankas politics was the government, with over 100 seats to boast. This week at the ceremonial opening of the 9th Parliament under the UNP fathered 1978 Constitution, they could boast none. The ignominious defeat became even more shameless when the UNPers miserably failed to decide amongst themselves as to who should fill the one slot on the national list granted to the party based on the total polled. This vacillation confirmed the public view of the party as one of indecision, Hamlets tragic flaw that made him lose the name of action and brought forth his downfall. In this instance it is due to the internal squabbling of the handful left, desperately vying with one another to enter the House by the tradesmens entrance at the rear when, lacking the peoples invite, they had been denied entry from the front. The failure meant that the oldest party joined ranks with the newest party, Our Power of Peoples Party, which, too, failed to send its one nationalist member to Parliament on its ninth ceremonial opening because two Buddhist monks Rathane and Gnanasara theras were fighting over the one slot to enter parliament, in a despicable manner unbecoming of Buddhist monks. What a bleak day Thursday was for the United National Party, its total absence from the House it had built on Diyawanna waters, bringing home starkly to Sirikotha, the unthinkable, unimaginable and undreamt magnitude of their shattering defeat. Its almost as if the earth had opened up and swallowed the UNP whole, leaving no trace that they had ever existed. The party had paid the ultimate price for its utmost complacency, for its dinosauric resistance to change when survival demanded change. And betrayed remorseless the trust reposed and, with callous disregard, abandoned to the winds the myriad hopes and aspirations of its much vaunted voter base of approximately 5 million who had voted for the party at previous elections, including last years presidential poll. And the party had reaped the inevitable whirlwind. Yet, a sense of irredeemable loss pervades the morose air not only for those dyed in the wool die-hards to whom the UNP and its policies were their political creed and tenets and the leader their irreplaceable messiah who had led them to apocalypse but also to the Lankan public of whatever political hue or denomination who genuflect before democracys altar and holds its sacrament as an article of undying faith. They mourn the sad demise of the alternative party in a two-party system which has endangered further the already shaky foundations of Lankas democratic state; and has, overnight, put democracy on notice of its numbered days as the natural consequence of such a wretched state. Since 1948, the history of post-independence Lanka has been inextricably linked with the history of the UNP. It had been the midwife of the nation who had delivered her independence from the British; the foster father of the nations parliamentary democracy who, against all odds, had kept the flame of individual freedoms flickering in the darkest nights and kept the totalitarian wolf with its communist fangs from the nations door; the father of the nations constitution which, despite its warts, has lasted 42 years for better or worse; the giver of the open economy who boldly opened the floodgates of trade, while unleashing the power of Mahaweli waters and harnessing it to fuel the industries. But in the increasing mists of the illustrious past, can one barely discern a distant future hope of the UNP rising from the dead? A Phoenix taking flight from the ashes of abject defeat? If that faint prospect is destined to come to pass and take substantial form, the remaining faithful of the shell shocked UNP must first come to terms with the reality of their partys unprecedented defeat. First and foremost, the UNP must come off its imagined high horse and take a peep at the real world from the dustbin the people have contemptuously thrown them all into, lock, stock and barrel. They should first understand and realise with every sinew and fibre that the folly of their intransigent and devious ways have dumped them there in the very nadir of political existence; and that false pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. That this rout is of their own making, in their inability to compromise and accommodate new ideas, hear out alternative voices than their masters own, and fashion its mould to changing styles that capture the imagination of the public and make the party and its members more endearing to the public eye. Sitting around moaning and whinnying and wallowing in its own mire of a defeat that stinks to high heavens, and pointing the finger of blame at everyone else other than in the direction of their own at whose shoes blame for this unmitigated disaster must be placed, will not help stir even one cell to life in the UNPs moribund corpus. Rather a decent burial and move on than have it linger any longer on a hope supporting machine when life itself has fled. In this regard, former State Minister for Defence, Ruwan Wijeywardene, made an optimistic start this week to find the partys place in the sun to suit its present adverse circumstances after its fall from grace: from being the courted belle of the ball everyone wants to tango with to being the wrinkled, crimpled, down and out dowager with whom none wants to be seen, even dead. But the UNPs Deputy General Secretary Ruwan struck the correct pitch when he made the first overtures to his former party colleagues who, through force of circumstances, had been forced to leave the party and form their own. But first he had a lot of weeding out to do. A few months before, the then powerful UNP had thrown out the rebels, had stripped them of their party membership and had gone to the injudicious extent of having them barred from contesting the elections by getting their nominations cancelled. Now having failed to do their worst, and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya having done their best to secure the traditional post of UNP leader during his 26-year reign as leader of the opposition, the tables had turned dramatically in SJBs favour. Though his party had met with its Waterloo with all its ships sunk, Ruwan was resolute, yet gracious in defeat. Suing for peace, Ruwan reached out the UNP hand to the SJB to join them in the common pursuit of winning the upcoming provincial elections. He told the media on Tuesday his party hopes to join hands and work with the breakaway Samagi Jana Balawegaya in the future. There should be a change in the UNP and that they will reorganise the party to face the upcoming provincial council elections. We have to regain the trust and confidence of our followers and the people in the country, at a time the vote percentage has dropped to 2-3 percent we have a good opportunity to completely change the party. He further said: There is a possibility of a merger between the United National Party and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya in the future. We intend having a dialogue with the SJB with such a possibility in view. The SJB, in the excess of euphoria, perhaps, thought it fit to snub this offer. Newcomer to Parliament SJB MP Hesha Withanage told the media the same day, the only alternative left for the United National Party is to ally with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. We hear that the UNP is hoping to reorganise itself. These plans have ended in failure in the past. We are sad about the fate which has befallen the UNP at the general election. Parliament will be without UNP MPs for the first time in Sri Lankas political history. We are inviting those remaining in the party to join Mr. Premadasa. This was not the first time Ruwan Wijeywardene had made this appeal and cautioned both sides of what was at stake. On March 8 this year, he had warned: The UNP will not have a future if it gets divided. All must get together to contest the General Election, Several groups within the party hope to achieve a greater victory by shattering the party. A future is not visible if the party is divided. Therefore, the UNP and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya must get together to achieve a greater victory. Though his first efforts to bring the two parties together may have been initially rejected with a counter-invitation made by the SJB for the UNP to join the SJB, it has served to thaw the ice. And shows all possible signs of success in the future. The UNP still has some widows mite to offer after some load shedding in its power grid. The road is long with many a winding turn and the run down UNP faces a solitary walk with a leaky umbrella and its hand stretched to hitch a ride in the SJBs SUV. Though presently it gives the thumbs down to the weary traveller, who knows a puncture might well call for a tyre changer. The year 2020 has been an annus horribilis for the UNP, even as the year 1992 was to the Queen of England. She described the year as annus horribilis, an old Latin phrase meaning horrible year, in her speech marking her 40 year of ascension to the throne. In the coming months, the UNP will have to first reinvent itself if it wishes to regain its place in the political firmament. No rush. If nothing else is, at least, time is on their side. No clamour, noh cry The first item on the cabinet agenda was constitutional change with the main focus on repealing the 19th Amendment. Orders were given for the drafting of the 20th Amendment to begin pronto, with the accent on strengthening government powers to perform the tasks better. Funnily enough five years ago, the entire nation was galvanised by the late Venerable Sobitha Theras strident call to scrapping the executive presidency and return to a parliamentary form of government. Today, when constitutional changes are all the rage, not even a squeak about how the executive presidency has been the bane of the country. Wonder where the clamour for its abolition suddenly disappears to from the nations lips? During a three-day session, the Yogi Adityanath-led government passed 27 bills in the state assembly including the Uttar Pradesh Security Force Bill and Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Properties Bill, 2020. UP assembly speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit said, This three-day session was fruitful. In the last three days, a total of 138 petitions were received on which action will be taken. Most importantly, a record 27 bills were passed. These bills will now be sent to Governor Anandiben Patel for final approval. Earlier, the state government had implemented major ordinances after the outbreak of Covid-19 related to cuts in the salary of ministers, postponement of MLA funds, and legislators and preventing attacks on frontline workers. The ordinances brought by the state government were required to get the approval of the Assembly under constitutional obligation. Earlier in March, the governor had promulgated an ordinance for recovery of damages to public and private properties from rioters and protesters, and to provide the setting-up of tribunals to adjudicate claims for damages and recover them. According to the statement of object and reasons (SOR) of the ordinance, it aims at dealing with all acts of violence at public places and to control its persistence and escalation, and to provide for the recovery of damage to public or private property during hartal, bundh, riots, public commotion or protests. The UP Cabinet had approved the ordinance on March 13, a day after a vacation bench of the apex court, comprising justices UU Lalit and Aniruddha Bose, refused to stay the Allahabad High Courts order for removal of the governments anti-CAA stir, name-and-shame posters. While hearing an urgent plea by the state government seeking a stay of the high court order, the apex court had refused to grant relief to the government saying that there was no law to support its action. Earlier in June, the BJP government had approved the Cow-Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The amendment called for stricter punishment for violators and permitted publication of pictures of the accused at prominent spots in the city. The cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister approved the amendment to Section 5A of the UP Cow Slaughter Prevention Act 1955. It penalises cow slaughter with jail terms ranging from a minimum of one year to a maximum of 10 years and imposes monetary fines between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The National Hurricane Center on Saturday continued to track not one but two tropical storms -- Laura and Marco -- and both are headed for the Gulf of Mexico. And now theres a chance both could make landfall just days apart in nearly the same place. The big headline on Saturday was the big changes to Tropical Storm Marcos forecast track. Theres been a big swing to the east and a big timing change. Marcos new track suggests it could make landfall on Monday in central Louisiana. And Laura could do the exact same thing just two days later -- make landfall in Louisiana as a hurricane on Wednesday -- as incredible as it seems. Heres the latest on the two storms. TROPICAL STORM LAURA Tropical Storm Laura was near Hispaniola on Saturday night. It could make it into the Gulf of Mexico by late Monday or early Tuesday. LAURA: WHATS NEW Tropical Storm Laura gained some strength earlier on Saturday as it moved away from Puerto Rico and moved south of Hispaniola. Laura continued to dump heavy rain on Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as of Saturday night, according to the hurricane center. Lauras winds have held at 50 mph for much of the day. The latest forecast track -- which is still subject to change -- has Laura approaching the Louisiana coast on Wednesday as a hurricane, just days after Tropical Storm Marco makes landfall in the state. LAURA: LOCATION As of 10 p.m. CDT Saturday, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located 25 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. LAURA: TRACK FORECAST Lauras forecast track hasnt changed all that much as of Saturday night. Laura was headed west-northwest at 16 mph on Saturday night, according to the hurricane center. Laura will move over Hispaniola tonight and reach eastern Cuba on Sunday. The latest track takes the center of the storm over land for considerable stretches in both Hispaniola and Cuba. But Laura could strengthen once it gets into the Gulf, and the long-range track has what could be a hurricane approaching the Louisiana coast on Wednesday. But its far from certain where Laura will go since its center will likely be disrupted from being over land. The details of the long-range track and intensity forecasts remain uncertain since Laura is forecast to move near or over portions of the Greater Antilles through Monday. However, Laura is forecast to strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico and could bring storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts to portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast by the middle of next week, the hurricane center said Saturday. LAURA: INTENSITY FORECAST The hurricane center continued to stress that the intensity forecast depends on Lauras future track. Laura had 50 mph winds on Saturday, up from 40 mph this morning. The hurricane center said Laura is not expected to get stronger until Monday night, when the center of the storm makes to the Gulf. The intensity forecast as of Saturday night is expecting Laura to get stronger and peak with 90 mph winds over the Gulf next week. The hurricane center doesnt expect Marco to affect Laura since they will be days apart. At this time it does not seem likely that Marco, which is forecast to make landfall on the north-central Gulf coast a day or two earlier than Laura, should have much of an influence on the latter system, the hurricane center said Saturday afternoon. LAURA: WATCHES AND WARNINGS Changes as of Saturday night include: The tropical storm warning has been dropped for the U.S. Virgin Islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect for... * Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra * The northern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border with Haiti * The southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque * The northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas to the border with the Dominican Republic * The southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands * Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, and Granma A tropical storm watch is in effect for... * The central Bahamas * Andros Island * Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to Key West and the Dry Tortugas * Florida Bay * Cuban provinces of Ciego De Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Mayabeque, La Habana, Artemisa and Pinar Del Rio TROPICAL STORM MARCO There has been a big shift in Tropical Storm Marco's track as of Saturday afternoon. Instead of coming ashore in Texas, it looks like Louisiana may get the brunt of the storm, which could be a hurricane at landfall. MARCO: WHATS NEW Marco became a tropical storm late Friday and has quickly gotten stronger as of Saturday with winds holding at 65 mph in the latest update. As of Saturday evening it has moved into the Gulf. The big news is the big shift in Marcos long-range track forecast. It has swung markedly to the east and sped up. Now landfall is anticipated on Monday in Louisiana, instead of Tuesday in Texas. And Marco may be a hurricane when it arrives on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for the Mississippi and part of the Louisiana coasts, and a tropical storm watch extends eastward and covers Alabamas coast as well. Marcos new track may mean it hits the central Gulf Coast, and then Laura could affect some of the same areas just days later. Tropical Storm Laura could bring additional storm surge, rainfall, and wind impacts to portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast by the middle of next week. This could result in a prolonged period of hazardous weather for areas that could be affected by Marco, the hurricane center said. MARCO: LOCATION As of 10 p.m. CDT Saturday, Tropical Storm Marco was about 110 miles northwest of the western tip of Cuba, or 470 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. MARCO: TRACK FORECAST Cutting to the chase, there have been some big changes among the model guidance, and subsequently the NHC forecast, for Marco this afternoon, the hurricane center said earlier Saturday. Forecasters said most of their model guidance has shifted significantly to the east today, and the forecast track has swung east along with it. Now instead of a Texas landfall, Marco may come ashore in Louisiana. But thats not set in stone just yet, the hurricane center cautioned. This isnt to say that the uncertainty in the eventual track has diminished. In fact, various ensemble members from some of the global models still show a potential risk to the coast anywhere from Texas to Alabama, and its entirely possible that the volatile shifts seen in the models could continue, forecasters said. Marco was tracking to the north-northwest at 13 mph and is expected to stay on that course through Monday, when it could make landfall. MARCO: INTENSITY FORECAST Marco had 65 mph on Saturday evening and could get stronger. The hurricane center said Marco could become a hurricane on Sunday. However, the hurricane center said Marco appeared to be suffering from wind shear on Saturday night. Since Marco is a small storm it is more liable to have drastic structure and intensity swings. The shear is still expected to strengthen in 36-48 hours when the system is approaching the northern Gulf Coast, but with the shift in the forecast track, now there may not be enough time for Marco to weaken below hurricane intensity before it reaches land, forecasters said Saturday. MARCO: WATCHES AND WARNINGS Heres a list of the watches and warnings as of 10 p.m. Saturday: A storm surge watch is in effect for... * Sabine Pass to the Alabama/Florida border * Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne, and Mobile Bay A hurricane watch is in effect for... * Intracoastal City, La., to the Mississippi/Alabama border * Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and Metropolitan New Orleans A tropical storm warning is in effect for... * Province of Pinar del Rio, Cuba A tropical storm watch is in effect for... * Mississippi/Alabama border to the Alabama/Florida border SEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - South Korea started talks with China's top diplomat on Saturday, the first visit by a high-level Beijing official since the new coronavirus emerged in China late last year. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Communist Party Politburo, was meeting South Korea's new national security adviser, Suh Hoon, in the southern port city of Busan to discuss coronavirus cooperation, bilateral relations and the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean government said. Yang arrived on Friday and is to leave on Saturday, the government said in a statement. The talks come after the COVID-19 had undercut bilateral exchanges and stalled denuclearisation negotiations involving North Korea. Suh, who took up the top security job last month after serving as intelligence chief, was to discuss North Korea, coronavirus cooperation and a potential trip to Seoul by Chinese President Xi Jinping, presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said this week. Yang did not respond to a question, ahead of the meeting, on whether Xi might visit this year, according to a pool report. The two countries resumed exchanges last month when Seoul sent a high-level diplomat for a bilateral economic meeting. South Korea had largely managed to bring the first COVID-19 outbreak outside of China under control without major disruptions, but recent surges in cases prompted authorities to re-impose tighter distancing rules. South Korea reported 332 new coronavirus infections as of midnight Friday, of which 315 were domestic, taking the country's tally to 17,002 with 309 death. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by William Mallard) One of the leaders of thought in the north has revealed how much of a better leader is APC national leader Bola Tinubu than President Muhammadu Buhari. Tanko Yakassai, who was a liaison officer to former President Shehu Shagari, said if Nigerians give Tinubu the opportunity to be president, he will perform better than Buhari. Yakassais admiration for Tinubus suitability and strategic planning grew out of his recent visit to Lagos. Speaking in an interview in Kano, Yakassai said Tinubu is better at planning than Buhari and stressed that planning is what makes a better leader. If you are talking of making a better president, to be honest with you, I think if Tinubu can get the APC ticket and is elected, he will perform better than Buhari. I do not doubt in my mind, said Yakassai in an interview with the Dail Times. Go to Lagos and see what Tinubu did, when I went for an occasion, I took my time on the day of my arrival to go and have a look at Lekki. He insisted that what makes a better political leader in government is the plan. If you have a plan, you can do it; without a plan, you cannot perform. Tinubu has yet to out with hi strategy for the 2024 presidency. But many reading his body language belie hes eyeing Nigerias top job, and he may give it a shot come 2023. The former Lagos governor has been the only presidential wannabe from the south who has been coming up frequently as the only one made of presidential stuffamong the lot preparing for the presidency in 2023. Reverend Leonard Aglomasa, Biakoye District Director, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has admonished Ghanaians not to use the easing of some restrictions by the government as a guarantee to lead irresponsible lifestyles to continue to spread the virus. He said he has observed how some residents of Nkonya Ahenkro, especially the youth have been disobeying the safety protocols against the COVID-19 after the ease of some restrictions by the President Akufo-Addo in his 15th address to the nation. Rev. Aglomasa made this call when his outfit visited the Nkonya Ahenkro Mosque in the Biakoye District of the Oti Region as part of the COVID 19 Awareness Creation Campaign. He said though the fight against pandemic was being gradually won with the marginal decline in the number of cases, there was the need for all not to abandon the new normal life of handwashing with soap under running water, sanitising hands often and the wearing of face masks when leaving home. Rev. Aglomasa took the gathering through the signs and symptoms of the virus. "Additional signs and symptoms were discovered to include loss of taste and smell aside coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat, shortness of breath, and severe pneumonia," he added. Rev. Aglomasa called on shop owners, Churches, Mosques, and other institutions in the District to enforce the "No Mask, No Entry" campaign by posting these inscriptions at the entrance of public places. He stressed the need to avoid touching the mouth, nose, and eyes with unclean hands. Rev. Aglomasa said there was the need for all to embrace the frequent intake of fruits and vegetables on top of regular exercise regimes and avoid smoking and alcohol intake to strengthen the immune system towards fighting the virus. 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 Anna Heinrich is expecting her first child, a daughter, with husband Tim Robards in the coming months. And on Saturday, the former Bachelor star showed off her burgeoning baby bump in a chic little back dress. The 33-year-old looked positively glowing in the candid photo shared with her 370,000 Instagram followers. Bumping along nicely! Anna Heinrich, 33, showed off her burgeoning baby belly in a chic little black dress, in a photo shared to Instagram on Saturday (pictured), as she prepares to welcome her first child in the coming months 'ALL DRESSED UP..... Just need a place to go,' Anna wrote in the post's caption. The criminal lawyer showed off her growing belly in a long-sleeved black dress from Elliatt, retailing for $259.95. She wore styled her blonde locks loosely around her face, and her makeup included a subtle smoky eye and a natural colour on her pout. Another photo shared to her Instagram Stories saw Anna placing both hands on her tummy, with the caption reading 'bump shot'. Glowing: Another photo shared to her Instagram Stories saw Anna placing both hands on her tummy, with the caption reading 'bump shot' With Anna now in her third trimester, husband Tim, 37, made the decision last week to quit Neighbours and get back to his expectant wife in Sydney. Tim has spent most of Anna's pregnancy in Melbourne, where the Channel Ten soap is filmed. The actor recently explained how recent travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic made his commute impossible. He found himself with no choice but to move back to Sydney permanently. Priorities: With Anna now in her third trimester, her husband Tim Robards (pictured), 37, made the decision last week to quit Neighbours and get back to his expectant wife in Sydney 'I made the gut-wrenching decision to depart Neighbours early as my responsibilities as a husband and father have to take precedence,' he said in an official statement. 'If I've learnt anything in this pandemic it's that the health and wellbeing of my family has to come first.' Tim, who plays wealthy businessman Pierce Greyson on Neighbours, was originally scheduled to film his final scenes in September. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 16:33:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Saturday ordered the detention of 47 military personnel over their suspected links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016. Police launched simultaneous operations in 40 provinces across the country to catch the suspects upon the order of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the western province of Izmir, the NTV broadcaster reported. The police teams have already detained 36 of the suspects, it said. On Tuesday, a large operation was conducted in 70 provinces to detain 141 military personnel, including soldiers on active duty, over their suspected connections with the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. 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 Egypt has opened a centre to monitor building violations and encroachments on agricultural land through satellite technology, a statement by the planning and economic development ministry said on Saturday, as the country continues to press a zero-tolerance policy on violations. Planning and Economic Development Minister Hala El-Said said the centre, which will be a ministry affiliate, aims to preserve the states rights by monitoring building violations nationwide. The centre will also follow up on government projects and investments by facilitating access to geographical data by government bodies. The centre has four central units, including a unit for using satellite imaging to help reduce government spending and another unit that monitors new construction to ensure its legality. Other units include a specialised unit that provides accurate spatial information to help direct development towards the neediest places and one that follows up on the implementation of national projects. The announcement comes as Egypt continues to crackdown on building violators to meet a six-month deadline set by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to end violations in the country. Egypt has seen a significant rise in illegal buildings amid the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising. Countless people started constructing multi-storey buildings without acquiring the necessary permits or complying with safety standards. A portion of Egypt's 100 million citizens live in clusters of red-brick buildings and informal settlements. Earlier this month, El-Sisi asked the government to finalise any outstanding issues related to settling violations, reiterating the governments zero tolerance policy on violations. He said that construction will be banned in some neighbourhoods by the end of the six-month period. Egypt has already banned residential construction in some neighbourhoods in Cairo and Giza governorates and areas that have reached their maximum population density. According to a 2018 report by the local development ministry, Egypt registered 2 million building violations between 2000 and 2017. In April, the cabinet said building violations would be referred to military prosecutors under the current emergency law. New Delhi: Twitter is buzzing with news alerts from India and rest of the world. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll - # 11: 47 PM Chancellor Angela Merkel orders a sweeping review of Germany's security apparatus: AFP # 11: 11 PM UN Security Council rejects arms embargo on South Sudan: AFP # 10: 49 PM Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat says 2 Libyan hijackers had hand grenade and pistol - AP # 10: 47 PM 600 Jan Dhan accounts, which showed over Rs 10 cr deposits post demonetisation, under I-T lens in Bihar, Jharkhand for suspected naxal links - PTI # 10:44 PM Delhi L-G NajeebJung made to resign as he wanted to release Shunglu Committee report, alleges Congress leader Ajay Maken - PTI # 10:43 PM 10 stations of Delhi Metro to go cashless from January 1, commuters can recharge smart cards & buy tokens from digital platforms # 10:39 PM Govt caps prices of more than 50 essential #drugs including those used for treatment of HIV infection, #diabetes. Rates down by up to 44%: PTI # 10: 35 PM Pakistan has to ensure peaceful atmosphere for talks: India - PTI # 10: 15 PM Fake notes, in scrapped denominations, with value of Rs 1.35 crore seized in Maharashtra's Nashik; NCP worker among 11 held: Police: PTI # 10:14 PM West African leaders will send troops into Gambia if President who lost election doesn't step down: AP # 10:10 PM Putin calls #Assad to congratulate on Aleppo 'liberation': AFP # 10:09 PM #ONGC to buy 80 pc stake in GSPC block for USD 925 million: PTI # 10:08 PM India beat #SriLanka by 34 runs to win ACC Under-19 Asia Cup title: ANI # 9:50 PM Fake notes, in scrapped denominations, with face value of Rs 1.35 crore seized in Maharashtra's Nashik; NCP worker among 11 held: Police - PTI # 9:49 PM Rs 3,651 crore undisclosed income detected, Rs 98 crore in new notes seized in country-wide operations post demonetisation: Income Tax dept: PTI #9:33 PM UP: Churches lit up ahead of Christmas in #Moradabad - ANI # 9:22 PM Report of over 150 bodies of Indian nationals lying in various hospitals, mortuaries in Saudi Arabia 'completely factually misleading': Govt # 9:15 PM IT department conducts search at a gold bullion group in Allahabad, gold worth Rs 1.06 Cr & Rs. 20 Lakh cash seized from a Locker: IT Sources # 9:04 PM Agra: Rs. 12 Crore undisclosed income admitted by the assessee on the basis of incriminating papers/documents seized: IT sources (ANI) # 9:02 PM Income Tax Department conducted search at a bullion group in Agra covering 11 premises at different locations: IT Sources: ANI # 8:58 PM Manipur Blockade Curfew from Lamlong bridge to Pangei area in #Imphal relaxed from 6 am-5 pm tomorrow: ANI # 8:54 PM Malta PM Joseph Muscat to address press conference in the next few minutes # 8:48 PM Putin warms to #Trump, flexes muscles on #Syria: AFP # 8:27 PM A 'significant' Islamic State-inspired Christmas Day terror plot targeting central Melbourne with explosives has been foiled, police say # 8:26 PM Putin says he sees "nothing unusual" in Trump's nuclear comments: AP # 8:24 PM Till date no talks has been held with any party, so the issue of seat distribution has also note emerged: GN Azad, Congress - ANI # 8:22 PM I'm not thinking about the numbers, I'm concerned about the audience's reaction. I don't have interest in numbers: Aamir Khan on Dangal: PTI # 8:21 PM Ratan Tata says most attacks on him and the Tata Group are unsubstantiated and very painful: ANI # 8:20 PM I think the truth will prevail, whatever the process may be, however painful it may be says Ratan Tata: ANI # 8:17 PM Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 8:16 PM Libya plane hijackers asking for asylum in Malta: minister (AFP) # 8:13 PM Final crew members leaving aircraft with hijackers: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 7: 56 PM Donald Trump on nuclear weapons tweet: 'Let it be an arms race' - Reuters India # 7:54 PM 'Acute' threat thwarted but terror 'danger' endures: Angela Merkel: AFP # 7:53 PM RatanTata says there is a definite move to damage his personal reputation over last two months: PTI # 7:52 PM Bengaluru: Rs 47.74 cr undisclosed income detected in raid on #Bulliondealers, Rs 1.07 cr new notes seized in a different case: #ITDept: ANI #7:51 PM Union Minister Manoj Sinha sustains minor injuries after a car accident in Gorakhpur # 7:50 PM Mediterranean death toll is record 5,000 migrants this year: Reuters India # 7:35 PM Trump spokesman says tweet on nuclear weapons was response to other countries: AP # 7:34 PM Germany's top security official says terrorist threat "remains high" despite death of market attack suspect: AP # 7:33 PM Huge crowds cheer Japan emperor on 83rdbirthday, possibly last such appearance after expressing desire to abdicate: AFP # 7:32 PM Russia sends battalion of military police to Aleppo: defence minister - AFP # 7:31 PM Absconding accused in Najafgarh murder case of a 17-year-old girl, has been arrested by Police: ANI # 7:30 PM Potentially 2 hijackers and some crew members still on board aircraft: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 7:29 PM Crew members being released: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 7:28 PM 109 passengers released from hijacked Afriqiyah Airways flight in Malta: RT # 7:27 PM Hezbollah says Aleppo fall means efforts to oust Assad have 'failed': AFP #7:26 PM Egypt agrees to UN Israel vote delay in call with #Trump: AFP # 7:25 PM ED conduct searches at Shri Ganesh Hire Purchase company in Jalandhar, seize Rs 16 lakh foreign currency & Rs 10 lakh new Indian currency: ANI # 7:10 PM Further 44 passengers being released: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 6:55 PM 65 passengers released so far: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 6:53 PM The 4 foreign nationals handed over to Police by CISF for showing fake e-tickets are Chinese Delhi # 6:51 PM Release of second group of 25 passengers underway: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 6:46 PM 4 foreign nationals handed over to Police by CISF for showing fake e-tickets to see off a passenger was travelling to Hong Kong. Delhi: ANI # 6:40 PM IS-linked Amaq says man shot in Milan was Berlin attacker: AFP # 6:34 PM First 25 passengers released: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 6:30 PM First group of passengers, consisting of women and children, being released now: PM Joseph Muscat, Malta # 6:24 PM We will provide as many central forces as required, Center will offer adequate support: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home on Manipur visit - ANI # 6:20 PM A negotiating team is on standby at Airport awaiting instructions from PM, who is in meeting with National Security Committee: Malta - AP # 6:18 PM Delhi HC stays Centre's decision to reject security clearance to air charter service for transporting Rs 3.5 cr in demonetised notes: PTI # 6:17 PM Plea opposing Justice JS Khehar's elevation as CJI infructuous, says SC noting that the Prez has already issued notification: PTI # 6:16 PM German prosecutor says authorities still trying to determine whether Berlin truck suspect had network of supporters: AP # 6:13 PM J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti inaugurates Central Asian Museum in Leh: ANI # 6:08 PM BJP MP Roopa Ganguly admitted due to small haematoma in brain, she is absolutely stable and under observation: AMRI Hospital statement: ANI # 6:06 PM It has been established that Afriqiyah flight has 111 passengers on board. 82 males, 28 females, 1 infant: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 6:02 PM Trump calls for U.S. to greatly expand its nuclear capability, but he doesn't expand on what the U.S. should do: AP # 6:00 PM BJP Rajya Sabha MP RoopaGanguly admitted to AMRI hospital in Kolkata. More details awaited: ANI # 5:58 PM Hyderabad: Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao speaking at Swachh Survekshan 2017 programme: ANI # 5:56 PM Negotiating team on standby in #Malta - AP # 5:54 PM Inter-Ministerial Central Team to visit Tamil Nadu next week for on-the-spot assessment of post- Vardah cyclone: ANI # 5:48 PM When time comes I'll take a look at situation in Russia and world and decide whether to take part in presidential elec. or not: RT # 5:47 PM Hijacker threatens to detonate hand grenade onboard Afriqiyah Airways flight 8U209 in Malta Intl Airport: RT # 5:45 PM Some Malta Intl Airport operations resumed as Afriqiyah Airways plane sits on runway - officials - RT # 5:37 PM Next Demonetisation sub-committee meeting on December 28. It is headed by Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu - ANI #5:32 PM Compensation to states for loss of revenue from rollout of GST to be paid every two months: FM ArunJaitley - PTI # 5:30 PM 'Remain calm, follow official updates' - Malta President on Afriqiyah Airways plane hijack RT # 5:22 PM Two workers dead in an accident at a construction site in Patlipada, Thane (Maharashtra): ANI # 5:20 PM All flights to Malta Intl Airport diverted until further notice: RT # 5:16 PM Legally vetted draft of law for compensation to states to be placed before #GST Council at the next meeting: Finance Minister Jaitley - PTI #5:14 PM In the meetings (GST council) on 3rd and 4th in the second half I will also hold budget consultations with state finance ministers: FM Jaitley - ANI # 5:12 PM Tripoli confirms hijacked Libyan plane diverted to Malta: AFP # 5:10 PM Dual control and cross empowerment issues still remain. We are making reasonable headway: FM Arun Jaitley GST - ANI # 5: 05 PM Nusli Wadia files criminal defamation case against Tata Sons & Ratan Tata - ANI # 4:55 PM CGST and SGST primary drafts have been approved: FM Arun Jaitley on GST - ANI # 4:50 PM CBI registers case against 2 managers of Co-op urban bank, Mumbai doctor & others for fraudulently transporting Rs 25 crores in old notes: ANI # 4:42 PM A prototype vaccine for Ebola may be up to 100 percent effective in protecting against the deadly virus: WHO - AFP # 4:40 PM Its wrong to say that Muslim areas don't have cash, the truth is that cash is nowhere to be found: Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy CM, Bihar: ANI # 4:38 PM CBI raids 11 premises of Vaidyanath Urban Cooperative Bank in Maharashtra in connection with recovery of Rs 10 cr demonetised notes: PTI # 4:36 PM The 2 arrested by Crime Branch are also behind 9 fake accounts found in Kotak Mahindra Bank with unaccounted deposits worth Rs 34 Cr: ANI # 4:34 PM Delhi Police Crime Branch arrests 2 ppl in cheating case worth Rs 57.7 lakh from an account in Corporation Bank, GK-2 branch: ANI # 4:32 PM DMK chief M Karunanidhi discharged from Kauvery hospital in Chennai: ANI # 4:30 PM Hijacked Libyan plane lands in Malta with 118 people aboard media: Reuters India # 4:28 PM Lawyer Rohit Tondon reaches ED office in Daryganj for questioning in money laundering case against him: ANI # 4:26 PM DAC approved Multi-mission maritime aircraft, fitted with mission suites designed and developed by DRDO. Cost- Approx 5005 cr: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:24 PM IAF to procure one more C17 Globemaster mark III aircraft: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:22 PM 55 low-level lightweight radars for Indian Army and IAF, these 3D radars designed by DRDO and manufactured by Bell.Cost-419 cr: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:20 PM Procurement of 1500 India developed nuclear, chemical, biological systems for fitment on Infantry Combat Vehicles.Cost-1265 crores: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:18 PM One dead in rebel fire on regime-held Aleppo: Monitor- AFP # 4:16 PM Maltese Prime Minister tweets that he has been informed of potential hijack situation of flight diverted to Malta Reuters India # 4:14 PM Hijacked Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320, on internal flight in Libya with 118 people on board, lands in Malta: Maltese media Reuters India # 4:12 PM Germany 'relieved' Berlin attack suspect killed in Italy: ministry - AFP # 4:10 PM CPEC passes through sovereign Indian territory, we have expressed our concerns to China and Pakistan: Vikas Swarup, MEA Spokesperson - ANI # 4:08 PM We have never refused talks but Pakistan has to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. Pakistan needs to stop supporting terror: Vikas Swarup, MEA - AFP # 4:06 PM Vladimir Putin signs order on expanding Russia's Syria naval facility: Kremlin - AFP # 4:04 PM Our Embassy prepared to engage with local authorities to press upon fact that separation of child from family is humanitarian issue MEA: ANI # 4:02 PM Deutsche Bank agrees on $7.2 billion settlement with US Justice Department over mortgage-backed bonds: AP # 4:00 PM Child welfare cases are handled in accordance to the Norwegian Child Welfare Act.The Act applies to all children in Norway: Norway Embassy - AFP # 3:58 PM West Bengal: Enforcement Directorate raids Central Co-operative Bank in Nadia District; raid still on: ANI # 3:56 PM At least 40 killed in #DRCongo anti-Kabila protests: UN: AFP # 3:54 PM Olympics: IOC starts action against 28 Russians over Sochi doping: AFP # 3:50 PM Congress will support any step against corruption: Rahul Gandhi - # 3:48 PM Russian President #Putin says nobody believed Donald Trump would win 'except us': AFP # 3:46 PM We are reminded of Amitabh Bachchan's film song 'ram ram japna ghareeb ka maal apna': Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:44 PM Sensex up by 61.10 points, currently at 26040.70 Nifty at 7985.75: ANI # 3:42 PM Person liable for audit required to furnish SFT wrt transaction for receipt of cash exceeding Rs 2 lakh for sale of goods/services: CBDT - ANI # 3:44 PM Maharashtra: Naxals torched 40 trucks deployed as part of Surjagarh mining project, in Gadchiroli district: ANI # 3:45 PM CBDT issues clarification regarding reporting of cash transactions under Rule 114E of Income-tax Rules, 1962: ANI # 3:44 PM They said that demonetisation was a surgical strike on corruption. However, it is firebombing on India's poor: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:43 PM MEA announces new rules for passport. #Aadhar or #Eaadhar with Date of birth will now be accepted as DoB proof: ANI # 3:42 PM Italy confirms Berlin truck attack suspect shot dead in Milan: AFP # 3:41 PM People break down while building one house, you don't feel sorry before burning houses: Rahul Gandhi: ANI #3:39 PM Vladimir Putin says 'nothing unusual' about Trump's nuclear call: AFP # 3:37 PM Syrian state TV says army experts dismantling explosives and booby-traps left behind by rebels in east Aleppo: AP # 3:35 PM Agusta Westland Case: Order on bail plea of 3 accused including SP Tyagi reserved for 26 Dec their judicial custody will continue: ANI # 3:34 PM Demonetisation is an economic plunder: Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:32 PM WB CM Mamata Banerjee writes to Centre on deployment of CRPF in Income Tax offices without prior communication with the state - ANI # 3:30 PM More than 100 people died due to demonetisation, we couldn't mourn for those people even for 2 minutes in Parliament: Rahul Gandhi - ANI #3:11PM Berlin market attack suspect shot dead in shootout in Milan, Italy: security source -Reuters #2:56PM Haryana: Man shoots a police officer, who tried to stop his car at the barricade in Gurugram; Case registered; Investigation on.-ANI #2:52PM In last 4 yearrs,CBI hs never been able to establish any evidence against ex Air Chief regarding receipt of any bribe/kickbacks:Tyagi's counsel -ANI #2:51PM Tyagi's counsel cites health concerns of former Air chief AgustaWestland -ANI #2:41PM If he (SP Tyagi) tries to prove his innocence,they will accuse him of noncooperation since he's not incriminating himself:SP Tyagi's counsel -ANI #2:40PM Hearing on AgustaWestland case underway in Patiala House court: SP Tyagi's counsel says CBI isn't showing or telling evidence against him- ANI #2:37PM Uttarakhand: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to address a public rally in Almora shortly. -ANI #2:34PM Punjab: Congress declares second list of 16 candidates for upcoming Punjab polls #2:32PM In Italy, person guilty of corruption is already convicted. Guido Haschke hasn't challenged his conviction: CBI tells Patiala House court #2:14PM Agusta Westland case: Hearing on plea seeking bail for former Air Chief SP Tyagi underway in Delhi's Patiala House Court.-ANI #2:10PM Thane(Maha): Ink thrown at a Nagarpalika Officer by vendor whose stall was demolished on officer's order.Vendor beaten by staff;hospitalised -ANI #2:00PM CBI summons Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat asking him to appear on December 26th, in the alleged Sting CD case. -ANI #1:52PM AAP's Goa CM candidate Elvis Gomes summoned by ACB in a housing scam case, asked to report to the investigating officer on Dec 26 - ANI #1:48PM 7 kg IED planted by Naxals defused by CRPF in Chhattisgarh's Sukma - ANI #1:47PM Chennai: Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya files divorce petition in family court - ANI #1:40PM Maharashtra Police detains 11 people with fake currency notes worth Rs 1.5 crores in Nashik #1:18PM At any cost, economic blockade won't be allowed;adequate security provided: MoS Home Kiren Rijiju after meeting Manipur CM -ANI #1:11PM Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Old demonetised notes of Rs 500 & Rs 1000 found near Kukrail Dam. Police team at the spot. -ANI #1:03PM Najeeb Jung meeting with PMO over. They held discussions for an hour -News Nation #12:59PM TN: ED provisionally attached properties worth Rs 44 Cr of Aiswariya Rock Exports, Madurai & others, under provisions of PMLA -ANI #12:53PM SC dismisses plea filed by a lawyers body, seeking stay on appointment of Justice Jagdish Singh Kehar as the new Chief Justice of India. -ANI #12:44PM Chennai: After taking charge of the office of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Girija Vaidyanathanin meets Tamil Nadu CM O. Panneerselvam -ANI #12:41PM Delhi: Patiala House Court has also asked them to pay Rs 2 lakh each as personal bond and Rs 1 lakh as surety bond each. -ANI #12:40PM Patiala House Court grants bail to Dr Ramjee Singh, Chief of Central Council of Homeopathy & alleged middleman in a bribery case against him. -ANI #12:39PM Separatists in J&K might be looking for excuse to wake up trouble as they're always looking forward to fish in troubled waters of Jhelum: MoS PMO #12:34PM State Govt in consultation with Union Home Ministry revised mechanism wherein each of them could be provided a proof of ID. So that they could be in a position to apply for Central govt jobs;also for recruitment in military & paramilitary forces -Jitendra Singh MoS PMO. ANI #12:25PM Coal block allocation scam matter-AMR Iron and Steel Pvt Ltd retract their plea seeking re-investigation. Further orders reserved for Jan 18 -ANI #12:21PM I-T Dept summons ex TN Chief Secy Rammohan Rao's son Vivek Rao fr further investigation abt raids at his office;likely to appear this evening -ANI #12:20PM Kerala: Enquiry has been ordered over allegations that they appointed their close relatives in chief posts during UDF Govt tenure. -ANI #12:19PM Trivandrum Vigilance Court orders preliminary enquiry against former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy and other 9 UDF leaders.-ANI #12:10PM Earthquake tremors of 4.5 magnitude felt in Andaman Islands at around 10:26 AM. -ANI #12:05PM As per agenda of alliance b/w BJP-PDP jobs have been allocated for West Pakistan refugees by Centre: Satpal Singh,J&K BJP President -ANI #12:05PM Today the question is not about giving West Pak refugees domicile certificates but it is about their livelihood-Satpal Singh,J&K BJP President -ANI #12:01PM Hardik patel arrested at Jaipur airport ,due to security reason. He was not allowed to enter in the city-News Nation #11:57AM In our time,when we found something wrong,we only ordered enquiry,cancelled contract,fought in Italy&won;So,let them complete probe-AKAntony -ANI #11:54AM This Govt has been there for 2 1/2 yrs, they must complete the enquiry & bring the guilty to justice: AK Antony, Former Defence Min in AgustaChopper deal-ANI #11:40AM Delhi: Najeeb Jung who tendered his resignation as Delhi Lieutenant Governor reaches PMO -ANI #11:36AM MP: Factory allegedly producing spurious ghee busted in Shivpuri; 696 litre ghee worth Rs 3 lakh seized in 47days; Police,Food Dept at spot. -ANI #11:33AM Post demonetisation till December 21, more than Rs 3590 crore undisclosed income admitted/detected. 3589 notices issued: IT Sources-ANI #11:32AM Post note ban till December 21, more than Rs 505 crore seized (Over Rs 93 crore in new currency notes) by IT Department: IT Sources- ANI #11:27AM I-T Dept referred around 400 cases to ED and CBI following searches and seizures made post demonetisation: IT Sources -ANI #11:20AM Imphal: MoS Home Kiren Rijiju meets Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh-ANI #11:19AM I&B Ministry also provides additional time for remaining phase III subscribers to switch over by 31st Jan, 2017.-ANI #11:18AM I&B Ministry revises timeline for phase IV of cable TV digitisation to 31st March, 2017. -ANI #11:17AM DMK Chief Karunanidhi to be discharged from Kauvery hospital in Chennai today by 4 PM. -ANI #11:16AM SC fix 11 January to hear the petition -News Nation #11:16AM Court says that it's a very old law, no urgency to hear this matter during vacation -News Nation #11:15AM Supreme court refuses to give urgent hearing on a petition challenging Tax exemption to political parties -NewsNation #11:11AM MoS Home Kiren Rijiju reaches Imphal (Manipur), to take stock of situation prevailing in the district due to UNC blockade.-ANI #11:09AM Siliguri (West Bengal): IT Dept conducts raid at the residence of businessman Rup Chand Prasad in Naya Bazar. Raid underway.-ANI #11:00AM Hyderabad: Students' political groups organised 'Chalo Assembly' protest against Private Universities Bill; detained by Police -ANI #10:51AM Hyderabad: Rs 7 Cr found in account of cab driver,after interrogation agreed to pay taxes under PMGKY on this amount deposited. -ANI #10:50AM Odisha: Vigilance conducts raids at 5places including premises related to Prasanna Kr Nanda,auditor at Executive Engineer Office,Bhubaneswar-ANI #10:47AM Solar scam: Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy appears before Solar Judicial Commission-ANI #10:42AM No adverse report submitted to bank so far;Bank denies tht wre any fake a/cs;extending full co-operation to investigating agencies-Rohit Rao-ANI #10:40AM No KYC deficiencies noted in these 2 customers. IT Dept did question the Branch Manager: Rohit Rao, Kotak Mahindra Bank Spox-ANI #10:38AM Delhi: IT Dept visited Kotak bank's branch(KG Marg) in connection with survey on 2 of its customers & related a/cs: Kotak Mahindra Bank Spox -ANI #10:26AM Uttar Pradesh: 7-year old girl allegedly raped in Lucknow's Ashiyana Police Station area; hospitalised in critical condition. -ANI #10:03A Gujarat: Police detain more than 200 people from a farmhouse, where illegal liquor was being served during a wedding party, near Vadodara. #9:55AM ED interrogated Delhi lawyer Rohit Tandon on Wednesday, to issue notice to him in the ongoing money laundering case today. #9:16AM CISF detects Rs 53.78 lakh(approx) in new currency notes & Rs 4.29 lakh in old currency from a foreign national at Delhi's IGI airport - ANI #9:00AM 71.20% of the Tata Motors shareholders vote in favour of removal of Nusli Wadia as director. #8:55AM Rameswaram: A group of 82 people leave for Katchatheevu (Sri Lanka) to attend the Annual St. Antony's church festival. #8:51AM Bihar: IT Dept officials conduct raid at the premises of a businessman in Muzaffarpur. More details awaited. -ANI #8:49AM Manipur Blockade Curfew relaxed in parts of Imphal East district till 9 PM today, expect in areas from Lamlong Bazar to Yaingangpokpi-ANI #8:42AM Telangana CM inaugurates project for construction of 285 2-bedroom houses for eligible beneficiaries frm weaker sections in Erravelli village.-ANI #8:24AM Two arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning mall attack-AP #7:46AM We will also talk to State Govt to find a solution to this as ppl are facing a lot of problems due to the prevailing situation: Kiren Rijiju -ANI #7:45AM I am going to Manipur along with my senior officers to take stock of situation caused due to the economic blockade: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home -ANI #7:40AM DelhiFog 3 International flights delayed, one domestic flight from/to Delhi cancelled due to foggy weather (Visuals from IGI airport) -ANI #7:30 AM Karnataka: Police arrested two people with Rs 29.98 Lakh in new currency notes in Hubli, on Thursday.-ANI #7:20 AM GST Council meeting scheduled to take place today for the second day.-ANI #7:19AM Delhi Fog 42 trains running late, 4 rescheduled following poor visibility caused due to foggy weather. -ANI #7:17AM ManipurBlockade: Curfew also continues on the stretch of Pangei-Saikul road from Lamlong bridge to Pangei.-ANI #7:15AM Curfew relaxed in parts of Imphal East distt till 9 PM today. Curfew continues in area frm Lamlong Bazar to Yaingangpokpi-ANI #7:14AM 3 International flights delayed, one domestic flight cancelled due to foggy weather.-ANI #6:14AM Australian police arrest 7 people suspected of planning series of bomb attacks in Melbourne on Christmas.-AP # 6:53 PM The 4 foreign nationals handed over to Police by CISF for showing fake e tickets are Chinese Delhi # 6:51 PM Release of second group of 25 passengers underway: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 6:46 PM 4 foreign nationals handed over to Police by CISF for showing fake e-tickets to see off a passenger was travelling to Hong Kong. Delhi: ANI # 6:40 PM IS-linked Amaq says man shot in Milan was Berlin attacker: AFP # 6:34 PM First 25 passengers released: Joseph Muscat, Malta PM # 6:30 PM First group of passengers, consisting of women and children, being released now: PM Joseph Muscat, Malta # 6:24 PM We will provide as many central forces as required, Center will offer adequate support: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home on Manipur visit - ANI # 6:20 PM A negotiating team is on standby at Airport awaiting instructions from PM, who is in meeting with National Security Committee: Malta - AP # 6:18 PM Delhi HC stays Centre's decision to reject security clearance to air charter service for transporting Rs 3.5 cr in demonetised notes: PTI # 6:17 PM Plea opposing Justice JS Khehar's elevation as CJI infructuous, says SC noting that the Prez has already issued notification: PTI # 6:16 PM German prosecutor says authorities still trying to determine whether Berlin truck suspect had network of supporters: AP # 6:13 PM J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti inaugurates Central Asian Museum in Leh: ANI # 6:08 PM BJP MP Roopa Ganguly admitted due to small haematoma in brain, she is absolutely stable and under observation: AMRI Hospital statement: ANI # 6:06 PM It has been established that Afriqiyah flight has 111 passengers on board. 82 males, 28 females, 1 infant: Joseph Muscat Malta PM # 6:02 PM Trump calls for U.S. to greatly expand its nuclear capability, but he doesn't expand on what the U.S. should do: AP # 6:00 PM BJP Rajya Sabha MP RoopaGanguly admitted to AMRI hospital in Kolkata. More details awaited: ANI # 5:58 PM Hyderabad: Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao speaking at Swachh Survekshan 2017 programme: ANI # 5:56 PM Negotiating team on standby in #Malta - AP # 5:54 PM Inter-Ministerial Central Team to visit Tamil Nadu next week for on-the-spot assessment of post- Vardah cyclone: ANI # 5:48 PM When time comes I'll take a look at situation in Russia and world and decide whether to take part in presidential elec. or not: RT # 5:47 PM Hijacker threatens to detonate hand grenade onboard Afriqiyah Airways flight 8U209 in Malta Intl Airport: RT # 5:45 PM Some Malta Intl Airport operations resumed as Afriqiyah Airways plane sits on runway - officials - RT # 5:37 PM Next Demonetisation sub-committee meeting on December 28. It is headed by Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu - ANI #5:32 PM Compensation to states for loss of revenue from rollout of GST to be paid every two months: FM ArunJaitley - PTI # 5:30 PM 'Remain calm, follow official updates' - Malta President on Afriqiyah Airways plane hijack RT # 5:22 PM Two workers dead in an accident at a construction site in Patlipada, Thane (Maharashtra): ANI # 5:20 PM All flights to Malta Intl Airport diverted until further notice: RT # 5:16 PM Legally vetted draft of law for compensation to states to be placed before #GST Council at the next meeting: Finance Minister Jaitley - PTI #5:14 PM In the meetings (GST council) on 3rd and 4th in the second half I will also hold budget consultations with state finance ministers: FM Jaitley - ANI # 5:12 PM Tripoli confirms hijacked Libyan plane diverted to Malta: AFP # 5:10 PM Dual control and cross empowerment issues still remain. We are making reasonable headway: FM Arun Jaitley GST - ANI # 5: 05 PM Nusli Wadia files criminal defamation case against Tata Sons & Ratan Tata - ANI # 4:55 PM CGST and SGST primary drafts have been approved: FM Arun Jaitley on GST - ANI # 4:50 PM CBI registers case against 2 managers of Co-op urban bank, Mumbai doctor & others for fraudulently transporting Rs 25 crores in old notes: ANI # 4:42 PM A prototype vaccine for Ebola may be up to 100 percent effective in protecting against the deadly virus: WHO - AFP # 4:40 PM Its wrong to say that Muslim areas don't have cash, the truth is that cash is nowhere to be found: Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy CM, Bihar: ANI # 4:38 PM CBI raids 11 premises of Vaidyanath Urban Cooperative Bank in Maharashtra in connection with recovery of Rs 10 cr demonetised notes: PTI # 4:36 PM The 2 arrested by Crime Branch are also behind 9 fake accounts found in Kotak Mahindra Bank with unaccounted deposits worth Rs 34 Cr: ANI # 4:34 PM Delhi Police Crime Branch arrests 2 ppl in cheating case worth Rs 57.7 lakh from an account in Corporation Bank, GK-2 branch: ANI # 4:32 PM DMK chief M Karunanidhi discharged from Kauvery hospital in Chennai: ANI # 4:30 PM Hijacked Libyan plane lands in Malta with 118 people aboard media: Reuters India # 4:28 PM Lawyer Rohit Tondon reaches ED office in Daryganj for questioning in money laundering case against him: ANI # 4:26 PM DAC approved Multi-mission maritime aircraft, fitted with mission suites designed and developed by DRDO. Cost- Approx 5005 cr: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:24 PM IAF to procure one more C17 Globemaster mark III aircraft: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:22 PM 55 low-level lightweight radars for Indian Army and IAF, these 3D radars designed by DRDO and manufactured by Bell.Cost-419 cr: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:20 PM Procurement of 1500 India developed nuclear, chemical, biological systems for fitment on Infantry Combat Vehicles.Cost-1265 crores: MoD Sources - ANI # 4:18 PM One dead in rebel fire on regime-held Aleppo: Monitor- AFP # 4:16 PM Maltese Prime Minister tweets that he has been informed of potential hijack situation of flight diverted to Malta Reuters India # 4:14 PM Hijacked Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320, on internal flight in #Libya with 118 people on board, lands in Malta: Maltese media Reuters India # 4:12 PM Germany 'relieved' Berlin attack suspect killed in Italy: ministry - AFP # 4:10 PM CPEC passes through sovereign Indian territory, we have expressed our concerns to China and Pakistan: Vikas Swarup, MEA Spokesperson - ANI # 4:08 PM We have never refused talks but Pakistan has to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. Pakistan needs to stop supporting terror: Vikas Swarup, MEA - AFP # 4:06 PM Vladimir Putin signs order on expanding Russia's Syria naval facility: Kremlin - AFP # 4:04 PM Our Embassy prepared to engage with local authorities to press upon fact that separation of child from family is humanitarian issue MEA: ANI # 4:02 PM Deutsche Bank agrees on $7.2 billion settlement with US Justice Department over mortgage-backed bonds: AP # 4:00 PM Child welfare cases are handled in accordance to the Norwegian Child Welfare Act.The Act applies to all children in Norway: Norway Embassy - AFP # 3:58 PM West Bengal: Enforcement Directorate raids Central Co-operative Bank in Nadia District; raid still on: ANI # 3:56 PM At least 40 killed in #DRCongo anti-Kabila protests: UN: AFP # 3:54 PM Olympics: IOC starts action against 28 Russians over Sochi doping: AFP # 3:50 PM Congress will support any step against corruption: Rahul Gandhi - # 3:48 PM Russian President #Putin says nobody believed Donald Trump would win 'except us': AFP # 3:46 PM We are reminded of Amitabh Bachchan's film song 'ram ram japna ghareeb ka maal apna': Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:44 PM Sensex up by 61.10 points, currently at 26040.70 Nifty at 7985.75: ANI # 3:42 PM Person liable for audit required to furnish SFT wrt transaction for receipt of cash exceeding Rs 2 lakh for sale of goods/services: CBDT - ANI # 3:44 PM Maharashtra: Naxals torched 40 trucks deployed as part of Surjagarh mining project, in Gadchiroli district: ANI # 3:45 PM CBDT issues clarification regarding reporting of cash transactions under Rule 114E of Income-tax Rules, 1962: ANI # 3:46 PM They said that demonetisation was a surgical strike on corruption. However, it is firebombing on India's poor: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:43 PM MEA announces new rules for passport. #Aadhar or #Eaadhar with Date of birth will now be accepted as DoB proof: ANI # 3:42 PM Italy confirms Berlin truck attack suspect shot dead in Milan: AFP # 3:41 PM People break down while building one house, you don't feel sorry before burning houses: Rahul Gandhi: ANI #3:39 PM Vladimir Putin says 'nothing unusual' about Trump's nuclear call: AFP # 3:37 PM Syrian state TV says army experts dismantling explosives and booby-traps left behind by rebels in east Aleppo: AP # 3:35 PM Agusta Westland Case: Order on bail plea of 3 accused including SP Tyagi reserved for 26 Dec their judicial custody will continue: ANI # 3:34 PM Demonetisation is an economic plunder: Rahul Gandhi - ANI # 3:32 PM WB CM Mamata Banerjee writes to Centre on deployment of CRPF in Income Tax offices without prior communication with the state - ANI # 3:30 PM More than 100 people died due to demonetisation, we couldn't mourn for those people even for 2 minutes in Parliament: Rahul Gandhi - ANI For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Siliguri, Aug 22 (UNI) North Bengal Frontier of BSF has seized some 79 cattle heads, 2635 bottles of Phensedyl, 18.9 Kgs of Cannabis (Ganja) and other items during special seven-day anti-smuggling operations in different border areas of north Bengal. The total value of the seized items being smuggled from India to Bangladesh is nearly Rs16 lakh, the BSF said today. The raids were conducted between August 15-21. Besides these the BSF troops at Border Outpost Kusumtala on specific information apprehended one Tapan Roy, 19, of Dakshin Dinajpur while he was trying to smuggle 210 bottles of Phensedyl. The BSF also apprehended one Bangladeshi cattle smuggler Akhter Hossain, 25, of Panchgarh of Bangladesh along with two cattle, one mobile phone and 190 Bangladesh Taka while he was trying to smuggle cattle from India to Bangladesh through unfenced border. Both the apprehended persons were handed over to local police stations for legal action. UNI XC-PC AND A Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare, has said the Akufo-Addo ladministration has saved the countrys banking sector from sinking into complete mess. According to the Atiwa East legislator, the administration has saved the investments of 14 million Ghanaians as a result of the banking sector clean-up exercise. Speaking at the official launch of the NPP manifesto at Cape Coast in the Central Region today, Saturday, August 22, 2020, Abena Asare indicated that the notion by the opposition National Democratic Congress that the governing New Patriotic Party ought to have given money to the insolvent banks to repay its shareholders is not prudent. Our banking industry was on the verge of collapse but we have fixed it. We have saved fourteen million Ghanaians from losing their investments, some even with the aid of hindsight have suggested what only they could describe as a common-sense approach that we should have given money to the banks to make their shareholders happy; what the bible describes as putting new wine into old wineskins. Well, Mr Mahama, you did exactly that over and over again and what was the result? We were concerned with saving the whole industry rather than pleasing the same people who supervised the near-collapse of the industry. Today the banking sector has remained sound, solvent and resilient despite the adverse impact of the COVID-19 and this is due to the bold move by the government to clean up the sector. The Deputy Minister reiterated Ghana's banking industry remains sound, solvent and resilient despite the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We have created an atmosphere that has renewed the confidence of the private sector in the economy and have set this country once again on the right path and the results are being seen all over, she added. As part of its efforts to restore confidence in the banking and specialized deposit-taking sectors, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) embarked on a clean-up exercise in August 2017 to resolve insolvent financial institutions whose continued existence posed risks to the interest of depositors. The clean-up saw the revocation of licenses of 9 universal banks, 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies or money lenders, 15 savings and loans companies, 8 finance house companies, and two non-bank financial institutions. The move by the central bank was a comprehensive assessment of the savings and loans and finance house sub-sectors carried out by the BoG in the last few years after it identified serious breaches. citinewsroom Encampments in Hamilton Hamiltons encampment crisis has been years in the making In 2017, Mario Muscatos life took a turn for the worse. A recent transplant from Buffalo, N.Y., hed lost custody of his daughter just over the border. Thats when the drugs took hold. My daughter was everything, so when I lost her, it was just like it cant get no worse, he said. And it got worse, added Muscato, who lives in a tent on Ferguson Avenue North. A little more than a year later, he lost the lower part of his right arm and badly mangled his left. In the throes of addiction, the welder by trade and a cousin were harvesting copper wire from an apartment building for cash when he was electrocuted. The shock from the live wire threw him into a wall. More than a day passed before he was found clinging to life. It melted the skin, the meat, the tendons, the nerves like everything it touched. He was sent to hospital Oct. 29, 2018, and woke up two weeks later. After skin-graft surgery, he was discharged in mid-January. Everyone says, Youre lucky to be alive, but that depends on how you look at that, says the soft-spoken Cayuga man. Muscato, 47, shares this story on a blazing-hot August morning outside the Wesley Day Centre, a social-services and medical hub that serves homeless people. Hes one of about 35 people sleeping in tents here. Between this encampment and another outside FirstOntario Centre, there are about 50 tents. As well, there are 12 to 15 smaller sites scattered acoss Hamilton, the city says. Mario Muscato lost the lower part of his right arm and badly mangled his left in October 2018 when he and a cousin were "harvesting" copper wire from an apartment building. He was electrocuted and thrown against a wall, more than a day passed before he was found clinging to life. The Hamilton Spectator They have been the focus of polarizing debate for weeks amid the pandemic. A coalition of doctors, outreach workers and lawyers launched a human rights-based legal challenge against the city to bar the removal of people from tents. The injunction, which expires in early September, has been the topic of private council discussions and heated public exchanges between city politicians and residents. Officials insist the city must adhere to bylaws that prohibit tents on public sidewalks, streets and parks while trying to find people housing, shelter or hotels. Residents have also complained to councillors about fights, drug and alcohol use, and debris on downtown streets. But the coalition argues moving people along without an acceptable alternative only makes things worse. Although not by any stretch ideal, the advocates say encampments offer security in numbers to people who struggle in shelters, hotels and housing without support. Doctors can also reach them more easily than when dispersed to sleep rough elsewhere amid the double pandemic of COVID-19 and opioid overdoses. For Muscato, who has pitched a tent on Ferguson North for about a month, all of this rings true. I dont want to say youre stable, but its kind of like youre stable. Youre not continuously having to move. Its easier when you know where youre going that night. So if theres space at least in the mens system why dont they stay in shelters? Daniel Holland and Ashley Macdonald-Greene, who have pitched a tent across the street from Muscato, rhyme off the reasons. For one, different-sex couples cant stay in the same shelter, notes Holland, a 38-year-old member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We want to stay together. Even if she wanted to, theres a chance she couldnt find a bed with the womens shelters routinely overcapacity, points out Macdonald-Greene, 34. She and Holland also have addictions, but shelters bar drug use. In some cases, even having needles isnt tolerated. So that would be something that would kick us out, said Macdonald-Greene, whos from Shoal Lake, a First Nation in Manitoba. Muscato says he was booted out of a shelter over unused drug supplies in his bag. I completely get it if theyre dirty or if they have drugs in them, but they were all in the package. Allen Partridge, who also lives in a tent here, has reasons for not staying in shelters. Theyre dirty, he says. People steal. And despite the rules, drugs are still used. That can make using the toilet a challenge. You cant because people are smoking crack or doing needles. At the Ferguson encampment, residents choose their neighbours. Holland and Macdonald-Greenes tent forms a circle with a few others. Peas to our pod, she says. When someone steps away, maybe to use the day-centre washroom, others watch the pods belongings. We take turns rotating, she says. Trusted company is crucial. Six weeks earlier, Macdonald-Greene was alone when she was mugged and badly beaten. So example of being homeless and a female: youd be in danger just like that. How she and Holland, who rely on disability pensions, became homeless is also drug-related, but not their fault, they say. In mid-April, police raided their landlords multiplex on Cannon Street East and Kenilworth Avenue North to bust an alleged $1-million drug operation. We were innocent and now we are here, she says. There are critics of encampments. But theres also an outpouring of community support, Holland points out. A few minutes later, a woman and girl walk by to offer home-cooked chicken and rice in containers. Meanwhile, Holland and Macdonald-Greene are on the paper path to housing through social-service agencies. Until then, every day is a grind. Right now, we would take anything, she says. Barton East and Ferguson North: the encampments northern limits. Here, Allen Partridge watches a man berate another in an expletive-rich tirade. This is what we go through every day, every night. And Partridge has been through a lot. A knife attack sliced his fingers decades ago. I have a bullet hole about five inches from my nuts, he adds. Allen Partridge outside his tent along Ferguson Avenue North. Partridge has been through a lot. A knife attack sliced his fingers decades ago and "I have a bullet hole about five inches from my nuts," he adds. The Hamilton Spectator His life narrative is hard to follow. It jumps one from one time and place to another. Texts and calls to arrange a cab for his street sister also interrupt his train of thought. Sorry, he says more than once. Partridge, whos Ojibwe, grew up in Regent Park, a social-housing complex in downtown Toronto, in the 1960s. He has been a carny, church volunteer, martial arts instructor, a powwow performer. An important trend to note is the disproportionate rate of homelessness among Indigenous people. In 2018, a point-in-time count in Hamilton found 338 individuals and 48 families reported being homeless. Of those, 22 per cent reported Indigenous ancestry. Partridge has physical scars, but he also carries emotional trauma from childhood, a common background for people who struggle with homelessness. He says police beat his dad to death; his mother was put away for murder. When is not clear. I was placed into some place. I wasnt comfortable. I was scared, nervous, all alone. I ran away. He also endured abuse along the way. Physically, mentally, emotionally, he says, his voice lowered. Partridge offers a succinct list of factors that lead to homelessness. Some people have alcohol; some people have drug issues; some people have mental illness. Theres different reasons why people and us are on the street. Upending events like divorce can also set people into a spiral, he adds. Youre one paycheque away. Eventually, the cab pulls up. My sisters here. Ill be right back. If its easy to become homeless, pulling oneself out isnt for some. Even a hotel didnt work out for Mario Muscato. A stay at the Sandman Hotel on Centennial Parkway North, where the city has put up people during the pandemic, didnt last. The first time, Muscato says, he was kicked out but hes not sure why. The second time he didnt make the curfew. Hed missed a bus, so he hailed a cab from downtown. I walked into the hotel. It was 10:06 p.m. Six minutes late. This week, the Sandman ended its contract with the city to provide 35 rooms for homeless men. This was due to ongoing behavioural issues on the property and in the area, the citys housing director Edward John said in an email. That included drug transactions, property damage and aggressive/threatening behavior towards hotel staff and other guests. The city is firming up a new agreement with a different hotel and security will be enhanced. In an emailed response, the Sandman Hotel Group wrote corporate clientele are starting to return and its no longer able to consistently provide rooms month to month, as per the city agreement. Outside his tent, Muscato sizes up his obstacles to housing. I guess finding a decent enough place with a landlord that would rent to me, because theres nice places out there. But they look at me, and I mean, part of the disability, I think, does affect peoples viewpoint. I obviously dont work, so I dont know how they take that, as well. Before his accident, there were prospects. He welded in Buffalo for years. I was really good at it. So should he feel lucky to be alive? He leaves that question hanging. But he displays at least a glint of hope: that daughter of his. Shes going to be 16 on the 1st. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Wednesday, Aug. 19 9:51 p.m. An anonymous subject called 9-1-1 to report a 47-year-old was violating a Personal Protection Order in Jerome Township. The caller reported a 32-year-old woman was staying at the 47-year-old man's house, whom she had a PPO against. The man said he has not seen or talked to the woman. 8:12 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to a Homer Township residence in reference to a stolen trash can. Deputies spoke with the complainant, a 45-year-old man, who stated his trash can is no longer out by the road where he put it the day prior. The man said the trash can would cost him approximately $100 to replace. There are no suspects at this time. 7:54 p.m. Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Eastman Avenue and Saginaw Road. 7:33 p.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Homer Township. 7:25 p.m. Officers responded to a crash causing injuries in the area of Bay City and South Saginaw roads. 6:13 p.m. Officers responded to an assault in the area of Cronkright and East Buttles streets. 4:09 p.m. Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Geneva Township. 2 p.m. Deputies responded to a report of a possible domestic assault in the Village of Sanford. The caller delayed reporting it for over 20 minutes. Michigan State Police arrived to find the residence empty, and the neighbors stated nobody had been there in a while. 10:36 a.m. A deputy responded to the lobby of the law enforcement center for a report of a larceny that occurred in Lincoln Township. Contact was made with the complainant, a 43-year-old man, who reported someone stole two propane tanks off of his camper, worth about $120. There are no suspects at this time. 10:19 a.m. A deputy spoke with a 41-year-old Jasper Township woman via telephone regarding a fraud. The woman said on Aug. 17 she received an email notice from her bank that someone had used her Isabella Bank debit card at a Phillips 66 gas station in Kansas City, Missouri for the amount of $190. The woman said she has never been to Missouri, so she has no idea who would be using her card. Tuesday, Aug. 18 11:24 p.m. MSP troopers and the Midland County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a Jasper Township roadway in reference to a 43-year-old man who was assaulted. After investigating, the man was arrested. 10:26 p.m. Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lincoln Township. 9:43 p.m. Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township. 7:24 p.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Midland Township. 4:50 p.m. A deputy responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash at an Ingersoll Township location. 3:13 p.m. A deputy responded to an Ingersoll Township residence for a report of a damaged mailbox. Contact was made with the complainant, a 49-year-old man, who reported someone damaged his mailbox, causing about $25 worth of damage. There are no suspects at this time. 1:45 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Greendale Township residence to speak with a 43-year-old man regarding damage to his vehicle. 12:04 p.m. A deputy responded to a Lee Township residence for a report of damaged property. Contact was made with the complainant, a 76-year-old man, who reported someone drove through his yard causing damage to his grass and bushes. There are no suspects at this time. 10:36 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Midland Township business to complete a car-deer crash report, which occurred in Homer Township. 8:54 a.m. A deputy responded to a Warren Township location for a report of a traffic crash. Contact was made with the complainant, a 42-year-old woman, who reported something struck her windshield while she was driving. There was not enough damage for a crash report. The search continues for a man who disappeared when a kayak overturned on the Logan River on Saturday, throwing two men into the water. Police were called to the overturned kayak about 12.10pm in the Alberton stretch of the river, which is within the City of Gold Coast boundaries but is right next to Logan. Officers found a 27-year-old Woodridge man, who was taken to hospital as a precaution, but the second man, a 26-year-old from Eagleby, has not been seen since. The multi-agency air and water search continued until just after 6pm on Saturday, when it was suspended until Sunday morning. Experts advising the Japanese government say coronavirus infections may have peaked nationwide, but that vigilance is required due to the risk of a resurgence. A panel of experts met on Friday to assess the latest data on the number of people who developed symptoms of COVID-19 daily. The number peaked during a period from July 27 to 29 nationwide, and the figure has since been on a gradual decline. Prefecture-based data also shows that infections may have peaked in late July in Tokyo, Osaka and Aichi, and decreased through mid-August in Fukuoka and Okinawa. However, experts warned of the risk of another flare-up, due to a lack of data from the Bon summer holidays in mid-August. They also pointed out that infections appear to have become static at peak levels in some regions. The experts said the late stage of the first wave of outbreak from March to May saw a growth in cases at elderly care facilities and hospitals. They also noted that the number of seriously ill patients is now rising in several prefectures, including Osaka and Okinawa. After the meeting, Tohoku University Professor Oshitani Hitoshi told reporters that a mass group infection could again cause the virus to spread. He said contagion at elderly care facilities and hospitals could produce more seriously ill patients and deaths. Oshitani added that a peak in infections must be treated separately from the growth in serious cases, as well as the burden on medical institutions. KhaaliJeb is currently offering one months free membership if you refer a friend. You can also purchase a three-month membership of their discount programme at an offer price of Rs 49. Seen here, the KhaaliJeb team (left) Rahul Kumar, Pratham Devang, Sudhanshu Gaur, Sumit Sinha and (right) Vishal Kumar, Wilson Birua, Aman Verma, and Prakash Kumar. (Photo | KhaaliJeb) Students, heres a way to make your monthly allowance last a little longer. Get on board the discounts programme on desi payments and banking app KhaaliJeb. Founded by a quad of just-out-of-college youngsters themselves, KhaaliJeb is like a Google Pay but focused on giving students and youth that extra incentive in the form discounts on food and dining and salon services. Accepted at over 350 restaurants and salons, KhaaliJeb has tied up with 20 of those joints to get you discounts, and with its week-old B2B product Verify by KhaaliJeb helping business identify young customers and tailor discounts for them, it hopes to expand the discounts to more outlets. With the coronavirus gobbling up traditional businesses, KhaaliJeb expanded its discounts programme to online businesses too. To register for the Discount Program Membership, upload your ID and you get verified within minutes. Once you become a member, you can grab any deal. Its a simple as getting an offer code and following the self explanatory steps to availing the benefits. If youre 29 or younger and eking out barely a living in these harsh coronavirus times, Khaalijebs got your back even if youre not a student. The Kotak Mahindra Bank sponsored app helps you make payments with ease and also lets you grab a piece of the discounts pie. For now, KhaaliJeb's restaurant and salon payment services are available only in Bangalore but 20 brands pan India also accept KhaaliJeb, including Gaana, Bounce and Utter ALTBalaji. The bootstrapped operation has managed to hook as many as 40,000 users already. To sweeten the deal for those on the fence about adopting a newish payments app, KhaaliJeb is currently offering one months free membership if you refer a friend. You can also purchase a three-month membership of their discount programme at an offer price of Rs 49. So whats the story behind the youth-focused banking app? The young founders Prakash Kumar, Aman Verma, Sudhanshu Gaur and Wilson Birua, all graduates of IIIT Allahabad started the app without any work experience, pooling in friends-and-family funds, after Prakash had an epiphany at the end of an Ola ride in 2015. The seamless experience of money being deducted off his Ola app got Prakash thinking. He began voraciously researching digital payments appswhich werent ubiquitous then as they are todayand decided to start up instead of sitting for placements. Hearing his plan, friends Aman, Sudhanshu and Wilson got together as co-founders. Three years and several iterations later, the Android app was launched in October 2018 on Google Play Store. The app began picking up pace but faced a huge road block just a year later with the coronavirus lockdown shutting down restaurants and salons. It forced KhaaliJeb to halt the students discounts programmethe most attractive draw of the app. But, the team quickly pivoted to offering discounts on online purchases, and managed to rope in 15 online brands. At the same time, they worked on Verify by KhaaliJeb to boost trust among businesses about the apps genuine youth customer base, to get the momentum going again. Focused on building features that can work under the current circumstances, the KhaaliJeb team is currently engaged in dovetailing its services with the ideas and hacks businesses are coming up with to beat the challenges brought by the pandemic. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. WASHINGTON: The Trump administration will send two top officials to the Middle East this week in a bid to capitalize on momentum from the historic agreement between Israeli and the United Arab Emirates to establish diplomatic relations. Three diplomats say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner plan to make separate, multiple-nation visits to the region in the coming days to push Arab-Israeli rapprochement in the aftermath of the Israel-UAE deal. Pompeo is expected to depart on Sunday for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Sudan, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the itinerary has not yet been finalized or publicly announced. Kushner plans to leave later in the week for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, the diplomats said. Neither trip is expected to result in announcements of immediate breakthrough, the diplomats said, although both are aimed at finalizing at least one, and potentially more, normalization deals with Israel in the near future. Pompeo also plans to meet in Qatar with members of the Talban to discuss intra-Afghan peace talks that are key to the withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the diplomats said. The White House and State Department had no comment on the planned trips, which will come as the administration steps up efforts to push for Arab-Israeli normalization even without a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. They also come as the administration has taken the controversial step of triggering the restoration of all international sanctions on Iran, something that only Israel and the Gulf Arab nations have publicly supported. Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced on Aug. 13 they would establish full diplomatic relations, in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. The historic agreement delivered a key foreign policy victory to Trump as he seeks reelection and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. U.S. and Israeli officials have suggested that more Arab nations may soon follow the UAEs lead, with Bahrain and Oman believed to be closest to sealing such deals. 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 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is using her platform to get political and her body language, an expert says, is reinforcing those strong political views. The duchess recently urged everyone to exercise their right to vote and her gestures showed just how passionate she is about this topic. Meghan Markle | ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images Meghan Markle joined forces with Michelle Obama Meghan participated in Michelle Obamas When We All Vote campaign, particularly lending her voice to the When All Women Vote virtual party. When I think about voting and why this is so exceptionally important for all of us, I would frame it as: We vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us, Meghan said during the virtual event. Because thats what community is all about and thats specifically what this election is all about. Were only 75 days away from Election Day and that is so very close, and yet there is so much work to be done in that amount of time. She also addressed the issues of voter suppression and marginalized populations, noting, That is simply not OK It is all the more reason why we need each of you to be out there supporting each other to understand that this fight is worth fighting, and we all have to be out there mobilizing to have our voices heard. We can and must do everything we can to ensure all women have their voices heard. If we arent part of the solution, we are part of the problem, Meghan added. If you arent going out there and voting, then youre complicit. If youre complacent, youre complicit. In the fraught moment right now that we find our nation, exercising your right to vote isnt simply being part of a solution, its being part of a legacy, she concluded. RELATED: Meghan Markle Speaks More Passionately Without the Safety Harness of Royal Restrictions, in a Way Prince Harry Never Could, Expert Says Meghan Markles body language was revealing Body language expert Judi James explained to Fabulous Digital how Meghan reinforced her message with her hand and facial gestures, which allowed her to convey a sense of urgency while remaining relatable and passionate about the subject. Meghans brand styling for this more political role was simple, basic and almost severe, suggesting she meant business even though she was emphatically appearing in her role as a duchess, James explained. She continued, Her verbal message was also rather hard-hitting, warning about what is at stake this year and the change we all deserve as well as rallying women by telling them the fight is worth fighting, but she managed to soften the overall impact with her smiling and even affectionate-looking body language. Meghan Markle is motivating and connects with younger audiences The duchess hand gestures, James believes, allowed Meghan to show the sense of urgency about the issue and the body language expert compared the duchess speaking style to Obama. Even as she warned that if women dont vote they are complicit in the problem her non-verbal tone was more pleading that finger-wagging, James explained. In this respect there were similarities to Michelle Obamas body language this week, when her raised brows and worried expression suggested similar pleading, although Meghan also adds enough inspirational touches to motivate gently rather than worry. Meghans chest-pat is fast emerging as her signature move during these inspirational talks, James explained, adding how Meghans approach definitely helps her connect with a younger audience. Her smiling delivery adds a personal touch and her calm delivery makes her look like an older sister giving some strong but affectionate advice, James explained. Garrett Behlau The police in US have arrested a teenager for taking the life of his own mother. He has now been arrested after their home security footage was reviewed by his father and the son was seenstrangling life out of his mother and taking her last breath. The defendant, 19-year-old Garrett Behlau who is facing multiple charges is accused of killing his 54-year-old mother, Theresa Behlau. He was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, August 19 after his father called Chattanooga City Police upon watching home security footage eight hours away. At around 2:30 p.m., Chattanooga police arrived at the scene a home located in the Waterhaven subdivision located along South Chickamauga Creek, local media reports. The caller who reported the case told police he was about eight hours out of town but had just reviewed home security footage where he saw his son, Garrett Behlau, strangle his mother, Theresa Behlau, until she was lifeless, Hamilton County court records state. The man who appeared to be shocked said he then saw Garrett Behlau drag his mothers body out of the cameras view. When police arrived at the home, they found Garrett Behlau sitting on the floor in his bedroom, according to court records. They asked him where his mother was, and he told them in the woods, police wrote in the criminal affidavit. When officers searched the woods, they found Theresa Behlaus lifeless body, her head covered in Saran wrap. The affidavit states that investigators later viewed the video footage showing Garrett strangling his mother, dragging her body away, then returning with paper towels to clean up the crime scene. The 19-year-old is charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. His bond was set to $300,000, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 25. Can Fatal Moments Seal an Autocrat's Fate? By Jamie Dettmer August 21, 2020 Autocrats fall when people lose their fear and that moment can be signaled dramatically by a simple jeer. As it was last week when Europe's so-called "last dictator," Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko, was booed during a speech at a Minsk factory by workers who chanted for him to step down. "Until you kill me, there will be no other elections," Lukashenko told the sullen crowd. "Shoot yourself," one emboldened worker shouted at him as he left the stage a brazen statement no one would have dared utter to his face before the current turmoil rocking Belarus. The visit was meant to have demonstrated Lukashenko's strong support from a core group of Belarusians, say analysts. The factory, which makes tractor wheels, is one of the large Soviet-like state-run industrial plants that have in the past been pro-Lukashenko strongholds. For veteran observers and journalists, the debacle at the factory was reminiscent of the fall 32 years ago of another European autocrat Nicolae Ceausescu, the longtime Communist leader of Romania. He similarly misjudged the mood of a crowd as well as the tide of events. In 1984, Ceausescu had easily sidestepped a planned coup d'etat, dispatching nimbly a key military unit to help with the maize harvest. But in December 1989, history caught him up with him as he tried to whip up support against growing anti-government protesters who had been undeterred by a violent state reaction. Eight minutes into a speech before a mass meeting in Bucharest's Revolution Square, during which he labeled protesters as "fascist agitators who want to destroy socialism," he was booed, triggering a bewildered frown from the autocrat and an impotent wave of his hand. Power seemed to drain away from the Conducator, or leader. "A fatal moment of weakness, shown live on television, sealed his fate," writes historian Victor Sebestyen in his book Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. "The panic on his face was the beginning of his end. As the first barracker, a taxi driver called Adrian Donea, said later: 'We could see he was scared. At that moment we realized our force.'" It is unlikely that Lukashenko will share thefate of Ceausescu, who was executed along with his wife, Elena, after a kangaroo court passed death sentences on the couple. It would more likely be a quick flight to Moscow, where he would take his place as a semi-tolerated guest alongside Ukraine's ousted Viktor Yanukovych, suggest Western diplomats. And there seems to be plenty of fight left in Lukashenko, according to Keir Giles, an analyst with Chatham House. "Having failed to swiftly translate popular support into tangible political achievements, there are signs the protests against the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus may be losing momentum in the face of the state's resilience and still-confident security and enforcement apparatus," he warns. "Attempts to blame the unrest on the West have focused on groups Lukashenko and Russia can both call enemies. And now Lukashenko is not only inventing anti-Russian policies supposedly held by the opposition, such as suppressing the Russian language and closing the border with Russia, but also a supposed military threat from NATO," Giles adds. "If this is believed in Moscow, where Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already described events in Belarus as part of a 'struggle for the post-Soviet space,' this makes a Russian intervention more likely," he says. A 2007 research study by American political scientists Jennifer Gandhi and Adam Przeworski on "Dictatorial Institutions and the Survival of Autocrats" found authoritarian leaders survive by pursuing one or other of two options either intensifying repression if they can, or broadening out their support base via nominal reforms. Judging by this week's reaction at the Minsk factory, reform would appear now not to be a viable option for Lukashenko. According to former British Foreign Secretary Malcom Rifkind, there is no reason for him to stop his brutal crackdown as that would be a sign of weakness which would diminish his hold on power. "We have the precedents of Tiananmen Square in China, the Iranian ayatollahs suppressing a popular uprising some years ago, and (Nicolas) Maduro in Venezuela clinging to power despite the desperate opposition of his own people. Lukashenko knows that it will be a dacha in Russia at best and a prison cell in Minsk at worst, if he appeared to submit to international pressure at such a time," Rifkind adds in a commentary for the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security research group based in London. But that may not be enough as the ill-fated Ceausescu discovered, let down by his own involuntary acknowledgement of surprise. Lukashenko's only option may be to secure some form of Kremlin intervention. Chatham House's Keir Giles, believes the West should carefully calibrate its responses and avoid offering a pretext for Russian intervention. But being kept in power by Putin, though, would leave Lukashenko diminished, the leader in name but in effect a temporary placeman for the Kremlin, no longer the king of his castle. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. MILWAUKEE As the last Wisconsinite to speak at the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Thursday channeled the states motto as a clarion call to move past the Trump era. This November, lets move forward and never look back, Baldwin, D-Madison, said live from the Wisconsin Center stage in Milwaukee. Baldwin, 58, urged the nation to build back better by supporting former Vice President Joe Biden as he faces President Donald Trump, who narrowly won the state four years ago. She also shared her own story of growing up with a pre-existing condition, and how passing the Affordable Care Act, which prevents health insurance companies from charging people more for pre-existing conditions, was a big effing deal a reference to Bidens own characterization of the landmark health care law that Trump has tried to repeal. At one point, Baldwin was considered near the top of Bidens list of potential running mates. While that nomination has gone to Kamala Harris, a fellow U.S. Senator from California, Democrats say Baldwins inclusion in this years running mate speculation underscores her accomplishments. (Baldwin) is always is fighting from the heart for the people of Wisconsin and people all across this nation, who far too often, have just been closed out of our political conversation, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Thursday. Baldwin served seven terms in Congress before she defeated Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson in the race for the U.S. Senate in 2012. In her 2018 re-election race, Baldwins popularity among Democratic voters played a key role in flipping 17 counties that supported Trump two years earlier. Baldwin also paved the way as the nations first openly LGBT woman elected to Congress in 1999 and first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate. While in Congress, Baldwin played a critical role in helping craft the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which included a provision to keep dependents on their parents health insurance through age 26. Speculation over Baldwins chances of the vice president nomination also fed into questions of whether or not her place on the ticket would secure a Democratic victory in Wisconsin a state notorious for its razor-thin margins. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Andrew Hitt said Bidens decision to pass on Baldwin as running mate was another example of the former vice president taking the state for granted. If youre going to pick a liberal senator, why not pick a liberal senator from a state that you need to win? Hitt said. It just continues to confuse me why they are seemingly ignoring Wisconsin and not learning from the lessons of Hillary Clinton. UW-Madison political science professor David Canon said vice presidential picks usually have fairly minimal impacts within their home state. Are there any voters who will not vote for Joe Biden because Harris is the VP instead of Baldwin? Yeah, maybe there are a few, but I cant imagine that will be enough to change the result in Wisconsin, Canon said. While Baldwin may have been a boon for Wisconsin Democrats this fall, Angela Lang, executive director with Black Leadership Organizing for Communities in Milwaukee, said Harris appears to be resonating well with voters despite concerns among some of the partys more progressive members who point to the former California attorney generals background at a time when racial disparities in the criminal justice system are such a focal issue. At the end of the day we can debate the vice presidential pick all we want, until were blue in the face, but thats not going to stop who is on the ballot and ultimately we need to make sure that we remain focused, Lang said. Whats more, if Baldwin were to vacate her U.S. Senate seat, a likely contentious special election would have been held to fill the vacancy. Certainly, to not have her in the Senate, it would have been the nations gain but Wisconsins loss, said Mike Browne, deputy director with liberal advocacy group A Better Wisconsin Together. Milwaukee Democratic strategist Sachin Chheda, who worked on Baldwins 2000 re-election campaign, said Bidens pick for running mate may not have been all that complicated. I think that people sometimes look for hidden meanings, but I think this one is staring us in the face, Chheda said. You have someone who can do the job and you have trusted and who can be a partner to you its really that simple sometimes. Despite not being nominated to run with Biden, simply being a part of the conversation is a boost for Baldwin going forward, Chheda said. It is yet another step forward for her as a leader to be in this conversation and I think that means she will have growing influence and growing leadership in the United States Senate, and that will be good for Wisconsin, Chheda said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 V ictor, the UK's oldest polar bear, has died aged 22. The bear was living at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster. He had terminal kidney failure and unexpectedly fell ill on Friday, so vets put him to sleep. Victor was born in Germany's Rostock Zoo before moving to Rhenen in the Netherlands. He fathered 13 cubs as part of the European breeding programme. After retiring, Victor was moved to Yorkshire in 2014. Victor in 2018 / PA The directors of the park thanked the vets from Portland House Veterinary Group who responded so quickly and the dedicated team who had loved and cared for the bear since he arrived at the park. Yorkshire Wildlife Park said: Victor was a great ambassador for his species, inspiring generations and drawing attention to the plight of his species in the wild and the threat of climate change. "He will be greatly missed by everyone. York Regional Police released aerial footage of what appears to show street racing in Vaughan after a crackdown resulted in the laying of 390 driving offences. Project Dragnet began in July and involved police positioning themselves at corners known to attract racing each weekend. The footage released assembled from different incidents over the past few weeks apparently shows drivers squaring off to race each other along the highway, three arrests and drivers crowded together at busy intersections. Twenty-eight drivers were stopped for racing or vehicle modifications throughout, and 10 criminal charges and 34 provincial offences were laid in addition to the 390 driving offences. Thirteen were also arrested, and 21 saw their cars towed and licences suspended. York Regional Police is making stunt driving offences a high priority to ensure the safety of our streets for those people who are driving to work or going out for essential items, according to a media release from the police. Anyone caught driving more than 50 kilometres per hour over the posted speed limit can expect to be charged, have their vehicle towed and their licence suspended. Police did not release any information about the locations monitored. Major Mackenzie Drive West is mentioned in the footage. Anyone who spots what they believe to be life-threatening speeding should call 911 immediately, police said. Those who spot drivers gathering in large crowds can also call the police non-emergency line at 1-866-876-5423. Miriam Lafontaine is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @mirilafontaine Warning: Do not read until you have watched all of Ill Be Gone in the Dark. Actor Patton Oswalt has paid tribute to his late wife, true crime writer Michelle McNamara after the man known as the Golden State Killer was sentenced yesterday. McNamaras crusade to unmask the identity of the Golden State Killer, was the subject of a book and HBO documentary Ill Be Gone in the Dark. The man committed at least 13 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 120 burglaries in California between 1973 and 1986. But McNamara did not live to see his capture after dying of an accidental overdose in 2016. The insect gets none of my headspace today. Im thinking of the victims, and the survivors, and the witnesses and crusaders and investigators. And of course Michelle. Go forward in peace, all of you. pic.twitter.com/XoYqV2X3ut Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) August 21, 2020 Yesterday 74 year old Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer, was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison, without parole. Judge Michael Bowman said, The defendant deserves no mercy. Victims families had also gathered to hear the sentence. During the trial this week ,Bonnie Ueltzen, the ex-fiancee of DeAngelo, also attended court. Although she was not allowed to speak to as she was not listed as a victim, but she joined rape victim Jane Carson-Sandler. Carson-Sandler said: I also want to especially thank a friend who is accompanying me here today. That friend is Bonnie. If Bonnie were able to speak Joe, she would want you to know Joe that as just a teenager 50 years ago she broke her engagement to you when she realised that you had become manipulative and abusive. Even a gun pointed at her face could not make her choose you. Source: Variety By Sonali Paul and Jessica Jaganathan MELBOURNE/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Western Australia's industrial regulator has approved a plan by Chevron CorpThe prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin is in a coma and on a ventilator after drinking tea that his supporters believe was laced with poison.
The 44-year-old was admitted to intensive care on Thursday after falling ill on a flight back to Moscow.
After a day of arguing over Mr Navalny's care, doctors at the hospital in Omsk finally gave permission for him to be moved to Charit, a clinic in Berlin that has a history of treating foreign leaders and dissidents.
Omsk hospital's deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko said medical staff had decided that "we don't oppose his transfer to another hospital".
He said Mr Navalny's condition had "stabilised" and that his wife and brother "took the risks on themselves" for his transfer.
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Initially the doctors in Omsk had said Mr Navalny was too unstable to be moved, even after a plane with German specialists arrived.
Mr Navalny's supporters said the doctors were stalling until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable.
However, the hospital's chief doctor, Alexander Murakhovsky, said in a video published by Omsk news outlet NGS55 that a metabolic disorder and a drop in blood sugar may have caused Mr Navalny to lose consciousness.
The Kremlin also denied resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that it was purely a medical decision.
But on Thursday, the leaders of France and Germany had said they were ready to assist Mr Navalny and his family - also insisting on an investigation into what had happened.
On Friday, European Union spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said the bloc was urging Russian authorities to allow Mr Navalny's transfer overseas.
The European Court of Human Rights also said it was considering a request from his supporters to urge the Russian government to agree to the transfer.
The German doctors later examined Mr Navalny and said he was fit to be transported, according to Cinema For Peace, the charity that organised the emergency transfer to Berlin.
Jaka Bizilj, a film producer in the group, said: "I understand he's still unconscious, but they're used to such special assignments and they say very clearly he can fly and they want to fly him."
The hand-picked candidate of ex-president Evo Morales and former president Carlos Mesa are running neck-and-neck ahead of Bolivia's election in October, according to a poll published Tuesday. Morales leftist ally Luis Arce and centrist Mesa, president from 2003-2005, both have 23 percent support ahead of the twice-delayed elections, set for October 18. Right-wing interim president Jeanine Anez is trailing with 12 percent, according to the poll by Mercados y Muestras for the daily Pagine Siete newspaper. Luis Fernando Camacho, who spearheaded protests that led to Morales' resignation in the wake of his controversial 2019 re-election, has just 6 percent of voter preferences. The presidential election will go to a second round run-off if the leading candidate fails to win 50 percent of the vote, or 40 percent with a 10-point margin. In the event of a second round, Mesa would win with 47 percent, with Arce polling at 30 percent, the opinion poll showed. The poll was carried out in 10 cities earlier this month as Morales supporters set up roadblocks around the country in protest at the repeated election postponements. Bolivia has been going through a crisis since the October 2019 election, when opposition protesters rejected Morales' claims of victory that would give him a fourth term, claiming widespread fraud. The president eventually resigned after losing the support of the armed forces and fled to exile in Mexico before taking up residence in neighboring Argentina. Originally set for May 3, the elections were postponed to September 6 and then October 18 because of the worsening coronavirus epidemic. By Express News Service CHENNAI: After a gap of 10 years, the venue of the Tamil Nadu Assembly is changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third floor of Kalaivanar Arangam is where the monsoon session of the Assembly is expected to take place. The budget session of the Assembly was adjourned in advance on March 24 due to COVID-19 threat and the House has to be convened within 180 days again. As such, the House is expected to meet within the third week of September. Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal inspected the third floor of Kalaivanar Arangam along with senior officials. Talking to reporters, he said, "Due to COVID-19 threat, we are looking for a venue to conduct the next session of the Assembly. A final decision in this regard is yet to be taken." Asked whether the government was considering some other places, the Speaker said, "More information would be given made available soon." However, sources said that considering the location of the MLA's hostel adjacent to Kalaivanar Arangam, the monsoon session, which is usually a short duration one, is most likely to be held there. The venue for the State Assembly has changed many times according to prevailing requirements. The present Assembly Hall at Fort St George constructed exactly 110 years ago, i.e., in 1910. The Assembly session was started on January 12, 1921, and Lord Wellington, who was the Governor of Chennai Presidency visited the Assembly on March 6, 1922 and the Speakers chair with artistic work was presented by him which has been in use till date. From 1921 to 1937, the Assembly session was held in the Council Hall in Fort St George. After Rajaji took over as the Chief Minister in 1937, the Assembly session was held at the Senate Hall of the Madras University till December 21, 1937. Later, the Assembly session was held at Rajaji Hall from January 27, 1938, to October 26, 1939. After T Prakasam became the Chief Minister, the Assembly session started functioning in the hall at Fort St George from May 24, 1946. Congress won the first Lok Sabha elections in 1952 and Rajaji assumed office as the Chief Minister. As there were 375 members in the Assembly, a new Assembly hall was constructed at the Government Estate and it started functioning from May 2, 1952. After the 1957 elections, Assembly sessions have been held in Fort St George except for a short gap between April 20, 1959 and April 30, 1959. After Ramasamy Reddiyar, PS Kumaraswami Raja, Rajaji, K Kamaraj, K Bhakthavatsalam, Arignar Anna, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran, Janaki Ammal, J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami have functioned as Chief Minister from this historic place. From January 11, 2010, the Assembly moved to the new building in the Government Estate. After former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa assumed office as Chief Minister in 2011, the Assembly was once again shifted to Fort St George from May 2011. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will attend the third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Summit, which is due to be held online on August 24, at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Photo: VNA) The summit will also be attended by high-ranking leaders from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and China. The MLC is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism that was jointly established in 2016 by six countries along the Mekong River, namely Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Since then, various exchange activities among political parties, officials, youth and religious groups have been organised. The biennial event is organised in rotation among member countries. Third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Summit to be held online The third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Summit will be held in a virtual format on August 24 under the chair of Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. The biennial summit will also see the participation of leaders of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Under the theme "Enhancing Partnership for Shared Prosperity", the leaders will review the progress of cooperation since the previous summit. They will also chart the future directions for strengthening cooperation in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, recovering economic growth in post-COVID-19 period, and managing and using the Mekong water resources in a sustainable manner. The Mekong river, known as Lancang in China, is the 12th longest river in the world. The rivers basin is home to around 1,700 fish species, making it the most diverse basin after the Amazon and Congo. The first Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Summit was held in China in March 2016, while the second took place in Cambodia in early 2018. China is currently the largest trade partner of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and the second biggest trader of Laos./.VNA The disastrous wildfires blackening hundreds of thousands of acres in the Bay Area and around Northern California are threatening one of the states most cherished natural treasures old-growth redwood trees. The massive infernos raging north and south of San Francisco burned through Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County and on Friday threatened Armstrong State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County. The two parks are home to some of the last remaining groves of ancient coast redwoods in the South and North bays and, even though old-growth trees are extremely fire-resistant, many of the giant trees and their younger cousins may be in danger as the fires continue to burn out of control, authorities say. The CZU August Lightning Complex fires destroyed the Big Basin park headquarters and scorched most of the giant redwoods in the grove, which was established in 1902, and is the oldest and largest preserved old-growth forest south of San Francisco. Sam Hodder, president of the conservation group Save the Redwoods League, said the fire engulfed the historic visitors center, gift shop and nature museum. Those structures acted like kindling for the fire, which then raced through the Big Basin grove. Weve not been in the parks to be able to quantify the damage to the forest itself, but we know that nearly all of the structures in Big Basin have been burned, Hodder said. Certainly there has been an impact. In the North Bay, the fast-moving LNU Lightning Complex burned into the Austin Creek State Recreation Area and looked ready Friday to engulf the Armstrong reserve. The 805-acre grove, which features the 1,400-year-old Colonel Armstrong Tree and the 310-foot-tall Parson Jones Tree, was facing possible destruction because fire officials decided Thursday they did not have enough resources to protect it while also saving peoples lives and property. Michele Luna, executive director of Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, learned Friday morning that flames were on both the east and west sides of the state reserve but hadnt yet burned any trees. The fire is still in the area, (so) it is not out of the woods, said Luna, whose headquarters are inside the reserve, which has historic buildings, a visitors center and a forest theater built during the Great Depression. Weve evacuated what we could. Were hoping for the best. Luna said the park superintendent told her the fire destroyed at least one adjacent home and some outbuildings, and burned into a campground and woods inside the Austin Creek recreation area, which is adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods. Whatever happens, it is unlikely many old-growth trees will be killed by the fires. Thats because the trees, with their thick bark, tremendous girth and high canopy, have adapted to fire over millions of years and can live through all but the most intense fires. We have seen old-growth trees blackened by fire come back the next year full of life, Hodder said, noting the large fire scars that visitors may see on many old-growth trees. So we are hopeful that they will not only survive but thrive through these fires. The concern is less about the old-growth than the second-growth and third-growth trees, the conifers that grew up after the originals were cut down starting in the 19th century. Ecologists believe the reconstruction of Californias once-mighty forest ecosystem is dependent on the regrowth of the previously logged giants, which make up 95% of the redwood acreage across the state. These trees are much more susceptible to fire, Hodder said. But as the climate has warmed and wildfires have gotten bigger and hotter, even the ancient trees have shown some vulnerability, he said. Recent wildfires burned so hot that they killed both old-growth giant sequoias and coast redwoods. One fire, in the southern Sierra, left several trees blackened, including the charred corpse of a giant sequoia that was 14 feet wide and 213 feet tall. The groves in Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties attract visitors from around the world to see the ancient trees, some of which predate the Roman Empire and are as tall as the Statue of Liberty. As helicopters dropped water from above Friday afternoon, fire trucks raced up and down Armstrong Woods Road just outside the redwood reserve. The gray-brown smoke from the fire, which was burning on a ridge northwest of the entrance to the grove, thickened as the afternoon wore on, blanketing the valley full of old growth in a thick haze. No trees appeared to be burning near the entrance, where police turned away cars, but Luna said the fire appeared to be moving on the western side of the grove. If it entered there, she said, it would have a clear path into Guerneville, which is still recovering from a devastating winter flood in 2019. The town is only 2.2 miles from the reserve. Firefighters are desperately trying to stop the fire before it reaches Guerneville or Rio Nido or jumps the Russian River, where flames would then have free rein across miles of overgrown woodlands. Hodder said the recently preserved Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, a 738-acre grove that is larger than Muir Woods and has 47% more old-growth trees, is also in the path of the fire. He said the fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains is also threatening other old-growth redwoods, including groves in Ano Nuevo, Portola Redwoods, Castle Rock and Butano state parks. They arent the only natural preserves and groves facing flames after 11,000 lightning strikes in Northern California ignited 367 fires. Lake Berryessa and 20 other parks and preserves have been closed by fire activity, smoke or dangerous fire conditions. Hodder praised the firefighters for choosing to save lives, and expressed belief that the forests will survive. Even as we have brought them to their most vulnerable, with climate change and nearly 200 years of clear cutting, we hope that that natural resilience in the forest carries through, he said. But, in the end, he said, there needs to be a reckoning. When we can take a breath, there is a conversation we need to have about how we respond to this as a state, Hodder said, to restore Californias forest land, build fire resilience and grow back the old-growth forests that weve lost. Chronicle staff photographer Jessica Christian contributed to this story. Peter Fimrite and Chase DiFeliciantonio are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite, @ChaseDiFelice A program that brings international students to study in New Brunswick's public schools is facing a major drop in numbers during the pandemic. Atlantic Education International normally recruits more than 600 students from ages 11 to 18 to come study for a semester or several years at anglophone schools. But with travel restrictions limiting entry to Canada, that number is expected to fall to about 90 this fall. The federal government only allows entry to international students who received their study permits prior to March 18, under an order in council. "It's essentially a seventh [of] what we're used to seeing, so it's a pretty significant drop in numbers financially as well," said Megan Stymiest, the director of policy, finance and legal counsel. As a provincial government-owned company, Atlantic Education International operates under the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. It was created in 1997 to market and sell educational programs abroad, including the New Brunswick International Student Program. Submitted by Atlantic Education International The company also sells the New Brunswick school curriculum to private schools in China. International high school students are a big source of revenue for the province. In 2018-19, the program generated about $10.4 million for the New Brunswick economy, including stipends paid to host families. Students come from 22 countries around the world. Those who study for a full school year pay about $20,000 for tuition, housing, health insurance and other fees. After covering Atlantic Education International's operating expenses, revenue flows to New Brunswick public schools and districts. Stymiest could not say what portion ultimately goes to schools. Families house the international students during their studies, but most will not meet until after 14 days of self-isolation. While many students from last semester stayed in the province to avoid travel restrictions, most recent arrivals will complete their quarantine at motels, hotels and other commercial accommodations. Story continues Submitted by Atlantic Education International Students have recently arrived from Vietnam, China, South Korea and Italy. Under public health requirements, they are transported directly to their isolation accommodations and will be tested on the 10th day in quarantine. Stymiest said that finding hosts has not been a challenge during the pandemic. "The host family piece of our program is really the pillar of what we do," she said. "And having all of these families in every corner of the province that are really committed and really dedicated to the students is what sets us apart from all of the other programs across Canada." High schools students will be spending every other day at home doing online learning. It's a change the program is making sure hosts are prepared for but the reduced classroom time hasn't deterred people from coming. Submitted by Atlantic Education International The program has grown exponentially the past few years. This past school year, more than 800 international students were in the province over both semesters. "In the beginning, students would come usually for one semester, and it was just for an experience," Symiest said. "But in recent years we've seen students coming for full years and sometimes coming for Grade 11 and 12." Some similar programs across Canada were forced to entirely close during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're hopeful that perhaps we may see some more students second semester," she said. "I think we'll bounce back quite quickly provided that travel restrictions dissipate and families are willing to send their children." For the first time in the last 103 years, idol of Lord Ganesh cannot be installed at the Tilak Hall here in on the first day of the festival due to the COVID-19 situation. Freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak had started this practice in 1917 during his visit to Burhanpur bordering Maharashtra. "It is after more than a century that the city has missed on its date with Ganeshiji at Tilak Hall," Maharastrian Brahmin Samaj president Arun Shende told PTI on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the first day of the 10-day festival. He said 7 to 8 foot tall idol of Lord Ganesh has been installed every year on Ganesh Chaturthi day at the Tilak Hall, and thousands of people take darshan during the festival. Shende said Tilak had come to Burhanpur in 1917 and the local Marathi-speaking community donated him Rs 3,000 for the Independence struggle. However, Tilak instead donated that money for the construction of a community hall and consecrated an idol of Lord Ganesh in an open space, he said. "A hall built at the place where Tilak had installed the idol was named after him and people started organising the festival," he added. On Saturday, local residents brought idols of Lord Ganesh at their homes to mark the beginning of the festival amid fervour. (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 Convention Peoples Party (CPP) is seeking a revival that will catapult it into prominence in the countrys Fourth Republican politics. Having fallen behind in the political race for a long time, the party will today take another step aimed at clawing back its lost glory as it holds its national congress to elect a flagbearer for the December 7 elections and national officers. The exigencies of the time, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, have compelled the party leadership to shelve the usual practice of congregating at one place to elect national officers. For the first time, the elections have been decentralised to the regional level, where delegates will vote at special voting centres. Candidates Telefonica Twenty candidates are vying for the vacant positions in what appears to be fierce multiple contests. Three party gurus are in the race to clinch the flagbearer ticket. They are a former General Secretary of the party and 2016 presidential candidate, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet; a lawyer and four-time flag bearer hopeful, Mr Bright Oblitei Akwetey, and a fresh face, Rev. Dr Divine Ayivor. Some 17 people a mix of old and new faces will slug it out for the positions of National Chairman, National Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, National Organiser, Womens Organiser and Youth Organiser. For the topmost position of National Chairman, the acting National Chairperson of the party, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim Haruna, will battle it out with Nana Oduro Kwarteng, Mr Kweku Ankrah Quansah and Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankuma. CoronaLife Web Series For the vice-chairmanship, the candidates are Messrs Onsy Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Ogbojor and J.B. Daniels, who are running unopposed as the First, Second and Third Vice-Chairmen, respectively. The vociferous Nkrumahist, Mr James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr, aka Kabila, who has been acting as the General Secretary, is seeking to become the substantive General Secretary, but he faces a challenge from a former Director of Public and External Affairs of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah. For the National Organiser position, Messrs Moses Yirimanbo and Rashid Allao will compete, while Hajia Aisha Sulley Futa and Madam Rose Endah face off for the Womens Organiser position, with Messrs Solomon Amponsah and Osei Kofi vying for the Youth Organiser position. Voting arrangements Each constituency will have nine delegates casting their ballots. The arrangement is that once delegates cast their votes, they will immediately return to their constituencies. Casting of ballots starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. after which officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) will collate and declare the final results and communicate the results through the partys communications channels. Voting centres Delegates in the Ashanti Region will cast their ballots at the Asawase Community Centre; Eastern Region at the Koforidua GNAT Hall; Oti Region at the Nkwanta Social Centre and the Volta Region at the Ho World Vision Conference Hall. Those in the Central, Western and Western North regions will vote at the Ajumako School of Languages, the Takoradi Lagoon Hotel and the Sefwi Wiawso Methodist Church premises, respectively. In the Ahafo Region, the voting centre is the Goaso Catholic Church; Bono Region, the Sunyani Tropical Hotel; Bono East, the Nkoranza Benji Hotel; Northern Region, the Tamale Regional Library; North East, Nalerigu Ashbarika, and Savannah Region, the Damongo Mahama Guest House. The Wa Regional Library will be the voting centre for delegates in the Upper West Region; Upper East, the Bolgatanga Catholic Social Centre, and Greater Accra, the YMCA at Adabraka. The CPP Headquarters will host the voting centre for national executives, members of the Council of Elders and other party gurus. Besides, the headquarters centre will serve as the monitoring and collation centre where the results will be declared. 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 Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the September 19 governorship election in Edo, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, recently had an interactive session with journalists in Abuja. At the event attended by Samson Adenekan of the PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ize-Iyamu presented his SIMPLE Agenda and other emerging issues. Excerpts: Question: Win or lose, what would be your attitude as regards the forthcoming Edo election? Ize-Iyamu: Let me assure you that, for me, a man who genuinely wants to serve will not be desperate to get the post. I have antagonised some leaders in the past because I needed to stress this point. My purpose in office is very simple. That is why the last time I contested, many of you knew the circumstances that the result was declared. I allowed the protest because I needed to allow our people to vent out their anger and frustration in a civilised and democratic manner, and I followed them to ensure that there was no destruction. The moment the Supreme Court made its pronouncement, right in the courtroom, I sent a text message to Governor Obaseki saying congratulations your Excellency and he called me and I picked. And, for three and half years, I refrained from commenting. If he is performing, the Edo people wont want a change of government. I am not intimidated by the performance of somebody. He can be doing well and the people say he is not a governor enough. I want to assure you that if I lose the election, the worst that can happen is that I will go to court. There will be no resort to violence. Ive also told my supporters that please, throughout the campaigns, no matter the provocation, dont be violent. I have addressed the press on the destruction of our billboards and they (PDP) also have billboards too. What I find even more worrisome is the violence they sponsored and ascribed to APC. Unfortunately, our security agencies are not ready to reveal the identities of those arrested. Only yesterday, we were campaigning and they began to shoot and the police decided to do their stop and search. They arrested some while some escaped. Good! But the police did not name the supporters of who they are. Who are they? The police should be able to say it so as to put the party on spot. Are they Pastor Ize-Iyamus supporters or PDP? Name them. READ ALSO: I want to use this medium to appeal to the security agencies to please arrest those who are involved in violence. Question: Looking at what happened to your party in Bayelsa where you lost the court case, wont such be replicated in Edo? Answer: Bayelsa has also taught us a lot of lessons. In the past we thoroughly scrutinised the credentials of governorship aspirants and in the last minutes we just changed the deputy governors which may not give enough room for such scrutiny. But this time, our party insisted that whoever is going to be the deputy governor would also subject his credentials to the same level of scrutiny. Question: Some Nigerians have some worries whenever they see pastors and servants of God in politics because of the kind of politics we play in Nigeria. Is your calling still intact? Answer: The reality is that, who do you want to leave politics to? Are you content with politics being in the hands of the unbelievers? Are you content with having criminals, wicked men and women in politics? If you are content with that, then you know why government is the way it is. We have to make a conscious effort to encourage good people, decent people to participate in political processes. Whether you are a pastor, imam, lawyer, or journalists, let us ensure we do our best. Politics is variable in government and the government controls all of us. Let me assure you that it does not affect my calling, politics is a calling and I see government as a mission field, a place that is in darkness that needs to be cleansed and needs the light of God. Let me take you back to the book of Proverbs 29 verse 2 which says when the righteous are in authorities, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. In that single verse, the scripture makes a good translation between good people and bad people government and politics. My calling is intact, Im a very senior pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I still preach every Sunday, it has not affected my ministry at all, but government, politics itself is a calling. Question: You mentioned distraction as the core reason for your loss in the 2016 Edo governorship election, have you identified those things that made you lose. What are they and how have you been addressing them in your campaign? Answer: Yes, every time we try something that does not work, common sense demands that you reflect through it. Advertisements I believe my results in the coming election will answer your question. The Ministry of Education (MoE), in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), has begun the second phase of disinfection of all tertiary institutions in the country. It followed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos directive for tertiary institutions to reopen next week for continuing students. The nationwide exercise, which started simultaneously in five regions last Friday, covered Greater Accra, Central, Volta, Northern, Western and Ashanti. Containing COVID-19 The exercise covers polytechnics, universities, health facilities, in addition to all public and private tertiary institutions, and forms part of the central governments continuous measures at containing the spread of the COVID-19. Final-year students of tertiary institutions completed the academic year by writing their final examinations on Friday, and that facilitated the exercise. Day one In the Greater Accra Region, tertiary institutions that were disinfected on the first day of the exercise included the Accra Technical University, the West End University, the Dominion University, the Islamic University, and the Kings University College. Open spaces of those institutions were disinfected in addition to lecture halls, offices and other facilities. Numbers Addressing the media during the exercise, the Greater Accra Regional Manager of ZGL, Mr Ernest Morgan Acquah, disclosed that his outfit was expected to disinfect about 86 tertiary institutions in the country. According to him, the national exercise would be completed before tomorrow (Sunday). Mr Acquah reiterated the need for the students and the authorities in the tertiary institutions to continue observing the COVID-19 preventive protocols. Although he said it was encouraging that the country's active cases had reduced drastically, he advised that it should not be a reason for "us to lose our guard." Government applauded At the Catholic Institute of Business Technology (CIBT) near the Information Ministry, the Registrar, Mr Perry Ofosu, applauded the government's collaborative effort with Zoomlion to fight the virus. The Registrar of CIBT, who was excited about the second disinfection exercise in his school, stated that they had put in place adequate safety measures to receive the continuing students on Monday. The measures, he said, included placing Veronica buckets at vantage points and ensuring that the students observed social/physical distancing. "We will also provide each student with two reusable nose masks," Mr Ofosu added. 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 AFP/Getty Donald Trump threatened to withhold emergency funding from California because the state had ignored his "raking" theory of forest management to prevent wildfires. As firefighters battled hundreds of wildfires across Northern California, Mr Trump told a campaign rally in Pennsylvania that the state should pay for the damage because they ignored his recommendations after previous fires. "Maybe we're just going to have to have them pay for it because they don't listen to us. We say you've got to get rid of the leaves, you've got to get rid of the debris, you got to get rid of the fallen trees," Mr Trump said on Thursday. "And they just don't want to listen. They mocked us when I said that. You got to 'clean your floors', just an expression, clean the floors, and they have many, many years, decades of leaves, dry leaves and everything. That's why they have it." The president first used the expression about cleaning and raking the forest floors in the aftermath of the California wildfires in November 2018, which he appeared to blame on forest management over climate change. At the time, he said the state needed to clean the floors of the forest as he claimed had been successful in other countries like Finland. "I was with the president of Finland and he said ... we're a forest nation, he called it a forest nation, and they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. They don't have any problem, and what it is, it's a very small problem," Mr Trump said in 2018. However, Sauli Niinisto, the president of Finland, later said they had only discussed having a good surveillance system and that the issue of "raking" or "cleaning" had not come up. Mr Trump again referenced "forest cities" like those of Finland on Thursday, saying they have more flammable trees than California but don't have any problems with wildfires. Story continues "I said you've got to clean your floors you've got to clean your forests. They've many, many years of leaves and broken trees. And they're like, like so flammable you touch them and it goes up," he said. "I've been telling them this now for three years. But they don't want to listen." The California wildfires have so far killed at least one person, pilot Mike Fournier who died on Wednesday when his helicopter crashed while battling a 1,500-acre fire in Central Valley. Smoke across the state can be seen in satellite footage spreading out from the Pacific Ocean to Montana, while nearly 11,000 lightning strikes were recorded in a 72-hour period with almost 400 fires raging. Read more California wildfires: Smoke seen billowing across state in footage California wildfire camera destroyed by fast-moving blaze Pilot killed as wildfires and thunderstorms engulf California Lightning strikes spark new California wildfires Rolling blackouts in California as temperature hits 112F Two tropical storms are now advancing across the Caribbean Saturday as potentially historic threats to the U.S. Gulf Coast one dumping rain on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and the other pushing its way toward the tip of Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, whose sprawling resorts had been almost emptied by coronavirus restrictions. Tropical Storm Laura, which formed Friday morning, and Tropical Storm Marco, which formed late Friday night, are both projected to approach the U.S. Gulf Coast at or near hurricane strength. The current, uncertain track would take them to Texas or Louisiana. Two hurricanes have never appeared in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records going back to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The last time two tropical storms were in the Gulf together was in 1959, he said. The last time two storms made landfall in the United States within 24 hours of each other was in 1933, Klotzbach said. The projected track from the U.S. National Hurricane Center would put both storms together in the Gulf on Tuesday, with Marco hitting Texas and Laura making landfall a little less than a day later, though both paths remain uncertain. This map shows the forecast map of Tropical Storm Laura, as of Saturday morning, Aug. 22. Forecasters say Laura could strengthen to a hurricane as it approaches the U.S. Gulf Coast on Wednesday.National Hurricane Center Laura was already flinging rain across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands early Saturday and was expected to drench the Dominican Republic, Haiti and parts of Cuba during the day on its westward course. Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency and warned that flooding could be worse than what Tropical Storm Isaias unleashed three weeks ago because the ground is now saturated. "No one should be out on the streets," she said. The storm was centered about 50 miles south of San Juan, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, making it a minimal tropical storm. It was moving west at 21 mph, and forecasters from the National Hurricane Center believe Laura will strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday or Wednesday as it approaches the U.S. Gulf Coast. Marcos, meanwhile, was strengthening while centered about 110 miles east of Cozumel island, headed to the north-northwest at 12 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph early Saturday morning, but those winds grew as strong as 65 mph by 11 a.m. The Hurricane Center said it expects the two storms to stay far enough apart to prevent direct interaction as the region braces for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is forecast to be unusually active. Both storms were expected to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to areas they were passing over or near, threatening widespread flooding across a vast region. A lot of people are going to be impacted by rainfall and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico, said Joel Cline, tropical program coordinator for the National Weather Service. Since you simply dont know you really need to make precautions. This map shows the latest forecast track of Tropical Storm Marco as of 11 a.m. Saturday. The National Hurricane Center says the storm is quickly intensifying and will likely become a hurricane later Saturday.National Hurricane Center It seems fitting for such an unusual twin threat to arrive in 2020, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. Of course, we have to have two simultaneously land-falling hurricanes, McNoldy said. Its best not to ask whats next. While atmospheric conditions are favorable for Laura to grow, forecasters say its passage over Puerto Rico and the mountains of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba that could tear it apart or weaken it before it enters warm Gulf waters conducive to growth. Officials in the Florida Keys, which Laura might pass over on its route into the Gulf, declared a local state of emergency Friday and issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone living on boats, in mobile homes and in campers. Tourists staying in hotels should be aware of hazardous weather conditions and consider altering their plans starting on Sunday, Monroe County officials said in a news release. Citing both storm systems, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Friday night. "It is too soon to know exactly where, when or how these dual storms will affect Louisiana, but now is the time for our people to prepare for these storms," Edwards said in a statement. Laura had earlier forced the closure of schools and government offices in the eastern Caribbean islands of Anguilla and Antigua, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. The Atlantic has already generated 30 named storm days in 2020. The only years in the satellite era (since 1966) to have generated more named storm days by August 22 are 1995, 2005 and 2008. #Laura #Marco #hurricane pic.twitter.com/n37aWgT6w6 Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) August 22, 2020 Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, the Chancellor, University of Ghana, has said the sustained development and improvement in the quality of life in the Northern part of the country was dependent on the collective efforts and contributions of the indigenes of the area. She said the five regions of the north were lagging in terms of development and yet blessed with professionals and experts who could pool their knowledge and resources together for the development of the area. I am convinced that the indigenes of Northern Ghana will have to take control of the development of Northern Ghana and not to depend on other people for help because it will not happen. I know the importance of many people who can make a difference, the north has produced Presidents, Ministers, and Members of Parliament among other professionals who could work as a pressure group to ensure that in the distribution of resources and development programmes, northern Ghana will get its fair share and beyond, she noted. Addressing stakeholders via Zoom in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region at a Northern Ghana Development Summit, the Chancellor noted that when a Development Plan of the North was developed and owned by the indigenes, there would be sustainability in the development drive. I sense frustration, I would plead that we make those frustrations positive by mobilizing to ensure that the rhetoric of talking all the time about the need to breach the existing gap between the north and the south is given action and not just talk. What we need right now is to ensure that we see to it that the implementation of the many good ideas would take place, she noted Speaking on the topic Narrowing the North-South inequalities: what needs to be done, Mrs Chinery-Hesse explained that although the north was robbed through colonialism, it was high time the people made a paradigm shift from hoping for reparation to coordinating their efforts together irrespective of their political ideologies to secure their destiny. She said Northern Ghana was endowed with rich with natural and economic resources that had the potential of propeling aggressive socio-economic growth and position it to play an effective economic linkage between Ghana and the Sahel countries. She stated, for instance that the potentials of the abundant shea could be harnessed by adding value to the raw materials and constructing reservoirs to harvest the abundant water sources during the rainy season for both agriculture activities during the dry season and generation of hydroelectric power. The Chancellor noted that the Sahel with its population of about 350 million presents a big economic prospect for Ghana and underscored the urgent need for more resources to be channeled towards developing the north, adding that it would further change the paradigm of migrating from the north to south in search for greener pastures to migrating from the south to north. Bo-Na Professor Yakubu Nantogmah, a Member of Council of State, who spoke on the theme, Transforming the economy of Northern Ghana within the context of the 2020 general election and COVID-19 pandemic, identified abandoning of development projects as major hindrance in the north and stressed the need for politicians to ensure continuation of projects for improved livelihoods. Bo-Na Nantogmah proposed that although the political parties could have their own manifestoes, there should be understanding between political parties to continue and complete projects irrespective of the political party in government. The programme, which brought together stakeholders including; Regional Ministers or their representative of the five regions of the North, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chiefs, traditional authorities, among others was organized by the Northern Development Authority (NDA) with support from STAR-Ghana Foundation, TAMA Foundation Universal and the Northern Development Forum. The Summit was to bring development experts together to chart the way forward for the sustained development and progress of Northern Ghana, reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of the people. ---GNA BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 22 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Uzbekistan increased by 406 to 38,231, Trend reports with reference to the statistics of the Uzbek Ministry of Health. To date, 33,442 (+547) patients have fully recovered in the country, while 262 have died. Under the instructions of President of Uzbekistan, unlimited movement of vehicles as well as local air rail traffic in Uzbekistan was resumed since August 15, 2020. In addition, from August 17, 2020, Tashkent resumes public transport traffic. Citizens are required to wear a medical mask when entering the bus, otherwise, passengers will not be allowed on the buses. Moreover, from August 20, 2020, clothing and building material markets, large shops, gyms, fitness clubs and swimming pools will resume operations. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology; it was an Uzbek woman who returned from France. The Ministry of Health later announced that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested positive for coronavirus. The outbreak in the Chinese Wuhan city - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini Australia is currently covered in snow as New South Wales' "coldest day of the year" arrives in the state, delivering hail and icy winds that sweep across Victoria. Many Australians woke up to thick snow surroundings this weekend. Snow in my backyard in a capital city in Australia- and thats the ocean out there. pic.twitter.com/DLiyMhMeX8 Lou-Smorrels (@LouSmorrels) August 22, 2020 Also Read: Tight Friendship Led to Insane Trickshots! Get to Know Dude Perfect and the Five Best Friends Who Broke YouTube Records! The residents posted the photos on social media, revealing the snow and white-blanketed areas' scenes of flurries. The temperatures in NSW's parts dropped to 10C, which is below average, as an Antarctic air mass spreads across the country's east. Also Read: Batman: Arkham's Rocksteady Studios Executives Reportedly Ignoring and Covering Up Sexual Harassment Complaints 20mm of the white snow, falling in some locations, was experienced by dozens of cities and towns. Sydney considered the current temperature as the "coldest day of the year." Its going to be a cold and windy day so rug up and ensure that you keep anything flammable at least a metre from the heater. #winter #snow pic.twitter.com/2SOtgusQLx A beautiful image captured by @nampix at Clarence in the Blue Mountains this morning as snow settles across the Gospers Fireground.Its going to be a cold and windy day so rug up and ensure that you keep anything flammable at least a metre from the heater. #nswrfs NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) August 21, 2020 "A series of strong cold fronts and troughs will bring a cold blast to the southeast, with temperatures 2 to 8 degrees below average," said Diana Eadie, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster. "Saturday will be particularly cold for NSW and the ACT, likely the coldest day of the year - with strong winds making it feel even colder," she added. Tom Saunders, a Sky News Weather meteorologist, said that NSW and the ACT would experience the coldest weather by Saturday because of the strong winds. Sunday could also bring cold conditions Weather forecasters said that cold conditions, blizzards, snow, heavy rain, and damaging winds could also arrive on Sunday, Aug. 23. Saunders warned that people should move out once the primary polar blast moves in. He added that on Saturday, Aug. 22, temperatures could drop even below 5C in the middle of the afternoon. The Southern Highlands, Canberra, and the Blue Mountains could experience the snow as low as 500 meters. On the other hand, Hobart might see up to 35mm of rain during the weekend. For more news updates about the Earth's environment, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Also Read: [WATCH] 'Abyssal Spider': Fans Left Terrified After Seeing What's Hidden in the Deep Ocean This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Maryland fifth-grader got a visit from the police after his teacher called to report that she had seen a BB gun on the wall behind the student during a class video call. The boy's mother, Courtney Lancaster Sperry, a Navy veteran, wrote a Facebook post stating: "While my son was on a Zoom call, a 'concerned parent' and subsequently two teachers saw his properly stowed and mounted Red Ryder BB gun and one other BB gun in the background. He was not holding them and never intentionally showed them on video. In fact, he was oblivious that they could even be seen in the background." One of the teachers told the school's principal, who decided to call the police to report the guns and ask that the home be searched. Hmm...have a warrant? Probable cause? Do teachers and principals now have the power of judges, juries, the FBI? (Ever notice that progressives disdain and eschew the police unless and until they want to use them to oppress those with whom they disagree?) When this country was lapping the world economically and defeating supposedly invincible foes like Hitler's Germany and Tojo's Japan at the same time nearly every kid had a Red Ryder BB gun or a .22 rifle...and a lot of them in rural areas brought them to school. That is when Uncle Sam had balls and was not "non-binary," and when American citizens were unafraid of being disliked for...the right reasons. Since her son was targeted by an "educator" who thought there was a scary-looking gun on her son's bedroom wall, Sperry has been warning other parents about the lack of privacy during virtual classes. She stated that the principal and the teacher cited a rule stating that students may not bring guns to school and claimed it extended to virtual classes as well. She said the school handbook does not address rules for virtual learning at all and added, "He did not BRING anything to this meeting, and he is in his own home" and noted (of the "guns"), "They were simply in the background in our home, safely stowed in a room behind a closed door, with no ammunition (if you can even call it that)." Sperry's son did not "bring anything to school." Rather, the school was brought into their private home. It is offensive and scary to me that a Zoom-conveyed image of government academicians can invade the space where a perfectly innocent child and mother and firearm reside. Firearms, like mama Sperry's Navy, have been tireless defenders of freedom and underdogs for many decades now. The same cannot be said of government schools. Would the teacher or principal have sicced the cops on Sperry and her son if they had spotted a vibrator, adult movie, or Planned Parenthood flyer in their house? A screen shot of the upcoming Netflix movie Cuties? A copy of Heather Has Two Mommies? A bong or spliff? A brochure from the Church of Satan? Of course not. But, to "progressives," a BB gun or a Swiss Army knife is a bridge too far, a relic from a time when the government feared and therefore honored its citizens, unlike today, when the citizens fear the government...whether they honor it or not. Image credit: Pixabay public domain. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny remains in a coma after falling extremely ill while traveling from Tomsk to Moscow on board an airliner. According to doctors in Omsk, Russia, the city in southwestern Siberia to which Navalny was transported after his flight made an emergency landing, their working diagnosis is that Navalny is suffering from a metabolic disorder possibly caused by a sharp drop in his sugar levels. Alexei Navalny [Source: Wikimedia Commons] Aleksandr Murakovsky, the head doctor of the hospitals emergency department, told the press on Thursday that neither oxybutyrates nor barbiturates were found in the body. Speaking just prior, specialists at Omsks BMSP-1 medical clinic and the Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery declared they did not find poison, contradicting the charge that there was an attempt to take Navalnys life through exposure to a lethal substance. Chemical traces from plastics that are commonly found on peoples clothes were uncovered by Russian laboratories that examined his personal belongings. Omsk doctors had declared that Navalnys condition was too unstable for him to be transported out of Russia. However, they have since reversed their decision. Navalny will be transferred on Saturday to the Charite hospital in Berlin on a plane dispatched by Germany to Omsk the day before, along with medical personnel. Supporters of Navalny reject the diagnosis as a cover-up by the Kremlin, of which the oppositionist has been a vocal critic. Kira Yarmish, Navalnys press secretary who was traveling with him when he collapsed mid-flight, insists he was poisoned while drinking tea just prior to getting on board. Anastasia Vasilyeva, head of the Doctors Alliance trade unionan outfit set up by Navalny with the intention of drawing Russian medical workers angry over the deplorable state of the countrys health systems behind his right-wing organizationhas pointed out that a metabolic disorder is not a diagnosis of an illness, but a condition brought on by some other major cause. The New York Times and the Washington Post have already carried several articles insinuatingdespite the absence of clear evidence so far that Navalny was even poisonedthat Russian president Vladimir Putin is responsible, and the Kremlin opponent is another victim in a long string of assassinations allegedly carried out by Moscow. In making these claims, they are motivated solely by the ferocious US anti-Russia campaign, of which the two newspapers are the leading media proponents. They have not the slightest concern for Navalny himself. It should be noted, for instance, that both newspapers have long stopped shedding a single tear over the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government Jamal Khashoggi, whose assassination and dismemberment by Saudi operatives were recorded by Turkish intelligence. On Thursday, White House National Security Adviser Robert OBrien described the claims that Navalny was poisoned as very concerning. He added, If the Russians were behind this ... its something that were going to factor into how we deal with the Russians going forward. The Trump administration has since said that it is following the situation but has issued no official statement. The European Union has yet to weigh in on the Omsk doctors diagnosis or the underlying causes of Navalnys illness, limiting its intervention to appeals for the oppositionist to be sent to Germany. Whether Navalny became ill due to natural causes or was poisoned, and if so, who might be responsible, may never be known. Certainly, there are many people in Russia, the United States, Europe, and other countries who might wish to dispense with the Kremlin oppositionist for any number of reasons. His fate, both in the near and short term, is entirely bound up with the Washingtons aims to dominate Eurasia and the desperate efforts of the Russian ruling class to survive the consequences. The so-called Russian opposition movement, in which Navalny plays a central role, is a plaything within the swirling agendas of the different political forces operating in this context. An alleged attempt on Navalnys life that is pinned to the Kremlin works to the benefit of those layers within the American state who seek to demonize the Putin government in order to justify war with Russia. The response of the Times and the Post make it clear that there is already an effort afoot to use his illness in this manner. Navalny himself has close ties to Washington. Navalnys corruption exposes have targeted powerful individuals within the Russian state and big business. He has his supporters within the elite and the government itself, but is viewed by some as a threat, particularly within the context of the series of domestic and foreign crises currently confronting the Putin government. The spread of COVID-19 has brought to the fore the deplorable state of Russias healthcare system, fueling popular anger. There is an eruption of anti-government sentiment in Russias Far East, after the Kremlin used allegations of criminal conduct to remove a popular governor. And the Lukashenko government in Belarus, Moscows last remaining ally on its western frontier, may soon be overthrown as part of pro-democracy movement that has drawn behind it key sections of the working class. Notwithstanding his free-market politics and anti-immigration chauvinism, Navalny has positioned himself as a champion of Russias exploited medical workers and protesters in both Khabarovsk and Minsk. He is seeking to gain from the current crisis, as the Kremlin flails. The possible downfall of the Lukashenko government, driven to a significant degree by a mass strike wave that has witnessed thousands of workers on the streets, poses dangers for the Putin government. It is terrified of the prospect that the Russian working class, which has close linguistic, cultural, economic, and political ties with the Belarusian working class, and many of the same grievances, will be moved into action by events just over the border. It is also concerned that the Belarusian opposition, with which Moscow has maintained close relations, could come fully under the domination of the West. On Thursday, Belarusian oppositionist Valery Tsepkalo called for Western Europe to recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenkos challenger in the countrys contested presidential elections, as the rightful winner. The aim he said is to create a Venezuela-like situation, in which she, like Juan Gaido in Venezuela, would form a competing government so that it would become clear to the government bureaucrats and security services to whom they need to swear loyaltyto whose side they need to move. In making this remark, Tsepkalo revealed perhaps more than he intended, as Gaido is a tool of Washington and lacks any base of support within the Venezuelan masses. The Belarusian opposition is attempting to identify with the mass strike movement in Belarus, using its promises of free and fair elections to draw workers attention away from its right-wing, free-market politics. After initially withholding clear promises of support for Lukashenko, on Friday the Russian government signaled that it was perhaps taking a firmer position on Belarus, indicating that if asked by Minsk it would do everything possible to help in the regulation of the situation in Belarus. The Kremlin stopped short, however, of indicating that it was prepared to fully back the besieged government. With regards to criminal charges unveiled against Belarus protesters, the Kremlin stated it would in no way or in any way interfere in or make any appraisal of the reasons for the criminal investigations in Belarus. The CDC lists numerous symptoms of coronavirus. Now a new study claims to know which order they appear when you're sick with COVID-19. In a research paper published in Frontiers in Public Health, researchers at the University of Southern California say their discovery can help patients and doctors alike determine the sage next steps, including a possible coronavirus test and quarantining yourself. Read on, and make sure you're safe, don't miss this essential list of the Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus. A Fever is the First Signal You May Have Coronavirus According to the scientists, the most likely order of symptoms is as follows: fever cough and muscle pain nausea and/or vomiting diarrhea Important to note: A fever does not always accompany coronavirus. You can have coronavirus without having any of the symptoms above. But these symptoms are common, and commonly present themselves in this order, say the researchers. "This order is especially important to know when we have overlapping cycles of illnesses like the flu that coincide with infections of COVID-19," said study co-author Peter Kuhn, professor of medicine, biomedical engineering, and aerospace and mechanical engineering at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "Doctors can determine what steps to take to care for the patient, and they may prevent the patient's condition from worsening." "Given that there are now better approaches to treatments for COVID-19, identifying patients earlier could reduce hospitalization time," said doctoral candidate Joseph Larsen, the study's lead author and a USC Dornsife professor. The order is distinct to coronavirus. "The upper GI tract (i.e., nausea/vomiting) seems to be affected before the lower GI tract (i.e., diarrhea) in COVID-19, which is the opposite from MERS and SARS," the scientists wrote. The Virus Has a "Broad Range" of Symptoms Story continues The coronavirus has been a particularly tricky one to trace, as patients are describing symptoms that range from fever to a rash called "COVID toes"and certain "long haulers" experience terrible symptoms like "brain fog" or chronic fatigue for endless months. "I've never seen an infection with this broad range of manifestations," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last month. "This is a good guide of sorts," Dr. Bob Lahita, a professor of medicine who is not affiliated with the study, told CBSN anchor Anne-Marie Green. "We can say safely, studying as they did, I think it was 55,000 patients from China, they looked at the data and looked at the symptoms and found that this order was pretty reproducible.Fever is number one, followed by cough, followed by aches and pains and they do not all have to appear in sequence, they can appear together," Lahita said. How You Can Stay Safe From COVID-19 If you have a fever, it could be something else or it could be COVID-19. Call your medical professional immediately. And wear your face mask, social distance, avoid crowds, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 37 Places You're Most Likely to Catch Coronavirus. NEW DELHI: The Islamic State (ISIS) operative who was arrested by a Special Cell of Delhi Police on Friday night (August 21) after a brief exchange of fire, on Saturday was remanded to seven-day police custody. According to reports, Special Cell officers are taking him to Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, for further investigation. The ISIS operative has been identified as Abu Yusuf Khan and hails from Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur. He was nabbed on Ridge Road between Karol Bagh and Dhaula Kuan in Delhi after a shootout at around 11:30 pm on Friday. Yusuf was on a two-wheeler when he was intercepted by the Delhi Police. The police recovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), weighing approximately 15 kilogrammes in two pressure cookers, from his possession. Besides, a pistol was also recovered from him post-firing. Earlier today, a Delhi Police official said that the arrested terrorist was interrogated. Sources said that the police suspected that Yusuf was working with a few associates in Delhi who were helping him. Raids were carried out by the police at different locations in Delhi-NCR to catch their hold. The police claimed that Yusuf was a 'lone wolf' operative who had on his own planned an attack in the national capital. Security was heightened near Buddha Jayanti Park in the Ridge Road area, with teams of NSG commandos and sniffer dogs keeping a tight vigil in the area. According to unnamed sources in a report by ANI, the suspected terrorist was handled by ISKP commanders from Afghanistan. He was also in touch with terrorists in Kashmir, sources added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 23 Trend: Today marks the 27th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijans Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts by the Armenian armed forces, as part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On August 23, 1993, some 51 villages and the center of the Fuzuli district were seized by Armenians, as a result of which over 55,000 residents left their native land. The district covers a territory stretching from the southeastern slopes of the Karabakh mountain range to the Araz River. It borders with Azerbaijani districts of Khojavand, Jabrayil, Aghjabadi, Beylagan, as well as Iran along the Araz River. The area of the Fuzuli district is 1,386 sq. km. Some 13 settlements and 20 villages are located in this districts territory, freed from the occupation. Twelve of the settlements, constructed after liberation, accommodate the internally displaced families. Since 1988, the Fuzuli district has been facing constant Armenian attacks. As a result of the occupation, over 1,100 residents of Fuzuli became martyrs, 113 were taken hostages and 1,450 were left handicapped. Azerbaijani Ecology and Natural Resources Ministrys Operative Center, which inspects the devastating impact of the occupation on environmental and natural resources of Azerbaijan, found out that Armenians destroyed natural resources in the Fuzuli district during the occupation period. Armenians cut down virtually all the trees in the Dovlatyarli village, and destroyed green spaces along the roads in the Gochahmadli and Yaglivand villages. After the occupation of the Jabrayil district, which has a territory of 1,050 sq. km, some 72 secondary schools, eight hospitals, five mosques, two museums, 129 historical monuments and 149 cultural centers were left in the occupation zone. Some 61,100 IDPs from the Jabrayil district were settled in over 2,000 settlements in 58 districts across Azerbaijan. 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, in 1992 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 withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. A militant, believed to be a Pakistani affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Saturday, police said. Acting on a specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Check-i-Saloosa area of Kreeri in the north Kashmir district in the morning, a police spokesperson said. As the presence of militants was established, they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately on the joint search party, which was retaliated, the spokesperson said. He added that a militant was killed in the ensuing encounter and the body retrieved from the site. "Although the affiliation of the slain terrorist is being ascertained, reliable sources indicate that he was Anees alias Chotu Sultan, a Pakistani affiliated to the LeT," the police spokesperson said. Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were seized from the encounter site, he said, adding that the seized materials were taken into the case records for further investigation and to probe the slain's militant's complicity in other terror crimes. The last rites of the slain militant will be performed after completing the medico-legal formalities, including collection of his DNA sample, the spokesperson said. A case under relevant sections of law has been registered at the Kreeri police station and a probe launched, 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.) Dateline Myanmars Election 2020: A Look Into the Crystal Ball -- Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! It is less than three months until the November election. Though it is not yet the campaign period now, we are seeing more interesting political views and activities. We will discuss what is interesting in the current political landscape, how the 2020 election can shape that landscape, and which parties can secure electoral victory. Vice chairwoman of the Democratic Party for a New Society Ma Noe Noe Htet San and one of the leaders of the Federal Democratic Force, Ko Mya Aye, join me to discuss this. Im The Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe. As Ive said it is less than three months until the election. The electoral campaign period has not yet begun, but things have already come alive. Ma Noe Noe Htet San, your party will field candidates in the November election. How do you feel about the current political landscape? How is it different from the political landscape before the 2015 general election? Noe Noe Htet San: Here, Id like to talk about the political process before discussing the current political landscape. As everyone knows, we have to run in the election under the 2008 Constitution. I mean the 2008 Constitution has a lot of control over the election. But this is one of the paths toward democracy. And still it depends on how much the democratic forces can push through that path. There will be certain achievements if we can push for democracy along with the election. But there will barely be progress if democracy and the election are treated separately. It is very important for major parties, especially those wishing to establish federal democracy, to understand this point, if they are to push for democracy. The National League for Democracy (NLD) won in 2015 general elections. And I think the party was unable to implement the process to establish democracy. Five years after the party took office, both ethnic forces and democratic forces said they have to rely on themselves. And at the individual level, some individuals are even talking about not voting for any party, not because they dont support them, but because they want to show their opposition to the 2008 Constitution. This shows that if we take an opportunity for democratization, we have to make use of it. If we fail to make use of it, there can be repercussions. KZM: You mean the NLD won the 2015 general election, but it failed to work decisively over the past four years? NNHS: Yes, thats right. It has performed very poorly in pushing for democratization. KZM: Many believe that the 2010 poll was rigged. So, we will set it aside for now. To compare the political landscapes before 2015 and the upcoming election, what do you think are the differences? Has there been any progress toward democratization? Mya Aye: Before the 2015 election, all the groups had one single goal: To get rid of the militarys influence. So, despite the different political viewsit is usual for different groups to have different viewsall the groups joined hands, and the people actively participated. So, it was simple. I would call the 2015 election the silent revolution of the people [against military rule]. So, [democratic forces] won the 2015 poll. Given the political landscape of Myanmar, we should look at the entire course of history rather than a phase of the election. There were student movements and since the 1988 coup, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has had influence over the people. No one can deny this fact. Whether we like it or not, her party is at the forefront [of the democracy movement in Myanmar] now. So, the entire people voted for the NLD, which is the forefront of the democracy movement. The problem is that the political landscape of Myanmar is rather a top-down system. Though we got a democratically elected government due to the pressures from the people, the system we got was not the one that we want. It is the system designed by the other side. In other words, it is based on a seven-point road map. KZM: Which was designed by the military regime? MA: Yes. The system is run under the 2008 Constitution. Currently, we can divide the political landscape into twoinside the Parliament and outside the Parliament. Speaking of the political landscape outside the Parliament, not all the ethnic armed groups want to join the Parliament. I will only talk about the 21st-Century Panglong Conference here, though there are many other things [that discourage them from joining the Parliament]. The NLD government was barely able to link between the political landscapes inside and outside the Parliament in the past five years. And the peace process was unsuccessful. Ten ethnic armed groups signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement [NCA]. The peace process was unsuccessful as a consequence of the weaknesses in signing of the NCA in October 2015. Other groups opted out of signing the NCA mainly because the U Thein Sein government didnt allow the Arakan Army, the MNDAA [Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army] and the Taang National Liberation Army to sign the truce. These are interrelated. KZM: You said the NLD was at the forefront of the democracy movement in 2015. It was at the forefront, too, in 1990 [when a general election was held]. What will be its position in 2020? MA: My view is that no matter what opinions and wishes we have, the majority of the people will still vote for the NLD. Whether we like it or not, it is the reality that the NLD is the preeminent party that is accepted by the majority of the people. KZM: What Ko Mya Aye said is indisputable. But the NLD has also drawn considerable criticism for the lack of progress in the peace process and for cold-shouldering the ethnic parties. I also see that some ethnic parties have formed strong mergers in their respective states. Ma Noe Noe Htet San, how many seats will your party contest in the coming election? Compared with 2015, it appears that voters will consider the capacity of candidates rather than the party they belong to. What is your view on that? NNHS: People in this country, thanks to their political awareness, know exactly who to vote for. And I assume that they will know whom to vote for at the regional and state level. Our party is a small party and we can only field 16 candidates. We are trying to position ourselves as a party that has real desire for democracy and a federal Union in the future. At the same time, we have to promote equality and unity. Participation by women is currently a top issue. Fifty percent of our candidates are women. Again, it is said that the voices of the youth are not represented. So, we have selected young candidates. And we also consider minorities. We believe we should take minorities into consideration under any circumstances. If all the major parties have such thoughts, it will be easier to push for democracy. If there is no significant action regarding human rights, equality and ethnic issues, this can create doubts about the democratization process. Speaking of the NLDs [unfriendly] attitude toward ethnic parties after the 2015 election, I dont know whether or not the party has a policy to treat them so. But the actions of the party and remarks of the partys vice-chairman have raised a lot of questions. It was too much for a party, which was born out of democratic forces, to speak like that. So, there will be a lot of questions as to the possible results of the 2020 election. KZM: How many seats do you think your party will win in the election? The NLD party remains the leading party, and though its popularity has declined, it still enjoys considerable support. So, what are your expectations? NNHS: According to our assessment, we can in no way outperform the NLD. Because our candidates are not competing with NLD candidates, but with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The State Counselor enjoys enormous popularity. So, it is even hard to say whether we can win a single seat. We want all 16 of our candidates to win, and we have made preparations for that. KZM: Ko Mya Aye, there have been different opinions regarding choosing candidates. Some call for voting for the party without considering the capacity of the candidate, and some call for considering the capacity of the candidate instead of the partys popularity. What is your assessment? MA: It depends on the political system that is in use, as well as the system of the party. In my opinion, party is more important [than capacity of individual candidates]. We dont have enough time to discuss it here. Under the 2008 Constitution, the system being practiced in our country is neither parliamentary democracy nor presidential democracy. It is somewhere between these two. So, there is a need for thorough analysis. So, I would like to set aside the topic of party or person because I will have to present a number of reasons to support my argument. In fact, we have to consider the party. The policy of the party is the key. If you join a party out of your support for it, you will have to follow its policy. If you dont like that policy, you have to struggle within the party for democracy centralization. For example, take a look at Deng Xiaoping of the Communist Party of China. He failed three times and came back all those times. This is just one of the examples. The most important thing in this country is to achieve internal peace. People who live in ethnic areas must support ethnic parties. Political spaces must be given to ethnic parties. The NLD remains the leading party. But our democratic forces are frustrated that its alliance policy with ethnic parties has ceased. This is what I am most concerned about. KZM: It is likely that voters will give more votes to ethnic parties. And ethnic parties have merged and become stronger. What if the NLD fails to win the enough votes to elect the President? MA: Some alliances are made before the election, and some are made after the election. In the latter, you make alliances only after you win certain seats. KZM: You mean you want the NLD to make alliances after election. MA: I think the NLD would not be forced to make alliances [to be able to form the government], but it should think about Plan B to avoid it. KZM: So, the NLD should think about how to ally with ethnic parties if it needs more seats in the Union Parliament to elect the President? MA: Of course, I want to see the NLD ally with ethnic parties and democratic parties. KZM: When we discuss the election, we cant just talk about political parties and those who stand for election. The Tatmadaw [Myanmars military] plays a very important role. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, if elected by Tatmadaw[-appointed] lawmakers, can at least become the vice-president. Or he can run in the election if he is confident that he can win. Ma Noe Noe Htet San, has your party considered his political ambition? NNHS: As the 2008 Constitution was designed unlawfully, the military must give up 25 percent of the seats it holds in Parliament so that the Constitution can be amended. Military personnel should know that it is unethical of them to join politics while they are still serving in the military. KZM: But he [Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing] has a right, like every citizen, to stand for election. NNHS: Yes, but only after he has left the service. At the same time, he must remove the military bloc from Parliament. Then he can stand for election, like the USDP [Union Solidarity and Development Party] did. We welcome the emergence of new political parties. We are willing to talk to any party. Whether they are friend or foe is another part of the question. But we will have to think differently if he still has influence over the military even after he takes off the uniform. Whether he has the right to stand for election depends on that. It is not a bad thing if he retires from the military and stands for election. KZM: It is generally agreed that the most important thing in Myanmar is to achieve peace, and that the ruling party and its government alone cant secure peace. There are problems that persist today due to the weaknesses of the NCA [as implemented] in U Thein Seins administration. Is the Tatmadaw taking any practical action to achieve peace as soon as possible though it had pledged to bring about peace in 2020? Given the political role of the Tatmadaw, and the fact that peace has not yet been achieved and that the Constitution still cant be amended, what do you think the voters should do? MA: In an election, people [cast votes based on their wish] to attain the government they want. I mean, in the 2015 poll, people tried to remove all the people who had links to the military, who had ruled though successive periods. KZM: But they remain. MA: I mean the NLD won the 2015 poll due to that fact. In the coming election, ethnic parties have become strong as people look for a federal Union. Whether the ethnic parties will win or the NLD will win in a particular ethnic area will depend on the choice of the Burmese and ethnic people living in that area. This is how people will choose how the country should move forward under the 2008 Constitution. In the current political landscape, there are ethnic parties, the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups; democratic forces including the NLDparticularly democratic forcesshould be on the same side. Ma Noe Noe Htet Sans party will field 16 candidates. [The NLD] should help them along in some constituencies. This is my personal view. It should allow political space for ethnic parties in ethnic areas. Still it will depend on how hard ethnic parties try. We also dont want the Myanmar military to hold 25 percent of seats in the Parliament. We only want a 100-percent civilian government. There is one thing that the entire country is demandingall the stakeholders including the government, commander-in-chief, ethnic armed groups, NCA signatories and non-signatories have been saying, Lets establish a federal democratic Union. So there is a need to design a Constitution that suits it in next few years. KZM: But there is little potential for that. MA: Not much at all. KZM: My final question. The election is just a few months away. I will ask about your feelings now, not for an analysis. How do you feel about the coming election? Is it encouraging or discouraging to you? MA: I have been in the political landscape outside the Parliament from the very beginning. Generally speaking, it is important that democratic forces and ethnic forces are strong in the Parliament. KZM: Do you feel more positive or negativemore hopeful or frustrated? MA: Speaking of hope, as it is concerns the whole country, I cant only base hope on politics inside the Parliament. KZM: You have no feelings about it? MA: I cant only base hope on politics inside the Parliament. The failed charter amendment has borne witness to that. So, there is a need to link between politics inside and outside the Parliament. I remain hopeful. Nevertheless, it is important that pro-democracy people secure seats in the Parliament. KZM: Ma Noe Noe Htet San, do you think our country has made progress over the past 30 years. Are you satisfied or frustrated? NNHS: I feel more excited and more hopeful about the 2020 election. Because I think over the next five years, a political landscape will emerge for us to push ourselves forward. I would like to wait and see how much we will be able to struggle through. KZM: Do you think there will be a U-turn? NNHS: I dont think so. KZM: Ko Mya Aye? MA: There is no definite answer. It is fifty-fifty. KZM: Thank you for your contributions! You may also like these stories: Myanmars Largest Poll Monitor Hits Out at UEC After Being Banned From 2020 Election Is Myanmars Ruling NLD Pushing Hard Enough on Constitutional Amendment? Myanmar Military MP Echoes Dictator, Suggests Current Democracy Chaotic When schools shut down in March because of the coronavirus, thousands of buses sat idle. Now, as districts across New Jersey rework their back-to-school plans, school bus contractors are left wondering if theyll go back to work in September. More concerned are the contractors who provide transportation for districts who will begin the school year all-remote. Questions abound: Will they survive the extended off time? Will they be able to provide buses when in-person lessons resume? On a typical day, about 800,000 students are transported to and from school by bus, according to the NJ Department of Education. There are about 11,000 contractor-owned school buses in the state, according to Courtney Villani, head of the New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association. We are all really concerned about the future of our business and the industry as a whole, Villani said. We are on the brink of not being an industry anymore. Some school districts are offering bus companies 35 percent of what theyre owed on their 2019-2020 contract for the period during the COVID-19 closure, she said. Other districts arent paying at all. At least one bus company is already seeking legal action. Irvin Raphael, Inc. a student transport company based in East Brunswick, filed a lawsuit last month against the South Brunswick Township Board of Education for failing to pay in full on its 2019-2020 contract. The bus company says the school district stopped paying in mid-March when schools closed and owes $118,358 through June. Neither Irvin Raphael representatives nor South Brunswick school administrators responded to requests for comment. Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up your email here: Were trying to be there and in some districts its a warm fuzzy hug and in others, theres no conversation whatsoever, Villani said. The company her family owns, Villani Bus Company, has been in business for more than 100 years. They currently have signed only about 2% of the contracts with schools they normally would at this point in the year. Complying with coronavirus precautions isnt a problem, she assured. One of best things on our side with school buses is ventilation, Villani said. Masked students can ride with the windows down and sit in alternating rows, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Disinfecting her fleet of buses will cost about $220 per day or $45,000 per year, Villani said, adding, the districts are getting federal funding but we havent been included. Other districts are trying their best to keep bus contractors in business, so they are ready to roll when kids go back to in-person instruction. Linden School Business Administrator Kathy Gaylord paid her districts five bus companies their contracted amount during the coronavirus closure in the spring, as long as they provided payroll records showing they were still paying their drivers. I was hoping to keep people off unemployment, Gaylord said. But she doesnt think shell have that luxury this coming school year. Lindens budget was slashed by $3.9 million in June, after it was already approved. Im looking for every penny now, she said. If theyre not going to be transporting kids, I doubt Im going to be giving them all that money. One of her contracted bus providers told Linden that if they dont sign them for the entire school year, they might not be available when they need them. I think its a threat because where (else) are they going to be? Gaylord said. Linden technically awarded bus contracts for the 2020-2021 school year, but stipulated that they only stand if school is in session. Then, a few days later, the district switched to remote learning, at least for the month of September, because it didnt have enough teachers for in-person instruction. Bus companies that do get contracts might get a fraction of what theyre used to. In Gloucester County, Washington Township Schools Superintendent Joe Bollendorf, said his district is going through bus requests now. We have many fewer students in need of transportation, he said. Families are opting to bring their children to and from school. In school districts like Wayne, there is more flexibility. The Board of Education has its own fleet of 85 buses, Superintendent Mark Toback said. This situation is very fluid and as a result, our plans can change multiple times before the start of the school year, he said. We anticipate that parents will continue to evaluate the situation and exercise their right to change their minds as we go through the re-opening process. The only thing we can be certain of is uncertainty, Toback said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Alexandria's seafront The train is by far the best option for traveling to Alexandria using public transport. Between Cairo and Alexandria, there are several trains daily, between 6am and 10.30pm, with two different classes of service to choose from. The "Special" services have newer rolling stock and are faster, as there are less stops along the route. These trains take approximately 2.5 hours from Ramses Train Station in central Cairo to Misr Train Station in central Alexandria. The slower "Spanish" trains usually take 3.5 hours for the same journey due to stops along the line. Both train services offer a choice of First and Second Class seating. First Class is preferable as the seats are more comfortable, there is plenty more space, the air-conditioning always works and the onboard bathrooms are kept in good shape. First-class ticket prices range from 53EGP (US$3.40) on the "Spanish" services up to 104EGP (US$7) on some of the "Special" service trains. One of the issues of train travel on this route is the chaotic ticket buying process at Ramses Station in Cairo and (to a much lesser extent) at Alexandria's Misr Station. It's best to buy your ticket a day before travel to avoid stress on departure. From Alexandria's Misr Station, it is a short stroll to the Kom Al Dikka archaeological site, and an easy walk through the city's core to both the seafront and the Alexandria National Museum. Train travelers should note that Alexandria has two main train stations. All trains from Cairo stop first at Sidi Gaber Train Station in the east of the city and then continue on to Misr Train Station in the central city. RICHMOND (BCN) A fund has been set up to raise money for funeral expenses for a Richmond police sergeant who died due to complications from COVID-19. The department announced Thursday that Sgt. Virgil Thomas had died due to COVID-19 after serving as a police officer for 24 years in Richmond, as well as time with the Albany and Novato police departments before that. Thomas while off-duty last November fatally shot 38-year-old Eric Reason during a confrontation in a Vallejo shopping center parking lot. He later returned to work and the fundraiser created following his death says he contracted COVID-19 while on the job and died after spending a month in the hospital. The fund established by the Richmond Crime Prevention Foundation -- a nonprofit created by the Richmond Police Officers' Association -- is to support Thomas' wife and four children to have "the proper burial and services that are needed while any COVID-19 LODD (line of duty death) financial issues are worked out." More than $6,000 had been raised as of Friday night at the fund at https://porac.org/fundraiser/line-of-duty-death-richmond-police-sergeant-virgil-thomas-family-fund/. The fundraising organizers did not specify the financial issues, but Congress recently passed the Safeguarding America's First Responders Act, which established a temporary presumption that COVID-19 infections were contracted while on-duty if the diagnosis of the virus was within 45 days of an officer's last shift. The bipartisan bill is meant to ensure that families of first responders lost or disabled during the pandemic don't face unnecessary barriers to benefits, according to Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, one of the bill's authors. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law last week. Richmond police said Thomas during his career with the department worked in the Neighborhood Services Team, Training Officer Program, and the School Resource Unit at Kennedy High School. The fatal shooting of Reason, a rapper known as "Cheddaman," happened in Vallejo last Nov. 10. Vallejo police said that after an argument in the parking lot, Reason approached Thomas with a gun, prompting Thomas to fire a shot at Reason, who fled but at some point allegedly raised his gun. Thomas then shot Reason, believing he posed an immediate threat to Thomas, his wife and other people in the parking lot, according to Vallejo police. Reason died at the scene. Melissa Nold, an attorney with civil rights attorney John Burris' law offices representing Reason's family, said last year that the Vallejo police account "fails to mention that Mr. Reason was shot in the back of the head while running for his life." The shooting remains under investigation by the Solano County District Attorney's Office. 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. Earlier this month, Fossil teased about the Wellness app rollout for the year-old Gen 5 smartwatches. According to Android Police, users are now complaining about the broken Google pay app after installing the latest WearOS update. The new update rolled out earlier this week brings a bunch of new features like sleep tracking and VO2 max monitoring for the year-old smartwatches. It also includes the Android security patch for July 2020. However, the update made the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches recognized as rooted and stopped Google Pay from working. Google Pay stops working on Fossil Gen 5 after installing the new update Many banking and payment apps dont work on rooted devices as they are more vulnerable to threats. Its unknown how widespread the issue is as Google Pay is working for a few users even after updating. As of now, there is no response from the company about this issue. Advertisement If you own a Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch running on the older version of Wear OS, it might be a good idea to hold on to it until the company comes up with a revised update. As shared by one Reddit user, anyone who already installed the update can fix the issue by enabling the app from the Play Store listing. The same update is also rolled out for the Skagen Falster 3 & Diesel On Axial However, it might not fix the Google Pay issue on all the smartwatches. This glitch is also applicable to the Fossil Gen 5 in Carlyle and Julianna variants along with the Skagen Falster 3 and Diesel On Axial. Though these smartwatches come in different designs, they all share the same hardware with the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch. Fossil actually sells smartwatches featuring the same specifications with different designs under different brands. The new Wellness app update is rolled out exclusively for the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches though. Advertisement With the newly introduced battery modes, the users can now extend the battery life up to 24 hours. The new update also brings in a few UI changes like avatars for contacts and shortcuts for accessing key tools. Once the update is installed, the users can find the newly added Wellness app where they can find the data regarding sleep tracking and VO2 Max monitoring. Also, the Gen 5 smartwatches can now track activities by consuming 50 percent less energy. Moreover, the company also bringing these features to the smartwatch launched in August 2019. On the other hand, there are many smartwatches even without key updates. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 22 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The Qatari government has allocated $200,000 in non-reimbursable financial aid to Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing the Dunyo News Agency. In accordance with the decision of the Special Commission of Uzbekistan, these funds were transferred to the current account of the branch of the Republican Scientific Center for Emergency Medical Care in Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic. The Center plans to use the funds to purchase the necessary protective and other equipment to support emergency measures taken to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, said the report. Earlier, in May 2020, the Qatari government transferred funds in the amount of $200,000 through the Qatari Jassim and Hamad bin Jassim Charity Fund to the current account of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan as non-reimbursable financial aid to support the fight against COVID-19. The Ambassador of Qatar to Uzbekistan Mohammed bin Hamad Al Hajri stressed that financial assistance is provided to a friendly country to support Uzbek leadership to protect the population from the pandemic spread. "This shows once again that Qatar and Uzbekistan are united in their efforts to support each other at this difficult time for all," the ambassador said. According to him, in recent years, bilateral relations between the two countries have developed successfully due to intensive exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts. "Qatar is ready to make every effort to further expand mutually beneficial trade and economic, investment, financial and technical, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with Uzbekistan," Al Hajri stated. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini American biotechnology company Moderna Inc has announced that as of August 21, 13,194 people have enrolled to participate in the COVE Phase 3 study of its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273. According to Moderna, the purpose of the study is to test the company's vaccine candidate that may prevent illness after exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. "The study team is testing if the vaccine can help the immune system produce effective antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus so that, in case of infection, the virus does not cause illness," the company informed in a release. Read: COVID-19: Moderna, Pfizer To Include HIV+ Volunteers In Final Stage Of Vaccine Trials We are pleased to share that as of today, Friday, August 21st, 13,194 participants have been enrolled in the COVE Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273. Find out more about the trial here: https://t.co/swJNxTd1zg. Check back next Friday evening for an updated enrollment number. pic.twitter.com/yCepCyBaGW Moderna (@moderna_tx) August 21, 2020 Read: Trump Administration Signs $1.5 Billion Deal With Moderna For COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Difference between normal vaccines and mRNA-1273 Moderna further informed that Black, Latinos, American Indian, and Alaska native participants make up 18 per cent of all participants so far enrolled for the Phase 3 study. For enrolling in the study, participants must be 18 years of age or above, they should be free from prior exposure to an investigational vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 and only healthy adults with no previous history of COVID-19 or pre-existing medical conditions. Moderna's mRNA-1273 is different from typical vaccines, which are usually made from a weakened virus. However, the mRNA-1273 is made from messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), a genetic code that helps the bodys immune system make antibodies to fight the virus by giving instructions to cells on how to make protein. Read: Study: Moderna's Vaccine Candidate Protects Mice From Coronavirus Infection According to Moderna, the company has more than 1,900 participants enrolled in its infectious disease vaccine clinical studies under health authorities in the United States, Europe, and Australia. The company has so far tested its vaccine on more than 300 people and no one has developed any side effects due to the drug. Moderna has signed billions of dollars worth of deals with various governments, including the United States to provide them with its COVID-19 vaccine if it shows positive results at the end of the ongoing clinical trials. Read: Swiss Ink Deal With Moderna For 4.5M Doses Of COVID Vaccine After a sudden spike in cases over a four-day period earlier this month, the number of positive Covid-19 results in County Wexford has risen by just three in the past seven days. As of Sunday evening there had been 247 positive cases of the coronavirus reported in the county, with the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on August 7 stating there have been 20 deaths in Wexford as a result of Covid-19. Furthermore, as of 8 p.m. on Sunday there were no confirmed cases of the coronavirus on site at Wexford General Hospital. There were, however, 7 suspected cases, none of which were in ICU. The three new cases were recorded on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday of last week. Although rumours of the source of the 20 new cases has been widespread, it is believed they are isolated incidents rather than the result of any cluster. To that end, local meat processing plants and Direct Provision Centres have confirmed there are no cases in their premises. And while the increase in figures has slowed locally, one local GP believes the pandemic, and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding it, is taking its toll right across our communities. 'Since it started this has affected everybody, not just those who have been infected, but right across the community,' said Dr Stephen Bowe. 'Elderly people are isolating and removing themselves from contact with the outside world. They feel very much at risk, and this is causing problems for their mental health, leading to stress, depression, and anxiety. 'There's a great sense of uncertainty, a feeling there's no end to it, and elderly people are psychologically vulnerable. When you get older your community shrinks anyway, and you end up depending on a limited number of contacts. 'Furthermore, technology doesn't tend to be the forte of elderly people so they are excluded from that as well. They're stressed, isolated, afraid, they're sending their shopping orders in rather than going themselves.' A former medical offer of the Wexford Senior Hurling team, Dr Bowe says that, although he has not had patients presenting with acute mental health issues, he has seen a gradual decline in the mood of those attending his clinic in Selskar Court. 'Nobody knows how or when this is going to end, and that uncertainty is impacting us right across the length and breadth of society,' he said. 'There's a huge level of anxiety, stress, apprehension, and unease. Things which were once considered untouchable are now being thrown out the window, like savings, investments. There's a great deal of economic uncertainty and that's causing a lot of stress. 'I'm not necessarily seeing people coming to me with mental health problems but I would be very aware of people not being relaxed about the future in the way they once were.' This impact on our tight-knit communities extends to those who have pursued their ambitions abroad, people who are now unable to return home for fear of spreading the virus. 'This is not just about people contracting the virus, or the relatives of those who contracted it, or even those who have been in contact with those who have it, there's also a great sense of apprehension among relatives of those who are living in the UK, US or on the continent,' he said. 'There are a number of people living abroad who would like to come home but can't, they are afraid to, they can't quarantine for 14 days, and they're also concerned that they may be a carrier of the disease without realising it, concerned they may spread it in their locality. 'In a sense they are marooned abroad, reluctant to come home.' On Saturday there were 200 new cases of Covid-19 reported nationally, the highest single-day figure since early May, leading to fears we may be heading back to a nationwide lockdown. But Dr Bowe said even closing off our borders entirely may not be enough to eradicate the virus from the country. 'Nobody knows what to expect, there's no certainty, the difficulty is that it's spreading worldwide, it's not being controlled,' he said. 'It's in South Africa, South America, the US; how do you protect everyone? You can create a siege, have nothing come in or out, but as soon as you lift the siege you risk it coming back in.' With only one patient allowed in the waiting room at any given time, and staff and patients alike wearing face masks, Dr Bowe said every precaution is being taken at his clinic. And despite the potential dangers at each and every GP's office in the county, he says spirits remain high. 'We do our best here, we try to carry on as normal,' said Dr Bowe. 'So far I've been very lucky, I've only had one case of the virus here; he was a very elderly man with multiple health issues, and unfortunately he subsequently passed away from Covid-19 in Wexford General Hospital.' That man was one of 1,774 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland (as of Sunday, August 16) and one of 27,257 confirmed cases. Of the 200 cases recorded on Saturday, 68% were under the age of 45. In addition 68 of those were associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case, and 25 were identified as being a result of community transmission. And on Saturday night footage emerged from a Dublin pub in which revellers flouted regulations, sparking outrage nationally. However, Dr Bowe believes scenes like that are inevitable if pubs are allowed to remain open. 'That just emphasises what happens when people consume alcohol, their sense of discretion is reduced, they indulge in activites which defy the regulations in place,' he said. 'Alcohol blunts our reasoning process, and this, I believe is an indication why the pubs should have stayed closed, all of them, even the ones serving food.' Photo: (Photo : Photo by Miguel A. Padrinan from Pexels) Houston mom, Sonja Lee is a single mother who recently received an eviction letter with an emoji. The message made her very emotional, as it comes after a series of unfortunate events that happened in her life. She was laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to that, she was scammed into a job as she got recently got hired. These events caused the Houston mom to get behind rent for three months. READ ALSO: Houston Mom and Kids Live in a Car for More than Two Months The eviction letter Receiving an eviction letter after being laid off due to the pandemic is one thing, but the insensitivity that the Houston mom felt was another. The letter begins with the question, "Guess who's moving?" Then it was followed by an emoji and the word "YOU!!!" The 33-year-old Houston mom explained to People that she was always communicating with the property managers. They were aware of their family's situation, and they have been informed that she is set to start a new job on August 24. Despite this communication, Sonja still received the "insensitive" eviction letter. The Houston mom shared that she was mad when she saw the eviction letter. She added, "I didn't think it was funny at all." She emphasized that a lot of people were laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic, and that the letters were antagonizing. READ ALSO: 9-Year-Old Oklahoma Boy Pleas for a Family, DHS Receives More than 5,000 Adoption Submissions Looking for help All the trials that the Houston mom was going through made her feel being trapped in a big hole. She explained, "So it's like, I'm a single mother with two boys. I do the best that I can and am a very hard-working woman." Sonja tried asking for assistance. She called 211 and the local health assistance but to no avail. Aside from this, despite her eagerness to work, she has been denied employment for five times. READ ALSO: Australian Family Unearths Two Gold Nuggets Worth $250K+ A GoFundMe campaign After sharing her story to the public, the Houston mom decided to create a GoFundMe page. She initially wanted to raise 3,380 US Dollars, and however, after only two days, she was able to raise almost 30,000 US Dollars. The property management apologizes. In a report of KTRK, the CEO of Karya Property Management, Swapnil Agarwal, has apologized about the eviction letter and how the Houston mom's case was handled. Agarwal said, "I am apologizing personally in case it was insensitive." The CEO also admitted that if Sonja was indeed communicating for a payment program and was still given an eviction notice, then he says it is indeed their fault. The report from People said that the regional manager has also apologized for the incident. READ ALSO: Ohio Woman Looks for Dad's Last Dollar That She Carried for Two Decades Amidst an already escalating row over gas, Greece has now lambasted Turkey for converting another museum into a mosque. The Recep Tayyip Erdogan government, on August 21, announced that Istanbuls Church of St. Saviour in Chora, will now come under Turkish religious authority and would be opened for Muslim prayers. Calling it totally condemnable, Athens has accused Ankara of insulting another heritage site. 'Brutal insult' The Greek Foreign Ministry, in a press release, asserted that regardless of worldwide criticism, Turkey converted the long-lasting Hagia Sophia museum in a mosque and it was now brutally insulting the character of another UNESCO Cultural Heritage monument" within the Turkish territory. This is a provocation against all believers, the Greek ministry said in a statement. We urge Turkey to return to the 21st century, and the mutual respect, dialogue and understanding between civilisations. The Chora Church served as a mosque during Ottoman rule until it was transformed into a museum in 1945. However, a court decision last year revoked its status and Erdogans recent announcement puts a nail on the dispute. However, it remains unclear when the first prayers would be held. The church. situated near the ancient city walls, is known for its detailed mosaics and frescos and dates back to the 4th century even though it took on its current form in 11th-12th centuries. Read: Turkey Reports 1,303 New Coronavirus Cases Read: 'Aamir Khan Must Be Quarantined At Govt Hostel On Return From Turkey': Subramanian Swamy This comes after Istanbuls major landmark and UNESCO recognised heritage site Hagia Sophia, which served as a church and a mosque under different empires for several centuries before being designated the status of a museum by Turkey's founding government, was ordered by Erdogan to be restored to the status of a mosque. Read: Turkey President Erdogan Turns Another Museum Into Mosque After Hagia Sophia Read: Erdogan Announces 'largest-ever' Gas Discovery In 'Turkey's History' Off Black Sea Coast The statement comes at a time when tensions are running high between Greece and Turkey over exploration operations in the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Both countries have been sending warships in the disputed zone to shadow their research vessels and the European Union has been following the situation closely. Lena Dunham opts for demure floral look at Miu Miu Women's Tales film discussion event in Venice She's known for her risky fashion choices on the red carpet - sometimes to her own detriment. But Lena Dunham was looking positively demure when she took to the stage at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy. The Girls star played it safe in a maroon T-shirt emblazoned with a tropical floral pattern, which she teamed with a high-waisted peach skirt during the Miu Miu Women's Tales film discussion event on Sunday. Scroll down for video Chic: Lena Dunham went bare-legged in a peach 50s style skirt on stage at the Miu Miu Women's Tales film discussion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival on Sunday The A-line piece fell just above the knee and, paired with her shiny nude pumps, gave the look a ladylike feel. Lena, 28, opted for just a turquoise cocktial ring and a silver bracelet to complete the ensemble. Rocking her new pudding bowl haircut, the director and writer went for a natural beauty look at the event held by fashion label Miu Miu, which celebrates eight short films focusing on women who critically celebrate femininity in the 21st century. Platinum blonde: The 28-year-old actress unveiled her brand new crop last month On Friday night, designer Miuccia Prada hosted a glitzy fashion dinner in Venice, which was attended by high-profile guests including Lena, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Mara and Dakota Fanning Each party-goer was clad in Prada or sister label Miu Miu for the premiere screening of two of the short films by Miranda July and So Yong Kim. At the Emmy Awards last month, Lena was slammed by fashion critics around the world when she arrived on the red carpet in a Giambattista Valli pink tutu and shirt. Natural look: Lena opted for barely-there eye make-up and rosy blusher on her cheeks The frothy tulle skirt was graduated and featured shades from pale pink to dark red, with the train a striking scarlet colour. She told Grantland Channel earlier this year: 'I love clothes but I don't care about best dressed and worst dressed lists. I actually get a perverse pleasure from being told I look horrible. 'So I get designers I love to make me dresses I'm excited about and then I wear them, and whatever the reaction is, I feel stoked.' There was pandemonium at Ikolaba area of Ibadan Friday evening when some unknown gunmen attacked a police station in the area. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that a police corporal was killed in the attack, although the police are yet to confirm the casualty. The corporal was said to be one of the officers on duty when the gunmen stormed the police station. Ikolaba police station is close to the residence of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the attack on the police station. Mr Fadeyi in a reaction to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry, however, said that he is yet to get details of the incident. ALSO READ: Yes, there was an attack but I have not gotten the details, pls, he said in a message. The attack is coming few days after the escape of the prime suspect in the series of killings that took place in Akinyele local government of the state. The police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect. Pedestrians wearing a protective mask walks past Pfizer Inc. headquarters on July 22, 2020 in New York City. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images US pharma giant Pfizer (PFE) and its German partner BioNTech (BNTX) have announced that they are on track to submit their vaccine candidate for regulatory review as soon as October. The companies released fresh data on Thursday of their m-RNA vaccine against COVID-19currently in phases two and three of testing in Germany and the US. Phase three means mass human testing; Pfizer and BioNTech announced at the end of July that they had begun phase three testing on some 30,000 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 85, in 120 sites globally. The two companies said in a press release that across all populations, BNT162b2 administration was well tolerated with mild to moderate fever in fewer than 20% of the participants. If they get the required regulatory authorisation or approval is obtained, they said they currently plan to supply up to 100 million doses worldwide by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021. Pfizer and BioNTech recently entered into an agreement to supply the US government with 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine in a $1.95bn (1.48bn) deal, as part of the governments Operation Warp Speed a push to deliver 300 hundred million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year. READ MORE: UK agrees to buy millions more COVID-19 vaccine doses BioNtech and Pfizer, AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and the University of Oxford, Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (NVAX), Johnson&Johnson (JNJ), and Germanys CureVac (CVAC) are some of the leaders in the vaccine-development race, so far. US-based Moderna also announced the launch of late-stage m-RNA vaccine trials on 30,000 volunteers across the US at the end of July. M-RNA, or a messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid) are a new type of vaccine. Unlike traditional vaccines, which work by putting weak or inactivated doses of a virus or bacteria into the body to make the immune systems produce antibodies, the m-RNA vaccine works by transmitting a genetic code to cells telling them produce a protein, which in turn activates the immune system. Story continues The head of Germanys vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, said this week that the first coronavirus vaccinations for certain groups of people could start as soon as the beginning of 2021. If data from phase three trials shows the vaccines are effective and safe, the first vaccines could be approved at the beginning of the year, possibly with conditions attached, Institute president Klaus Cichutek said in an interview with Funke Media Group. READ MORE: Germany sceptical about Russias COVID-19 vaccine claims A bicycle made for two! Famke Janssen shields her youthful skin with a frilly 'sunbrella' as she hitches a side-saddle ride from boyfriend Cole Frates She is possessed of a fine and gorgeously youthful complexion. So it's no wonder that Famke Janssen would go to extreme measures to protect it as she headed to a gym session in New York on Sunday. The 48-year-old was seen going to and from a Manhattan fitness centre protecting herself from harmful UV rays with the aid of her now ever-present black umbrella. Complexion protection: Famke Janssen, 48, was seen going to and from a New York City gym protecting herself from the harmful UV rays of the sun with a black umbrella A bicycle made for two: The actress was later spotted hitching a side-saddle bike ride from boyfriend Cole Frates Famke stepped out after her workout at the gym looking radiant despite wearing minimal makeup, before hitching a side-saddle bike ride from boyfriend Cole Frates. Dressed in a pretty red dress with ruffled sleeves, the brunette beauty held her black 'sunbrella' with lace edges close to her face, to get the best possible protection from the sun's potential damage. She finished off her look with black flats and a light blue Prada purse she is frequently seen carrying. Travelling in style: Famke looked the picture of contentment as she sat on the back of the two-wheeler, with the couple's pet pooch happily riding in the front basket Catching up: The couple seemed to be deep in conversation as they chatted away in the street Pretty pigment: Dressed in a red dress with ruffled sleeves, the brunette beauty held her black 'sunbrella' with lace edges close to her face, to get the best possible protection from the sun's potential damage The Taken actress will soon begin working on mystery thriller, Kickback. In the upcoming film she will star opposite John Cusack, Sean Astin and Mischa Barton. Based on a true story, the movie follows a Russian detective investigating the mysterious murder of a journalist during the Chechen war. Radiant in red: Famke looked lovely in a striking scarlet dress, which she teamed with flat black leather pumps Gorgeous skin: Famke stepped out after her workout looking radiant despite wearing minimal makeup Up next: She will star in Kickback opposite John Cusack, Sean Astin and Mischa Barton. Based on a true story, the movie follows a detective investigating the mysterious murder of a journalist during the Chechen war The actress also recently wrapped up filming the third installment of the Taken series, in which she reprises her role of Liam Neeson's wife, Lenore, set for release on January 9, 2015. Speaking during WonderCon in Anaheim in April, the film's writer, Luc Besson, explained that this time around, no-one will actually be taken, describing the film as his favourite so far. 'The third film is another story that has nothing to do with him [Neeson's character] and his family. No one is taken. The dog is not taken,' he explains. 'It's another story with the same characters. It's different, but it's very good. It's probably the best of the three for me, in terms of the script.' Her favourite accessory: Famke - seen Thursday (left) on a bike ride and Sunday (right) out for a stroll with boyfriend Cole Frates, always with her umbrella in hand Sydney: An Islamic State-inspired Christmas Day terror plot targeting central Melbourne with explosives has been foiled after raids across the city resulted in seven arrests, police said on Thursday. Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton alleged those detained planned to attack high-profile locations including Melbourne's iconic train station, Federation Square and St Paul's Cathedral. "Over the last fortnight... we have had to conduct a criminal investigation relating to the formation of what we believe was a terrorist plot," he told a press conference. "We believe that there was an intention to conduct what we call a multi-mode attack, possibly on Christmas Day. "The attack that we will allege was being planned, we believe was going to involve an explosive event, the use of explosives, and we gathered evidence to support that. Of the seven arrested today morning, five remain in custody. Ashton said four of them were Australian-born, of Lebanese background, with the fifth an Egyptian-born Australian citizen, all in their 20s. "Certainly these are self-radicalised, we believe, but inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda," he added. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Imam Mahmoud Dicko, leader of the June 5 Movement- Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), Saturday admonished the military and National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), which took power Tuesday in Mali, to respect the commitments they had made Libya government announces immediate ceasefire Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 1:47 PM Libya's internationally-recognized government has announced a nationwide ceasefire and called for demilitarization in the strategic city of Sirte, which is held by strongman Khalifa Haftar's rebels. The Tripoli-based government said in a statement on Friday that Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj had "issued instructions to all military forces to immediately cease fire and all combat operations in all Libyan territories." The government also called for an end to a blockade imposed by the rebels on oil facilities in eastern Libya. The rebels started the blockade on the oil facilities in January, when they managed to take control of oil fields and export terminals in the east. In a separate statement, the speaker of the eastern-based pro-rebel parliament, Aguila Saleh, also called for a cessation of hostilities. There was no immediate comment from Haftar or his rebel militia. But the United Nations Support Mission in Libya welcomed the two statements and urged the expulsion of all foreign forces and mercenaries from the North African country. The developments offered hope for a de-escalation of the conflict in Libya. Most recently, Sirte was becoming a flashpoint of the conflict, as the two rival seats of power in Libya mobilized around the city. Sirte fell into the rebel's hands in January. The Libyan government vowed to retake control. The foreign patrons of both the government and the rebels also focused their efforts on the city. Two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya since 2014, namely the internationally-recognized government run by Prime Minister Sarraj, and the parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebels. The rebels have been fighting to unseat the government with support from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan. But government forces have pushed them as far back as Sirte, on the Mediterranean coastline, with crucial help from Turkey. Libya first plunged into chaos in 2011, when a popular uprising backed by a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Police investigate PRU students death PHUKET: Phuket City Police today investigated the scene where 20-year-old first-year student Phuket Rajabhat University Pornpiphat Mint Iaddam collapsed and died on campus on Wednesday (Aug 19). deathpolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 22 August 2020, 10:30PM Nong Mint collapsed in front of the building where the cheerleading squad were rehearsing, not while running laps around the campus pond, Asst Prof Dr Noppadon Chansuay, Vice President of Phuket Rajabhat University, said today (Aug 22). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Nong Mint, a Phuket native, was enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts Thai-language program under the Faculty of Humanities. She began her studies at the campus in June. She collapsed while running during a training session with the cheerleading squad, led by senior students, at the campus. Investigations are underway to determine whether or not Nong Mint died as a result of other peoples actions, explained Lt Col Chana Suthimat, Deputy Chief of Phuket City Police. "We are now in the process of collecting evidence. We cannot guess whether [Mint] died as a result of other peoples actions, or by her own actions. We are now waiting for the results of a detailed autopsy from Vachira Phuket Hospital, he said. The issue of heart failure is under investigation to be fair to the students too. In this regard, we need to be fair to all parties, said Lt Col Chana today. However, Lt Col Chana explained that officers were investigating that Mint ran only 200 metres before she collapsed, contradicting the flood of initial reports that she was ordered to run eight laps around the campus pond, which has a perimeter of just under one kilometre. Initial reports were consistent in reporting that Mint collapsed during her fifth lap around the pond. Initial reports also noted that mint was ordered to run the eight laps as punishment for being late for cheerleading squad practice. Asst Prof Dr Noppadon Chansuay, Vice President of Phuket Rajabhat University, today (Aug 22) led reporters to inspect the scene, in front of the Faculty of Technology and Industry Building, where the cheerleading squad was conducting its practice. Dr Noppadon pointed out to reporters that Mint collapsed right in front of the building where the squad was rehearsing. He noted that she collapsed literally 37.1 metres from the building. Dr Noppadon denied claims that Mint had been ordered to run laps around the pond. She had only taken part in the same rehearsal practice that the other students had done, he said. "What happened was an unforeseeable accident, an accident that no one wanted to happen. My condolences to the students family. I confirm that the scene of the accident was not around the pond, it happened just in front of the building, Dr Noppadol said. Police have called the senior who was leading the activities at that time for questioning, he added. I have spoken with the seniors and the students involved [in the cheerleading practice]. Everyone is frightened and very sorry about the incident, Dr Noppadon said. The seniors leading the activities on that day are not ready to be interviewed by the media. Some of them have said that they have been heavily bullied, and they understand the gravity of the incident. In this regard, the President of Phuket Rajabhat University has called a meeting of the faculty management team to plan actions to prevent this kind of incident from occurring again, he said. Good morning and welcome to Sunday. Morena koutou katoa. Kia pai te ra ki nga hoa me nga whanau. Today there will be some cloudy periods with perhaps the odd shower, and northerlies. Rain is forecast for this evening, with squally thunderstorms and hail possible. A heavy rain watch is in place for the Bay of Plenty west of Opotiki. Its a two-clothing-layer day with an expected high of 18 degrees and an overnight low of 11 degrees. High tide is at 10.20am and low tide at 4.21pm. Sunset is at 5.47pm. Whats on today? Postponements: The Dressage Tauranga Rally that was planned to be held this morning at the Tauranga Racecourse has been postponed due to weather. Church at home: Churches have headed back on line for Sunday gatherings due to the Alert Level 2 restrictions. Katie and Joel Milgate at Curate Curate at home with Mount Maunganuis Curate Church is online at www.curatechurch.com/athome with online gatherings at 8.30am, 10am, 11.30am, 5pm and 6.30pm. The Anglican Parish of Gate Pa is holding its service today online from 10am 11am. To join the gathering click here. Bethlehem Baptist Church will be running a live stream of their 9am and 6.30pm services today on their website www.bethlehem.org.nz Events being held today: The Darcy Baker Memorial Hydrofest is being held at the Bay of Plenty Model Powerboat Club at Thunder Valley, Tauriko from 10am - 4pm. Today brings on all the racing, four classes including Sport Petrol Hydro and Open Hydro which will feature some of the fastest oval race boats in NZ. More here Bretts Goalkeeping clinic sessions are on today from 9am 11am at the Waipuna Football Club. These sessions will also be held on Sunday August 30 and Sunday September 6. More information here Linda Munn. Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray Come along to an Uku workshop with Linda Munn at Art + Body Creative Studio. This clay workshop is for artists that want to have some fun with their hands. More information here A display at the Lion and Tusk Museum at Mount Maunganui Have you been to the Lion and Tusk Museum yet? It's open today from 10am - 3pm at Unit 4, 14 Portside Dr, Mount Maunganui. Come and see a massive display of Rhodesian military history records and exhibits of uniforms, medals and equipment. For more information click here. Brain Watkins House The Brain Watkins house is open today. This historic house museum is located on 233 Cameron Rd and open from 2-4pm. $5 adult, children free. Join an online beginners carving workshop using soap. As part of the 2020 Tauranga Moana Matariki calendar of events the Incubator Creative Hub is proud to be presenting a series of workshops celebrating Maori artists and their art forms. This series of online tutorials have been made available by support from The Tauranga Creative Communities Scheme. Try your hand at carving using soap Also check out the Matariki online plant-based kai workshop with Teiaro Taikato The Anzacs The Anzacs are playing at Jack Dustys Ale House in Bureta, Tauranga from 3pm 6pm today. Ash Laforteza Sunday Live Music with Ash Laforteza can also be enjoyed at The Phoenix from 3pm 6pm. At The Incubator Creative Hub at Tauranga Historic Village, there are many exhibitions, workshops and events happening daily. For more information click here. Exhibition hours are 10am 2.30pm. What else is on today? A Course In Miracles Nondenominational transformational teaching aimed at bringing you peace through forgiveness & love. How to live a fulfilling, meaningful, purposeful, healthy life. RSVP Txt 0210 274 2502 Bible Seminar 1:45pm Greerton Senior Citizens Hall, Maitland St, Greerton. Title: The heart of the Gospel - Love. Interactive, Q&A. All welcome. Mary 573 5537 Bopmpbc Hydrofest Darcy Baker Memorial Hydrofest, Lake Taurikura, Tauriko, at back of JA Russell Ltd, 9am Brain Watkins House Open Historic house museum, 233 Cameron Rd. 2-4pm. $5 adult, children free. Group tours school classes by arrangement. Ph 578 1835 Croquet At Tauranga Domain, Cameron Rd, Sun, Tues, Fri, 12:45 for 1pm start. Beginners welcome. Ph Peter 571 0633 Enjoy Travel Safe travel & home-hosting NZ & worldwide. Melbourne, Noumea 2021. Meet twice-monthly. friendshipforce.org.nz or Barbara 027 315 1136, Jonathan 572 2091 Golf Croquet At Mt Maunganui, 45 Kawaka St, beside Blake Park. Tues, Thurs, Sun at 9:15am for 9:30am start. Visitors & new players welcome. Ph 07 575 5121 Katikati Tramping Club Walk to Otawa Trig from Quarry Rd. Ph Keith 07 552 0215 Mah Jong Te Puke 12:45-4pm, Lyceum Rooms, 8 Palmer Ct. All players welcome. Beginners session available. Ph 027 430 6383 Maketu Market 3rd & 5th Sundays at Maketu Village Green. Set up from 7am. $10 per stall. Ph Carolyn 027 251 0388 or Maureen 021 267 1685 Ninja Knits Hook Up Social knitting group of mad yarn bombers, sultry stitchers & happy hookers. First Sunday of month, 9am-12pm, The Incubator, Historic Village. www.theincubator.co.nz. Ph 07 571 3232 Papamoa Radio Control Yachts DF65s sailing daily, pond behind Monterey key 1-3pm. All welcome. Ph Dusty 021 076 1252 Polish Salon Pl Event Polish prose, poetry & immigrant stories complemented by live piano. Anya Fischer ceramic art. 27th Sept 2pm, Jam Factory, Historic Village, 17th Ave. Book @ www.theincubator.co.nz Quakers Invite you to meet, to explore your spiritual journey. Silent worship, refreshments & conversation. 10am NW cnr Cameron Rd & Elizabeth St. All welcome. Ph 543 3101 www.quakers.nz Radio Controlled Model Yachts Sundays & Thursdays 1:30-4pm. Pond behind 22 Montego Dr, Papamoa. Sailing Electron radio controlled yachts for fun. Adult beginners welcome. Graham 572 5419 Soul Food Relax, unwind, reflect, refresh, enjoy! Share in a selection of sacred & inspirational writings & music from around the world. Ph 543 0434 TOF Scholarship Concert Tauranga Opera Forum present their annual scholarships concert. Wesley Centre, 13th Ave. Sunday 6th Sept 2pm. Tickets $10 from House of Travel 027 284 9738 WILLIAMSPORT The parents of a Lycoming County boy say they were forced to move to Maryland because of the unwanted attention and ridicule their son received after a student-teacher was charged with sexually assaulting him. That claim is contained in a civil rights suit filed Friday in U.S. Middle District Court against the Jersey Shore Area School District and others. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It accuses Alexandria Sandra Kaluzny, 27, of Salona, Clinton County, of making the boys name public because it was in documents related to her arrest. PennLive is not using the name of the boy or his parents, in keeping with its practice of not identifying sexual assault victims. Kaluzny is awaiting trial on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent and statutory sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, disseminating sexual materials, unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a communication device. She met the now 17-year-old in 2017 while student teaching in the Jersey Shore district and is accused of sending him explicit pictures and having sex with him during two summers. After finding explicit photos and texts on his sons phone, the father said he arranged a meeting with middle school assistant principal Justin Armbruster and Laura Malark, who has since retired as middle school principal. The father claims the response he received after expressing his concern was prove it to me. The father claims until the family was moving Maryland in August 2018 the boy had not spoken in detail about the connection to Kaluzny. When they stopped to eat, he said his son offered to pay for his meal and produced a $50 bill he claimed was given him by Kaluzny. During what the court complaint describes as an emotional conversation the boy stated Kaluzny and he had engaged in sexual relations several times and she had given him money and gifts. The parents accuse the district, Armburster and Malark of breaching their duty to alert them immediately when they became aware of Kaluznys activities. As the result of the alleged abuse inflicted by Kaluzny, the boy has suffered emotional issues and his academic performance and behavior conduct have deteriorated, the complaint states. The parents claim the district showed deliberate indifference to Kaluznys alleged conduct, disregarded the safety of their son and without advising them had reprimanded Kaluzny for paying too much attention to him. Kaluzny is alleged to have taken advantage of a minor, assault and unauthorized contact. The complaint identifies Kaluzny as a school district employee but Superintendent Brian Ulmer said her only affiliation with the district was her time as a student-teacher. He further denied the implication that district officials were aware of and responsible for what she is charged with doing. The real name of the alleged ISIS operative who was arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell is Mohammed Mustkeen Khan, 36, a resident of Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. As per special cell sources, Mustkeen who was having different names such as Abu Yusuf, Abdul Yusuf, and Yusuf, was being handled by a different handler of ISIS's Khorasan Province (ISPK) module. Yusuf al-Hindi was his first handler who was killed in Syria by an American strike. After his death, Abu Hufeza al-Pakistani became his second handler. Hufeza was also killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan reportedly by American troops. The third handler, whose name special cell didn't disclose was handling Mustkeen. His idea was to attack a market of heavy footfalls on 15 August but due to heavy security, he dared not to execute his plan. READ | Terrorist With ISIS Links Arrested With IED Explosives In Delhi's Dhaula Kuan READ | J&K Police Calls Efforts To Circulate Video Of Recent Attack 'attempt To Glamorize Terror' "Though he is only 9th pass, he travelled many countries such as UAE and Qatar. He worked there as a labourer. He is good at plaster-of-paris work. He was active since 2015," said the police source. The source said that his handler had trained him in lone wolf attack. He made an IED on his own and planned to put it somewhere in a crowded area. The IEDs were ready, only the timer had to be set to make it a time bomb. Mohammed Mustkeen Khan has four children but he never let his family know about his plan. He has read at several schools. He was specially trained to keep changing names and used to meet different people with different names in a bid to conceal his identity. "He is highly radicalised. He told us his 16 names, gave us his 22 addresses, cooked up a dozen stories but we managed to foil his attempt and finally, he broke. He was in touch with his handler with the help of different apps such as telegram. He mostly chated in Urdu. We have strong evidences against him," said the source. READ | Encounter Breaks Out Between Security Forces, Terrorists In J&K's Baramulla READ | Pakistan Sanctions 88 Terrorists From Daesh, Al-Qaida & Taliban To Avoid FATF Blacklist VJ Pearl Rice, a product of Vinaseed On July 23, 2020, Vietnam Rice Co., Ltd. (Vinarice) of Vinaseed obtained the certificate of food safety management (FSSC 22000) for processing, packaging, and distribution from Bureau Veritas the UK's leading independent organisation for certification. This certification has important implications in bringing Vietnamese branded rice products to the EU market. As it is one of the comprehensive food safety standards established based on a combination of the two certificates ISO 22000 and PAS 220, it guarantees that certificate-holders meet the highest standards to access even the most demanding markets such as the EU and the US. Right from the establishment of Vinarice, Vinaseed has chosen to follow the FSSC22000 management systems and invested in modern facilities and applied Japanese technologies. Less than eight months into operation, Vinarice has received FSSC22000 certification after a strict and rigorous assessment process. This has a special meaning in the context of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which officially took effect from August 1, 2020. According to the agreement, the EU will give Vietnam an annual export quota of 80,000 tonnes of rice with a tariff of 0 per cent. This certification is affirmation of the high standards of Vinaseed products and will help bring high-quality Vietnamese rice to global markets. Rice manufacturing at Vinaseed In July 2020, Vinaseed successfully exported VJ Pearl Rice and RVT fragrant rice to the Netherlands and the Czech Republic at the price of $1,040 per tonne. This week, the company will continue to export Ban Mai white rice and Phuc Tho brown rice to Australia, a very promising market. These are the first Vietnamese branded rice products to be exported officially to the market. The high-quality products use Vietnamese rice varieties grown, harvested, and processed in the country, meeting all strict standards and conditions from raw material development to final product quality control. Talking about these initial successes, Nguyen Quang Truong, CEO of Vinaseed said, To take advantage of this opportunity, Vinaseed has been preparing since the EVFTA was under discussion. We developed sustainable agricultural production areas according to VietGAP standards. All of our rice products meet FSSC International Certification and other strict standards and conditions to export to demanding markets like the EU. As Vinarice owns the most modern rice processing plant in the region, the group is confident to further expand exports to other demanding markets. In 2019, Vinaseed's total export volume to the EU reached 2,000 tonnes with the value of $2 million. The PAN Groups member company aims to double its exports to about 5,000 tonnes in 2020 when new tariffs of 0 per cent will make its products more competitive in the market, Truong added. These exports are not only signify success for Vinaseed, they also mark the first Vietnamese branded rice products to officially enter the international market. This shows the serious and persistent efforts of The PAN Group to elevate the Vietnamese agricultural and food sector and complete its mission Born to Feed the World. On Sunday night, Kelly Brook reportedly became one of the British names on a list of 101 A-list women who have had nude photos stolen from their iPhones and leaked on the internet. The model reportedly joins fellow Brits Cara Delevingne, Jessica Brown Findlay, Cat Deeley and Michelle Keegan who have fallen victim due to an Apple iCloud leak that allowed their phones to be hacked. The Mirror reports that the 'master list' of stars was posted onto the hacker website 4chan by someone who claims to be responsible for the Jennifer Lawrence nude photo leak. Scroll down for video Exposed: Kelly is used to putting pictures of her famous curves in the press but she will no doubt be sad to hear that personal photos have been released without her knowledge The paper reports that the hacker is claiming to have explicit videos of Lawrence, and claims to have over 60 nude selfies of the Oscar-winning actress. Other names on the 'list' include Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Teresa Palmer. Meanwhile, Kelly Brook has opened up about her personal life in a new autobiography called Close Up, which has been serialised in The Sun, in which she discusses her life's highs and lows. Hacked: Kelly's name is on a list of celebrities whose iCloud accounts have reportedly been accessed and nude pictures stolen from She reveals she hit two of her ex-boyfriends. Danny Cipriani suffered a blow after she caught him giving his number to a stripper in Las Vegas. And Jason Statham copped it when she believed him to be flirting with Hollywood actress, Gwyneth Paltrow at Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie back in 2000. Kelly has now found love with former Gladiator David McIntosh, but revealed that she suffered two miscarriages with her ex-fiance, rugby star Thom Evans. She reveals she hit two of her ex-boyfriends. Danny Cipriani suffered a blow after she caught him giving his number to a stripper in Las Vegas. And Jason Statham copped it when she believed him to be flirting with Hollywood actress, Gwyneth Paltrow at Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie back in 2000. Kelly has now found love with former Gladiator David McIntosh, but revealed that she suffered two miscarriages with her ex-fiance, rugby star Thom Evans. She writes that she lost her first baby at six months pregnant in April 2011 and suffered another cruel blow in December of that year, when she miscarried after a few weeks. On Monday, she tweeted: 'Read extracts from my Autobigraphy In the Sun on Sunday and all next week. #Life #Love #Career #Future.' MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Kelly Brook and Michelle Keegan for comment. A spokesperson for Jennifer Lawrence told MailOnline: 'This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.' Anguish: Kelly Brook stepped out with new fiance David McIntosh on Saturday, as secrets from her personal life are revealed in new autobiography US-POLITICS-VOTE-DEMOCRATS Former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden stand on stage after he accepted the Democratic Party nomination for US president during the last day of the Democratic National Convention, being held virtually amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware on Aug. 20, 2020. Credit - Olivier DoulieryAFP/Getty Images A version of this article first appeared in The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Joe Biden has now put before us just how he plans to run the final 73 days of his campaign to return to the White House: as an empathetic warrior in touch with families struggles and a decent human being counting on character being on the ballot this fall. With that pitch, he planted a contrast with President Donald Trump, whom he cast as an absolute failure in leading the country through the coronavirus pandemic. Its a double-barrelled strategy that may well chart a path to success, especially among voters that slipped out of Democrats hands four years ago. Bidens speech was perhaps his finest of his five decades in the public eye, the product of countless rewrites and deft edits. Biden understood this to be the biggest moment of his political career so far and one that demanded near-perfection. He delivered, and if he can maintain this level of discipline, it may give him his dream of the presidency nursed since the 1970s. Bidens convention reflected perhaps the biggest tent his Democratic Party has ever attempted to build, leaving open doors for progressive activists demands of clean energy, moderates worries about lurching too quickly to the left, activists pursuits of for racial and gender justice, and seniors fears about Social Security. It is a Frankenstein of aspiration as much as necessity, given Bidens success over rival candidates who drew more energy but fewer votes. It lays the groundwork for gnashing and recrimination if the patchwork fails. But the freakish coalition may be enough to win, especially in the Midwest. Story continues A new survey out today from the liberal Rust Belt Rising shows 47% of all voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin expect the coronavirus situation will improve if Biden replaces Trump. (A third of voters said it would get worse and one-fifth said they were unsure.) When asked what Trump has handled the worst, a 29% share of the electorate in those states lists the pandemic leading the next option, fighting corruption, by a roughly 2-to-1 margin. In other words, Trumps wins in those states four years ago may be imperiled if Biden can continue to focus on the Trump Administrations response to the pandemic. In his speech last night, Biden showed how he plans to meld his character and Trumps failures in a clear message to those crucial states. Modeling empathy that Trump seems incapable of summoning, Biden brought ahead his skills as perhaps the nations most acclaimed eulogist. Its as my colleague Charlotte Alter observed in June: empathy is Bidens secret weapon. And as my colleague Molly Ball noted on the eve of Iowas caucuses, Bidens resilience is one born out of grief. Political conventions are always a distillation of the parties final arguments for their nominee and against their competitor. A careful reading of what Democrats programmed remotely during the pandemic suggests theyll continue to focus on how Biden has suffered so much during his lifetime but never wavered in his character, while Trump has not suffered and never matured. As a package, it will be interesting to compare this to next weeks Republican version. Will they be able to make a similar argument, or will they instead choose to conjure scary realities if Biden prevails? Democrats taking victory laps today would do well to remember that while they knew how to get the hair standing up on the back of liberals necks, Republicans are equally skilled at inducing panic. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:13:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of requests from businesses for accessing loans backed by the state's Central Guarantee Fund exceeded one million, Italy's Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Banking Association (ABI) said on Friday. The measure was contained in a government decree issued in March (and strengthened through a second decree in April), and aimed at ensuring liquidity to micro, small, and medium-sized companies hit by the coronavirus emergency. "Such high figure shows the magnitude of the emergency we are going through," Minister of Economic Development Stefano Patuanelli wrote on Facebook. He explained the provision needed an initial trial stage to be fully operative, but now "lending institutions are doing a great job, together with all of the parties involved." Patuanelli specified that the 1,000,052 requests received so far amounted to over 71 billion euros (84 billion U.S. dollars) in terms of liquidity. Of these, some 839,711 applications were submitted by micro-sized firms asking for loans up to 30,000 euros, for which the guarantee of the Fund is automatically granted, and covering the full amount, according to a press release of the Ministry. ABI's President Antonio Patuelli said the rise in applications for state-backed loans represented "a very relevant result, although partial." "The requests will keep growing conspicuously day after day, because the measures to support the economy will be operative up to Dec. 31 (except for extensions, in which we hope)," he said in a statement. According to the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), Italy's economy shrank by 17.3 percent in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, due to the impact of the COVID-19 emergency. However, the Bank of Italy predicted in its latest bulletin that the economy would partially recover in the third quarter, recording an overall 9.5 percent drop of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the year. (1 euro = 1.177 U.S. dollars) Enditem Pharrell and JAY-Z have released their new song Entrepreneur. The track arrives as part of Pharrells TIME cover package, titled The New American Revolution. The package includes interviews with Tyler, the Creator, Angela Davis, and others, discussing issues similar to those addressed in the song. For example, Pharrell says on the track: In this position with no choice/The system imprison young Black boys/Distract with white noise. In addition, JAY-Z raps, Black Twitter, whats that? When Jack gets paid, do you? Listen to Entrepreneur below. Pharrell told TIME that the song stems from how tough it is to be an entrepreneur in our country to begin with. He continued, Especially as someone of color, theres a lot of systemic disadvantages and purposeful blockages. How can you get a fire started, or even the hope of an ember to start a fire, when youre starting at disadvantages with regards to health care, education, and representation? Another part of Pharrells package is an article he co-wrote with Michael Harriot called Americas Past and Present Are Racist. We Deserve a Black Future. In the article, Pharrell and Harriot write: America was founded on a dream of a land where all men were created equal, that contained the promise of liberty and justice for all. But all has never meant Black people. Like most Black Americans, I understand that all exists only in the augmented-reality goggles available to shareholders, power brokers and those lucky enough to get in on the initial public offering. But the ongoing protests for equity and accountability that have overtaken cities across the nation have made me feel something new that I can only describe with one word: American. Pharrell and Michael Harriot close their article, Americas wealth was built on the slave labor of Black people: This is our past. To live up to Americas ideals, we must trust in a Black vision of the future. Read the full piece at TIME. Story continues In recent weeks, Pharrell has picked up an Emmy nomination (with Chad Hugo, for their work on The Black Godfather) and rallied with the governor of Virginia to make Juneteenth a public holiday. Over the last few months, JAY-Zs Team Roc has helped advance several lawsuits over civil rights issues. This article was originally published on Thursday, August 20 at 9:06 a.m. Eastern. It was last updated on Friday, August 21 at 8:18 a.m. Eastern. Originally Appeared on Pitchfork The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Saturday issued Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for international travel on non-scheduled commercial flights under the Vande Bharat Scheme and Air Transport Bubble arrangement. The SOP, reviewed by HT, states that persons wanting to travel to India on Vande Bharat flights will register themselves with the Indian missions in the country where they are stranded/residing, along with necessary details as prescribed by the ministry of external affairs (MEA). On the other hand, people coming to India on flights operating under air-bubble arrangements will not need to register themselves with the Indian missions. India, so far, has bilateral air travel arrangements or air bubbles with the US, the UK, Germany, France, Qatar, Maldives and the UAE while negotiations are going on with 13 more countries. The Vande Bharat flights have been operating since May 6 and currently the Scheme is in Phase-5. The SOP issued on Saturday said that priority will be given to compelling cases in distress, including workers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with expiry of visas, persons with medical emergency, pregnant women, elderly persons or those required to return to India due to death of family members and students. For inbound passengers, MEA will prepare flight/ship wise database of all travellers, including details such as name, age, gender, mobile number, place of residence, place final destination, and information on RT-PCR test taken and its result. This database will be shared by MEA with the respective state/UT in advance (where the passenger is heading), the SOP reads. It said that in case of people travelling to India under air-bubble arrangement, passenger manifest containing the same details as above for Vande Bharat flights or in a revised format as may be finalized by the MEA with the country concerned, will be submitted by the airlines to the Indian mission in the country concerned before operation of each flight with a copy to the state/UT government of the destination port in India. All travellers coming to India will have to give an undertaking that they are making the journey at their own risk, according to the SOP. In case of people wanting to travel out of India under these two programs, they will have to apply to ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) or to an agency designated by MOCA for this purpose, along with necessary details, including the place of departure and arrival, the SOP issued on Saturday said. It said that Indian seafarers seeking to accept contracts abroad to serve on vessels abroad can travel on the non-scheduled commercial flights as allowed by the civil aviation ministry or the flights arranged by their employers subject to clearance given by ministry of shipping. Liu Min (R), a member of the Executive Committee of the Women's Federation of Liangpeng Village, hands out leaflets calling for food saving to customers in the village in Anji County, East China's Zhejiang Province. [Anji Women's Federation] In line with General Secretary Xi Jinping's remarks in an instruction on ending food waste and promoting thrift, which was released on August 11, the Women's Federation of Anji County, Huzhou City, East China's Zhejiang Province, took a series of actions guiding women and families to stop wasting food and promote thrifty habits. Liu Min, a member of the Executive Committee of the Women's Federation of Liangpeng Village, in Anji County, has been busy publicizing food saving recently. Wearing a red waistcoat, she shuttles between the town's restaurants. "Please serve steamed rice according to the number of guests," Liu says every time she enters a restaurant. "Serving rice in a big basin would be wasted. I suggested the restaurant serve three or four people with half a basin of rice, five or six people with more than half of a basin, one person with one bowl or half a bowl, which can avoid food waste." She also handed out leaflets calling for food saving to the owners and customers. "As a cadre of the village's women's federation, I should do my best to stop the food waste behaviors," Liu added. Women volunteers publicize food saving from door to door. [Anji Women's Federation] In Anji County, more than 1,000 women volunteers have been mobilized to publicize food saving and rational ordering as advocators. "We have taken two major actions to stop food waste," said Weng Jianying, the owner of a restaurant in Daxi Village, Tianhuangping Town. "On the one hand, we will set the food standard with customers from other places in advance, and serve the corresponding dishes according to their numbers. On the other hand, after ordering, the customers will be advised to subtract one dish from the ordered menu, but we will serve it if they find not enough after finishing other dishes." Small portions of food in a homestay in Anji County, East China's Zhejiang Province [Anji Women's Federation] In Tianzihu Town, a homestay changed the previous large orders of dishes to individual meals as needed. At the same time, it introduced "half portions" for all dishes. The action allows guests to order on demand, creating more choices and less waste. "We now use the small plates instead of the big ones to avoid food waste. We also remind customers to pack up food," said the owner of a homestay. Meanwhile, many role model families provided solutions to boost food saving, including the "N minus 1 principle" (three people are recommended to order two dishes and four people are suggested to order three dishes). They advocate spilting the bills for family dinners, using small plates, setting plans before cooking, and using vouchers to reward customers who can finish their dishes. A rewards lottery box for food saving in a homestay in Anji County, East China's Zhejiang Province [Anji Women's Federation] (Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China) The legal battles by the team of lawyers representing suspended Supreme Court judge Justice Francis Bere to stop the tribunal investigating complaints against him continue, although the tribunal is still sitting, with one of the latest moves being an attempt to change the make-up of the tribunal. The judge and lawyers walked out of the hearing, protesting the rejection of their request to have one of the panellists, Advocate Takawira Nzombe, recuse himself from the matter because he was allegedly linked to Harare lawyer Mr Itayi Ndudzo, a key witness. The legal team was not content with a further six month extension of the tribunal, following the expiry of the given four months, and has now filed a High Court application challenging the lifespan of the tribunal inquiring into the fitness of Justice Bere to hold office. So far, 10 witnesses have testified before the tribunal while two more witnesses are outstanding. Hearings are continuing on Monday, with the presentation of evidence from these two witnesses. Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza, told The Herald yesterday that since the court has ruled that the tribunal was properly constituted, the hearing of evidence started the day the judges team walked out. Unless the need to call for other evidence arises, the intention is to close the hearing of oral evidence after the testimony of the two outstanding witnesses, she said. Thereafter, the evidence leaders will give their closing address summarising the evidence presented, what they argue as evidence established, and whether or not the proved facts, if any, amount to gross misconduct on the part of the honourable judge. Once this is concluded, the commissioners will proceed to consider all the evidence presented before them and compile their findings in a report for presentation to his Excellency the President of Zimbabwe. President Mnangagwa set up the tribunal inquiry into the fitness of Justice Bere to hold office after Mr Ndudzo accused him of interference in a civil case involving the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (zinara) and his relatives. Justice Bere allegedly telephoned Mr Ndudzo, who was representing zinara, asking him to consider settling a civil dispute pitting zinara against Fremus Enterprises. Ron Patel, Stan Forrest, Kristi Conforti, Allie Lincoln, Maryann Curmi, Mark Grauer and Larry England View Photo Sonora, CA Via a Friday morning radiothon, the Mother Lode stepped up to help fund a critical local program. We reported earlier that this years Tuolumne County Meals on Wheels dinner and auction could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic, so a radiothon was held in its place on Clarke Broadcastings Star 92.7 radio station. It total, at least $190,000 was raised, with more donations still to be tabulated. Last years event, a record at the time, raised $140,000. Event co-chair, Stan Forrest, says, This community is just amazing. It comes forward every year and supports this program. He notes that some of the sponsors doubled their donations this year. Fellow co-chair, Ron Patel, adds, Were so thankful for the donors, and sponsors, who gave so generously. It will help purchase at least 25,500 meals, about a third of those delivered over the course of the year. The Sonora Area Foundation stepped up to deliver a $50,000 matching grant. SAF Grants Administrator, Allie Lincoln, says, Meals on Wheels is such an important program, and the foundation, and our board, is very happy to offer more support this year. Morning show host, Maryann Curmi, who helped lead the radiothon, says, Having personally known friends who have used the services of Meals on Wheels, I know that it is just as much about the human touch, and interactions with the drivers, as it is about the food that is delivered. Thank God for Meals on Wheels and everyone who has contributed. Star 92.7 Program Director Mark Grauer says, Getting to talk this morning with some of the senior citizens in our community that need Meals on Wheels gave me a whole new love for the program. Sierra Senior Providers CEO Kristi Conforti wrapped it up by saying, It was overwhelming how the people were calling and thanking us for the services provided. We are grateful, and everyone really stepped up. An update from the Sonora Area Foundation about their response to needs related to funding issues caused by the pandemic is in their blog here. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marlowe Hood (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Sat, August 22, 2020 19:01 515 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fc20f5 2 Environment Greenland,ice-sheet,environment,climate,climate-crisis Free Greenland's massive ice sheet saw a record net loss of 532 billion tons last year, raising red flags about accelerating sea level rise, according to new findings. That is equivalent to an additional three million tons of water streaming into global oceans every day, or six Olympic pools every second. Crumbling glaciers and torrents of melt-water slicing through Greenland's ice block -- as thick as ten Eiffel Towers end-to-end -- were the single biggest source of global sea level rise in 2019 and accounted for 40 percent of the total, researchers reported in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Last year's loss of mass was at least 15 percent above the previous record in 2012, but even more alarming are the long-term trends, they said. "2019 and the four other record-loss years have all occurred in the last decade," lead author Ingo Sasgen, a glaciologist at the Helmholtze Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, told AFP. The ice sheet is now tracking the worst-case global warming scenario of the UN's climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, noted Andrew Shepherd, director of the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling at the University of Leeds. "This means we need to prepare for an extra ten centimeters or so of global sea level rise by 2100 from Greenland alone," said Shepherd, who was not involved in the study. Read also: Siberian heatwave, early Greenland ice melt worry researchers Redraw world's coastlines If all of Greenland's ice sheet were to melt, it would lift global oceans by seven meters. Even a more modest rise of a couple of meters would redraw the world's coastlines and render land occupied today by hundreds of millions of people uninhabitable. Until 2000, Greenland's ice sheet -- covering an area three times the size of France -- generally accumulated as much mass as it shed. Runoff, in other words, was compensated by fresh snowfall. But over the last two decades ago, the gathering pace of global warming has upended this balance. The gap is widening at both ends, according to the study, which draws from nearly 20 years of satellite data. Changing weather patterns -- also a consequence of climate change -- has resulted in less cloud cover, and thus less snow. These high pressure systems have also resulted in more, and warmer, sunny days, accelerating the loss of mass. In 2019, the ice sheet lost a total of 1.13 trillion tons, about 45 percent from glaciers sliding into the sea, and 55 percent from melted ice, said Sasgen. It gained about 600 billion tonnes through precipitation. A study in the same journal last week concluded that the Greenland's ice sheet has passed a "tipping point", and is now doomed to disintegrate, though on what time scale is unknown. Read also: Greenland ice melting past 'tipping point': Study 'Alarm bells ringing' Sasgen says it is too soon to know if we have reached a point of no return, but agrees that the ice sheet is likely to continue losing mass, even in colder years. "But that doesn't mean that trying to limit warming doesn't matter," he added. "Every decimal degree you save in terms of warming will save a certain amount of sea level rise, both in magnitude and speed." At the other end of the world, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet -- which holds another six metres worth of sea level rise -- is similarly thought to be teetering on a tipping point, with many experts convinced it has already passed it. Scientists not involved in the research were not surprised by the findings, but expressed concern. "The ice sheet has lost ice every year for the last 20 years," said Twila Moon, a research scientists at the University of Colorado. "If everyone's alarm bells were not already ringing, they must be now." Stuart Cunningham, an oceanographer from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, warned about the potential impact on the North Atlantic circulation, a current that keeps northwestern Europe five to ten degrees Celsius warmer that similar latitudes elsewhere on the globe. "Climate models show this circulation can be switched off by adding fresh water to the North Atlantic," he said, noting this happened during the end of the last ice age. "This tipping point in the climate system is one of the potential disasters facing us." From 1992 to 2018, Greenland lost about four trillion tonnes of mass, causing the mean sea level to rise by 11 millimeters, according to a December 2019 study in Nature. Multiple wildfires are burning in the greater North Bay. Cal Fire is referring to them collectively as the LNU Lightning Complex. LNU stands for Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, and you can find the latest evacuation info here. A map of the fire is available here. The biggest fires are: Hennessey Fire (merged with Gamble, Green, Aetna, Markley, Morgan, Spanish and Round): Napa County, 271,714, 17% contained Walbridge Fire (merged with Stewarts): Sonoma County, west of Healdsburg, 51,069 acres, 0% contained Meyers Fire: Sonoma County, north of Jenner, 2,345 acres, 0% contained --- LATEST: Aug. 22, 8:20 p.m. The LNU Lightning Complex fire is now 325,128 acres, the third largest in California history. The massive North Bay fire grew slightly throughout the day Saturday after beginning the morning at 314,207 acres. The Walbridge Fire, west of Healdsburg, grew 1,000 acres during the day. The Meyers Fire, north of Jenner near the coast, held steady at 2,345 acres. The biggest blaze, the Hennessey Fire in Napa, Yolo and Solano counties, went from 261,793 acres to 271,714. Fire crews did gain some containment, however, increasing from 15% this morning to 17% in the evening. "Tomorrow's weather forecast is calling for dry lightning and thunderstorms that could cause erratic winds, extreme fire behavior within the existing fires, and have a potential for new fires to start," Cal Fire warned. You can read more about the forecasted conditions here. Four civilian have died three in Napa County and one in Solano County 845 structure have been destroyed and 231 are damaged. Some 30,500 structures remain threatened. Aug. 22, 6:26 p.m. Cal Fire has lifted evacuation orders in Yolo County for the following areas: Evacuation Zones 2, 8, 9, 15, 31, 46, 55 and 60. For an evacuation zone map, go here. Aug. 22, 6:19 p.m. New mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, affecting the following areas: All residences and areas east of State Route 29, north of Morgan Valley Road, south of State Route 20, west of Sky High Ridge Road from Morgan Valley Road extending north to State Route 20, but excluding residents in the city limits of Clearlake. All residences along and east of Big Canyon Road, Perini Road and Seigler Canyon Road, south of State Route 29, west of State Route 29 and north of the warning line (Anderson Springs Road, Neft Road and Boggs Mount Recreation Area extending northeast to the intersection of State Route 29 and Hofacker Road) Aug. 22, 3:49 p.m. The Lake County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuation orders Saturday afternoon for the following areas: South of Morgan Valley Road, west of the mandatory evacuation border line at Sky High Ridge Road to Highway 29 and Highway 53 in Lower Lake. East of Highway 29 at Hofacker Lane to the mandatory evacuation border line (this area was previously under warning but has been upgraded to an order). Aug. 22, 12:10 p.m. A wave of new evacuations has been ordered in Sonoma County as the Walbridge Fire, fueled by a southern wind shift, continues to threaten Guerneville, Healdsburg and many Russian River communities. Areas in seven zones on the evacuation map 2F1, 2F2, 2F3, 2K1, 2K2, 4A1 and 4C1 have been issued evacuation orders, while areas in an additional six zones 4A2, 4A3, 2A2, 2C4, 2G1 and Town of Windsor Zone A have been issued evacuation warnings. Click here for full evacuation information. Aug. 22, 11:45 a.m. Of the three fires currently burning in the LNU Lightning Complex, Cal Fire officials are optimistic about two of the three, but upcoming weather patterns could undo progress and potentially start additional fires. During a Saturday morning press conference, officials from Cal Fire stated that the Meyers Fire (currently burning north of Jenner in Sonoma County) is close to containment with operations chief Chris Waters estimating the fire will be under control in one-to-two days. Waters added that containment of the massive Hennessey Fire in Napa County is also within reach. "We still have work to do on northern branch," Waters said, referencing smaller fires north of Lake Berryessa that have merged into the massive 260,000-acre blaze. "But we're continuing to do good work." The Walbridge Fire in Sonoma County remains Cal Fire's top priority, and a south-to-southwest wind shift further endangers Guerneville and other communities along the Russian River. The wind shift also potentially threatens progress on other fires. "The upcoming weather is not in our favor," Waters said. Dry lightning and high winds have returned to the forecast in the Bay Area, and Cal Fire spokesman Jeremy Rahn said it's a certainty that lightning strikes will start additional fires. There is currently a 15% chance of lightning strikes Saturday night into Sunday morning. A red flag warning has been issued for the Bay Area from Sunday through Monday. "If there's another lightning push, more fires will start," he said. "Our goal is to identify them then get resources near them in areas that the fires start. Please adhere to orders and be ready to go, the time time is right now for everyone to prepare homes, prepare livestock and prepare animals to leave home safely." Aug. 22, 11 a.m. Some evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted in Napa and Solano counties. In Napa, the evacuation warning along Highway 121 from Vichy Ave to Silverado Trail has been lifted; in Sonoma County, the evacuation orders in effect in unincorporated Fairfield and Suisun, including Green Valley as well as portions of Allendale and English Hills have also been lifted. Aug. 22, 7:30 a.m. The LNU Lightning Complex grew from 302,388 acres Friday evening to 314,207 acres Saturday morning, and Cal Fire states that "significant fire growth is expected throughout the rest of the operational period." The complex is now the second-largest wildfire in California's history, and Cal Fire stated that the two main fires of concern the Hennessey Fire in Napa County and the Walbridge Fire in Sonoma County are continuing to expand in multiple directions and are threatening communities. The Walbridge Fire was Cal Fire's top priority on Thursday and Friday after it expanded to threaten Guerneville, Healdsburg and other nearby communities. On Friday evening, the blaze entered the northern-most section of Armstrong Redwoods Natural Reserve just outside of Guerneville, but did not penetrate the old growth redwood grove on the floor of reserve overnight. Cal Fire stated that the much larger Hennessey Fire is now rapidly expanding again after multiple fires to the north of Lake Berryessa merged into the blaze. The southern part of the Hennessey Fire was previously stopped from going into Vacaville, and the city's evacuations orders were lifted Friday. Cal Fire stated that the northern expansion is of concern since the blaze is "moving into large areas of timber." Four civilians have been killed by fires in the complex, with three perishing in Napa County and one perishing in Sonoma County. The fires have destroyed 500 structures and damaged an additional 125, with 30,500 structures still threatened. The world's largest firefighting plane the "Global SuperTanker" Services LLC's B747-400 was once again deployed to the Walbridge Fire on Friday after making an appearance Thursday. The SuperTanker can deploy 20,000 gallons of water or fire retardant on a single drop. Evacuation orders remain in effect across Napa and Sonoma counties. You can find more information on evacuations at these links: Sonoma County: Find latest evacuation information at SoCo Emergency. Napa County: Find evacuation information at Napa County Office of Emergency Services. Lake County: Sign up for evacuation information with Lake County here. Solano County: Evacuation information on the Solano County website. Yolo County: Evacuation information on the Solano County website. For updates on the blazes, check the Cal Fire website. Eric Ting is an SFGATE reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting Joyful reunion as Bangladeshi in Al Jazeera interview arrives home Tears of joy greeted Bangladesh national Md Rayhan Kabir's arrival at Dhaka International Airport early this morning after a long separation with loved ones that ended with his arrest and three-weeks in Malaysian immigration detention. Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star reported that Rayhan's father, Shah Alam, was at the airport to wait for his son, scheduled to arrive from Kuala Lumpur at 1am after being deported without charge over his participation in a controversial documentary about migrant workers. "We were eagerly waiting for our son to come to us. He's here now. We have the Eid moon in our hands," Shah was quoted as saying. The Daily Star reported an emotional embrace between father and son, shortly before they returned to the family's village in Narayanganj, Dhaka. "I can't explain this joy. How many times have I come and gone in the last six years! This time it feels different," Rayhan was quoted as saying. "My Bangladesh, my motherland, my mother, my parents I can't explain this feeling to anyone. (I give my) gratitude to all of you, to all who were by my side at home and abroad," said Rayhan, who sparked an outcry from Malaysians over his remarks made in Al Jazeera's 101 East documentary "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown". Rayhan previously said what he had expressed in the interview was based on personal observations and this was unwavered by his own personal experiences of being locked up in Malaysia. "I don't want to change myself. I will try my best to serve people," he was quoted as saying. Rayhan was detained in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur on July 24 after the Immigration Department sought public assistance to track down the individual who appeared in the episode. In the documentary, Rayhan spoke about the treatment of undocumented migrants by the Malaysian authorities during the implementation of the movement control order to curb the spread of Covid-19. Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud previously announced that Rayhan would be deported to his country of origin after police investigations were completed, apart from cancelling his work permit and placing him on a permanent blacklist from entering Malaysia. Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday, a 23-year-old woman was walking in the 2000 block of North Sheffield Avenue when she was approached by three juveniles who attempted to grab her purse. After falling during a struggle, they punched her in face, threw her to the ground, and took her purse and other personal items, police said. "I am gross and perverted. I'm obsessed 'n deranged I have existed for years But very little had changed I am the tool of the Government And industry too For I am destined to rule And regulate you I am the best you can get Have you guessed me yet? I am the slime oozin' out From your TV set The above is from the Frank Zappa 1974 song, Im the Slime. Yet another example from the past warning us of a dystopian future that is now upon us if we dont defend ourselves. In his DNC speech, Bernie Sanders closes his first paragraph with this: in the midst of all this we have a president who is not only incapable of addressing these crises but is leading us down the path of authoritarianism. Does Sanders realize that in the first 24 months of their respective presidencies President Trump issued 36.6% fewer regulations compared to President Obama? How about the 2017 tax cut passed by Congress that by put more of our hard-earned dollars in our pocket? Is empowering the individual authoritarianism? I may be vile and pernicious seems to be an apt description of the Democratic 2020 platform. Apart from the misinformation emanating from Bernie Sanders, what else could Frank Zappa have to do with our times? If it isnt obvious, some of the lowlights in the Biden/Harris campaign are a desire to control energy (Green New Deal/equitable clean energy future), healthcare (Medicare for all), education and guns (Biden plan to end gun violence). Should the Biden/Harris team get elected, they will be destined to rule and regulate you. Visit joebiden.com to read all of the delicious things that they say. Lets focus on healthcare, energy, guns, and education. If we allow the government to control healthcare, they have control over our bodies literally from birth to death. For starters, read the November 21, 2019 New York Times article, Dozens of Babies Died Because of UK Hospital Failings due to staff failings. It was described as the biggest maternity scandal in decades. How about the 6,200 COVID nursing home deaths in New York City compliments of government diktat? The Netherlands endorsement of euthanasia? Once the government controls healthcare, where will the accountability lie? Do you want government dictating how health-care resources are controlled or do you want to control your healthcare? The idea of Medicare for All is simply a ploy to delay the 2026 insolvency of Medicare in conjunction with our government controlling us from life to death and therefore making us further dependent on pandering elected officials. Government control over energy is control over our ability to move. What powers your cruise ship? That 767 that takes you cross country? Fossil fuels! 71% of New Yorks energy consumption is nonrenewable. How about the amount of energy needed to mine the lithium, graphite, and cobalt in your favorite electric cars battery? Electric cars have made progress in range technology. For instance, the Tesla S Long Range ($69,490), has a stated range of 402 miles. But a Ford Fusion gets 42 miles per gallon and costs $28,000. Only the wealthy will have freedom of movement, freedom of association in our Biden/Harris dystopian future. Our ability to move freely will come at the expense of paying $41,000 more for our motor vehicle and the value of our time waiting to recharge the vehicle. What happens when the government determines that the environmental harm from extracting rare earth metals for the needed batteries is too great? Shorter range for vehicles and even greater control of our freedom. What about the current rolling blackouts in California? This is due to fewer gas-fired power plants than in past years to pick up the slack each evening when solar power is not available. By government fiat, government will control our freedom to assemble via limited-range electric cars and dictate our comfort level due to government-mandated renewable energy that is insufficient for our needs. Im destined to rule and regulate you. If they take away our guns, they have taken our ability to defend ourselves. Additionally, what do you think about Joe Bidens proposal to eliminate cash bail? Did you see the video of that sweet cherub Marquise Love beating Adam Haner in Portland? If the police ever find this darling, how do you feel about letting him back out on the streets with no bail? Among the noteworthy points of Joe Bidens gun manifesto are holding gun manufacturers civilly liable (that would end gun sales and our ability to defend ourselves in an era of defunded police departments), regulate possession of assault weapons (you can be sure the definition of assault weapons will change), end online sales of guns and ammunition (this is the route to place onerous taxes on ammunition), mandate smart guns and prioritize prosecution of straw purchasers (using a third party to purchase a gun -- no worries, bail will be banned!). Defund the police, take away our ability to defend ourselves, eliminate bail and it adds up to anarchy. Dare we discuss the mind control known as public education? Of the approximately 55.1 million K-12 students, 85.8% of these students are educated by our public school system. With what are our students being indoctrinated? A view of Christopher Columbus as a horrible individual without any overall context. Professors stating that Jesus Christ had a wife. How about the 1619 Projects goal of reframing history? Did Thomas Edison invent the electric bulb? Did Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone? Did Henry Ford develop the assembly line? Why was George Washington Carver known as the Peanut Man? How about a factually balanced presentation discussion regarding climate change throughout known history? Why were Vikings able to farm Greenland for 400 years starting in 985? What about the disgraceful way teachers unions have curtailed teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic despite the known fact that K-12 students pose a miniscule threat of death from COVID? What about inner-city violence that is only exacerbated by failing to have in-person public school education? Every election is important. 2020 is no different. The level of slime being fed to us is endangering our country and our freedoms. It appears the media is not up to the task of disseminating information truthfully. It is up to us to enlighten people to the dystopia that a Biden/Harris presidency will bring. It is up to us to stand up for freedom and responsibility. Our freedoms will be permanently compromised -- freedom to move freely, make our own healthcare decisions, protect ourselves, and educate your children will be lost. Well save discussions regarding financial ruin for another day. We need to defend our freedoms first. Dont do as you are told. Vote Trump/Pence! Image: Biden for President NEW DELHI : The Border Security Force (BSF) deployed near the International Border (IB) shot dead 5 intruders who were trying to enter India from Pakistan side on Saturday morning. According to BSF, jawans deployed at the border spotted suspicious movement, and their repeated attempts to dissuade the intruders were met with firing. "Alert troops of 103 Bn BSF noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating the International Border. Upon being challenged to stop, intruders fired upon BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence. Resultantly, five intruders were shot dead. Intensive search operation is underway," BSF said. Local police are investigating the matter and the bodies have been recovered from the farmlands close to the IB. 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 The Turkish government formally converted a former Byzantine church into a mosque, a move that came a month after it drew praise from the faithful and international opposition for similarly turning Istanbuls landmark Hagia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer. A decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published in the countrys Official Gazette, said Istanbuls Church of St Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, was handed to Turkeys religious authority, which would open up the structure for Muslim prayers. Like the Hagia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, it had operated as a museum for decades before Mr Erdogan ordered it restored as a mosque. It was not immediately known when the first prayers would be held there. The church, situated near the ancient city walls, is famed for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. St Saviour in Chora church, known as Kariye in Turkish (Emrah Gurel/AP) It dates to the fourth century, although the edifice took on its current form in the 11th-12th centuries. The structure served as a mosque during the Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945. A court decision last year cancelled the buildings status as a museum, paving the way for Fridays decision. And as with the Hagia Sophia, the decision to transform the Chora back into a mosque is seen as geared to consolidate the conservative and religious support base of Mr Erdogans ruling party at a time when his popularity is sagging amid an economic downturn. Greeces foreign ministry strongly condemned the move, saying that Turkish authorities are once again brutally insulting the character of another UN-listed world heritage site. This is a provocation against all believers, the Greek ministry said in a statement. We urge Turkey to return to the 21st century, and the mutual respect, dialogue and understanding between civilisations. Elpidophoros, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of America, wrote on Twitter: After the tragic transgression with Hagia Sophia, now the Monastery of Chora, this exquisite offering of Byzantine culture to the world! Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to speak to supporters and the media after Friday prayers in Hagia Sophia, in the background, in Istanbul (AP) The pleas and exhortations of the international community are ignored, he wrote. Several Istanbul residents rushed to the building, some hoping to hold prayers there, Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Like the Hagia Sophia, this is an important mosque for Muslims, the agency quoted Istanbul resident Cuma Er as saying. We came here to pray after we learned about the decision. But we have been told that it has not yet been opened for prayers. We are waiting for the opening. Last month, Mr Erdogan joined hundreds of worshippers for the first Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia in 86 years, brushing aside the international criticism and calls for the monument to be kept as a museum in recognition of Istanbuls multi-faith heritage. As many as 350,000 took part in the prayers outside the structure. Harris and Biden appear to enjoy the fact they do not agree on everything: Getty Joe Biden saved the very best until last. After four evenings of live streamed speeches, of videos showing Joe Biden as a young man, as a father, and as a vice president, after four days of earnest seriousness, with the occasional joke, without doubt the most thrilling part of the Democratic National Convention played out in a parking lot in Delaware. Having concluded the speech in which he formally accepted the Democrats nomination for president, a solid, seemingly heartfelt address, he and his wife Jill donned their masks and stood to watch the fireworks from the car park of the Chase Centre in Wilmington, from where he had delivered his speech. Soon, he was joined by Kamala Harris, and her husband Doug Emhoff and together they waved and smiled and even danced a little bit. The sheer joy of the moment laughter, relaxed smiles, people driving their vehicles and waving flags, albeit at a safe distance at a time when the pandemic has left the nation anxious and fearful, was a huge success. Biden must be hoping that for him too, life has saved the best until last. Or at least that part of life devoted to politics and public service. Joe Biden accepts the nomination to be the Democratic presidential candidate at the DNC on 20 August, 2020 (REUTERS) Having run for president twice before and having had his trousers handed to him on both occasions, having suffered the loss of his first wife, his daugher and his eldest son, and having been politely told to step aside by Barack Obama when he hoped that he, not Hillary Clinton, might be the partys standard bearer in 2016, he might have assumed his public life was over. And yet now at the age of 77, and looking every one of them, here he stands, closer to the highest prize than ever before. Projected and driven to the moment by a confluence of factors perhaps the death of his son, the unwillingness of too many Democrats to trust Bernie Sanders with defeating Donald Trump, and the pandemic that fixed the Democrats primary campaign in aspic he sits one good win away from the Oval Office. Political parties can usually expect a bump in the polls of anywhere up to five per cent following a national convention. It is true, those bumps have become less in recent cycles, but Biden can expect to see his numbers jump at least a point or two in coming days. Story continues What remains unclear, is whether what we witnessed over the four days will persuade enough Americans to cast their vote for him, at a time when the simple act of voting has itself been made so difficult. Christina Greer, professor of political science at Fordham University in New York, says she was struck this week by how speaker after speaker spoke less about policy, then about the practical act of voting. She says Trumps efforts to reduce access to mail-in ballots at a time when many are frightened to leave their homes, had delivered the nation to a precipice on which it had never previously stood. We saw Michelle Obama literally walk people through what they should be doing right now, as far as registering, and becoming a poll worker, she says. In terms of Joe Biden, we learned little new. After more than 50 years in public life, some commentators felt the convention devoted too much time to telling his story as if he was a newcomer on the political scene. And while the dark vision spelled out by the likes of Barack Obama underscored the danger with which many Americans view a second Trump term, there was less than some would have liked on the hard policies that represented an alternative. I think that they have done a good job of saying why people should not support Trump. And why it is important to get out to vote, says Jeanne Zaino, professor of political science at Iona College in New York. What I dont think theyve done quite so well, is to explain why people would want to get out to vote for Biden. What appears to be true is that Harris, the hard-elbowed former prosecutor from California, and Biden will work tougher as a team. They appear to genuinely respect each other, and enjoy the fact they do not agree on everything. She appears to be someone who will have his back, and her enthusiasm and energy will make easier the jobs of grassroots Democrats and organisers whose task will be to ensure people can cast their ballot. For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege, Biden said in his Thursday night address. Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation. He failed to protect us. He failed to protect America. And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable. Read more Joe Biden formally accepts Democratic nomination Buttigiegs speech at the DNC finally made me believe in Biden Biden and the Democrats are in a good position to take on Trump Jennifer Hudson performs A Change Is Gonna Come at DNC Advertisement Although the algorithm needs to be developed further and tested in larger groups of people from different ethnic backgrounds, the researchers say it has the potential to be used as a screening tool that could identify possible heart disease in people in the general population or in high-risk groups, who could be referred for further clinical investigations.said Professor Zhe Zheng, who led the research and is vice director of the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and vice president of Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.He continued,It is known already that certain facial features are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. These include thinning or grey hair, wrinkles, ear lobe crease, xanthelasmata (small, yellow deposits of cholesterol underneath the skin, usually around the eyelids) and arcus corneae (fat and cholesterol deposits that appear as a hazy white, grey or blue opaque ring in the outer edges of the cornea). However, they are difficult for humans to use successfully to predict and quantify heart disease risk.Prof. Zheng, Professor Xiang-Yang Ji, who is director of the Brain and Cognition Institute in the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University, Beijing, and other colleagues enrolled 5,796 patients from eight hospitals in China to the study between July 2017 and March 2019. The patients were undergoing imaging procedures to investigate their blood vessels, such as coronary angiography or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). They were divided randomly into training (5,216 patients, 90%) or validation (580, 10%) groups.Trained research nurses took four facial photos with digital cameras: one frontal, two profiles and one view of the top of the head. They also interviewed the patients to collect data on socioeconomic status, lifestyle and medical history. Radiologists reviewed the patients' angiograms and assessed the degree of heart disease depending on how many blood vessels were narrowed by 50% or more, and their location. This information was used to create, train and validate the deep learning algorithm.The researchers then tested the algorithm on a further 1,013 patients from nine hospitals in China, enrolled between April 2019 and July 2019. The majority of patients in all the groups were of Han Chinese ethnicity.They found that the algorithm out-performed existing methods of predicting heart disease risk (Diamond-Forrester model and the CAD consortium clinical score). In the validation group of patients, the algorithm correctly detected heart disease in 80% of cases (the true positive rate or 'sensitivity') and correctly detected heart disease was not present in 61% of cases (the true negative rate or 'specificity'). In the test group, the sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 54%.Prof. Ji said,As well as requiring testing in other ethnic groups, limitations of the study include the fact that only one centre in the test group was different to those centres which provided patients for developing the algorithm, which may further limit its generalisabilty to other populations.In an accompanying editorial [2], Charalambos Antoniades, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, UK, and Dr Christos Kotanidis, a DPhil student working under Prof. Antoniades at Oxford, write:They continue,They highlight some of the limitations that Prof. Zheng and Prof. Ji also include in their paper. These include the low specificity of the test, that the test needs to be improved and validated in larger populations, and that it raises ethical questions aboutThe authors of the research paper agree on this point. Prof. Zheng said:Prof. Antoniades and Dr. Kotanidis also write in their editorial that defining CAD as 50% stenosis in one major coronary arterySource: Eurekalert Democratic nominee Joe Biden said that as president he would be prepared to shut the United States down again to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus if that is what scientists recommended. I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists, Biden told ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir in a clip released Friday, ahead of the full interview, which will air Sunday and also features vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Biden said he was prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. He continued: That is the fundamental flaw of this administrations thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus. I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists. Joe Biden tells @DavidMuir in an exclusive interview that as president, he would shut the country down to stop the spread of COVID-19 if the move was recommended by scientists. https://t.co/2A9r07d7ECpic.twitter.com/Ib99cshlSI ABC News (@ABC) August 21, 2020 President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to face widespread criticism for his administrations disastrous handling of the pandemic. Trump downplayed the risks posed by COVID-19 for months at the start of the pandemic as cases surged worldwide. He later pushed for the premature easing of lockdown restrictions, against the advice of public health experts, in a bid to boost the economy ahead of the 2020 election. The president has also hyped unproven treatments for the disease and sent mixed messages on the need to wear masks to prevent its spread. The virus has now killed more than 170,000 people nationwide. In other preview clips of the interview, both Biden and Harris criticized and dismissed Trumps recent attacks on Harris, which have included calling her nasty and a madwoman, and leaning... Continue reading on HuffPost Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 18:06:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A new Chinese-developed diesel-electric mining haul truck rolls off the assembly line in Inner Mongolia. It's the first of 28 such trucks to be exported to Australia. Mumbai, Aug 22 : Millions of people in Maharashtra, cutting across religious lines, warmly welcomed the popular elephant-headed God, Lord Ganesha, amid the clouds of the Covid-19 pandemic and torrential rain here on Saturday. Though the usual frenzy, glitter and glam were missing, it was sufficiently balanced by the people's enthusiasm as they looked forward to the cheerful 'Vignaharta' (Remover of Obstacles) answering their prayers and setting humanity free from the coronavirus. Notably absent from the 10-day festivities are the famed Lalbaugcha Raja and other gigantic idols in Mumbai, the Dagdu Seth Ganeshotsav in Pune, and other prominent ones across Maharashtra owing to the pandemic restrictions. With limits on the height of the idols this year, between 2-4 feet, various public mandals, housing complexes and families, in small groups with physical distancing, carried the idols during the auspicious 'murti sthapana' timing before starting the worship with aartis marking the birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Revered as the God of Wisdom, the pot-bellied Lord Ganesha - who relishes 'Modaks'- is said to bring prosperity and good fortune, and marks a new beginning. As huge crowds will be kept at bay this year, a majority of the public Ganeshotsav mandals have decided to convert the celebrations into 'Aarogyotsav' (health festival) with blood and plasma donation camps, launching various pandemic-related initiatives, said BrihanMumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanway Samiti (BSGSS) President Naresh Dahibhavkar. "There are various other concerns this year... Health, hygiene, physical distancing, people have borne pay cuts or job losses, companies are in losses. So all mandals are practicing austerity measures," Dahibhavkar told IANS. Though the festival has been celebrated for centuries it was mostly within royal households or people's homes. But in 1893, legendary freedom fighter, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak brought it into the public domain to instil a sense of patriotism among the masses in Pune. That year, the first public celebration was also held at Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaum (south Mumbai) under the watchful eyes of the British government and instantly became popular. Not looking back since then, the festival has grown bigger, brighter, attracted practitioners of all religions with Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, etc. hosting or praying to Lord Ganesha, all over India and other countries globally. In Maharashtra, the festival is celebrated in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik besides the coastal Konkan district where it's the biggest annual gala with Lord Ganesh 'visiting' almost every household in the tiny villages dotting the seaside or the hills nearby. Though the pandemic and downpour have stopped people from venturing out, many temples like the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai have arranged online 'darshan' and 'aartis' for the devotees, said the temple Chairman and Marathi filmstar Aadesh Bandekar. A few who dared to step out, could get 'darshan' only from outside as temples and other places of worship have not opened up during the 'Unlockdown' phases. As in the past, politicians starting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, ministers, industrialists, film stars and Bollywood personalities, sportspersons, businessmen, celebs and commoners will celebrate Ganeshotsav at their homes this year with the doors thrown open to all. Rain clouds may hamper the festivities over the next couple of days with the IMD Deputy Director-General K.S. Hosalikar predicting heavy rain in the north coastal districts of Raigad, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Thackeray family, state Congress President and Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Nationalist Congress President Sharad Pawar and other personalities greeted the people on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Latest updates on Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2020 -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday told a special NIA Court in Kochi that four accused in the high-profile Kerala gold smuggling case, against whom non-bailable warrants have been issued, are currently in the United Arab Emirates and, therefore, steps have been taken for issuing blue notices against them through Interpol. Fazil Fareed, Rabins Hameed, Sidhiqul Akbar, and Ahammed Kutty are the four absconding accused NIA says are in UAE. ''Therefore, non-bailable warrant against them has been obtained from this court. Steps have been taken for issuing blue notices against them through Interpol to secure them for investigation," the NIA said informing the special court. The agency submitted that investigation has to be conducted abroad and interrogation into roles of high profile individuals and Consulate officials is also necessary to unearth all conspirators in this case. It also asserted that the motive of the accused and their associates in India and abroad besides the usage of proceeds of the offence "for terrorist activities in India and abroad are also under investigation." Earlier on Friday, the bail application of Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold smuggling case, was dismissed by a court in Kochi observing that the investigation in the matter is in its early stage. Suresh had moved the application seeking bail in the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the matter. During the hearing, the ED had informed the court that, "Swapna confessed to the enforcement that she had a role in the gold smuggling. The conspiracy has been found to have taken place in the country and abroad in the case. It is her responsibility to prove her innocence." The three key accused in the gold smuggling case Sarith PS, Swapna Suresh, and Sandeep Nair were sent to judicial custody till August 26 by a Kochi court. Kerala gold smuggling case On July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith Kumar, who worked at the UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee now working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. Following the backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by the state government. The NIA has already registered an FIR against Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed, Sandeep Nair, and others. Various sections of the UAPA Act were slapped against the aforesaid individuals. The NIA has alleged that the smuggled gold was not used for jewellery purpose but for funding terror activities. (With ANI inputs) READ | Kerala Gold Smuggling: ED Reveals 'proceeds Of Crime' Stored On Ex-CMO Secy's Instructions READ | Gold Smuggling Case: ED Quizzes Ex-Kerala CMO Principal Secretary M Sivasankar The police on Friday arrested six persons for running an illegal casino that allegedly operated from a house in Faridabads Sector 5. A total of 15,380 in cash and items used in roulette, baccarat, and other card games were seized, said police. Police said they raided the house based on a tip. Coins worth 48,500 and 104 playing cards were recovered from the arrested persons. Police identified the arrested persons as the house owner Rajesh Kumar, Gulshan Kumar, Divik alias Bittu, Karan Singh, Paras Kumar and Varun Singh. All are residents of Faridabad. Dharna Yadav, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), said that Rajesh Kumar was the main suspect. He allegedly used to invite people and organise the casino at his residence, selling counters valued between 2,000 to 20,000. During questioning, Kumar allegedly told the police that he used to sell coins during the day and people used to return at night to play. Many people who could not make it to visit personally, used to play online, said Yadav. Police said a case was registered under the Gambling Act at NIT police station on Friday night. Gambling is illegal in the state under the Public Gaming Act of 1867 and the casino had no licence, police said. Commissioner of police O P Singh said, Kumar had bought the tables and other items from Uttar Pradesh. He himself was hedging bet. We have confiscated the tables and the set-up used by gamblers. The neighbours of the area were unaware of the illegal activity being carried out and suspected that an office was operating there which is why people visited the house throughout the day, said police. They thought people were playing cards or visiting for real estate deals. The house used to remain occupied till late at night, but the residents raised no objection as no one was bothering them and they never heard loud music or experienced no other nuisance, said Singh. Singh said suspects were mostly into real estate and used to invest together in commercial and residential plots. The suspects had visited Nepal and Goa several times to play at casinos. Kumar had placed poker in one of the rooms and had placed rollers bets and coins of 2000, Singh said, adding that the suspect got an idea after he had read about casino running out of residential areas in the past. Police said there were no entry charge and nearly 20 people visited the house daily to gamble. The casino was allegedly operational round-the-clock. Police said makeshift casinos and high-stake card parties are often organised illegally around the festive season but Kumar had suffered huge losses during lockdown so he planned to start operations to cover his losses. We have formed special teams to keep an eye on gambling and betting operations across the city. Strict action would be taken against people found involved in any illegal activity and will be under constant surveillance, Singh said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON - A video of the MP firebrand addressing the press on which political party he was joining was converted into a meme and shared widely on the intwerbs - Selemani Bungare was a member of the CMM party and represented the Kilwa South Constituency in Tanzania - He is said to have trended mostly after Arsenal won the EUFA match With current technology, it only takes one hilarious video for it to become a meme and Tanzanian Member of Parliament (MP) Seleman Bungara has not been spared in this craze. The MP has for over a month now been the subject of a viral meme circulating in Kenya following remarks he made in a press conference in June 2020. READ ALSO: 4-year-old boy who asked his mum to calm down speaks on his fame, ambition Selemani Bungare is a member of parliament in Tanzania. Photo: NTV. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Bishop Oyedepo's daughter marries on his wedding anniversary According to local media, the Kilwa South Constituency representative was addressing reports of shifting his political allegiance to the Chama Cha Mapidunzi (CCM) party. In an animated expression that has since been referenced in many conversations, the MP popularly known as Bwege denied the claims that he had joined the party after ditching CCM. Ulisikia wapi? (where did you hear the reports) he asked journalists present, stating that he had instead joined Chama Cha ACT Wazalendo instead. READ ALSO: Nurse who midwifed Mama Ngina during Uhuru's birth says gov't officials barring her from meeting first family His utterances have since been used in a number of memes and situations after the clip was circulated on various social media platforms. He then started trending in Kenyan social media pages and many people have since made fun of him. He is reported to have trended mostly after Arsenal won the EUFA match and people were criticising Manchester United for losing the match. READ ALSO: Babu Owino describes Uhuru Kenyatta as the best president in the world Many internet users have used the video to disown false remarks in a hilarious way. Further reports showed creative Kenyans had also designed T-shirts with his remarks to imprinted on them and a group of youth even released a song with the catchy phrase. Bungara has been the member of parliament for Kilwa South since 2005 and will be looking to retain his seat in the upcoming elections after parliament was closed on June 16, 2020. READ ALSO: Fire dance moves from firefighters go viral online After defecting, he was among leaders in ACT with Zitto Kabwe who were arrested by Tanzanian police on June 23 during a meeting and released on bond the following day. He has been a vocal MP as evidenced by a 2016 confrontation with the deputy speaker over the name Bwege. The Deputy speaker accused the MP of bullying others during the session. READ ALSO: Elizabeth-Irene Baitie: Beautiful woman defies age as she turns 50-years-old In his 15 years serving in parliament, Bungara has served in various committees in parliament including the Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee from 2010 to 2013. Between 2013 to 2015 he served in the HIV and AIDs Affairs committee. The MP also served in the Social Development and Services Committee between 2015- 2018. READ ALSO: Caring nurses organise heartwarming wedding ceremony for bedridden COVID-19 patient In Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta is among prominent figures whose videos and photos have been used to create hilarious memes. A South African Twitter user was shocked when she discovered the man whose photos were being used to express a hilarious point online was an actual president. That tweet went viral and since the internet is never defeated, the comments that followed her tweet were, you guessed it, memes of President Uhuru. 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 New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) forensic team led by doctor Sudhir Gupta will analyze Sushant Singh Rajput case reports and the CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory) will do other parts like the recreation of the sequence, evidence collection, and study of evidence. The move comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached the forensic department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on August 21 for its medico-legal opinion in the case. In a letter to the premier medical institute, the central probe agency said it will provide the team of forensic experts with the necessary medical papers, post-mortem reports, videographs and viscera reports at the earliest. Speaking to Zee Media Sudhir Gupta said, ''I have received a request from CBI. The agency is in the process of procuring all documents and evidence. They may be sterilising all the copies.'' He added, ''I have asked CBI to send me a soft copy. Have formed a team of 5 doctors - we ll analyze all the papers here first. We may go to Mumbai on Wednesday or Thursday.'' On Friday, a five-member medical board of forensic experts was formed by the AIIMS to look into the autopsy files related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death after the CBI approached the hospital for assistance. The CBI said in its letter, "The necessary medical papers, post-mortem reports, viscera reports will be provided at the earliest. It is, therefore, requested that a medical board of doctors at the AIIMS, New Delhi may please be constituted and deputed for visiting the place of occurrence at Mumbai at the earliest." After the Supreme Court green signal to CBI in probing the death case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, an SIT of officials from the crime branch began its investigation in Mumbai from August 21. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence o June 14, 2020. Taiwan hinders Chinese mainland investment, hurts own interests Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/21 22:48:40 The Taiwan authority is hindering Chinese mainland investment in Taiwan, prohibiting Taiwanese businesses from cooperating with mainland-related enterprises, which is hurting the interests and well-being of Taiwanese, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Friday. Ma's comments came after the economic affairs authority of Taiwan announced on Tuesday that it is tightening regulations to prevent local businesses from distributing video content produced by mainland companies, starting September 3. The notice says that Taiwanese companies are not allowed to provide agencies and distribution, or engage in any way with over-the-top television (OTT-TV) and its intermediaries or related commercial services with groups and individuals from the mainland. Offenders will be fined from NT$100,000 ($3,403) to NT$5 million. The island of Taiwan is moving to ban the Chinese mainland video streaming services of Tencent and Baidu's iQIYI, which observers said is to butter up to the US to encircle mainland tech companies. The Taiwan authority has deliberately manipulated anti-Chinese populism with various excuses and methods, and are following the anti-China forces in the West, further hindering mainland investment in Taiwan, prohibiting Taiwanese businesses from cooperating with mainland-related enterprises, creating cross-straits decoupling. It has once again exposed its true intention to destroy cross-Straits relations and harm the interests and well-being of Taiwanese, Ma said. In the first seven months of the year, trade between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan reached $134.94 billion, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year, and Taiwan had a surplus of more than $70 billion. Mainland firms hired nearly 25,000 staff in Taiwan, and their annual tax contribution averages more than NT$1.2 billion a year, Ma added. The Taiwan authority cannot change the general trend of cross-Straits economic and social integration and development, and will only compress Taiwan's development space, ruin Taiwan's development opportunities, and harm the well-being of the Taiwan people, Ma said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Around 100 people, wearing masks and many bearing signs, gathered Saturday in Bethlehem to call for protections for the U.S. Postal Service and for the resignation of President Donald Trumps postmaster general amid cost-cutting measures. It was one about 800 events for Save the Post Office Saturday listed on MoveOn.org, a website that organizes these sorts of volunteer-led national events. The Bethlehem rally outside the 131 W. Fourth St. Post Office on Southside was the only one listed for the Lehigh Valley, with many others planned near Philadelphia, among other places. Groups that plan to participate in Bethlehem included Indivisible, the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, MoveOn, NAACP, RuralOrganizing.org, the Service Employees International Union, Vets for the People and the Working Families Party. The effort came as the U.S. House was to convene for a rare Saturday session to address mail delivery disruptions. Lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled chamber were poised to pass legislation that would reverse recent changes in Postal Service operations and send $25 billion in emergency funds to shore up the agency ahead of the November election. Pennsylvania is among the states suing the federal government to stop nationwide operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service that they say undermine mail-in voting. The postal service has warned that it cannot guarantee mailed ballots will arrive on time to meet the narrow time frames Pennsylvania and many other states allow to request and return those ballots. On Friday, new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, an ally of Trump, told a U.S. Senate committee it was his sacred duty that ballots arrive on time. But he told senators he did not yet have a plan for handling a crush of election mail. Rally organizers said the need for a strong Postal Service goes beyond Election Day, as Americans turn to delivery amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic that is limiting travel for some: The actions will show Americans coming together to stand up for a postal system that connects us, that we rely on for medications, paychecks, and more, and that will literally be counted on to deliver democracy in the elections this fall. MORE: Fixing Pennsylvania mail-in vote glitches goes down to wire Reporter Steve Novak and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Some members of the Nigerian diaspora demonstrated Friday outside the Nigerian High Commission in London and will hand in a letter protesting the relentless attacks on communities in southern Kaduna by armed men of Fulani ethnicity. Protestors gathered under the umbrella of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Diaspora (SOKAPDA) and carried banners stating, amongst other things: Stop the Killings, Enough is Enough, and Justice for South Kaduna Christians, while chanting: Its not a conflict, its a genocide, Our lives matter, and Southern Kaduna cant breathe. Decrying the incessant loss of life this year, the protestors called on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the militia a terrorist organisation and accused the international media of a conspiracy of silence regarding the deadly violence. The protestors, who will also be delivering letters of protest to the UK Parliament and Prime Minister in Downing Street, criticised a recent television interview by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el Rufai in which he effectively held the people of southern Kaduna responsible for the spate of killings. El-Rufai was quoted to have said: they organise these killings and then, their leaders are invited by the governor, they wine and dine and they are given brown envelopes. He also accused community leaders of raising a spectre of genocide [] so they can get donations and money into their bank accounts from abroad, adding that his administration was amassing sufficient evidence to arrest them. The interview, which has been widely condemned, occasioned a petition calling on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to disinvite the governor as a keynote speaker for its 60th Annual Conference, which begins on 26 August, and inspired the Twitter hashtag #CancelElRufai2020. In response, on 20 August the Nigerian Bar Association stated on Twitter that: The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association at its ongoing meeting resolves that the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai by the 2020 Annual General Conference Planning committee be withdrawn and decision communicated to the Governor. In a statement issued on 17 August, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson O. A. Ayokunle, urged Governor el Rufai to end the cycle of accusations and counter-accusations between the government and other stakeholders over the killings in Southern Kaduna. He also urged him to embrace a round table approach, adding that every provocative statement over the matter should be avoided. Everybody is looking at the governor as a father of the state and this is the understanding with which he should handle every accusing finger pointed at him. Meanwhile, attacks on communities in southern Kaduna continue to occur, despite 24-hour lockdowns in four Local Government Authorities (LGAs) and the decision by the Defence Headquarters to deploy special forces to southern Kaduna to address the violence. CSWs Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: CSW stands with the people of Southern Kaduna, both in the state and the diaspora, who are demanding an end to the relentless violence. Communities are deeply traumatised, and many are grieving the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods. We therefore urge Governor El Rufai to use his office and influence to seek solutions to the crisis and to avoid amplifying accusations which have no bearing on reality, and which merely exacerbate the situation by causing further distress. Both federal and state governments must reach out to all stakeholders in an even-handed manner in order to find a lasting solution to the violence. Instead of targeting victim communities, the authorities must focus on intercepting and disarming the non-state actors who are terrorising civilians, and on ensuring justice for those affected. In a statement issued on 19 August, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) revealed that the inhabitants of 109 communities in four LGAs Southern Kaduna have been displaced by militia men, who are currently occupying these areas. The statement also highlighted that around 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have sought refuge in camps across Southern Kaduna or have moved in with family members because their villages are either unsafe or have been taken over entirely. As a response to a claim by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el Rufai that no area in southern Kaduna had been totally occupied, the statement listed the occupied villages, some of which have been held since 2019. It is our hope that with this information, government will begin the recovery of these rural communities back to the owners and the invaders [will be] apprehended and taken to justice. Killings in Southern Kaduna continue Recent attacks were also detailed in the SOKAPU statement. On 18 August, farmer and father of three Kefas Malachy Bobai, 30, and 16-year-old student Ms Takama Paul were killed when the militia attacked Unguwan Gankon village in Gora Ward, Zangon Kataf LGA, and burnt seven homes. The killers were eventually chased away. Although Nigeria troops arrived after the killers had escaped, SOKAPU commended their prompt response and called on its members to give maximum cooperation to all the forces deployed to safeguard southern Kaduna. On 17 August Mr Bulus Joseph, a 48-year-old father of nine was murdered gruesomely on his farm in Sabon Gida Idon, along the Kaduna-Kachia road, in Kajuru LGA, by Fulani militia. He had stood up to his killers, enabling his wife and three children who were on the farm with him to escape. On the 16 August, Reverend Adalchi Usman of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Unguwan /Madaki, Maro Ward, in Kajuru LGA, a 39-year-old father of two, was killed when a commercial vehicle in which he was riding was ambushed by armed assailants. Mariah NaAllah from Anchuna village in Zangon Kataf LGA and Ezekiel Maikasa from Gadanaji in Kajuru LGA also lost their lives in the attack. Danlami Dariya, the driver of the vehicle, was abducted and his whereabouts remains unknown. Also on 16 August, the militia attacked Bugai village near Banikanwa in Kachia LGA, killing the Village Head, Danazumi Musa, 67; his elderly mother Kande Musa, 97, and his siblings Aniya Musa, 60, and Angelina Irmiya, 45. John Danazumi, Danbuzu Anita, Blessing Soja, Patricia Anita, Precious Friday and Mercy Yohana were seriously injured in the attack, and the village was looted and partially burnt. *Press statement Related Heroes and Hand Raisers is a series created by United Way of Midland County in partnership with Midland Daily News. Each week, snapshots of volunteerism and human generosity via quotes, photos, snippets and stories will shine a spotlight on those who are impacting our community by raising their hand to help meet the needs of their neighbors. Name: James W. Fisher, president, Fisher Contracting Lives in: Midland In what ways have you and/or your team donated time, talents or resources? We have given our time and resources to help individuals harmed by the flood by cleaning and restoring their homes and property. We have committed to perform $150,000 of in-kind work to help the Village of Sanford clean up the area south of Saginaw Road. Prior to the dam failing, we filled and delivered over 2,000-sand bags to residents who were preparing for the flood and helped place them at no cost. Unfortunately, the extreme flooding caused by the dam failing overwhelmed these measures that were intended for a large, but normal flood event. After the water receded, we removed the sand bags at no charge. What inspired you to step up in this way? We have been part of our community for 95 years and we have the expertise and resources that allowed us to be of help. Our $150,000 in-kind donation to the Village of Sanford will make a genuine impact on the lives of those who live and work there. Why is it important for you and/or your organization to raise your hands in our community? We live here. We have raised our kids here. We work and do business here. We have always felt blessed to be a part of Midland. It is a privilege to be able to help when it is so badly needed. How have you been impacted by United Way of Midland County? United Way gives us the opportunity to give with the confidence that our gifts will be put to good use. It offers the same opportunity to our employees, who have responded with humbling generosity to our fund drives. What is your hope for Midland County? I am certain that Midland County will continue to grow and be a place where people of all races and backgrounds can live, work and prosper well into the future. Traci Behlau, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. She was born on March 25, 1966, in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Jerry and Virginia Gerrety. A wife, mother, sister, and dear friend to many, will be deeply missed. As a 32-year resident of Chattanooga, she loved it and the incredible friends she made. Traci was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and was with Chattanooga Business Machines for 21 years, most recently as Controller. Her caring spirit was always there to reach out to those in need. She did so much for so many. Her sister, Mary Jo Corrigan preceded her in death. Survivors include her husband of 32 years, Warren Behlau; children, Paul Behlau, Anna Behlau, and Garrett Behlau; siblings, David Gerrety, Sandy Gruver, Tim Gerrety, and Joe Gerrety; and several loved nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be held for close friends and family only on Monday, Aug. 24, at 4 p.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church. Father Charlie Burton, Father Mike Creson, and Father Christopher Floersh will officiate. Extended friends and family may attend via livestream and must pre-register at this link to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/ webinar/register/WN_ MC90WpgtTGuad1tdS50UlA . Prior to the service, there will be a time of virtual visitation via Zoom from 1-3 p.m. Inquiries for virtual visitation before the service should be sent to TraciBehlauMemorialService@ gmail.com . Due to COVID-19, all requirements of social distancing set in place by the CDC must be followed. Face coverings are required by all attendees as mandated by Hamilton County. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NAMI at www.nami.org. Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343. The two-day BJP state executive committee meeting has set the agenda for Bihar assembly elections by declaring that the alliance will contest on the plank of development and would leverage the youth power for return to power. The political resolution passed on the day one of the meeting also made it clear that the BJP was also going to repeat its time-tested formula of projecting the opposition Grand Alliance as a coalition formed to protect scam-tainted families. The parties attached to the Grand Alliance are mentally opposed to each other; they are never stable and cannot provide a public-oriented government. Whereas the NDA has a reliable and time-tested leadership and all parties of the alliance believe in development-oriented policies. We believe in all-round development with social justice, read the partys political resolution. A similar sentiment was echoed by newly-appointed state election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, the former Maharashtra chief minister. Public memory is short. Take the governments workdone both by the centre and the stateto the people and remind them about the time when a family was ruling the state. Then you need to tell them how the PM stood with Bihar during the times of pandemic. How the state government effected the changes in the last 15 years, said Fadnavis in his maiden address. He exhorted the partymen to reach out to each household despite the twin challenges of coronavirus pandemic and the floods. Nobody can stop Bihar from progress. In the last 15 years, Bihar is back on rails. Now is the time to make a leap. The state and centre will run hand in hand towards progress, he said. Also Read: BJP chief JP Nadda, top leaders begin 2-day virtual strategy meet today The former Maharashtra CM also stressed on the importance of youth power in this election. Bihar has close to 58% youth population. If anybody can help in making a modern Bihar and a modern India, it is these youths. A country relying on youth power will develop, Fadnavis said and added that this election was going to decide the fate of Bihar. The political resolution also enlisted the development works done by the centre and the historic move to abrogate Article 370, ban Triple Talaq and the resolution of the long pending Ayodhya dispute. It also lauded the state governments effort in effectively dealing with the Corona crisis and the floods. Also Read: BJP to trust own cadres for Bihar elections, says no room for party hoppers The executive committee is also likely to discuss issues of coordination between allies and seats sharing for the polls. The inaugural session was also addressed by state president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal who set a target of winning three-fourth of seats for the NDA in assembly elections due in October-November. He appealed to 76 lakh party workers in the state up to Panchayat level to ensure that the coalition achieves the mark. The session will end with the address of BJP President J P Nadda on Sunday. CHICAGO An inmate suffered extreme pain as he received a dose of pentobarbital during just the second federal execution following a 17-year lag, according to court filings by lawyers representing one of the inmates scheduled to be executed next. The claim Wesley Purkey may have felt a sensation akin to drowning while immobilized but conscious is disputed by Department of Justice attorneys. They insist the first three lethal injections since 2003 were carried out without a hitch last month at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. This months filings were part of motions to halt the execution of Keith Nelson, convicted in the 1999 rape and strangulation of 10-year-old Pamela Butler. Prosecutors said he pulled her into his truck as she skated on rollerblades back to her Kansas home after buying herself cookies. Nelsons execution is set for Aug. 28. The execution of Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on federal death row, is scheduled for Aug. 26. His lawyers have made similar arguments. Purkey was convicted federally of kidnapping and killing a 16-year-old girl before dismembering and dumping her body in a septic pond. The first federal execution last month was of Daniel Lewis Lee, convicted of killing an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation. Heres a look at issues surrounding the use of pentobarbital: __ Q: WHATS THE LAWYERS CLAIM? A: An autopsy performed by a Michigan-based pathologist a week after the 68-year-old Purkey was put to death found evidence of severe bilateral acute pulmonary edema and frothy pulmonary edema in trachea and mainstem bronchi, filings by the attorneys allege. Those findings mean fluid quickly filled Purkeys lungs and entered his airway up to his trachea, causing a near-drowning sensation, said Dr. Gail Van Norman, a medical expert retained by Nelsons lawyers to interpret the autopsy. These are among the most excruciating feelings known to man, she said in a filing. Flash pulmonary edema, where fluid enters the lungs and airways, can only occur when someone is alive, she said. It is a virtual medical certainty, that most, if not all, prisoners will experience excruciating suffering, including sensations of drowning and suffocation from pentobarbital, she added. The autopsy wasnt official. It was performed by a Western Michigan University pathologist, Dr. Joyce L. deJong, at the behest of Purkey relatives. Autopsies werent performed of the others executed last month, Nelsons lawyers said. Q: HOW DID GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS RESPOND IN FILINGS? A: Theyve said the execution of Purkey and the other inmates last month were implemented without any pentobarbital-related complications. Theyve said previous court rulings have concluded pentobarbital injections are humane. And even if some pain is involved, that doesnt render an execution method inhumane, the government attorneys argued, citing a 2008 Supreme Court ruling. Simply because an execution method may result in pain, either by accident or as an inescapable consequence of death, does not establish the sort of objectively intolerable risk of harm that qualifies as cruel and unusual, the high court said. Q: WAS IT CLEAR DURING THE EXECUTION THAT PURKEY SUFFERED? A: No. There werent obvious outward signs he was in pain. An Associated Press reporter who served as a media witness described Purkey taking several deep breaths and blinking repeatedly as the pentobarbital was injected. The other inmates also twitched for several minutes before their breathing slowed, then stopped. But death-penalty foes say the paralyzing effects of pentobarbital may make it impossible for the condemned to grimace or thrash around, even if they are feeling excruciating pain. Q: WHY IS PENTOBARBITAL USED? A: Pentobarbital is a barbiturate that depresses the central nervous system and that, given in a high dosage, causes the heart to stop. It doesnt have widespread medical uses, though is often used by veterinarians to anesthetize or euthanize animals. For three federal executions in the early 2000s, a cocktail of drugs was used: sodium thiopental, which has a similar affect as pentobarbital; pancuronium bromide, which paralyzes the body and potassium chloride, a drug that induces cardiac arrest. But pharmaceuticals later refused to allow those drugs to be used in executions, forcing the federal and many state governments to seek an alternative. Attorney General William Barr last year approved reworked execution protocols that called for using pentobarbital alone. Q: WHAT ABOUT ALTERNATIVES? A: Nelsons lawyers ideally want all executions suspended for good. But legal precedent requires, when arguing one form of execution is cruel, that they offer what they believe are more humane alternatives. Among the alternatives they suggested: a firing squad. Historically, the firing squad has resulted in significantly fewer botched executions, they say in one filing. Execution by firing squad is both swift and virtually painless. ___ Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mtarm Priest Moises Rutilio Moran didn't sit twiddling his thumbs when the coronavirus pandemic struck and his church emptied -- like many Salvadorans, he got creative helping combat the country's COVID-induced lack of food. Determined that his church in the city of Santa Ana "shouldn't be a burden on the community," Moran and his staff dug a pond and started selling affordable fish to the local community. Some 50 kilometers (30 miles) east in El Chaparral, a village of 107 families, children began rolling up their sleeves, cultivating a vegetable garden that is providing food for the community. The pandemic and its economic woes have sent the price of fruit and vegetables soaring, and left Salvadorans scheming plans to feed themselves. "I know how to preach, teach the catechism, manage groups, but launching a tilapias project, never," the 41-year-old priest told AFP. After churches were closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Moran started collecting groceries to help 1,700 families, "not just poor people with houses made of (metal) sheets" but also lawyers and engineers who lost their jobs. However, he soon realized he no longer had the means to pay for the electricity, water, telephone and internet at his church, Our Lady of Rosario. Thus his project was born: provide cheap fish to the community whose payments would keep the church running "in a reciprocal manner." On a makeshift table next to the pond, 65-year-old church caretaker Roberto Rivas is in charge of gutting the fish. While the work is rewarding, Rivas told AFP he hopes the church "opens soon because in these worrying times the faithful need us to accompany them." After five months of closure, churches are tentatively hoping to reopen their doors on August 30. While many parish priests laid off their employees due to a lack of resources, Moran's new enterprise means he's actually hired new staff. Story continues William Hernandez, 42, was left unemployed after the pharmacy he worked in for 16 years closed due to the crisis. Now he wields a net and catches fish "chosen by the customer" while Omar Blanco, 29, serves as one of two workers making deliveries by motorcycle. "It's an excellent initiative discovering sources of work in the midst of a difficult situation in which we have to reinvent methods (of generating income) for the church," priest Oscar Lagos told AFP as he arrived with a cooler to buy some fish. - 'Getting children involved' - In the village of El Chaparral radishes, peppers, cabbages, tomatoes, spinach, blackberries and watermelons grown by the children are a welcome boost. "It's an initiative in our El Chaparral community aimed at getting children and young people involved," said Victorina Alvarenga, a 32-year-old mother who joins her nine-year-old daughter Sheyla in the garden. The vegetable patch is divided into plots named after the child in charge. One part of the garden is dedicated to providing food for the elderly. "We're teaching children the value of solidarity so that when they're adults, they'll be good people," said Alvarenga. A month after planting seeds, the first harvest produced huge radishes that were enthusiastically "ripped up" by the children. "I'm delighted because I'm bringing fresh food to my family," said Sheyla proudly. "I don't have any money but I bring healthy food." The idea has caught on and in the neighboring village of Dimas Rodrigues a score of children have started another community garden. "We want to produce our own food so we're not dependent on the market," said the group's leader, Pedro Diaz, 22. Felicia Mijango, in charge of a union of rural communes, says the idea has its roots in the confinement of 10,000 Salvadoran refugees who fled to Ocotepeque in Honduras as civil war raged a decade ago. The refugees couldn't leave their UN camp that was surrounded by barbed wire so they started growing their own fruit and vegetables. Mijango says her union actively supports around 100 family and community allotments with help from American and Canadian NGOs. cmm/mas/ll/bc/bfm Bloomsbury India on Saturday announced it has withdrawn itself from publishing a on the Delhi riots of February after there was outrage over a virtual pre-publication launch, which it said was being organised without its knowledge. The publishing house faced massive backlash online on Friday after a purported advertisement of the launch on Saturday with BJP leader Kapil Mishra as a guest of honour did the rounds on social media. There have been allegations that several leaders including Mishra made inflammatory speeches targeting anti-citizenship law protesters before the broke out in Northeast Delhi on February 23. Bloomsbury India issued a statement saying it strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society. "Bloomsbury India had planned to release Delhi Riots 2020: The Untold Story in September, a purportedly giving a factual report on the riots in Delhi in February 2020, based on investigations and interviews conducted by the authors. "However, in view of very recent events including a virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors, with participation by parties of whom the publishers would not have approved, we have decided to withdraw publication of the book. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society," the statement said. The event went ahead as scheduled. BJP General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav also participated in it. The authors of the book are Sonali Chitalkar. Prerma Malhotra and Monica Arora. Communal broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after citizenship law supporters and protesters clashed with each other in the area, leaving 53 people dead and nearly 200 injured. (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.) TOKYO / ACCESSWIRE / August 22, 2020 / After the release of their ICO, UniWorld (Uniworld.io - not .com) was able to clear their entire stock of coins within minutes. The tech syndicate is not a newcomer on the blockchain scene but has been preparing patiently and quietly in the background for years. It's driven by an ecosystem powered by a native blockchain, messenger, social, and AI R&D lab all of but the later being their revenue streams. (UNW, also known as UniCash is the Uni ecosystem's currency sold in these funding rounds). Surprised by amazing support, the developer team had decided to hold votes to offer more UNW to prospects leading to 2 more rounds all of which sold out fast as well Uni plans to hold IEOs on 3 different exchanges with increasingly more volume: First is the Korean market with a small $1M fundraising on ChainX (which will restrict many countries) early this September. Next up a Chinese market followed by very large exchanges such as Binance or Coinbase (which one depends on the negotiation results). After the initial IEOs, more listings will be conducted rapidly, targeting the top exchanges in terms of liquidity. UniWorld.io (not to be confused with the cruise ship company of similar naming) launched its blockchain platform earlier last summer to use the time and company savings to slowly stress-test the system and gradually test out its limits without relying on investors. UniChain, infamous for its high-end scalability and operability namely one million transactions per second and complete compatibility with virtually any other blockchain is set out to dominate with performance. Over 50K Wallets Registered After Release On UniChain As registrations opened, 1000s of excited new users from over 141 countries signed up for their own Uni accounts on just the first day. While the original plan was to only launch in a few selected countries, it now got scrapped and restructured for a global release, minus exceptions where regulators have yet to catch up. Right now there are over 50,000 wallets registered on UniChain, a quite remarkable number for its young age. Its speed and simplified processes for users make other blockchains pale in comparison with other blockchain platforms. Users and developers alike can create Tokens, dApps, and pass votes on the Unichain. Unlike Ethereum, UniChain builds with a very pragmatic approach. "So simple, even your Grandmother can now build smart contracts and tokens," remarked Daika Ginza, CEO of Uni on the exciting subject. As a way for new users to test the network's features, every new wallet comes with 0,5 UNW free of charge. This cost is carried by the revenue stream of Uni's software production and seen as an investment strengthening their resolve to put "usability and purpose above meaningless promotion". Create an account today at: https://accounts.uniworld.io. And be part of the future of blockchain. Unichain for Decentralized Finance (DeFi) With the capacity of processing up to one million transactions per second and by leveraging side-chain architecture and a flexible smart contract system, unichain is suitable for any DeFi solutions. From payment platforms to peer-to-peer lending networks. UniChain is also a suitable solution for many other DeFi cases such as security token exchanges, stable coins, decentralized exchanges and real estate exchanges. Create an account today at https://accounts.uniworld.io. And be part of the future of blockchain. Media Contact: Daika Ginza Email: support@uniworld.io Phone: +65 9658 5831 Website: https://uniworld.io Support: https://support.uniworld.io Blog: https://blog.uniworld.io/ News: https://uniworld.io/news/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/UniWorldio Github: https://github.com/uniworld-io Bitcointalk: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5255376.0 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UniWorldEcosystem Medium: https://medium.com/uniworld-io Telegram channel: https://t.me/UniworldOfficial / https://t.me/MiaworldMultiple SOURCE: UniWorld.io View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/602515/AI-Blockchain-Ecosystem-UniWorldio-Ready-to-Enhance-DeFi-Core-Practice-Values-with-UniChain-Blockchain-Platform Yesterday, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan held inter-ministerial political consultations via video conference, Trend reports citing Kabar. The consultations were chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohir Saidzoda and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Marat Syzdykov. The parties discussed the state and prospects of bilateral Tajik-Kazakh relations in the political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, and exchanged views on cooperation in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and interaction between countries within the framework of international organizations. They also confirmed their readiness to further develop the relations of friendship and strategic partnership in all areas. DUBAI, U.A.E, Aug. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Newgen Software, a global provider of low code digital automation platform for managing content, processes, and communication, has launched RMS 3.0 service pack 1, an enhanced version of its records management system (RMS). The latest version of the software enables end-to-end management of physical and electronic documents and records while retaining their integrity and authenticity. The software manages record lifecycle, from creation, usage, storage, and maintenance to destruction or preservation, per the organizational policies and legal mandates. It enables indexing, archival, movement tracking, and search of documents and helps define the filing, retention, and preservation rules for records. "In times when paper-based records are becoming irrelevant and organizations are embracing a digital-only environment, it is critical to have an efficient records management system. The enhanced version of our records management software will help organizations simplify the process of managing business-critical records while maintaining security and ensuring regulatory compliance. Organizations will be able to easily store, manage, and access vital records, enabling smarter decision-making, increased efficiency, and enhanced customer experience. Moreover, employees can avoid touching paper-based documents," said Diwakar Nigam, MD, and Chairman, Newgen Software. Key features of the new version include: UI/UX and Usability Enhancements: The user interface (UI) has been refreshed using responsive design framework for a better user experience Enhanced Security: RMS admin and web panels are now separated, and only authorized users can access the admin panel. New security-related componentsecurity classificationhas been added Improved Compliance: The software is compliant with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) 5015.02 Standard for Records Management (DoD 5015.02 -STD April 2007 ), and NRAA (National Records & Archives Authority, Oman ) ), and NRAA (National Records & Archives Authority, ) Easy Search Capabilities: Users can search records based on their content and metadata through a single search text box Incorporation of EasyRMS: EasyRMS has been incorporated which allows users to access functionalities of RMS from OmniDocs Newgen products are built on its digital automation platform, with low code capability. The platform enables rapid business application development and offers agility for sustainable and continuous improvement, thereby future-proofing enterprises. Furthermore, the platform's capabilities, including mobility, social sensing, analytics, cloud, robotic process automation, and artificial intelligence help in accelerating the digital initiatives of enterprises. About Newgen Software Technologies Limited: Newgen Software Technologies Limited is a global provider of business process management, enterprise content management, and customer communication management applications and large, mission-critical solutions deployed at the world's leading banks, governmental organizations, BPOs and IT companies, insurance firms, and healthcare organizations. To learn more about how Newgen is connecting enterprises and transforming experiences, visit: http://www.newgensoft.com/ Connect Details: Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter Watch our videos on YouTube Media Contact: Asif Khan [email protected] SOURCE Newgen Software Technologies Limited Related Links newgensoft.com/middle-east As per a notification by NTA, candidates will be given staggered time slots for reporting at the examination centre to avoid crowding The National Testing Agency (NTA) has said that it will conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) 2020 and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 as per schedule in September. JEE Mains will be held between 1 and 6 September and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NEET UG will be conducted on 13 September. The NTA has also created a detailed protocol on how to conduct the examination. As per a notification by NTA, candidates will be given staggered time slots for reporting at the exam centre to avoid crowding. Both, staff members and candidates will have to undergo temperature scans. Anyone displaying known COVID-19 symptoms will be placed in separate isolation rooms. Candidates are allowed to only carry a mask, gloves, transparent water bottle, 50 ml hand sanitizer and exam related documents as instructed. The notification further states that body frisking will not be done. Candidates will be frisked using metal detector with a long handle to ensure that the detector does not come in physical contact with any candidate. Furthermore, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signal presence will be checked inside the examination rooms and centre. For document verification, a table roughly 3 feet wide should be kept in a hall where candidates will show the documents to exam functionaries without any physical contact. This will be followed by manual attendance with signature, but wearing gloves is mandatory during the process. The NTA guidelines also state that gloves and masks should be disposed in a separate bin which should be kept inside the examination centre but outside examination hall. As per a report in Hindustan Times, a government official has said that the NTA had consulted top medical professionals before drafting the guidelines. The official stated that reputed professionals like Dr GC Khilnani, former head of pulmonary medine in AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Arvind Kumar, Head of Chest Surgery, and Dr Ashok Kumar Jariyal, professor of physiology are among experts that NTA has been relying on. There were apprehensions regarding the exam due to coronavirus pandemic, with a section of students requesting for postponement. Even BJP leader Subramanian Swamy urged the Centre to hold the exams post Diwali. However, the NTA clarified that the engineering and medical undergraduate entrance exams will be conducted on schedule following the Supreme Court order. In a statement NTA said there is absolutely no justification in the prayer made for the postponement of the examination related to NEET UG-2020 as well as JEE (Main) April 2020. "In our opinion, though there is pandemic situation, but ultimately life has to go and the career of the students cannot be put on peril for long and full academic year cannot be wasted," the statement said. It further added that the examination is going to be held with due precaution and it will not be postponed. Earlier this week the Supreme Court dismissed the plea seeking cancellation of both entrance examinations. The apex court said that the postponement of exams will result in students losing an academic year and will put their careers in peril. Two police stations in Northern Ireland have been forced to shut for deep cleaning after eight officers tested positive for Covid-19. Both Antrim and Newtownabbey station - which are around 17 miles apart - remain closed as the disinfections are carried out. More than 50 police across the district are self-isolating with more due to be tested, a senior commander said. The news comes ahead of further lockdown restrictions that will be imposed from Monday as Northern Ireland continues to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The eight officers who tested are based from Antrim station in the north east of Northern Ireland The two stations in Northern Ireland are around 17 miles apart. The outbreak comes at the same time as a rise has been recorded in the number of people who have died with coronavirus Alan Todd, Assistant Chief Constable for Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: 'Following reports of a number of officers from Antrim station being unwell, these officers have undergone testing for Covid-19. 'At this time, eight of these officers have tested positive for the virus. 'We have undertaken, and we will continue to undertake, a range of appropriate measures, in line with public health advice and guidance, to address the issue.' He added that Newtonabbey station has also been shut while a deep clean is carried out. Antrim's Serious Crime Suite has been used in the past to interview those suspected of paramilitary involvement as well as other major crime. Mr Todd said the force has plans in place to ensure service delivery is maintained to keep people and communities safe. 'We are also working to identify any other risks arising from this outbreak and will address those with our health care partners,' he said. The outbreak comes at the same time as a rise has been recorded in the number of coronavirus deaths. There were seven deaths involving Covid-19 in the week to August 14 - up from four the previous week. Newtonabbey police station has also been closed while deep cleaning is undertaken The total number of deaths in the region as of August 14 was 866, figures from NISRA show. Health minister Robin Swann warned that the R-number in Northern Ireland is currently 1.3, meaning the virus is at risk of spreading. On Thursday he announced new restrictions aimed at curbing the infection rate, which will come into effect from Monday. The number of people meeting indoors is to be reduced to six from no more than two households, and the limit on numbers at outdoor gatherings will be slashed in half from 30 to 15. Meanwhile, Mr Swann also announced there would be focused PSNI enforcement of coronavirus regulations in hotspot areas. From today those arriving in Northern Ireland from Portugal will not need to self-isolate, he said. Austria, Croatia and Trinidad and Tobago will be added to countries for which quarantine is required. By Andrey Ostroukh MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarusian politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has led the biggest challenge to Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule of Belarus, said in an interview aired on Friday that would not run for the presidency if the country holds new elections. Tsikhanouskaya, who became Lukashenko's opposition rival in the contested Aug. 9 election in which he was declared the victor, has fled to neighbouring Lithuania. She emerged from obscurity to take her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski's place in the election campaign after he was jailed in May. "I'm not planning to run myself," Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Belsat TV when asked if she or her husband, a well-known video blogger, would run for the presidency if new elections are held as the opposition has sought. "More than enough," Tsikhanouskaya, who led some of the biggest protests against Lukashenko since he came to power with the fall of the Soviet Union, replied when asked if she had enough of politics. Mass protests broke out against Lukashenko, accusing him of rigging the election, allegations that he denies. Tsikhanouskaya said the release of political prisoners is one of the demands of protesters and "new fair transparent elections can restore justice." The 37-year-old former English teacher was never supposed to be the leader of popular resistance to Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm boss. But when her husband was jailed and other candidates were barred from running in the election, Tsikhanouskaya became the prime challenger to Lukashenko, whose claims of a landslide victory were disputed by the opposition. Earlier this week, Tsikhanouskaya had said she was ready to lead Belarus, a country of 9.5 million, and had called for the creation of a legal mechanism to ensure that a new fair presidential election could be held. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Chris Reese and Will Dunham)Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after challenging the results of a disputed presidential election two weeks ago, told Sky News the momentum for change in her country is unstoppable even if protests reduce in size because of state intimidation tactics.
She urged armed forces and the police not to turn on fellow Belarusians if ordered by the strongman ruler to use violence again against peaceful demonstrators.
But she said she doubted whether the regime would resort to more punishment beatings and repressive crowd control because it had previously fuelled rather than dampened dissent.
Mrs Tikhanovskaya, 37, speaking at a hotel in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, said she would go back to Belarus as soon as the government signals it is ready to speak and once all political prisoners - including her jailed activist husband - are freed.
"I think that will be the moment I will go back there and will be with my husband and people," she said, speaking in English.
She has helped to establish a co-ordination council to oversee a transition of power. However, the regime is trying to launch a criminal case against it, accusing the body of attempting to "seize power".
She said the council would continue its work regardless.
As for whether she would be willing to sit down and talk to Mr Lukashenko, his opponent said: "If it is the necessity and I will understand it is necessary so why not?"
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The political novice did a round of media interviews a day after emerging from hiding to give a press conference.
She said she was not yet ready to talk about what happened to her during several hours inside a government electoral office on 10 August.
It is thought she was threatened with being separated from her two young children, whom she had already moved to Lithuania.
Mrs Tikhanovskaya, a trained English teacher and previously a full-time mother, is an unlikely political heavyweight.
She only took on the president when her husband, a political activist, was jailed and barred from running in the election.
Her simple message - promising free and fair elections - won her huge support.
It made the official outcome of the polls, which awarded 80% of the vote to Mr Lukashenko and just 10% to his main rival, implausible.
Outrage at the results triggered nationwide protests that were met initially with widespread state violence, which drew even more support for those opposing the regime.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets last Sunday.
Mr Lukashenko then faced heckles and jeers when he spoke at a factory - his traditional support base.
But in recent days, renewed threats and intimidation from authorities against dissent has dampened what had been a carnival atmosphere of resistance.
Mr Tikhanovskaya said she could not predict how many people would attend another mass demonstration planned for this Sunday, but said change was coming regardless of crowd size.
"I believe in our people and actually we will not lose this moment," she said.
"Even if this moment will slow down or calm down a little bit, our people they will not accept our president anymore."
She had this message for the security forces in case they are ordered to crackdown on protesters: "You can't go against your mothers, your sisters and your brothers. You don't have to do this."
She said she had spoken to a number of Western leaders during her time in Lithuania but had not yet been contacted by Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Russia is a key stakeholder in Belarus, a former Soviet state that retains close cultural, economic and military ties.
Asked whether she should call Mr Putin, she said: "Maybe I will write down a message for him. I don't know yet but I always called for every nation, and Russia is among these countries to respect the sovereignty of our country and I am sure they will get this message."
Asked to clarify whether she did plan to write the Russian leader a note, she said: "Who knows?"
Mr Lukashenko has tried to portray his opponents as being backed by the European Union, the US and other Western allies.
Mrs Tikhasnovskaya noted that, by contrast, when she ran against him he accused his rivals of having links to Russia.
She said she was subjected to no external influence.
"We are for our country, our sovereign country," she said.
Mrs Tikhanovskaya appeared ready for a long fight if necessary.
"Everybody has to understand that it can last a couple of days or weeks [or] so it can take a lot of time," she said.
"But I believe in the fact that our authority wants the best for the country and they understand that this crisis has to end and the sooner it ends, the better for country."
(Natural News) Amazon censored vulgar political speech this week by removing shirts that referred to Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris as a hoe. (Article by Joshua Paladino republished from HeadlineUSA.com) A seller named The Oxygen Bandit promoted shirts that said Joe and the Hoe, which sold for $24.99 to $42.99 depending on the style. Since our shirts were unjustly removed from Amazon we will be selling them via our website theoxygenbandit.com. We will let you know when the shirts go live. Posted by The Oxygen Bandit on Thursday, August 20, 2020 All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account, an Amazon spokesperson said, according to USA Today. We are working to remove these products, the spokesperson said. From a brief search of the shirts that Amazon allows users to sell on its platform, it is clear that the company is blatantly discriminating against Republican political candidates and protecting Democratic political candidates. On the first page of results after searching anti-Donald Trump clothing, there are shirts that: Say F Trump in some form. Compare Trump to a sexually transmitted disease. Call Trump a turd. Slanderously call Trump a racist. Slanderously call him Vladimir Putins puppet. Calls him a Luna Tick, with a reference to other parasites. One shirt goes as far as to say F Trump. If you like Trump, f you too. For now, Amazon is allowing a shirt that says Kamala smelled the best, a reference to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidens strange habit of smelling women. The shirts that call Harris a hoe stem from her extramarital relationship with Willie Brown, a former San Francisco mayor who is 30 years her senior. Harris benefited politically from her relationship with Brown, but the corporate news media describes this as misinformation, against all available evidence. Even the far-left San Francisco Chronicle described Browns appointment of Harris to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission as patronage. Brown defended his political patronage to Harris by stating that he had aided many other people in launching their political careers. Read more at: HeadlineUSA.com Hoang Huu Hieu was resting briefly after work when his phone rang. It was his 4-year-old daughter, who hasn't seen her father in nearly a month. "Why are you away for so long? When will you come back to me?" the girl asked, tears streaming down her face. Hieu could do nothing but silently look back at his daughter on the screen. He himself looks forlorn when he says: "I try not to take calls too much, because she would cry and ask to see me every time. I don't know how to end the call after hearing her cry." Hieu, 33, is a doctor working in the intensive care unit of the Da Nang Hospital, and has been on the frontline of the Covid-19 fight since late July, when the first local case of transmission in Vietnam in over three months occurred in Da Nang. The patient, a 57-year-old man, was later discovered to have been at Hieus hospital. Soon the central city emerged as the epicenter of the country's second wave of Covid-19, which has since spread to 14 other localities and pushed Vietnam's coronavirus tally to above 1,000. Dr Hoang Huu Hieu wears a protective suit with his name written in the back for easy identification at the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases. Photo courtesy of the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases. Hieu had been on duty on July 24 when news broke about the new case. A lockdown order followed soon for the hospital, leaving Hieu little time to bid his daughter goodbye though his home is just 10 minutes away. He was later transferred to the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases along with doctors from HCMC's Cho Ray Hospital to treat severely ill patients who have to rely on ventilators to survive. He remembers the hours spent inside full-body protective suits, the clumsiness when he tries to move around in them and the buckets of sweat every time he takes them off. Some medical workers even pass out in their suits due to the heat and dehydration. "Everyone understands that the suits are the best way to protect themselves, their colleagues and patients from cross-infection, so no one really complains," he says. What is even more daunting is the sheer number of severely ill patients, he says. Da Nang Hospital's ICU alone has had 14 of them, including several people who were either in critical condition or hanging on to their lives by using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In the U.S., an ECMO case typically requires eight to nine nurses to constantly monitor the patient, but in Da Nang, especially at the hospital where Hieu is, there are only four nurses on duty on every shift. Their work is incredibly tough, considering how they have to juggle between carrying out doctors' orders and taking care of the patients at the same time, Hieu explains. Time is relative, but even more so for the medical workers fighting Covid-19 on the frontline. While a shift technically lasts only six hours, the constant stream of incoming patients and the relentless tug-of-war between doctors and nurses and death every time a patient's condition worsens often makes them lose all sense of time. It is not uncommon for doctors and nurses to work way past lunch or dinner time without them realizing it, Hieu says. "The work is hard, the time is long and the pressure is intense. The risk of being infected and being away from our families also makes everyone of us really stressed. We truly work at 200-300 percent of our capabilities out there." Dr Hoang Huu Hieu (L) and his colleagues pose for a photo in celebration after a Covid-19 patient gets off ECMO at the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases. Photo by Hoang Huu Hieu. If there is one thing that brings joy to doctors and nurses in these trying times, it is knowing that a patient was saved thanks to their work, he says. He recollects the case of a 55-year-old man who was very close to death, but managed to recover after over two weeks in intensive care. The man held Hieu's hands afterward, thanking him and writing a letter of appreciation to all the doctors, nurses and others who helped save him. He wrote: "I would like to thank all the doctors and nurses... for having loved their patients like their own children. I am deeply thankful to them." Hieu says the number of severely ill Covid-19 patients has not been rising of late, and the situation is under control. "I just hope the outbreaks are extinguished soon and all the patients recover so that I can go home and hug my child." For the past three weeks, a newly formed Toronto community group has been using Instagram to collect and share reports of men often in SUVs or vans following and harassing women in neighbourhoods west of downtown. The reports describe women being followed, yelled at, spat at, grabbed at, assaulted or being exposed to men masturbating. Some say the men have tried to get them to get into their car. In response, community members have been developing safety measures self-defence classes and walk-safe groups and are planning a Take Back The Night march. A key feature in the response is not relying on increased police patrols or more police involvement, a recognition of a summer of protests including calls to defund the police and fund social supports instead. In a community meeting at the end of July organized by the TO West End Community Forum, the question of whether there should be more of a police presence in the area was met with a clear no, said one of the group founders Kathleen Barrett. There are a lot of people who are either recently disenfranchised with the police or have been their whole lives, so thats one of the driving factors of this initiative, is figuring out how we can be more preventative than the police are and figure out a system within the community that keeps us safe, she said. Its a good opportunity to find out what that looks like and kind of move away from depending on the police. At least some of the incidents have been reported, leading to police investigations. At the end of July, after four women and a man reported assaults in the area of Roncesvalles and Howard Park Avenues, police arrested a man on four counts of assault and two counts of assault with a weapon. Police meanwhile continue to investigate three eerily similar incidents in July and early August in which a man in a vehicle asked a woman for directions and, after she agreed to show him the location on his phone, passed her the phone playing a pornographic video as he committed what the police called an indecent act. The incidents took place around Queen Street West and Dovercourt, King Street West and Sudbury and Dundas Street West and Bathurst. In a public safety alert, police described the man as brown, 30 to 35, five-foot-five, about 150 pounds with a slim build, dark hair, brown eyes and stubble. In the first two incidents, the man was driving an older model black Honda Civic. In the last incident, he was driving a white SUV. An investigation is also ongoing after police say a man followed a woman home in the Dupont and Ossington area in the early hours of Aug. 7 before breaking into her home and sexually assaulting her. But other incidents have not been reported to police. Instead, theyve been shared on social media to spread awareness, sometimes with photographs of the alleged perpetrators car, including partial or full licence plate details, or photos of a similar car. Its not an entirely new phenomenon individual posts are sometimes shared among circles of friends and in neighbourhood groups, occasionally going viral but collected in one place as they are on the Instagram stories of TOwestendcommunityforum, the reports offer a disturbing picture of near-daily experiences of gender-based street harassment and sexual violence. Its hard to know from the incidents if the reports reflect something new going on in the area especially the reports about men in cars or whether these things have always been happening without coming to public attention, said Barrett. Weve put ourselves out there as a resource for sharing these incidents. Based on the incident reports we are getting, there are certain cars that seem to be popping up more than once, she said. Barrett said they are looking into how much information they can publicly share from the incident reports as opposed to shared another persons social media post including photos taken by the person submitting the report. For now, they are wary of posting photos submitted directly with an incident report, but do share partial or full licence plate numbers when that information is provided. The social media sharing is helpful in trying to make people aware of what is going on, but Barrett is hopeful that it will also lead to more actions, like walk-home groups and ultimately increased community connectedness. Another community group led by survivors of sexual violence, the Dandelion Initiative, has offered safety planning tips and advice on how to intervene as a bystander. Barrett said the community response has been heartening, with people wanting to find ways to contribute. She said they are being mindful around avoiding any kind of vigilante justice, and are ensuring all initiatives are led by women. Farrah Khan, the manager of Consent Comes First at Ryerson University, said community responses to sexual harassment and sexual violence have long existed for women, LGBTQ and racialized people from learning self-defence to learning how to check in with each other to make sure theyre OK. The need for this has in part stemmed from a lack of trust in police, based on previous discriminatory and negative experiences, including being disbelieved or further traumatized, she said. People can experience daily street harassment. Its so commonplace, she said. I think its great to have community conversations about it so we can build our resiliency and our skills to intervene when these things happen when people harass us in our communities, they are also members of our community. So how are we going to talk to members of our community about how we want to be seen and treated. Khan stresses that community safety measures are not a long-term solution and that there needs to be investment in prevention through education, as well as funding for victim resources like rape crisis centres. It would make a huge difference if the work to address and prevent sexual violence and harassment was sustainably funded. Then we could have comprehensive street harassment programs, community programming and support for people who have been harmed, said Khan. Khan noted that it is important to remember that while the incident reports are being collected for west-end Toronto neighbourhoods including Roncesvalles, Parkdale and Trinity-Bellwoods, similar incidents occur across the city. She cautions against stigmatizing a certain neighbourhood because community members in the area are speaking up. She is also wary of harassment or user-reported crime maps which have in the past been met with criticism when reports appear to be directed at homeless, mentally ill, racialized or otherwise marginalized people. Samantha Bitty, a sexual health and consent educator who lives in the area and has seen many of the posts, says social media is amplifying the information-sharing that has already been going on within social circles and communities. There are some issues, she notes. Sometimes the posts dont include a date or location, sometimes they are shared as second- or third-hand information that may not be accurate. Having the posts on Instagram or shared among friend groups automatically limits the reach of the posts to certain groups of people, which means many of the people who might find the information useful but are not tech-savvy, have a language barrier or are not connected to these circles never see it. It can also mean those who dont feel directly impacted can avoid the conversations about it. We need to break down these silos, Bitty said. How do we invite more people into the conversation? A Toronto police spokesperson said the police are aware of the social media posts and urged people to make police reports so that they can be investigated. Options for reporting include calling the police non-emergency line or going to the local police station, she said. A Take Back The Night march has been organized for Saturday. Co-organizer Madeleine Ritts said she felt it was important to have a way to build community cohesion and connection amid both the isolation of the pandemic and the many reported incidents on social media, including the break-in and sexual assault on Aug. 7. Ive had a lot difficulty sleeping since I read about that, she said, noting there had been a break-in attempt at her home about a month ago. This is what I felt I needed to transform my fear into anger and to feel brave and less afraid. Ritts said that while the constant new reports of experiences that are often not publicly shared do contribute to increasing fear and anxiety, it also shows how much work still needs to be done to address sexual violence. People having a platform to share their rage works to subvert the myth that this is something that has to be natural fact of life, she said. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced that during its second term in office, it will build recording studios in Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Western Regions. These studios will be established in Kumasi, Accra, Tema and Takoradi. The Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia said this today, August 22, 2020, during the launch of the NPPs 2020 manifesto in the Central Region. We see the creative arts as a major growth pole, it has so much talent, the problem is access to studio. As a result, we will set up large recording studios in Accra, Tema, Takoradi and Kumasi, for recording artistes to rent, he said. This was earlier mentioned by the Acting Director of the National Folklore Board, Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante when she took her turn to speak at the launch. She also noted that the Creative Arts Bill is at the final stage of being passed into law to serve as a legal framework for activities of creatives in Ghana. Again, Nana Adjoa Adobea said the NPP has completed the building of a theatre in Koforidua in the Eastern Region and currently, work is ongoing on the Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale theatres. She assured that when given the second term, they will pursue the establishment of the other theatres. We will pursue the construction of modern large seating theatres in every regional capital except Accra, beginning with Takoradi, Tamale, and Kumasi, as well as setting up an additional Copyright Office in Tamale to cater for the northern sector in addition to the existing ones in Accra and Kumasi. She also said the government will invest in the digital marketing of artistes' works. Lastly, she assured that creatives will no longer have problems dealing with legal issues regarding their works because the Arts Right Court is going to be passed. A few months ago, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, in a press statement announced that her ministry had engaged the Office of the Chief Justice to ensure the establishment of a specialised court to deal with issues of the industry. It is expected that the court will expedite the resolution of specific issues that affect the creative industry. Other promises made by the NPP in the 2016 NPP Manifesto about the Creative Arts industry is to create a login system for royalty collection and establish creative arts fund. In the 2016 NPP manifesto, the party promised to build ultra-modern theatres in nine regions, apart from Accra. ---citinewsroom Wale Babalakin According to PREMIUM TIMES, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the pro-chancellor and the embattled vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos to step aside while a special panel investigates the crisis rocking the university. The publicist of the ministry of education, Ben Goong, confirmed this to PREMIUM TIMES Friday. The special visitation panel set up by the president is expected to submit its report within two weeks, Mr Goong said. The president also directed the Senate of the school to convene to nominate an acting vice-chancellor form among its members for the confirmation of the universitys council, state-owned NTA reported. The interim head is expected to act until the government reaches a resolution. Following the controversial sacking of the incumbent vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Olawatoyin Ogundipe, the university has been locked in a leadership quagmire. The council led by pro-chancellor Wale Babalakin had accused Mr Ogundipe of mismanagement of funds, a basis for which he was sacked and Theophilus Soyombo appointed acting vice chancellor. Displeased about the move, Mr Ogundipe filed a case at the Lagos Industrial Court urging the court to nullify and set aside his purported removal. His counsel, Ebunolu Adegboruwa, however, later told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the case had been withdrawn. Indeed, upon detailed consultation with all stakeholders and his supporters in and outside the University, Professor Ogundipe directed his lawyers to file a notice of discontinuance of the suit and this has been done on August 21, 2020, he said. This is to defer to the authority of the president as the visitor of the University as Professor Ogundipe has enough time to challenge his purported removal. The president, who is the visitor of the university, has therefore appointed a seven-member committee to investigate the controversies in the school. Members of the panel include Tukur Saad as chairman, Victor Onuoha, Ikenna Oyindo, Ekanem Braide, Adamu K. Usman, Jimoh Bankole and Grace Ekanem, NTA reported. The Franco-Tunisian writer Albert Memmi, who died in Paris on 22 May at the age of 99, was possibly the last surviving member of the generation of French and North African writers who contributed to debates about the end of French colonialism in the countries of the Arab Maghreb in the 1950s and 1960s. French psychiatrist Frantz Fanon is probably the best-known member of this generation today, especially in the United States where his writings on the Algerian War of Independence are widely read in post-colonial studies. But Memmi in a sense preceded him because he published his most famous contribution to such debates, the Portrait du colonise, precede de Portrait du colonisateur, his portraits of the colonised and the coloniser, immediately after Tunisian independence and even before the War in Algeria had reached its most violent phase. Memmi was also of North African descent, unlike Fanon who was born in the Caribbean island of Martinique, then as now part of France. This meant that in his Portraits Memmi was able to write about what he called the colonial situation in North Africa from the inside, with the force of direct experience backing up his criticisms of French colonialism in the region and his support for independence. At the same time Memmi retained a certain distance from the independence movements, and he sometimes expressed misgivings about growing nationalism in the Maghreb. While he thought it was necessary in order to mobilise the majority population behind the struggle to throw off French colonial rule, the danger was, like with other nationalisms before and since, that it could turn out to be less tolerant of minorities, including the Tunisian Jewish community from which he came. Born in Tunis in 1920 and growing up among 12 brothers and sisters in a traditionally Jewish area of the city, Memmi attended a local Jewish school before attending the Lycee Carnot in Tunis, the most prestigious of the French colonial schools in Tunisia. It was his experience of growing up in Tunisias largely poor Jewish community, at the time numbering some 150,000, and then leaving it behind to study in French colonial schools that he recorded in his first novel, La Statue de sel (Pillar of Salt), which appeared in Paris in 1953 with a preface by French-Algerian novelist Albert Camus. According to academic Annie Goldman, quoted in an obituary of Memmi in the French newspaper Le Monde, while La Statue de sel was part of a group of novels by Maghreb writers appearing in Paris in these years, among them works in French by Algerian writers Mohamed Dib, Kateb Yacine, and Assia Djebar, Memmis novel was something of a clap of thunder for Tunisias Jewish community. People were both proud and shocked by the novel, she said. It was the first time that someone from Tunis, least of all a Jew, had had something published in Paris. But it was also the first time that someone had described the poverty of this community and written so frankly about it. A second novel, Agar, appeared in Paris in 1955, also drawing on Memmis memories of growing up in Tunisia, and the following year, with Tunisias independence negotiated between then French prime minister Pierre Mendes France and the countrys first post-colonial president Habib Bourguiba, Memmi settled permanently in Paris. After university studies in neighbouring Algeria he had lived in Tunisia in the years leading up to independence, and he had begun to publish pieces in Tunisian and French newspapers and magazines. However, according to Le Monde, it was also at this time that Memmi realised that the new Tunisian nation would necessarily and legitimately be Muslim and Arab and that his real country would be literature. LIBERATION The Portraits, published in Paris in 1957 with a preface by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, are divided, as their name suggests, into two parts. There is a portrait of the coloniser, in the case of the Maghreb of European origin and often, but by no means always, French, and a portrait of the colonised, often, but also by no means always, of Arab or Muslim descent. While the coloniser could be of Italian, Maltese, or other origin, particularly in Tunisia under French colonial rule, the colonised could also be of Berber or Jewish as well as of Arab or Muslim heritage. What was important, Memmi thought, was the colonial situation that ranged the coloniser against the colonised, producing the kind of polarisation that could not be assuaged by dialogue and could only be ended by the colonised seizing independence. Of the coloniser, Memmi writes that for him a colony was a place where one earns more and spends less Jobs are guaranteed, wages high, careers more rapid and business more profitable than it was at home. For this reason, while not all Europeans in the colonies are potentates or possess thousands of acres or run the government, least of all in Frances North African colonies, the small coloniser still defends the colonial system because he benefits from it to some extent. While he is the dupe and victim of a system that is almost as indifferent to his interests as it is to those of the colonised, he also gets his share. Of the colonised, Memmi says that he has been robbed as much of his dignity and his identity as of his land and the opportunity to participate in the government of his own country. The vast majority of colonised children are in the streets. And he who has the wonderful good luck to be accepted in a school will not be saved. The memory which is assigned him is certainly not that of his people. The history which is taught him is not his own. He knows who Colbert or Cromwell was, but he learns nothing about [pre-colonial Tunisian prime minister Mohamed] Khaznadar; he knows about Joan of Arc, but not about [7th-century Berber queen] El Kahena. Everything seems to have taken place outside his country. He and his land are nonentities or exist only with reference to the Gauls, the Franks, or the Marne. Both sides of the divide are necessarily damaged, the coloniser trapped on one side and the colonised on the other, with each representing half a common problem. Perhaps for this reason, while Memmi has harsh words to say for the coloniser who accepts the colonial situation, even investing in it by attending all the military parades and playing his part by dressing up ostentatiously, he is scarcely more forgiving of the coloniser who refuses. This chapter of the book, thought to be criticising French-Algerian liberals such as Camus who had been trying to find a peaceful solution to the escalating crisis in neighbouring Algeria, implies that there is little difference to be drawn between colonisers who accept and colonisers who refuse the colonial situation, and neither can have a place in an independent nation. Colonial relations do not stem from individual good will or actions; they exist before his birth, and whether he accepts or rejects them matters little Being oppressed as a group, the colonised must necessarily adopt a national and ethnic form of liberation from which he [the coloniser who refuses] cannot but be excluded, Memmi wrote. This seemed to auger ill for the possibility of the kind of diverse and liberal society that Camus and others wanted to see develop in North Africa after independence, and Memmis caricatures of those who wanted to find approaches to decolonisation other than nationalism and escalating violence were bitterly criticised by some commentators at the time. In later years, Memmi turned to other instances of oppression, including of his own community of North African Jews. In 1962, he published another portrait, this time the Portrait dun Juif, which employed similar sociological-psychological methods but was also more autobiographical. Memmi says that this portrait is in large measure my own, and that it was conceived as part of a long enterprise that had to do not only with his own self-discovery but also with the better understanding of others. Starting from my own condition as colonised, and then from my condition as a Jew, I have discovered the meaning of other kinds of oppression and of the relationships that generate oppression, unfortunately one of the most permanent features of the human condition, Memmi wrote, in an enquiry that he continued in later books including LHomme domine (1968) which extended the analysis to other oppressed classes including servants and women. Another book, La Liberation du Juif, published in 1966, continued Memmis autobiographical investigations and announced his loyalty to the state of Israel. Re-reading Memmis work from the 1950s and 1960s today plunges the reader back into the decolonisation movements of the period, especially the debates in France over North African independence and the Algerian War of Independence. It provides background to the writings of Fanon, especially the chapters on identity and national culture in Les Damnes de la terre and LAn V de la revolution algerienne, and it contrasts with writings by others similarly concerned with the independence movements of the time and North Africas future character and relationship with France, among them distinguished figures of French and French North African origin such as Camus, Jacques Berque, Jean Lacouture, Jacques Derrida, and others. Memmi played no further part in the affairs of his native country after leaving it in 1957, and his account of North African and other post-colonial countries some half century later (Portrait du decolonise arabo-musulman et de quelques autres) was generally not well received when it appeared in 2004. However, there is an intriguing story that appears in French academic Guy Degass magnificent critical edition of Memmis Portraits that may indicate that his contributions from the 1950s were not entirely forgotten. Invited to the Algiers International Book Fair in 2006, Memmi discovered what seemed to be a pirated Algerian edition of his Portrait du colonise with a preface by none other than then Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, this after Memmi had concluded that his work had been blackballed in the Maghreb. While undoubtedly tendentious from Memmis point of view, Bouteflikas preface did at least give the book an official imprimatur, putting it back in circulation in Algeria and within the reach of ordinary readers. *A version of this article appears in print in the 20 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: - Maguire reportedly got aggressive after his sister was attacked with a sharp object - The United captain and his friends then engaged in a brawl with a rival group and police intervened - Drama reportedly ensured when a group tried to provoke Maguire by chanting banter about his Man United side Manchester United captain Harry Maguire got into a fight in Mykonos, Greece after his sister was allegedly stabbed, fresh reports claim. The 27-year old spent a second night in jail in Greece and is reportedly set to be charged with aggravated assault after being involved in an altercation while on holiday in the Greek island. READ ALSO: Romelu Lukaku refuses to collect medal after own goal against Sevilla Harry Maguire: Fresh reports suggest Man United captain got aggressive in Greece after sister was attacked. Photo: Getty Images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Olisikia wapi: Kutana na mbunge ambaye amezua ucheshi mitandaoni Initially, details were a bit scanty on the magnitude of Maguires situation as Manchester United subtly confirmed the incident saying the club had been made aware. All the public knew on Friday, August 21 was Maguire and his friend allegedly assaulted a police officer in Mykonos. However, Greek outlet Mykonos Voice released more details on the altercation, which allegedly stemmed from Maguires sister Daisy was attacked and stabbed with a sharp object. A brawl soon ensued between Maguires group and another group of British tourists and police soon had to intervene. Two officers suffered facial injuries in the melee as they were knocked on the ground in the ensuing scuffle. Witnesses told The Sun that there were several fans chanting provocative words in an attempt to provoke Maguire on Wednesday, and they came back Thursday with much more aggression. "Two police officers nearby came to try and break it up and Harry got really pissed off with them. He was telling them, 'Go (expletive) yourselves, this is none of your business.' They tried to arrest him and Harry started hitting the police. They had to call for back- up, an eye witness account stated. Police in Myokos further allege that a member of Maguires entourage tried to offer a bribe to authorities so the matter does not go on trial. 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 Kayole Pastor feeding over a thousand needy children everyday | Tuko TV : Source: TUKO.co.ke Taxpayers could be hit by a huge fraud time-bomb from Rishi Sunak's 35billion bounce back loans, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found. More than 1.15million businesses have borrowed up to 50,000 each under the flagship scheme to get back on their feet. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the loans are being exploited by greedy business owners, rogue landlords and criminal gangs. Exploitation: Taxpayers could be hit by a huge fraud time-bomb from Rishi Sunak's 35billion bounce back loans Our investigation found: Fraudsters are using classified advertisements to solicit people to help get hold of bounce back loans illegally; A supercar dealer caught a fraudster trying to use a taxpayer-backed loan to buy a Porsche Cayman worth 41,000; Banks are so concerned about abuse of the scheme that they have started asking those applying for buy-to-let mortgages whether they have taken out bounce back loans; The spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, has launched a probe into the scheme's 'value for money' amid concerns that the taxpayer is being left on the hook for loans to crooks that will never be repaid. The Cabinet Office is understood to be scrambling to devise a strategy to clamp down on the abuse. Its officials have been warned that banks are handing out funds with only 'minimal' checks. That is allowing crooks to apply using the names of fake or dormant businesses. The full scale of the problem may not become clear until the loans are due to be repaid from next April. Sunak's loan scheme was launched in May after banks came under fire for taking too long to help businesses at the height of the pandemic. The idea was to distribute loans of up to 50,000 extremely rapidly with the Government promising to cover 100 per cent of any losses suffered by the banks. But sources said intelligence shared with officials in the Cabinet Office shows fraudsters are using dormant companies to gain funds from the scheme illegally. They said criminals evade detection by recruiting a 'clean' director for a company to apply for a loan. They backdate the individual's appointment to avoid suspicion. The firms apply for loans at multiple banks to maximise their payouts. It may be that fraudsters are only getting away with a small proportion of the total, but a small percentage of this will be a huge amount - Michael Levi The stolen funds can then be shifted through a number of bank accounts to make them untraceable. Michael Levi, professor of criminology at Cardiff University, said: 'It is when you try to get it back you see the problems. It is only in April that we will be able to tell the scale of the missing money. 'It may be that fraudsters are only getting away with a small proportion of the total, but a small percentage of this will be a huge amount.' Experts said advertisers are recruiting so-called mules to stash the proceeds of bounce back loan fraud in exchange for a share of the proceeds. One post said: 'I basically need someone to help me open an account so I can apply for a bounce back loan. 'I am eligible for the entire 50,000 and will split a small percentage with someone who can help me get the loan.' Stephen Brogan, a car dealer near Glasgow, found that a crook used his firm's details to apply for a 40,000 loan. He said someone rang him to buy a Porsche and asked for his bank account details to send the payment. The fraudster applied for a bounce back loan and pretended the borrowed money was the payment for the car when it landed in Brogan's account. He only discovered a loan had been applied for in his firm's name after checking with Bank of Scotland. Brogan said: 'The bank didn't do any due diligence on the loan. They completely let us down. It took three days for their fraud division to get back to us. They said their department has never been busier.' David Clarke, chairman of the Fraud Advisory Panel charity, said: 'It is vital that all banks apply proper checks to stop fraudsters receiving multiple bounce back loans from different lenders that will never be repaid. It's not too late to claw back money.' Banking trade body UK Finance said lenders had a system to 'detect and prevent fraudulent activity' which checks for duplicate applications. It added: 'Under the rules of the scheme set by government, businesses applying for a bounce back loan have to self-certify that they are using the loan for business purposes.' The Treasury is understood to be confident that the banks' precautions are sufficient. Professor (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson, the new Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has led a delegation of the University on a working visit to some institutions in Kumasi. The exercise aimed at strengthening linkages with stakeholders, including the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), and Regional Police Command. The University hopes to engage the broader spectrum of the society - to identify possible areas of collaboration and partnership, for the collective and sustainable development of the country. Our focus is this, if Ghana questions, West Africa questions, Africa questions, the globe happens to have any questions, KNUST will be ready to provide the answers, the Vice-Chancellor assured. The delegation included Prof. Mark Adom-Asamoah, the acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Norris Bekoe, University Relations Officer (URO), and other Management members. Issues discussed during the tour covered a wide range of areas, encompassing the vision and mission of the KNUST, the best science and technology-based university in the West African sub-Region. Rebuilding the Kumasi metropolis, Ghanas oldest and second-largest city, to befit the status of a 21st Century city, as well as issues related to tourism development and investment, students security and safety on and off-campus, also came up for discussion. Prof. (Mrs) Akosua Dickson, in a meeting with the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Osei Assibey-Antwi, said the Universitys vision was tied to that of the nation. Therefore, there was the need for more interaction and brainstorming amongst stakeholders to bring prosperity to the people. Prof. (Mrs) Akosua Dickson, the 11th and first female Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, in her recent investiture speech, said the University stood for relevant research, quality teaching, entrepreneurship training, and provision of service to its stakeholders. We will maintain our focus as Leaders in Change in the training of highly-skilled 21st Century entrepreneurial graduates for social, economic, and technological advancements, she stated. Dr. Norris Bekoe, the URO, throwing more light on the Vice-Chancellor-led tour, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Kumasi, said it formed part of efforts by the new Vice-Chancellor to share the Universitys vision with stakeholders. 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 President Donald Trump walks to Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, on Aug. 18, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Appeals Court Wont Step in for Now on Trump Tax Records NEW YORKA federal appeals court said Friday it wouldnt step in right away to delay New York prosecutors effort to get President Donald Trumps tax records. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trumps request to immediately put Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.s subpoena on hold while Trump appeals to try to get it invalidated. The appeals court said it would hold a hearing on the request for a delay, but not until Sept. 1. After winning a lower court ruling, Vances office had agreed not to enforce the subpoena before Aug. 28. Related Coverage Trump Files New Challenge Seeking to Block Manhattan DA From Accessing His Tax Returns The DAs office declined to comment on what the appeals court ruling might mean for that time frame. Messages were sent to Trumps lawyers. The case has already been to the Supreme Court and back, and Trump has said he expects it to end up there again. Even if the tax records ultimately are subpoenaed, they would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically made public. The Supreme Court ruled last month (pdf) that the presidency in itself doesnt shield Trump from Vances investigation. But the high court returned the case to a Manhattan federal judges courtroom to allow Trumps lawyers to raise other concerns about the subpoena. They did, arguing in July that the subpoena was issued in bad faith, might have been politically motivated and amounted to harassment. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero rejected those arguments Thursdayand then turned down a request from Trumps lawyers to delay enforcement of the subpoena while they appeal his decision. The president has not demonstrated that he will suffer irreparable harm if the records are turned over for a grand jury probe that would keep them secret, he wrote Friday morning. Trumps lawyers asked the appeals court for the same delay and got their answer hours later. Vances attorneys have said they are legally entitled to extensive records to aid a complex financial investigation. Vance, a Democrat, began seeking the Republican presidents tax returns from his longtime accounting firm Mazars USA over a year ago. Trump on Thursday characterized efforts to obtain his financial records as the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country. Congress is also pursuing Trumps financial records, though the Supreme Court last month kept a hold on the banking and other documents that Congress has been seeking and returned the case to a lower court. By Jennifer Peltz Heavy equipment is seen at a site where sections of the Dakota Access pipeline were being buried near the town of St. Anthony in Morton County, N.D., on Oct. 5, 2016. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) Energy Department Authorizes Liquefied Natural Gas Exports From Alaska Pipeline Deputy Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes signed an export authorization Thursday for the $38 billion Alaska LNG Project, which will see stranded Alaskan liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported to non-free-trade-agreement countries across the Pacific. The project is expected to create up to 10,000 jobs during the design and construction phase and as many as 1,000 permanent jobs foreseen for maintenance and operation. The heart of the project is an 800-mile pipeline that will be constructed to transport natural gas from gas fields on the North Slope of Alaska to a liquefaction facility and export terminal at Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula, some three hours southwest of Anchorage. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized the location, construction, and operation of the Nikiski liquefaction terminal in May, along with the associated pipeline. The pipeline will include multiple off-take points for in-state residential and commercial natural gas use, which proponents say will be of considerable benefit for Alaskan householders and industry. In terms of planning and permitting, it is the largest energy infrastructure project in the United States. All federal authorizations are expected to be approved by the end of 2020. I am proud to sign this export authorization that allows a path for the otherwise stranded gas resources on the North Slope of Alaska to be made available both to the people of Alaska and to the export market, said Deputy Secretary Menezes in a statement. Major infrastructure investments like the Alaska LNG Project will bring long-term benefits to Alaskans, the United States, and to importing nations. I am proud to sign this export authorization, which provides a path for otherwise stranded gas resources on the North Slope of Alaska to be made available to the people of Alaska and brought to the global export market. pic.twitter.com/pbUTuyHnkS Mark W. Menezes (@DepSecMenezes) August 20, 2020 Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg said that The Alaska LNG Project brings further geographic diversity of permitted US LNG export projects, allowing for more efficient shipping of US LNG into key Asian import markets. DOE Authorization The liquefaction facility and export terminal can export up to 2.55 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, according to the terms specified in the Department of Energys (DOE) authorization. The exports are approved for a 30-year term to any country the United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) with as long as such trade does not violate U.S. law or policy. The 42-inch diameter pipeline will have a maximum capacity of 3.3 billion cubic feet of gas per day, and the majority of the pipeline will be buried underground, according to Alaska LNG. After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project earlier this year, all the pieces of the federal permitting puzzle are coming into place, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in a statement. Even when markets are unstable and times are tough, permitting progress on what could be one of the largest projects in the world is encouraging. This is another milestone for the Alaska LNG project that offers great potential for the long-term economic future of our state, said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). We are also one step closer to unleashing North Slope natural gasfor the benefit of all Alaskans, our nations energy security, and that of our critical allies in the Asia-Pacific. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) said that Pursuing new energy sources requires a clear assessment of the safety of any project, both for the environment and for our communities. Todays authorization by the DOE is a critical step toward responsibly exporting LNG to help power America and to provide good-paying jobs right here in Alaska. Opposition The FERCs decision to authorize the project was opposed by FERC Commissioner Richard Glick, who dissented from the authorization order. Glick claimed that the order violated both the Natural Gas Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Commission finds that the Project will have a significant and adverse effect on several endangered species, the Central Arctic Herd of caribou, permafrost, forest, and air quality for certain nationally designated areas, Glick said in statement on May 21. Although the Commission discloses these adverse impacts, at no point does it explain how it considered them in making its public interest determination or why it finds that the Project satisfies the public interest standard notwithstanding those substantial impacts. New Delhi: On the auspicious occasion of Vinayak Chaturthi, also known as Ganesh Chaturthi, the entire nation ushers in to celebrate the birthday of Bappa. This year Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated on August 22, 2020 - Saturday. It is also that time of the year when almost every Kashmiri Pandit household smells of desi ghee, fresh flowers, and delicious looking Roth prasad. On Vinayak Chaturthi (Ganesh Chaturthi) every year, Kashmiris celebrate the day, known as Pann Pooza by praying to Goddess Beeb Garab Maej (Maej meaning mother) and Lord Vinayak (Ganesha). No matter in which part of the world you are, Kashmiri Pandit community celebrates Pann Pooza with utmost gusto and reverence to the Lord. On this day, Beeb Garab Maej is prayed to and the day is dedicated to her. Significance of Pann Pooza: Pann Puja or Pann Pooza as Kashmiris call it falls on the Vinayak Chaturthi (Vinayak Tchoram in Kashmiri) or Ganesh Chaturthi. It is originally associated with the spinning of newly produced cotton and worshipping the twin agricultural local goddesses, Vibha and Garbha to whom the devotees offer Prasad known as Roths. A Roth is a sweet bread kind of a preparation which is first offered to the Goddess and then distributed amongst each other. It is also believed that two local goddesses transformed into one, known as Beeb Garab Maejthe mother goddess who is prayed to on this day. Also, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi are revered in the puja as well. Beeb Garabh Maej, the goddess who is worshipped on this day is seen carrying lota or a water pot which is placed at the Puja area. Then, most importantly, a single long cotton thread is tied to the pot's neck with a handful of dramun or runner grass kept inside it, pointing again to its agricultural origin. Some of the rice, flowers and dramun grass is then distributed amongst the family members who sit in the puja and the Roth preparations are kept in front of the goddess and earthen pot to signify the prasad offering to the goddess. Also, some fruits are offered to the mother goddess besides Roth. Legend of Pann Pooza: Then a legendary story of the Beeb Garab Maej is read by one person while others attentively pay heed to it. The story is quite similar to the Satyanarayana Katha. After the story (Katha) has been read, the people present at Pann Puja offer the dramun grass, rice and flowers to the pot and pray with folded hands to the goddess for prosperity and good health. The prasad of Roth and fruits is consumed by the devotees and the rest of the Roths are distributed amongst friends and family. There is also a tradition which goes like, you distribute the exact number of Roths to particular families respectively and the practice of sharing the Roth prasad should continue year-after-year without a fail. In the same month, there are different dates when the Roth Prasad can be made and Pann Pooza conducted. But the majority celebrates it on Vinayak Chaturthi. It signifies prosperity, auspiciousness and holds greater significance in Kashmiri households. Here's wishing everyone a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi and Pann Pooza to all! Close Trump 'profoundly' accepts GOP nomination for president of the United States Donald Trump gave a full pardon to Alice Johnson on Friday after she praised the president at the Republican National Convention. Trump gave his own performance at the convention top ratings for the second-longest acceptance speech since 1984, behind only himself in 2016. Fox News called it "flat and too long". Rand Paul called on the FBI to investigate 'paid anarchists' that harassed the Senator and other RNC attendees as they left the White House on Thursday night. The end of the Republican convention came as four people who attended in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier in the week tested positive for Covid-19. The House Foreign Affairs committee, meanwhile, announced the panel would carry out contempt proceedings against US secretary of state Mike Pompeo for refusing to provide subpoenaed documents in an investigation into government resources. While thousands attended the March on Washington calling for federal police reforms, Trump finished his week at a New Hampshire campaign rally saying protesters during the RNC were just bad people and troublemakers who didn't know who George Floyd is. In news that could upset the early joiners of the www, the tech giant Microsoft has announced that it will end support for Internet Explorer 11 and Legacy Edge browser across its Microsoft 365 apps and services over the next year. Updating the same in a blog post, Microsoft said that that Internet Explorer will no longer be supported for Microsoft's online services such as Office 365, Outlook, OneDrive and more from August 17, 2021. However, Microsoft added that Internet Explorer 11 will continue to function being a component of the Windows operating system but access to Microsoft 365 apps and services won't work with the browser after August. As the news broke on social media, netizens assembled to bid goodbye to the browser with hilarious memes. The company has said that it will end support for Internet Explorer from August 17, 2021, onwards. This means that after August 17, 2021, the browser will stop working on Microsoft products such as Office 365, Outlook, and others #InternetExplorer pic.twitter.com/0MVibRM6x3 Mudassar WaHaB (@mudassar_wahab) August 21, 2020 How many times we have to say goodbye to #InternetExplorer #GoodByeInternetExplorer Kapilan Sachchithananthan (@iamkapilan) August 21, 2020 Thank you #InternetExplorer for everything. I have not used you much but bitched about you alot just to make conversations and look cool. You were really helpful tho at times.I'll miss you. 1995-2021 pic.twitter.com/vrt1tIg5a0 Akash Mishra (@switchhitx) August 20, 2020 My first browser was IE. #InternetExplorer Seema Saharan #BashWoman (@SeemaSaharan5) August 21, 2020 Thank you for all the memes, laughs, and smiles.#InternetExplorer pic.twitter.com/Art3GbSxb2 Seema Saharan #BashWoman (@SeemaSaharan5) August 21, 2020 RIP to the browser that the world used to download another browser. Real one.#InternetExplorer pic.twitter.com/JiGKMigiwF Academy Music Business (@BenjaminEnfield) August 22, 2020 #InternetExplorer to be discontinued by MicrosoftSad day for me pic.twitter.com/3RqfCvFw6V (@explorerhoon) August 20, 2020 #RepeatAfterMe We gonna miss you #InternetExplorer . The XML and HTML coding. Miss you buddy . pic.twitter.com/O2DUTZcXbl Sanjay Tak (@addicted__monk) August 21, 2020 #InternetExplorer II amI am gonnaI am gonna missI am gonna miss youSorry for slow loading but I was a fan of Internet Explorer. The one which was the best Chrome downloader. pic.twitter.com/53sh7TKL57 Adarsh Gupta (@reallyadarsh) August 21, 2020 Of late, Microsoft has been moving existing Windows 10 users to its new Chromium-based Edge browser, and the company noted that new devices, as well as future Windows updates, will all include the new Edge browser. The Trump administration is planning to block the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska early next week, six people familiar with the plans told POLITICO, marking a surprise reversal that could be the death knell for the massive copper and gold project. Environmentalists and conservation groups have warned that the project would threaten worlds largest sockeye salmon fishery, and the move to block it comes after President Donald Trump faced pressure to nix it from an array of interests, including GOP mega-donor Andy Sabin, Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris and the his eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr. With any government, whether it be Obama or Trump, nothing is certain until it happens and thats just the nature of this beast, Sabin, who has spoken directly with Trump about the proposed mine, told POLITICO. But Im fairly certain that youre going to get good news. The Army Corps of Engineers office in Alaska is planning to hold a conference call on Monday with groups connected to the proposed mine discuss the decision, three people with knowledge of the call told POLITICO. An administration official confirmed the call with POLITICO. Corps officials will say outstanding technical issues with a key permit remain, the people said, adding they anticipate Trump will then follow with a public statement opposing the project. The people said they're not entirely sure what form Trump's disavowal will take, although they said it is more likely to come as a rejection of the Army Corps of Pebbles water permits rather than a veto from EPA, which earlier this year indicated it would not exercise that power. There are people that have been told there will be a [Corps] press event and that it will be positive, said a Washington-based person who works on efforts opposing the mine and who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. White House spokesman Judd Deere directed POLITICO to the Army Corps. "The White House is not in a position to comment at this time," he said in an email. Neither the Army Corps nor EPA immediately responded to requests for comment. Story continues But Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier, who worked as chief of staff for Clinton-era Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, denied that the project was about to be blocked. "Weve worked with the Trump administration and the message that we have received from the Trump administration has been that this is a president who believes that theres no place in the permitting process for political influence," Collier said. "I do not believe he will be returning to Obama-like interference in the permitting process. We have those assurances that he will not do so," he added. In a statement issued Saturday evening, Collier again disputed this story and said Pebble was told earlier in the week to expect a letter on Monday calling for "a significant amount" of compensatory mitigation, in which Pebble promises to restore or preserve other nearby wetlands to make up for those affected by the mine, a standard step in the Army Corps' permitting process. "This has been our working premise for quite some time and has been the focus of our recent efforts near the site to complete additional wetlands survey work to better inform our plan," Collier said in the statement. He added that the time needed to develop a plan might delay a decision beyond what was previously expected, but that the company will provide the Corps with any needed information "as soon as possible" with the goal of remaining on track. The Pebble Mine has been planned to be built in the headwaters for Bristol Bay, home of the world's biggest sockeye fishery which provides up to 11 percent of all wild salmon harvests. I have been there more than 10 times. It is like no place on Earth, Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood told POLITICO. The about-face by the administration likely signals more about issues with this specific mine than a sea change in Trumps overall support for big development projects. But with Trump expected to let it die and his White House challenger Democrat Joe Biden opposed to the project, Pebble Mine appears to have few options to advance it despite more than a decade of planning, ownership changes and political fights. At the end of July, Trumps administration appeared to be on track to approve the project as early as this month over the protests of environmentalists and Alaskan Native groups opposed to the 8,400-acre open pit mine. Then in early August, Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, which secured almost $1 billion a year for conservation work. There hasn't been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, Trump said. Later that day, Trump's son Donald Jr. publicly raised the issue of the controversial mine project, tweeting along with Nick Ayers, former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, to urge Trump to reject Pebble. The duo cited outdoors recreation groups' concerns that it threatens the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, which is commercially important and an increasingly popular destination for adventurous anglers. Joining the hook-and-bullet crowds influence campaign was Fox News host Tucker Carlson, one of the presidents favorite TV personalities who elevated the matter in an Aug. 14 segment called The Case Against Alaska's Pebble Mine . Carlson and his guest, Bass Pro Shops founder Morris, invoked Theodore Roosevelt, who Trump had just called truly the great conservation President and who he's suggested he should join on Mount Rushmore. Trump has been unabashedly pro-mining, though that has been largely focused on coal mining; Pebble would mine a large deposit of copper, gold, molybdenum and silver ore, so it has no direct connection to the issue of climate change. Maybe not all environmentalism is about climate, Carlson said on his show. Long-held skepticism about the mine from many Alaskans should also provide Trump some political cover. The late Republican Sen. Ted Stevens in 2008 famously called it the wrong mine for the wrong place. And while she has yet to ultimately take a side, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in 2019 questioned Pebbles environmental impacts. Shortly after the Trump administration took office, it settled a lawsuit with the mines developer that included withdrawing the Obama-era proposal to preemptively veto the mine. Instead, the mine would be allowed to continue through the permitting process at the Army Corps of Engineers. As a consulting agency, EPA last year was critical of the Corps environmental study, warning of substantial and unacceptable adverse impacts on the fisheries. But EPA in May indicated it was backing off those criticisms and would not use its Clean Water Act power to veto the projects permits. EPAs criticisms were based on unique characteristics that ultimately managed to bring environmentalists and Trump to the same side. The mine, being developed by a U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian company Northern Dynasty Minerals, was proposed to tap a huge reserve on state land a few miles north of Iliamna Lake. The mine plan calls for producing an average of 70 million tons of copper, gold and molybdenum ore annually over 20 years, amounts worth potentially hundreds of billions of dollars. The mines opponents argue the company would eventually push to expand the mine to extract even more of the deposit. The Corps determined in July that Pebble Mine "would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers and result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay." But the commercial fishing industry, recreation groups, environmentalists and local Native Alaskan groups have all long complained about the destruction of streams critical to salmons procreation and the danger of mining waste contaminating the bay. Dublin, Aug. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Fiber Cement Market by Material (Portland Cement, Application (Siding, Molding & Trim, Backer boards, Flooring, Roofing, Wall Partitions), End use (Residential, Non-residential) and Region - Global Forecast To 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for fiber cement was valued at USD 16.8 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 20.3 billion by 2025. The key players in the fiber cement market are Etex Group NV (Belgium), James Hardie Industries PLC (Ireland), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Toray Industries Inc (Japan), CSR Limited (Australia), Nichiha Corporation (Japan), and Cembrit Holding A/S (Denmark), among others. Increase in the demand for non-residential construction activities is projected to drive the overall growth of the fiber cement market across the globe from 2020 to 2025. The global fiber cement industry has witnessed high growth primarily because of the increasing demand for energy-efficient buildings worldwide. Increase in government regulations on the use of asbestos is another key factor contributing to the rising growth of the fiber cement market over the next few years. In terms of both volume, cellulosic material (fiber) segment to lead the fiber cement market by 2025. Cellulosic material (fiber) segment to dominate the fiber cement market during the forecast period. Cellulosic fibers are added to fiber cement to make it more durable and increase its structural integrity. This is the most critical material for fiber cement as it prevents the cracking of the cement after its application. The addition of fiber to cement also makes the cement nearly 40 times lighter than ordinary cement. Further, the fiber content also makes the cement less permeable to water. In terms of both value and volume, molding & trim is projected to be the fastest-growing segment from 2020 to 2025, for fiber cement. Molding and trim involves the creation of an aesthetic vertical accent between fiber cement panels. Trim is a general term used to describe the materials used around openings such as windows or doors, at the corner walls and ceilings, or floor intersections. Trim can also be applied on wall surfaces, for example, a chair rail or wainscoting. Molding is a type of trim, which can be characterized by its enhanced profile. Typically molding is more decorative and elaborate in detail. Traditionally, these are made from wood, plastic, metal, and engineered wood; however, new applications of fiber cement for molding and trimming have been on the rise in recent years. The non-residential segment is projected to be the fastest-growing end-use in the fiber cement market from 2020 to 2025. The non-residential segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the fiber cement market. This is primarily due to favorable and lenient lending policies initiated by governments across the world, which is driving the growth of non-residential construction projects. The residential construction spending is estimated to increase, particularly in emerging regions, including Asia Pacific and Latin America. Rapid urbanization is observed in these regions, resulting in a higher growth rate of the residential sector than that of developed regions. In terms of both value and volume, the Asia Pacific fiber cement market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of value and volume, the Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025 due to the strong demand from countries such as China, India, and Japan. Factors, including an increase in the demand for fiber cement products and an increase in the government norms for the use of asbestos, are expected to drive the market for fiber cement in the Asia Pacific. Furthermore, non-residential construction activities are expected to accelerate over the next decade, owing to demographic shifts, evolution in global economic power, and growing urbanization in fast-growing economies, such as China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and others in the Asia Pacific region. This, in turn, boosts the growth of the fiber cement market by 2025. Story continues Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Asia Pacific to Hold Largest Share of Fiber Cement Market 4.2 Fiber Cement Market, By Application and Country 4.3 Fiber Cement Market, By Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increasing Government Regulations on Use of Asbestos 5.2.1.2 Growing Demand for Fiber Cement Over Its Alternatives 5.2.1.3 Increasing Demand for Energy-Efficient Buildings 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 High Installation Cost of Fiber Cement Products 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Growing Urbanization and Population in Emerging Economies 5.2.3.2 Increasing Construction Activities and Infrastructure Development 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Volatile Raw Material Prices 6 Impact of COVID-19 on Fiber Cement Market 7 Industry Trends 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 7.2.1 Threat of New Entrants 7.2.2 Threat of Substitutes 7.2.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 7.2.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers 7.2.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 7.3 Social and Environmental Risks Related to Fiber Cement 7.3.1 Social Risks 7.3.2 Environmental Risks 8 Fiber Cement Market, By Material 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 Fiber Cement Market, By Material 8.2 Portland Cement 8.3 Sand 8.4 Cellulosic Material (Fiber) 8.5 Others 9 Fiber Cement Market, By Application 9.1 Introduction 9.1.1 Fiber Cement Market, By Application 9.2 Molding and Trim 9.3 Siding 9.4 Roofing 9.5 Wall Partitions 9.6 Flooring 9.7 Backer Boards 9.8 Others 10 Fiber Cement Market, By End Use 10.1 Introduction 10.1.1 Fiber Cement Market, By End Use 10.2 Residential 10.3 Non-Residential 10.3.1 Industrial 10.3.2 Commercial 10.3.3 Agricultural 11 Fiber Cement Market, By Region 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Asia-Pacific 11.3 Europe 11.4 North America 11.5 Middle East & Africa 11.6 South America 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Overview 12.2 Competitive Scenario 12.2.1 Mergers & Acquisitions 12.2.2 Expansions &Investments 12.3 Market Share Analysis 13 Competitive Evaluation Matrix 13.1 Overview 13.1.1 Star 13.1.2 Emerging Leaders 13.1.3 Pervasive 13.1.4 Emerging Companies 13.1.5 Strength of Product Portfolio 13.1.6 Business Strategy Excellence 14 Company Profiles 14.1 James Hardie Industries PLC 14.1.1 Business Overview 14.1.2 Financial Assessment 14.1.3 Operational Assessment 14.1.4 Products Offered 14.1.5 SWOT Analysis 14.1.6 Recent Developments 14.1.7 Winning Imperatives 14.1.8 Current Focus and Strategies 14.1.9 Threat from Competition 14.1.10 Right to Win 14.2 ETEX Group 14.3 EvonikIndustries 14.4 Toray Industries 14.5 CSR Limited 14.6 Nichiha Corporation 14.7 Cembrit Group A/S 14.8 The Siam Cement Public Company Limited 14.9 Plycem Corporation 14.10 Beijing Hocreboard Building Materials Co. Ltd 14.11 Other Players 14.11.1 Zhejiang Headerboard Building Materials Co. Ltd. 14.11.2 Zhejiang Hailong New Building Materials Co. Ltd. 14.11.3 Swisspearl 14.11.4 Allura 14.11.5 LATO, OJSC 14.11.6 Everest 14.11.7 Shera Public Company Limited 14.11.8 CoverworldUK 14.11.9 TepeBetopan A.S. 14.11.10 Jiahua Special Cement Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6gmvj1 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com 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 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 30-year-old man is dead after a shooting in a Cleveland alley Friday night. The man has not been identified in the shooting that happened about 8:45 p.m. in the alley at East 124th Street amd Superior Avenue, said police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia. Police responded to a call of shots fired and found the victim shot in the alley with several people around him rendering aid, Ciaccia said. Paramedics took him to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators learned the victim was seen riding a scooter in the area when residents heard shots fired. Police have made no arrests in the shooting. Read more crime stories on cleveland.com: Cleveland police searching for 16-year-old boy missing since June Man wanted in Akron homicide in 2018 captured in West Virginia, police say Cleveland police union wont back presidential candidate, reversing course from 2016 Trump endorsement Man charged with murder in deadly middle school parking lot shootout in Clevelands Tremont neighborhood Authorities say Cleveland-area postal manager stole mail filled with illicit drugs In a bizarre yet amusing incident, a police officer in United Kingdom had to ask for help after he got stuck in his own handcuffs. The incident, which has now gone viral, has left netizens in splits over the British police officer being rescued by firefighters after getting his hands stuck in a pair of handcuffs during training. The incident, that has sparked laughter online, occurred on August 18 when the Core Training Sergeant Scott Renwick was teaching new recruits how to use hinged handcuffs during a training session. However, the demonstration took a bizarre and amusing turn after he got trapped in the handcuffs and had to ask for help from fire service. Read: Good News: From Chocolate Rain In Swiss Town To Reality Of 'zoom' Meets, Read More Stories Read: Netflix Shares YouTube Playlist On Instagram With A Twist, Netizens Say 'this Is Gold' The cop took to Twitter and shared the unpleasant yet hilarious incident. He posted a picture of his handcuff along with a message thanking the firefighters, who cut the pair of the faulty cuffs. He wrote, Well that wasnt a good start to the day. Thanks to @northantsfire for cutting me out of some broken cuffs. #NotFunny. I would have laughed too. Well that wasnt a good start to the day. Thanks to @northantsfire for cutting me out of some broken cuffs. #NotFunny. I would have laughed too!! pic.twitter.com/WyOKGNDC8s Core Skills Norpol - Scott Renwick (@CoreNorpol) August 18, 2020 After freeing the cop, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service reported the amusing incident on micro-blogging site and wrote, Police Officer released from handcuffs after they had failed, used pedal cutters to release. 09:46 Police Officer released from handcuffs after they had failed, used pedal cutters to release #Mereway Northants Fire (@northantsfire) August 18, 2020 Netizens left in splits Ever since the hilarious incident surfaced on social media, netizens who were left in splits, flooded the cops post with comments. Check out some of the reactions here: I have so many questions, but Im not even sure where to begin!!! Only you!! pic.twitter.com/dfkeO8zpX0 g (@WhiskeyEcho538) August 18, 2020 Cakes for police and fire for that one andreafranklin #TeamTell2 (@andreafranklin) August 18, 2020 Im not laughing honestly Helen's Here (@Helenmarchant9) August 18, 2020 I love that you shared this. I can imagine the laughs this gave everyone involved Sara Postlethwaite (@empathy_matters) August 18, 2020 Replying to a user, the Northamptonshire cop referencing the testing times due to COVID-19, wrote, If I put a smile on a single face during these difficult times my job is done. If I put a smile on a single face during these difficult times my job is done. Core Skills Norpol - Scott Renwick (@CoreNorpol) August 19, 2020 (Image credit: ANI) Read: Man Turns Kokilaben's Dialogue Into Rap, Smriti Irani Says 'Kya Se Kya Ho Gaya' Read: Man Photoshops Pictures Literally As Per People's Demands, Results Are Hilarious Namita Bajpai By LUCKNOW: In a bid to give a push to start-up ventures, UP government, besides creating a corpus of Rs 150 crore with the help of Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), has also charted a course to promote start-up ventures of women, transgender and divyangjan (differently-abled) entrepreneurs under the new UP Start-Up Policy 2020 with additional incentives and institutional support. However, the newly created corpus would fund the ventures at the stage of ideation, patent registration, participation in domestic and international events. A push to start-up ventures of women, transgender and differently-abled persons is one of its kind initiatives by any state government in India to bring these communities into the mainstream of the business world through start-up ecosystem, said a state government spokesperson while briefing the policy. The new policy targets to set up 100 incubators across 75 districts of the state with the goal of creating 1.5 lakh employment and self employment opportunities, including 50,000 direct jobs in the state. As per the Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, IT and Electronics, Alok Kumar many academic institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, High Tech Institute, ABES Engineering College, Krishna Engineering College, Jaipuria Institute of Management etc. have shown interest in setting up incubators under the new policy to support start-ups. The new Policy was cleared by the state cabinet last month as the UP government has been aiming at figuring among top three start-up congenial states in India. On May 20, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had also launched the UP Start-Up Fund to be managed by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The Fund has garnered interest among leading Venture Funds/AIF (alternative investment fund) of the country. SIDBI has so far received four applications from leading AIFs for an aggregate amount of Rs 285 crore to create the initial corpus, said a government spokesman. So far, the government has released Rs 41 lakh to the Start-Up Nodal Agency to be disbursed among start-ups and incubators whose proposals were approved by the Policy Implementation Committee (PIU). According to ACS Alok Kumar, the fund will be given in the form of a sustenance allowance at various stages like idea stage, seed capital assistance at commercialization stage and the capital grant to incubators for strengthening IT infrastructure within their premises to be utilized by start-ups and other stakeholders. While releasing a statement over the new policy, the state government claimed that since launch, the new policy had been receiving accolades by the stakeholders of the start-up ecosystem and had been hailing it as a great catalyst for creating self-employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for the states youth. The statement mentioned that the CMs concern for regional imbalance in UP, especially in the Bundelkhand and Purvanchal regions, had been addressed in the Startup Policy by offering additional incentives for startups and incubators operating from these regions. This will help in democratising the startup ecosystem across the state which so far was heavily dominated by tier 1 cities like Noida. Besides, a UP Angel Network and an online system were created for fresh entrepreneurs. The sister of an American mother-of-two, who was found beaten to death with all of her teeth removed in Mexico, is still struggling to raise money for her sibling's funeral in Texas and is stressed that her remains are decomposing. Carmen Flores expressed her concerns Friday afternoon, just three days after authorities in the northeast Mexican border city of Matamoros found the body of 23-year-old Lizbeth Flores on a grass field next to a construction site. On Tuesday, cops in Matamoros arrested Braulio Martinez at his residence in connection with Flores' gruesome murder. 'I am still trying to raise money for my sisters funeral. My family has been been so stressed because we still havent raised enough money and her body is decomposing,' Carmen Flores wrote on her Facebook account. 'If you find it in your heart the need to donate in our time of need we would greatly appreciate it. Anything will help. Thank you in advance and [God] bless you.' The body of Lizbeth Flores, an American 23-year-old mother-of-two from Brownsville, Texas, is still sitting in a morgue in Matamoros, Mexico, where she was found dead August 11 after she was allegedly murdered by Braulio Martinez, a registered sex offender in Texas. Her family worries that her body will decompose if she is not returned to the United States for burial Carmen Flores (right) wrote on Facebook that Braulio Martinez, who was arrested for allegedly killing her sister Lizbeth Flores (left), sent her a text message saying he did not know where he missing sister was at. Lizbeth left her Brownsville, Texas, home August 9 and reportedly went to Matamoros, Mexico, to pay the ransom for her kidnapped boyfriend, who lived in Matamoros and is the father of her two children Lizbeth Flores was the mother of a four-year-old girl (left) and eight-month-old son (right) A source close to the investigation of the Brownsville native told DailyMail.com that Martinez allegedly lured Lizbeth Flores by telling her that her boyfriend had been kidnapped and that she needed to pay a ransom. The government official added that the motive for the brutally violent crime was a robbery. Flores, who was the mother of an eight-month-old boy and a four-year-old girl, was found shirtless and lying face up and had been found beaten to death with part of her scalp removed. The government official said that Martinez - a convicted child sex offender in Texas - was known by Flores and her family. However, the exact nature of their relationship currently remains unclear. Braulio Martinez (pictured) was apprehended Tuesday in Matamoros, Mexico, a week after authorities in the Mexican border town found Lizbeth Flores beaten to death. The 23-year-old woman left behind two children, a four-year-old girl and an eight-month-old boy Flores reportedly died from a blunt-force trauma to the head after being struck with a rock that was found next to her body Lizbeth Flores, a mother of two children from Brownsville, Texas, was killed last week while visiting the Mexican border city of Matamoros. She walked across the Veterans International Bridge to allegedly visit her boyfriend August 9 and was found next to a construction site August 11 In a separate Facebook post, Carmen Flores revealed that Martinez had texted her and said he had no knowledge of Lizbeth Flores' whereabouts. 'I have a little more peace in knowing that they got him. He has to pay for what he did and he's not even going to do enough for what he did to my sister. But it's better for him to be locked up than for something to happen to someone else,' she wrote in Spanish. 'He is a liar, scoundrel who even texted me saying he couldn't find Lizbeth anywhere in Matamoros. But he left enough evidence. This man is the culprit and people must accept him and stop gossiping. There is a very great God and everything is paid in this world.' Flores left her home in Brownsville on August 9 and walked across the Veterans International Bridge, crossing the US-Mexico border to Matamoros to visit her boyfriend - who is also the father of her two young children. Braulio Martinez was arrested at his home in the subdivision of Molinos del Rey on Tuesday for the murder of 23-year-old Flores Officials say the stretch of land where Flores was killed, a vacant lot in the Emilio Portes Gil bypass, is notorious for robberies Later the same day she spoke to her mother, Maria Rubio, on the phone and said she would be returning home to Brownsville that night. However, she was never heard from again. Less than 24 hours later, Rubio called the Brownsville Police Department on August 10 to report her daughter missing. She was found on August 11. She died from a blunt-force trauma to the head after being struck with a rock that was found next to her body. Texas jail records observed by DailyMail.com show that Martinez was convicted of child sex offenses in Texas, in 2006. He was detained in a state prison in Huntsville for four years after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a child, a 15-year-old female. His address at the time was also in Browsnville. Martinez was released from prison in 2010. Juan Carlos Cue Vega, Mexico's Consul in Brownsville, Texas told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that the Mexican government had previously offered Maria Rubio assistance in returning Flores back before a local funeral parlor stepped in to help the grieving family. Vega also said that the funeral home was awaiting clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to bring back the body. The official said the motive for the brutally violent crime was a robbery (pictured: Braulio Martinez is seen being led out of a police station by cops with his head down) Braulio Martinez is a registered sex offender in Texas. He served four years in prison between 2006 and 2010 on one charge of child sexual assault and one count of indecency with a child Declaring that at the border? Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder spend nearly $1,000 on erotic toys at sex shop in Toronto Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder spent their Sunday making a very special shopping trip. The new couple, who have been dating for the past few months, visited the Seduction Love Boutique sex shop in Toronto, Canada and reportedly bought nearly $1,000 worth of goods. According to TMZ, the pair forked out $860 on a number of erotic toys - including vibrators, handcuffs and restraints - while giggling at the cash register together. Scroll down for video Sunday fun day? Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder, seen August 24 in New York, visited the Seduction Love Boutique sex shop in Toronto, Canada on Sunday and reportedly bought nearly $1000 worth of goods The Twilight actress, 26, could be seen trying to fly under the radar, matching her beau with a dark hat. However, they were quickly recognized as celebrities. An off-duty employee told TMZ.com that they saw the 35-year-old actor in the shop and told him: 'You look like Zac Efron' Ian laughed off the comment and reportedly replied: 'Nope, wrong guy.' Special shopping trip: According to TMZ, the pair forked out $860 on a number of erotic toys - including vibrators, handcuffs and restraints - while giggling at the cash register together Meanwhile, the loved-up pair's relationship has been blossoming fast as they recently began house-sharing in Atlanta, Georgia, so that they can spend as much time together as possible while Ian is busy filming the next season of supernatural drama TV series The Vampire Diaires. A source recently revealed to Us Weekly that Ian and Nikki 'moved in after three weeks', adding that she, 'goes to set every day.' It is also believed the duo - who first sparked rumours they were dating after they were spotted at a farmer's market in July - share a property in Los Angeles, California, as well. The pair have been friends for a long time and even used to go on double dates when they were with their previous partners. Living together: The loved-up pair recently began house-sharing in Atlanta, Georgia, so they can spend time together while Ian is busy filming the next season of supernatural drama TV series The Vampire Diaries On August 24 the couple was seen strolling around New York City smiling at each other as they walked hand-in-hand. Nikki, clad in black skinny jeans, a white tank top, long plaid jumper and silver cage-style sandals, wore her ombre locks in loose curls. Her hunky beau matched her in eccentric style in a pair of dark gray jeans, a gray v-neck t-shirt, black fedora hat and black lace-up boots. Nikki filed for divorce from her husband of two and a half years - the American Idol finalist Paul McDonald - in May, and began dating Ian in July. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appealed to Ghanaians to retain the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power to continue building a resilient and robust economy for the general wellbeing of citizens. The Government would ensure efficient allocation of resources, be accountable and protect the public purse, the President said as he urged the electorate to believe in the Partys vision of enhancing productivity and diversifying agriculture and expanding the industrial and manufacturing sectors. President Akufo-Addo was speaking at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Twifo-Attimorkwa in the Central Region as part of his three-day working visit to the Region. Nana Appiah Nuamah, the Paramount Chief of Twifo Traditional Area and the Central Regional representative of the Council of State, as well as Daasebre Kwasi Kani II, Attimorkwahene, expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for the massive infrastructural projects in the area. They bestowed on President Akufo-Addo the title "Oseadeyo" to reflect his prompt fulfilment of promises made to the people in the area. They, however, appealed to him to support more of the areas roads and educational infrastructure to improve the standards of living of the people. Later, the President and his entourage inspected the new 60-bed Twifo-Praso Government Hospital being constructed by Euroget De-Invest, an Egyptian capital investment company, as one of nine hospitals being constructed across the country. The facility, which is on a 102,000-square meter land, also hosts a two double-storey staff housing unit made up of four flats each and two single units on which work was steadily progressing. Work has also reached an advanced stage on a dining hall, kitchen, laundry and a mini market being ancillaries of the facility. At the time of visit, artisans including electricians, tilers, painters and plumbers were busily installing service tubes, laying base materials and doing external landscaping at various points of the project. The facility will be a one-stop modern facility for healthcare delivery in that part of the Central Region, whose people have to travel between 80 to 100 kilometres to Cape Coast to access critical health services. The President also inspected the ongoing 40 million cedis Twifo Praso Bridge linking the Central, Western, and Ashanti regions to ease economic activities and commuting distances. Currently, the old dilapidated bridge had become a nightmare to travellers and other road users each time they crossed it. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. 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Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Beginning Aug. 31, anyone inside a Red River College campus will have to mask up. The college sent an email to staff and students Friday saying that they and any visitors will have to wear non-medical masks on campus, effective the first day of fall term. Wearing a face mask is encouraged currently, the email reads. Red River College's Roblin Centre on Princess St. in the exchange district. The college sent an email to staff and students Friday notifying them to wear non-medical masks on campus, effective the first day of fall term. Assiniboine Community College announced Aug. 12 that staff and students would be expected to wear face masks or coverings. That same day, Brandon University said masks would be required inside its buildings. The University of Winnipeg recommends face coverings, but they're not mandatory, according to the institution's website. The University of Manitoba will address its position next week, a spokesperson said. Both universities are offering primarily online course delivery. Many of Red River College's fall programs will be completely online. Some courses, however, will blend online and on-campus learning. Students in plumbing, culinary arts and health-care aide classes, among other programs, will have some in-person instruction. 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. Red River plans to begin Phase 3 of its reopening plan Aug. 31, when no more than 40 per cent of a campus population can be on site at a given time. The phase is anticipated to end Dec. 31. "The requirement to wear a mask, even if you have no symptoms of COVID-19, adds an additional layer of precaution and helps protect those around you from the spread of infection," the college's announcement reads. The school will provide one disposable mask a day to staff and students who need it, but the campus population is being advised to bring their own non-medical masks to cover nose, mouth and chin. "We must also remain vigilant with respect to practising proper hand hygiene and maintaining physical distancing wherever possible," the statement says. The college is urging people who feel ill to stay home. gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 22 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Such Turkmen sites as Badhyz region along with the Kopetdag Mountains and the Repetek Biosphere reserve in Turkmenistan, as well as the Southern Ustyurt Plateau (a transboundary region between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) have the potential to become World Heritage sites, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia told Trend. Currently, Turkmenistan has three sites listed as World Heritage, based on their cultural importance. These are Kenya-Urgench, the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa, and the State Historical and Cultural Park. "When it comes to sites of importance under biodiversity criteria, the study has singled out the Cold Winter Deserts of Central Asia, where several protected areas in Turkmenistan, as well as in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, could qualify as components for a World Heritage nomination," said IUCN. Talking about tier cooperation with Turkmenistan, IUCN noted that Society of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan is the member of IUCN. "The establishment of the Society of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan in 1968 marked the beginning of the modern era of nature protection in the country," highlighted the union. The union brings together the worlds most influential organizations and top experts in conservation of nature and sustainable development, said the IUCN Regional Office's representative. "These include states and government agencies, large and small NGOs, indigenous peoples' organizations, scientific and academic institutions and business associations," IUCN added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva R ussian dissident Alexei Navalny, who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning, has arrived in Berlin for treatment by specialists at the German capitals main hospital. A representative of the NGO that arranged the special flight confirmed that the plane had landed and that Mr Navalny was in a stable condition. Navalny is in Berlin, Jaka Bizilj, of the German organisation Cinema For Peace, told The Associated Press. He survived the flight and hes stable. Russian dissident Alexei Navalny / REUTERS He said all other information on the 44-year-olds health would have to come from his family and the German doctors now looking after him. After touching down shortly before 9am in a special area of the capitals Tegel airport which is used for government and military flights, Mr Navalny was taken by ambulance to Berlins Charite hospital. The hospital later issued a statement saying extensive tests were being carried out on Mr Navalny, and doctors would not comment on his illness or treatment until those were completed. Mr Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. A portable isolation unit used to transport Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny / Getty Images He was flown to Berlin on a plane organised by supporters, which was equipped with advanced medical equipment, and was accompanied by German medical specialists. When the plane arrived to collect him on Friday morning at his familys behest, Mr Navalnys doctors in Omsk initially said he was too unstable to move. His supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organised the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors had examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. A demonstrator in support of Mr Navalny whose sign alleges that he was poisoned / Getty Images Deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital Anatoly Kalinichenko then told reporters that Mr Navalnys condition had stabilised and that medics didnt mind transferring the politician, given that his relatives were willing to take on the risks. The Kremlin denied that resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it was purely a medical decision. However, the reversal came as international pressure on Russias leadership mounted. It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian had been targeted in such a way or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it. On Thursday, leaders of France and Germany said the two countries were ready to offer Mr Navalny and his family any and all assistance and insisted on an investigation into what happened. The most prominent member of Russias opposition, Mr Navalny campaigned to challenge Mr Putin in the 2018 presidential election but was barred from running. Since then, he has been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of the ruling party, United Russia. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption has been exposing dishonesty among government officials, including some at the highest level. But he had to shut the foundation last month after a financially devastating lawsuit from a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks to the media as a policeman stands guard at the Foundation for Fighting Corruption office in Moscow / AP Mr Navalny fell ill on a flight back to Moscow from Siberia on Thursday and was taken to hospital after the plane made an emergency landing. His team made arrangements to transfer him to Charite, a clinic in Berlin which has a history of treating famous foreign leaders and dissidents. Dr Yaroslav Ashikhmin, Mr Navalnys doctor in Moscow, told the Associated Press that being on a plane with specialised equipment, including a ventilator and a machine that can do the work of the heart and lungs, can be even safer than staying in a hospital in Omsk. Mr Navalnys spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, posted pictures of what she said was a bathroom inside the hospital which showed squalid conditions, including walls with paint peeling off, rusting pipes, and a dirty floor and walls. While his supporters and family members continue to insist that Mr Navalny was poisoned, doctors in Omsk denied that and put forward another theory. The hospitals chief doctor, Alexander Murakhovsky, said in a video published by Omsk news outlet NGS55 that a metabolic disorder was the most likely diagnosis and that a drop in blood sugar may have caused Mr Navalny to lose consciousness. Another doctor with ties to the politician, Dr Anastasia Vasilyeva, said that diagnosing Mr Navalny with a metabolic disorder says nothing about what may have caused it and it could have been the result of a poisoning. Dr Ashikhmin, who has been Mr Navalnys doctor since 2013, said the politician has always been in good health, regularly went for medical check-ups and did not have any underlying illnesses which could have triggered his condition. Western toxicology experts expressed doubts that a poisoning could have been ruled out so quickly. Alastair Hay, an emeritus professor and toxicology expert from the school of medicine at the University of Leeds, said: It takes a while to rule things out. And particularly if something is highly toxic it will be there in very low concentrations, and many screening tests would just not pick that substance up. Like many other opposition politicians in Russia, Mr Navalny has been frequently detained by law enforcement and harassed by pro-Kremlin groups. In 2017, he was attacked by several men who threw antiseptic in his face, damaging an eye. Last year, Mr Navalny was rushed to a hospital from jail where he was serving a sentence on charges of violating protest regulations. His team also suspected poisoning then. Doctors said he had a severe allergic reaction and sent him back to detention the following day. By Natalia Zinets KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged people to act on health advice on Saturday after official data showed daily COVID-19 infections had risen to a record level. The country saw 2,328 cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 37 deaths of people having tested positive for the virus, data from the national council of security and defence showed. Infections have risen sharply in recent days and the latest daily total surpassed the previous record of 2,134 set on Thursday, pushing the total number of cases to 102,971. The death toll has risen to 2,244, the figures showed. Zelenskiy asked people to take seriously the recent jump in the daily tally of new infections, urging them to wear masks and keep social distancing. "Please help doctors, be careful," Zelenskiy said in a televised interview. "We really did not have the first wave (of infections) when it happened in Europe. Now it is coming, now we are growing ... almost daily." He said Ukraine had managed to avoid a big number of infections in March through May thanks to a strict lockdown. Yet as soon as restrictions had gradually been lifted, numbers of new daily coronavirus cases started rising, from bellow 1,000 in June to above 2,000 this week. "We are well prepared in terms of (hospital) places, equipment, number of tests ... But no number of places in hospitals, and especially no number of specialists, will help us survive if there is the second and third wave, if it is very powerful," the president said. "And here the question is only for our people". Like other countries, Ukraine's government decided to ease lockdown rules for economic reasons, after seeing gross domestic product shrink 11.4% in the second quarter year-on-year, showing the deepest quarterly fall since 2015. The authorities do not plan to lock down the whole country again, but have reimposed some restrictions such as limiting public transport and imposing bans on large public events in several cities and towns with high numbers of infections. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets; Editing by William Mallard and David Holmes) Orange County Elementary Schools Prepare to Reopen Thirty-four Orange County elementary schools are preparing to reopen for in-person learning after receiving waivers from the state of California. County officials announced on Aug. 20 that the state had approved waivers for 10 public and 24 private K6 schools, giving them the go-ahead to resume in-person instruction. The Fairmont Schools were among the first group of schools to receive a waiver. Fairmont has 816 students spread across four campuses in Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Tustin, and San Juan Capistrano. Danyelle Knight, spokeswoman for Fairmont Schools, told The Epoch Times that the application process went smoothly. She said the school was very happy to receive the waiver, but that it was expected because the schools administration was prepared. We expected that, because we had been working really hard all summer on meeting those rigorous guidelines, Knight said. The private school plans to begin in-person education on Aug. 26 after starting off the 20202021 school year with virtual learning on Aug. 17. Knight said students attending in-person instruction will be required to socially distance, with desks placed at least 6 feet apart. They will also be advised to wash and sanitize their hands frequently before entering the classroom. Mask-wearing will be a requirement at all times for students indoors. Masks will only be permitted to be removed when students are socially distancing outdoors, participating in physical education, or eating lunch. Fairmont Schools have installed touchless sinks and toilets in their bathrooms, improved air filtration systems, and placed plexiglass screens in their front desk regions. Antibacterial floor mats will be placed at door entrances to clean shoes as students and staff walk into the school, and mandatory health checks will be conducted. For recess, students will be split into cohort sections, allowing them only to play with other kids who are in their classroom, as part of an effort to improve contact tracing measures. Not all students will be returning right away, however. Knight said the classroom will be split, with 70 percent of students attending in-person learning and 30 percent continuing the virtual learning model. Knight said the schools are well-prepared to continue virtual instruction after getting a shot at it in the spring, allowing them to work out any kinks in the system. We feel like weve ironed out a lot of those things, since weve had the opportunity to do remote learning since March. We feel like theres not really going to be a lot of technical issues, she said. To accommodate students proceeding with virtual learning, classrooms will be equipped with a robotic device called a swivl. The swivl will follow the teacher, allowing students at home to see and hear their instructor at all times, Knight said. The virtual learning students will also be projected on television monitors installed in each classroom, allowing the teacher to see if students are raising their hands with a question. Los Alamitos Elementary School in Los Alamitos, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2020, a day after Los Alamitos Unified School District received approval from Orange County officials to resume onsite classes in the 2020 fall semester. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The Los Alamitos Unified School District was also approved as part of the second batch of county schools to receive waivers, according to an Orange County Health Care Agency tweet on Aug. 20. Los Alamitos Unified plans to reopen six elementary schools in its jurisdiction to over 3,500 students. The district will begin the school year on Aug. 31 in a virtual learning environment and will convert to a hybrid learning setting beginning on Sept. 8, just after the Labor Day holiday. Other private schools that had their waivers approved include: New Horizon School in Irvine; Red Hill Lutheran School in Tustin; Pathway School in Laguna Beach; Monarch Bay Montessori Academy in Dana Point; St. Johns Lutheran in Orange; Veritas Academy in Fullerton; Covenant Christian Academy in Westminster; Calvary Christian School in Santa Ana; Grace Christian School in Lake Forest; Carden Hall in Newport Beach; TVT Community Day School in Irvine; Montessori of Ladera Ranch; Fountain Valley; Hebrew Academy in Huntington Beach; St. Pauls Lutheran School in Orange; Aliso Viejo Christian School; St. Marys School in Aliso Viejo; Ivy Crest Montessori in Fullerton; VanDamme Academy in Aliso Viejo; Grace Lutheran School in Corona; E3 Academy; The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach; and St. Margarets Episcopal in San Juan Capistrano. Staff survey reveals widespread racism at the United Nations By Thalif Deen View(s): View(s): UNITED NATIONS, August 22, 2020 (IPS) As it continues to vociferously preach the virtues of equality dedicating itself to respect equal rights for all, irrespective of race, sex, language or religion the United Nations has been quick to condemn racism and racial discrimination worldwide. But how hypocritical is the world body when racism raises its ugly head in its own backyard particularly in Geneva which, ironically, is home to the UN Human Rights Council and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)? A survey of more than 688 UN staffers in Geneva has come up with some startling revelations reaffirming the stark fact, which has long remained under wraps, that racism exists within the United Nations. A separate survey by the UN Staff Union in New York was equally revealing. According to the findings in New York, 59 percent of the respondents noted they dont feel that UN effectively addresses racial justice in the workplace while every second respondent noted they dont feel comfortable talking about racial discrimination at work. Meanwhile, the UN Secretariat in New York, faltered ingloriously, as it withdrew its own online survey on racism, in which it asked staffers to identify themselves either as black, brown, white, mixed/multi-racial, and any other. But the most offensive of the categories listed in the survey was yellow a longstanding Western racist description of Asians, including Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. A non-apologetic message emailed to staffers on August 19 read: The United Nations Survey on Racism has been taken offline and will be revised and reissued, taking into account the legitimate concerns expressed by staff. The findings of the Geneva survey include: 1. More than 1 in 3 staff have personally experienced racial discrimination and/or have witnessed others facing racial discrimination in the workplace. 2. Among those who experienced or witnessed racism, a majority of staff indicated that racial discrimination affected opportunities for career advancement. A significant number of staff also indicated that racial discrimination manifested itself in the form of verbal abuse and exclusion from work events, such as decision-making, trainings, missions, assignments etc. 3. Two-thirds of those who experienced racism did so on the basis of nationality. 4. A large number who experienced or witnessed racial discrimination, harassment or abuse of authority indicated that they did not take any action. Lack of trust in the organisations recourse mechanisms was cited as the most common reason. Many also stated that that they feared retaliation. 5. Respondents believed racism needed to be addressed in a number of different ways. These include accountability and zero tolerance, training and sensitisation, greater transparency in hiring, broader diversity, and a more open dialogue on the issue. Prisca Chaoui, Executive Secretary of the 3,500-strong Staff Coordinating Council, UN Office at Geneva (UNOG), told IPS: We belief, as a staff union, that it is high time for the organisation to seriously combat pervasive racism and racial discrimination. This means greater accountability and a zero tolerance policy towards any racial act. She said: We are glad to see the UN management is willing to address this issue and as a staff union, we are ready to assist in coming up with serious measures that go beyond empty words and lead to a real change so that the UN shows it is capable of upholding the principles that it preaches to the overall world. The United Nations Staff Union President Patricia Nemeth told IPS her Union, which has a strength of more than 6,500 members, with the local staff in peacekeeping operations overseas estimated at about 20,000 plus, ran its own survey in New York (entitled UNHQ-NY pulse survey on racial justice). The United Nations, she pointed out, has a normative framework to address racial discrimination within the organisation, but work remains to be done, as recognised by the Secretary-General on June 4. In this spirit, the Staff Union is committed to serving as a platform for progress towards greater inclusion, diversity, dignity and social justice both within the UN and beyond, declared Nemeth, who is also Vice President for Conditions of Service the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations (CCISUA). The New York survey was intended to provide the Staff Union with a better understanding of the current situation regarding racial injustice within the United Nations Secretariat and will help determine how we as staff can contribute to making improvements and will also feed into broader policy discussions. According to the responses received from New York staffers, 44 percent of the respondents noted that they there is no adequate racial diversity within their department and 46 percent noted that they feel that staff of African descent arent adequately represented within their department. About 43 percent of the respondent noted that they have experienced workplace harassment or intimidation as a result of their race. New York staff would welcome if the Organisation were to ensure diversity in positions of authority; establish an anonymous channel for reporting racial discrimination; and ensure racial diversity in Human Resource and Executive Offices and staff-facing offices in the formal and informal justice system, so that staff members feel safe sharing their concerns, and confident that they will be understood and taken seriously. Alabama food banks, struggling to meet needs of people hit hard by the shutdown of the economy forced by the coronavirus this year, have asked Gov. Kay Ivey for special funding through federal Cares Act money. We submitted a funding request to Gov. Ivey, said Laura Lester, executive director of the Alabama Food Bank Association, which represents four regional food banks and four distribution centers affiliated with Feeding America. We just hope the state recognizes the extent of work that has to be done. The food banks work with 1,600 partners, mostly religious congregations, across the state, in providing food to the needy. Weve had people asking for help for the first time in their lives, Lester said. Weve seen an increase in demand, she said. Obviously the response in March was immediate and incredible. We had to purchase more food than ever before. The demand for assistance continues to be high, she said. Weve never seen anything like this, she said. We will always respond to the crisis. While each food bank was allowed to apply directly for $15,000 for money set aside for non-profits, the food banks are hoping for more assistance. That doesnt really even cover a truckload of food, Lester said. Other states have directed much more of the federal assistance to food banks than Alabama has, she said. Food bank networks in other states have received millions in CARES Act funding, Lester said. Its happened in a lot of other states. Were hoping theres some additional funding. It would help us reach so many more people. The normal donation outlets were disrupted with the shutdown, said Elizabeth Wix, interim executive manager of the Central Food Bank of Alabama. We rely on retail stores to donate about 50 percent of food inventory, Wix said. That stopped for awhile. Its still hard to find canned vegetables and greens. Were competing with retailers and food banks all over the country. On the bright side, those who can afford to give have been very generous, Wix said. We saw a huge outpouring from the community, she said. Weve seen some donations drop off as it becomes new normal. The food banks continue to raise funds privately, but the CARES Act funds would be crucial, Wix said. That would be a really big deal for all our food banks, she said. The smaller grants, were still hopeful we get. That $15,000 can purchase a tractor-trailer load of food. Were by no means ungrateful. Alabama was a high-poverty state with many families struggling to feed children before the pandemic, Lested said. We already have high rates of food insecurity and child hunger in Alabama, Lester said. Its been overwhelming. In one month, we went through a years worth of food. We do need help. The situation has been compounded by the schools closing early in March, and many schools continuing to do online learning. Children who would normally have access to subsidized school meals have had to do without. In some cases, schools with remote learning are using buses to deliver meals. What the schools can do changes daily, Lester said. We will do everything we can. Weve never seen need like this before. Early on, the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer helped provide for students. There were federal measures that helped us from completely going off the edge, Lester said. There was PEBT funding for kids who got free meals at schools who werent getting them. We still see the need. Whether or not the state comes through with extra funding for food banks, they will continue to work with religious congregations and other agencies throughout the state to help those in need. This is an economic crisis, Lester said. It isnt going away. Were here for the long haul. - Global Fund said it would be purchasing medical supplies required by each country in a move aimed at weeding out corruption - The fund has been giving KSh 40.7 billion to support HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria programmes - Kenya Medical Supplies Authority is currently under investigation over embezzlement of COVID-19 funds amounting to KSh 8 billion The government could be forced to turn the other way for donor funding after the Global Fund said it will withdraw its financial support to Kenya. Instead, Global Fund said it would be purchasing medical supplies required by each country in a move aimed at weeding out corruption at the Ministry of Health. READ ALSO: Car wash, pub among companies awarded PPE tenders KEMSA its CEO Jonah Mwangi suspended over loss of COVID-19 billions. Photo: KEMSA. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kilimani shooting: Businessmen Chris Obure, Robert Bodo arrested over Kevin Omwenga's death Financial aid The fund which has been giving KSh 40.7 billion to support HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria programmes was said to have requested for a meeting with government officials over graft. The revelations came at a time the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) was under investigation over embezzlement of fund amounting to KSh 8 billion. READ ALSO: IEBC dismisses job advert circulating online, states recruitment for new ICT manager ongoing Senate grilling On Friday, August 21, suspended KEMSA chief executive officer Jonah Manjari failed to show up at the Senate to shed light on the alleged irregular tendering process at the drug agency. KEMSA officials flagging off medical equipment. Photo: KEMSA. Source: Facebook Mwangi and the entire management of KEMSA have been under immense pressure to resign following a damning report that showed massive thievery of public funds through a questionable tendering process. Recently, ambassadors Kyle McCarter of US and his UK counterpart Jane Marriott put the government on spot over COVID-19 funds theft. "Personally, I think the head of the organisation takes responsibility for that organisation. If somebody does something wrong there are disciplinary measures.... Stealing, it's thievery as Kyle says is one thing, but doing when it potentially results to death of fellow citizens is just not acceptable. It's just not," Jane said. The duo slammed the KEMSA for violating clear procurement laws in the guise of an emergency called for speedy investigation into the matter. EACC probe The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission noted that other than inflating the costs, the multi-billion tender was hurriedly and unilaterally issued to a company known as Kilig limited by directors who claimed the PPEs were urgently needed. According to the questionable tender, Kilig Limited was tasked to procure 450,000 kits, each valued at KSh.9,000 against the market price of KSh 4,500. The drug supplier argued it had ordered for quality kits whose price was higher. Details showed KEMSA procured 5,000 N95 (1860) masks at an exaggerated price of KSh 1, 300 per piece against the market price of KSh 700. The agency also bought KN95 masks at KSh 700 per piece against the prevailing market price of KSh 450. Disposable surgical masks were procured at KSh 90 per piece against the market price of KSh 50. The tenders were awarded to friends, families and business associates and were brokered by senior KEMSA officials in total disregarded of procurement policies. Further, KEMSA procured 5,000 N95 (1860) masks at an exaggerated price of KSh 1, 300 per piece against the market price of KSh 700. 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 grandmother sold me to men for beans and maize in exchange for sex | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday asked the Manipur government to bring back normalcy in the state by removing the economic blockade imposed by a Naga group on its highway as he embarks on a day-long visit to Manipur. There is a constitutional duty of the state government to bring back normalcy and they should ensure that there is no blockade along the highway, Rijiju told PTI. Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said the ground situation in Manipur continues to be worrisome and the Central government wants that law and order prevail in the state. Also read | Delegation of BJP meets Home Minister Rajnath Singh over Manipur blockade The curfew has been relaxed in part of Imphal till 9pm on Friday. I will talk to the state government and will try to find out a solution, he said. Rijiju said the prices of essential commodities have gone up due to the economic blockade and people have been suffering a lot. So we want the problem to resolve as early as possible, he added. Also read | MC Mary Kom urges Govt to resolve Manipur economic blocade Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh that there has been extremely distressing situation caused by the continuous blockade of National Highway-2, which has caused an acute shortage of essential and other goods in Manipur and breakdown of law and order. The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since November 1 after United Naga Council (UNC) imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifeline for the state. Also read | Nagaland Chief Minister seeks central government's intervention in current Manipur situation For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SCHENECTADY A memorial honoring two mothers in their 30s - who authorities say were the innocent victims of gun violence - and a 26-year-old man who died of injuries he suffered in a motorcycle wreck is slated to be unveiled Saturday. Joshua Toomer, Ieasha Merritt and Jennifer Ostrander all lived in Mont Pleasant, according to Janae Torres, who along with her husband are members of the Bridge Christian Church. On Friday, Torres admired the three large photos of Merritt, Ostrander and Toomer under the words In Loving Memory Of that will soon grace the Crane Street churchs front lawn behind a large replica of the cross. I love it because all these pictures show their face and personality, said Torres. I can see them for the pureness of their heart. Once up, the display will be covered with a plexiglass-like covering to protect it from the elements. Anyone who has lost a friend of relative to violence will be allowed to add their name and a message to a second large display besides the main one. Torres, who herself lives in Mont Pleasant, came up with the idea for the memorial, which also features the day the three victims were born and the day they died. Ostrander would have turned 32 this past Tuesday while Merritt would have celebrated her 35th birthday Friday. Ostrander, a mother of six, was gunned as she sat on the porch of her Sixth Avenue home during the late-night hours of Aug. 2. Merritt,who has an teenage son and was pregnant, was shot outside an illegal after-hours nightclub during the early morning hours of July 5. Police have charged a 17- and 21-year-old, both from Middletown, with Ostranders killing. No arrests have been made in Merritt's slaying. James Bookhout, pastor of the the Bridge Christian Church, said he has spoken with city and police officials about some of the problems along Crane Street, a once flourishing business area that has fallen on harder times. Bookhout, president of the Mont Pleasant Merchants Association, complained about loitering in front of a few corner stores along the street's business corridor. There are certain stores on this street that attract the clientele that brings trouble to our streets and if we could work with these businesses and they could really affirm that they want to see their community change, thats where its all going to start and finish because we cant do it as a church, we cant do it with one or two businesses, weve got to stand together as one, he said. Bookhout faulted the hardships brought on by COVID-19 for the reversal of fortunes for a business area that not long ago seemed to making a comeback. We have seen a decline, we have seen more criminal activity come in to the area, he said, adding that he suspects some of the troublemakers seemed to be from outside the community. Bookhout urged merchants to put aside their fear of reprisals and call the police when they see illegal activity. Basmattie and Ravi Singh own two businesses, Shreya's Exclusive and Elegant Curtains and Boutique along Crane Street. Basmattie Singh said that people generally don't bother her and that she hasn't had any major problems but there have been a few times she has had to close up shop at the boutique when the crowds outside get boisterous. "I turn my key, lock my door, and I don't come out," said Singh, vice president of Mont Pleasant Merchants Association. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Bookhout said hes also noticed a drop off in police patrols and that the cops arent as visible as they once were. Police did not return calls Friday seeking comment. In the past, the department has had so-called targeted enforcement aimed at loitering along Crane Street. Torres said the root causes of the gun violence in the neighborhood are a lack of adult supervision and activities for youngsters to keep them busy and out of trouble. We need something for them to continually be doing because I think theyre acting out because they want to be heard in some way, she added, adding theyre just looking for love. Though she didnt know Toomer personally, Torres said he was a tattoo artist, father, and familiar face along Crane. Toomer died July 20 of injuries he suffered from a motorcycle wreck on Crane Street, authorities said. Pat Smith, president of the Mont Pleasant Neighborhood Association, said Friday that part of the problem is that landlords are not maintaining their residential property off Crane Street like they should and they're not properly screening potential tenants. "It's probably not as good as it should be, and it was getting better," she said.. Despite all its challenges, Bookhout and Torres remain hopeful better days are ahead for Crane Street. During a stroll Friday along Crane Street, a man folding his clothes at the laundromat greeted Bookhout and asked him if he has a lawnmower he could give him. Bookhout replied that he has an older one that may need some work that the guy could have. Were sending a message to everybody in our community that we care for them, we want to make them feel comfortable if they want to come to us, said Bookhout. This is all about loving our neighborhood and the theme of what were doing here is, bring peace to our streets. Mumbaiites have welcomed their favourite festival with many families making eco-friendly idols at home. They have also stuck to simple paper flower decorations instead of using fresh flowers. While some have made idols out of chocolates and other sweet dishes, others have used clay in order to celebrate the festival in the safest way. Sumeet Patil, a Dadar resident, created Ganpati idol from quilts. Patil, an art director by profession, said: We usually forget about the unused stuff at home that can be utilized in a creative manner...I just took a month to convert my idea into reality. Baker Neha Divekar, whose son was stuck in Paris due to the pandemic, decided to celebrate the festival for the first time by installing Ganpati idol at home after his return home in June. I knew that I wanted to install the idol but at the same time I was sure that I was not going to leave home to buy an idol. This is why I decided to attend an online class to learn to make an eco-friendly Ganpati so that the idol can be immersed at home itself. No guests have been invited.., she said. Pranali Sahasrabudhe, a professor and a Vile Parle-East resident, said, I have been installing eco-friendly Ganpati at home for four years now, but this is the first time that I have not used any decoration material that needed to be bought. So much so that all my flowers are made from papers available at home so that I dont have to enter a market place to buy them. Moreover, I have even asked my extended family to remain at home and have assured them to video call during the aarti. The citys latest plea to the judge prompted Omaha fire union attorney John Corrigan to ask two questions Friday: 1. What part of frivolous does the city not understand? 2. Is the city simply trying to string matters along to punish LeClair and keep him off the job? Its not likely that the court, a few weeks later, is going to go, Youre right, I was totally wrong, Corrigan said. I dont know what theyre doing if theyre thinking they want to buy time to keep LeClair out of work as long as they possibly can? The city is simply exercising its rights for review, said Heidi Guttau, an attorney at the Baird Holm law firm, which is handling the matter on behalf of the city. The citys motion argues that the arbitrator exceeded her authority and improperly reduced LeClairs punishment, an argument Retelsdorf previously rejected. Former CIA Director John Brennan was interviewed Friday by US Attorney John Durham's team as part of its inquiry into the investigators and intelligence officials behind the 2016 Russia election interference probe. The interview took place at CIA headquarters and lasted for eight hours, said Nick Shapiro, Brennan's former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser. 'Brennan was informed by Mr. Durham that he is not a subject or a target of a criminal investigation and that he is only a witness to events that are under review,' Shapiro said in a statement. Brennan led the CIA under the Obama administration as it and other intelligence agencies arrived at the conclusion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump. Former CIA Director John Brennan (left) was interviewed Friday by US Attorney John Durham's (right) team as part of its inquiry into the investigators and intelligence officials behind the 2016 Russia election interference probe Durham's interest in speaking with Brennan underscores the extent to which he and his team are continuing to examine how US intelligence officials reached that assessment, which Trump has long resisted. Brennan appeared voluntarily for the interview and has previously said he welcomed the chance to be questioned and felt he had nothing to hide. 'And so I look forward to the day when the truth is going to come out and the individuals who have mischaracterized what has happened in the past will be shown to have deceived the American people,' Brennan said in a May interview on MSNBC. During the interview, Brennan offered details on the efforts made by the intelligence community to 'understand and disrupt' Russia's efforts to interfere in the election, and answered questions related to a 'wide range of intelligence activities' undertaken by the CIA in the run-up to November 2016, Shapiro said. He also answered questions about the January 2017 intelligence community assessment that blamed Russia for the interference. A spokesman for Durham declined to comment Friday. Attorney General William Barr last year appointed Durham, the US attorney for Connecticut, to examine the decisions that were made by government officials as they investigated ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Exhaustive reports by former special counsel Robert Mueller and the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee have detailed extensive ties between Russians and Trump associates during the 2016 campaign, but Barr has challenged the idea that the FBI had sufficient basis to open its counterintelligence investigation and gave Durham a mandate that empowered him to look into the actions of other agencies too. Guilty: Earlier this week, it was learned that Kevin Clinesmith, a former junior attorney at the FBI, is pleading guilty to altering a CIA email when he was an FBI lawyer. It was used to gain a FISA warrant to eavesdrop on Carter Page Brennan questioned why the CIA's findings and tradecraft were now being scrutinized by the Justice Department given that the Mueller report and the bipartisan Senate report validated the conclusions of Russian interference, Shapiro said. GUILTY LAWYER SENT ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS TO A 'LOVER' TOO Kevin Clinesmith was referred to as 'Attorney 2' in a 2018 Inspector General report, which described in detail anti-Trump text messages he sent to an unnamed lover while the campaign was in full swing. Clinesmith in the 2018 report expressed his disdain for the incoming President Trump with the phrase 'Viva le resistance' and opined that then-Vice President-Elect Mike Pence was 'stupid.' His lover texted back: 'Screw you Trump,' and added that Hillary Clinton 'better win ... otherwise i'm gonna be walking around with both of my guns.' She also labeled Trump's supporters in Ohio 'retarded,' and in a fit of pique over being asked to work on Inauguration Day, she added: 'F*** Trump.' Special Counsel Robert Mueller later fired Clinesmith for his anti-Trump bias, citing the lawyer's comment to another official after the 2016 that 'the crazies won finally.' Advertisement 'Brennan also told Mr. Durham that the repeated efforts of Donald Trump and William Barr to politicize Mr. Durham's work have been appalling and have tarnished the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice, making it very difficult for Department of Justice professionals to carry out their responsibilities,' according to Shapiro's statement. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined to comment. Brennan, who has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump, testified before Congress in 2017 that he had personally warned Russia against interfering in the election and that he was so concerned about Russia's contacts with people involved in Trump's campaign that he convened top counterintelligence officials to focus on the issue. He told the House intelligence committee at that hearing that it 'should be clear to everyone that Russia brazenly interfered in our 2016 present election process,' though he said he didn't have enough information to know whether it was colluding with the campaign. 'But,' he said, 'I know there was a basis to have individuals pull those threads.' Mueller's investigation found that the Trump campaign embraced Russia's help and expected to benefit from it, though he did not allege a criminal conspiracy between the two. Durham brought his first criminal charge last week against a former FBI lawyer accused of altering an email related to the secret surveillance of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The attorney, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a false statement charge. South Dakotans whose COVID-19 status and other personal information was collected by state agencies may be subject to a data breach that is under federal investigation. FBI is investigating a data breach believed to have compromised the identities of people in South Dakota who were infected with the novel coronavirus and went on to develop the illness COVID-19. The South Dakota state agency notifying potential breach victims said the exposed files didn't include any financial information, Social Security numbers or passwords. The Rapid City Journal reported Friday the South Dakota Fusion Center sent a letter to people who may have been affected by the June 19 data breach. "The letter, dated Monday, says the state's fusion center used Netsential.com's services to build a secure online portal this spring to help first responders identify people who had tested positive for the coronavirus so they could take precautions while responding to emergency calls," reports AP: The South Dakota letter said police in the state weren't given names but could call a dispatcher to verify positive cases. Houston-based Netsential added labels to the files that might allow a third-party to identify patients, the letter said, and the breach could have compromised people's names, addresses and virus status. "This information may continue to be available on various internet sites that link to files from the Netsential breach," the letter said. Netsential hosted the websites of more than 200 U.S., law enforcement agencies, most of them fusion centers like the South Dakota one affected. The company confirmed in June that its server had been breached. The server was the source for a trove of files, dubbed BlueLeaks, that were shared online by a transparency collective called DDoSecrets. The collective said it had obtained them from a hacker who said they were sympathetic to anti-racism protesters. Read more at the Rapid City Journal (SD): FBI investigating South Dakota COVID-19 patient data breach [reporting by iandhara Bonnet and Arielle Zionts] And at the Associated Press: FBI investigating COVID-19 data breach in South Dakota Confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by nearly 25 percent in just two days, going from 208 Thursday to 257 on Saturday, according to numbers from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The increase comes amid reports that CMU students are gathering in large numbers at off-campus numbers and that the university isnt testing anyone. Meanwhile, the county clerks office closed due to a case involving an employees family member will reopen after everyone in the office tested negative. Media outlets have reported that as of Friday that 38 students tested positive in less than a week. That number was old by the time it was published. The MDHHSs daily update, usually posted around 3 p.m. was delayed until 6 p.m. and showed that the countys cases had increased by 37 in less than 24 hours. Another 12 cases were reported from Friday to Saturday afternoon, a 23.5 percent increase. Another 41 people are reported as probable, an increase of 46 percent 13 over two days. On Friday, the Central Michigan District Health Department issued a statement to the public identifying the large increase as mostly students who have attended larger gatherings. If you have been to a large party or social gathering or live in a setting that makes spatial distancing difficult, either affiliated or non-affiliated with a registered student organization since returning to the Mt. Pleasant community, CMDHD encourages you to monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 and consider getting tested, it said. Information on testing locations is available by calling 211 or by visiting www.michigan.gov/coronavirustest Video circulated Friday of a large gathering of students Thursday night, dispersed by officers from CMU Police and Mt. Pleasant, many without masks. Friday, Tony Voisin, CMUs associate vice president for student affairs, sent an email threatening to fine or suspend students who violate university rules on hosting nuisance parties. Without fail, at other institutions nationwide, large weekend parties have resulted in an increase in positive COVID-19 diagnoses and in some, the shutdown of their entire campuses, it read. The actions of a few selfish students have ruined an entire year for thousands of their peers. The same will happen here at CMU if students continue to engage in this type of reckless, irresponsible behavior. The video was taken by Gordon Meier, a Grand Blanc junior who told a CM Life reporter that approximately 100 people attended the party outside the apartment complex. It wasnt the first time that a CMU student reported on social media that students were breaking COVID rules. Last week, a video was posted from inside the quarantine residence hall purportedly of students planning to leave the hall despite rules requiring that they stay put. CMUs offiicial Twitter account said that the university was investigating it. Nine people have died from COVID-19 in Isabella County and another 15 have required hospitalization at some point during their illness. Across the six counties of the Central Michigan District Health Department Isabella, Clare, Osceola, Roscommon, Gladwin and Arenac people between 20-49 years old have accounted for 22.6 percent of all hospitalizations. READ MORE: A mail truck bearing the blue and white eagle of the United States Postal Service gave a honk as it passed several Billings residents in front of the downtown post office Saturday carrying signs that read Postal History Is American History, Restore Machines and Stop The Sabotage Of Our Post Office. About a dozen people gathered at the First Avenue North location, joining thousands of others in nationwide rallies voicing support of an institution that predates the U.S. Constitution. The rallies stem from cuts to equipment and personnel, and changes in delivery schedules spearheaded by new U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The regulations that DeJoy has said are meant to make the organization financially solvent have been perceived by many as a threat to those who depend on the USPS for letters from family, prescriptions and their vote in local and national elections. I take it personally. I do, because as you can see on my sign, postal history is American history, and if we destroy the post office, for me, that starts the destruction of our democracy, said Katherine Jabs, who helped to organize the rally in Billings. Former Full House actor Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli have been sentenced to prison terms of two months and five months, respectively, for participating in a US college admissions fraud scheme. Loughlin choked up as she apologised to US District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston for the awful decision she made to help her daughters gain an unfair advantage in the college admissions process and get into their preferred school. Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in May. I am truly, profoundly and deeply sorry, and I need to face the consequences and make amends, she said during a hearing held via videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic. Judge Gorton also ordered Loughlin and Giannulli to pay fines of $US150,000 ($209,000) and $US250,000 ($349,000) respectively, and complete 100 and 250 hours of community service. We can only hope that you will spend the rest of your charmed life, as youve said you will, making amends for the system that you have harmed, the judge said. Defence lawyer BJ Trach said the case had devastating effects on Loughlins career, leading to her losing multi-year acting contracts. She has become intertwined with the college admissions scandal, he said. Loughlin also made several appearances on the Netflix sequel series Fuller House. Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives, American Crime) was sentenced to 14 days prison last September after pleading guilty in the same scandal. Source: ABC The former chief minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founder, Shibu Soren, along with his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. The information regarding the senior leader and his wifes testing positive was shared by son and incumbent Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren through Twitter. Hemant stated that the results of his parents had come in last night, on Friday, following which they are under home isolation and are recovering from the disease. Hemants tweet, roughly translated from Hindi, on Saturday read that last night his respected father Dishom Guru (Shibu Soren) and mothers corona infection report came out positive, both were in home isolation and their health was recovering. He added that with the wishes of the people of the country and Jharkhand very soon both father and mother would be amongst us. Shibu Soren is credited with the founding of JMM and for spearheading the movement for the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar. He has also served as a Cabinet Minister in the Centre during the UPA-I rule. Also read: Suspected ISIS operative nabbed in Delhi: NSG commandos, bomb squad to analyse recovered IEDs Also read: Kejriwal consults hotel associations on raising hotel industry, Delhis economy Earlier in July, Hemant and wife Kalpana Soren had got themselves tested for the infection after one of the ministers in his Cabinet and another JMM lawmaker, whom he had been in contact with tested positive. Their results had, however, come out negative. Also read: India registers 62k+ single-day Covid-19 recoveries, case count crosses 29 lakh mark The government vowed Saturday to protect Nobel peace laureate Denis Mukwege and investigate death threats against him after he called for an international court to try crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. DR Congo's president Felix Tshisekedi pledged that the interior, security and justice ministers and others would "take all measures necessary to ensure Dr Mukwege's security" and "open investigations", the cabinet said in a report, without giving detail. Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecologist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for his work against sexual violence in war, and his relatives have been the target of "intimidation, hateful messages and death threats," it said. This has occurred while he has "pleaded for peace in the country's east, by proposing the establishment of an international criminal court for the DRC in order to try the serious crimes committed there against the civilian population," it said. On July 26, in a message on his Twitter account, Mukwege wrote "these are the same ones who are still killing in the DRC", referring to a massacre in the east. Civilians in Kipupu, a village in South Kivu on the Fizi heights overlooking Lake Tanganyika, came under attack on July 16, with the death toll ranging widely between 18 and 220. "The macabre stories from Kipupu are in a straight line from the massacres that have hit the DRC since 1996," the peace prize winner said in a tweet. The area has seen violence between the Banyamulenge community -- the descendants of ethnic Tutsi migrants who came from Rwanda -- and other local communities such as the Babembe for the past year. In early 1996, the first Congo war erupted, led by a rebellion backed by regular troops from several neighbouring countries, particularly Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. The second Congo war that took place from 1998 until 2003 involved a dozen armies from the region, 30 armed groups and two main rebellions: one in the east supported by Rwanda and another in the north backed by Uganda. Doctor Mukwege, director of the Panzi hospital that cares for women raped in South Kivu, managed to survive an attack by assailants targeting his home in October 2012. A California court has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $44,100 to Stephanie Clifford, the adult-film actress known as Stormy Daniels, to cover her legal fees regarding their dispute over a nondisclosure agreement. California Superior Court Judge Robert Broadbelt filed his order Monday but it was only posted online Friday by Cliffords attorneys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clifford claims she had an affair with Trump, which he denies, from 2006 to 2007. She signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2016 in exchange for a $130,000 payment that was made by Michael Cohen, who was Trumps personal attorney at the time. Trump had claimed he knew nothing of the nondisclosure agreement but Cohen later said that wasnt true and alleged that he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization for the payment. Trump later changed his story and acknowledged the payment but said it was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair. Clifford had filed a lawsuit against Trump in 2018 seeking to be released from the agreement. The president and his lawyers later agreed they wouldnt sue or enforce the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Even though Cliffords lawsuit was dismissed because the agreement was deemed to be unenforceable, she still tried to get reimbursed for attorneys fees and other costs related to the case. Broadbelt ruled that even though the case was dismissed, Clifford was entitled to legal fees because she was the prevailing party under California law. Trumps attorneys had tried to argue that the president was not liable for the legal fees because he had not signed the nondisclosure agreement but Brodbelt rejected that argument in part because of Trumps reimbursement to Cohen. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. Legendary Nigerian Musician and entertainer, Majekodunmi Fashek, popularly known by the stage name, Majek Fashek, has reported been buried in New York, United States. According to reports, Majek Fashek was laid to rest on Friday, August 21, 2020, in an event that was only attended by members of the artistes immediate family. It was gathered that attempts were made to raise funds to fly his body to Nigeria, but the efforts proved abortive due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, the first child of the music legend, Randy, had revealed that his late father would be privately buried in the US, none of the artistes family members have confirmed if he had been laid to rest yesterday or not. KanyiDaily recalls that Majek Fashek had died three months ago at the age of 57 as a result of cancer related illness in the US. KAMPALA The Commander Land Forces of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, has flagged off the seventh United Nations Guard Unit (UNGU VII) to Somalia. The Guard Unit comprising of over 600 peacekeepers is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Odikiro. The function took place at UPDFs Peace Support Operations and Training Center (PSO-TC) in Singo, Nakaseke District. Lt Gen Elwelu informed the UPDF Officers and Militants Under UNGU VII that the first five UNGU deployments in Somalia have done a commendable job in Somalia and made Uganda proud. He urged them to maintain the standards through selfless service, doing their tasks to the required standards, and being disciplined. You will be required to serve above self, do excellent work and keenly follow the Standing Operating Procedures as well as observing all the UN standard behaviors that include but are not limited to saying NO to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) in your working environment, said Lt Gen Peter Elwelu. He cautioned the Officers and militants to ensure that Ugandas UNGU in Somalia is not added to the UN list of missions with a record of violations. Cases of SEA and other forms of violation of ideals have been reported in many UN missions across the globe. However, the records of Ugandas first five UNGU deployments in Somalia are good. Maintain this image or even do better works to further polish Ugandas image in UN missions, said Lt Gen Elwelu. He added that: Uganda is privileged to be selected by the UN to contribute a Guard Unit. There have not been many Guard Units in the history of the UN. It would therefore be very disheartening to Ugandans to hear that their representatives in UNGU VII are involved in violations. The Commandant of PSO-TC Brig Gen Bony Wolimbwa said UNGU VII will deploy in a phased manner based on UN and World Health Organizations guidelines on prevention and control of COVID-19. The flag off ceremony was attended by principle Staff Officers of PSO-TC and Commanders of the thirtieth and thirty first Battle Groups who are also at PSO-TC on standby for deployment to Somalia but are still affected by the current suspension of rotation for troops under African Union deployment following the COVID-19 pandemic. Related She recently split from Scott Disick 'for good,' after three years of dating. But Sofia Richie seemed to be keeping her mind busy and off the split as she was spotted paddleboarding on Friday. The 21-year-old model hit the water in Malibu, in a shorts style wetsuit as she tried to steady herself on the board but ultimately fell into the water. Beach babe: Sofia Richie seemed to be keeping her mind busy and off her recent split from Scott Disick as she was spotted paddleboarding on Friday in Malibu Bracing for the cold temperatures of the Pacific Ocean she wore a black zip-up wet suit with short bottoms. The long sleeves and shorts highlighted her toned and curvy figure as she walked back to her Malibu beach house. She left her golden brown and blonde highlighted hair down as she hit the water but was sure to carry an orange scrunchie on her wrist. Short suit: The 21-year-old model hit the water in Malibu, in a shorts style wetsuit Details: The long sleeves and shorts highlighted her toned and curvy figure as she walked back to her Malibu beach house. She left her golden brown and blonde highlighted hair down as she hit the water but was sure to carry an orange scrunchie on her wrist She was joined by a male friend on her large blue paddleboard out in the water. Meanwhile, two friends sat on a green board nearby, they seemed to have fun relaxing on the boards. A friend seemed to jump off of the board he and Sofia shared, causing her to topple into the water. Hitting the water: Meanwhile, two friends sat on a green board nearby, they seemed to have fun relaxing on the boards Two in one: She was joined by a male friend on her large blue paddleboard out in the water Wiping out: A friend seemed to jump off of the board he and Sofia shared, causing her to topple into the water After falling into the water she headed back to shore with a female friend. Her outing comes a day after it was reported she and Scott are 'no longer speaking.' The 37-year-old TV star and Sofia are reported to have ended their turbulent romance, and they are now no longer on speaking terms after 'Scott officially called it off'. 'They have been off and on for two months,' said a source to E! News. 'Sofia really pushed to make things work between them after they initially broke up, but Scott officially called it off recently and they are no longer speaking.' Attacked: Luckily the paddle was strapped to the board as it crashed into the water Getting back up: A friend helped her flip the board back over from the water Heading back: After falling into the water she headed back to shore with a female friend The insider also claimed that their age difference ultimately became an issue for the celebrity duo. The source explained: 'Friends attributed their 15-year age difference becoming an issue. 'He's in a very much different place in his life, really focused on a more quiet lifestyle, his kids and his investment businesses. And Sofia, at 21 years, really still trying to figure what she wants to do which drove them apart over time.' Not speaking: Her outing comes a day after it was reported she and Scott are 'no longer speaking' Too many years apart: The insider also claimed that their age difference ultimately became an issue for the celebrity duo. The source explained: 'Friends attributed their 15-year age difference becoming an issue. Seen in February Scott and Sofia have previously split and then quickly reconciled their differences. But on this occasion, it appears their relationship is over for good. The insider said: 'Scott was very clear with his decision to end things and doesn't see them getting back together again in the future.' Meanwhile, Scott and Sofia - who first started dating in 2017 - were said to be taking things 'day by day' back in July. Malta is a small island - and Valletta is the smallest capital in the EU. But now the former British colony is getting a planet-sized chunk of attention. Later this month, the Duchess of Cambridge will represent the Queen on her first official overseas trip without Prince William (or Prince George) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Maltese independence. Already the island has gone Kate-crazy. People could talk of little else as I travelled around Malta and its neighbour, Gozo. Scroll down for video In the spotlight: The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Maltas pretty capital, Valletta Red letter day: The Duchess will feel at home on Malta, where 150 years of British rule have left their mark Leaving the family behind: Kate and William took Prince George to New Zealand and Australia in July but this time the Duchess will travel solo As if that wasn't enough, Brangelina - the newly wed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - have been in Gozo filming By The Sea, written by Jolie. The couple took over the secluded pebble beach of Mgarr ix-Xini. Brangelina - the newly wed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - have been in Gozo filming By The Sea, written by Jolie. The couple took over the secluded pebble beach of Mgarr ix-Xini. The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Solomon Islands as part of a Diamond Jubilee Tour in 2012 Kate and William received a warm welcome when they visited a primary school in the Solomon Islands in 2012 Short hop: A 25-minute ferry takes passengers across the channel that separates the islands The Duchess will feel at home on Malta, where 150 years of British rule have left their mark. The Maltese drive on the left, British phone and post boxes are everywhere, there's even a M&S in Valletta - and they still use three-pin electric plugs. What's more, Malta has been held in great affection by the Queen for nearly 70 years. Between 1949 and 1951, as Princess Elizabeth, she lived just outside Valletta, when Prince Philip was stationed there as a naval officer. Star attraction: Newly weds Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took over the pebble beach of Mgarr ix-Xini in Gozo Secluded spot: Brad and Angelina were in Gozo filming By The Sea, which was written by Jolie Angelina travelled to Malta ahead of Brad, who was finishing some promotion work for his upcoming film, Fury The links were strengthened during the war when the island came under Luftwaffe bombardment. It held out and was awarded the George Cross by George VI as a result. It's a pity the Duchess will be there for only two days - there's so much to see on these small, but fascinating islands. Malta is by far the larger of the two and the more crowded, while Gozo is the deserted, rural cousin. Do take the regular 25-minute ferry across the channel that separates the islands. Both are so rich in history that I swam off the golden-red sands of Ramla Bay, on northern Gozo, without realising its significance. Only later did I discover this was the beach where Odysseus, hero of Homer's Odyssey, was washed up, clinging on to a timber, the last fragment of his shipwrecked boat. He was given refuge in a nearby cave by Calypso, a drop-dead gorgeous nymph. He promptly hopped into bed with her. Calypso's Cave, on the hill overlooking the bay, was depressingly short on attractive nymphs. Back on Malta, Valletta was a delight. It's only a three-hour flight from London, but it feels tropical: a former British colony meets Italy meets Arab Africa. Sicily is only 50 miles north; Tunisia 176 miles west. Legendary beach: Odysseus, hero of Homer's Odyssey, was washed up on the golden-red sands of Ramla Bay Ornate: St John's Co-Cathedral in Valetta was built by the Knights of Malta from 1573 All that glitters: St John's Co-Cathedral is a blingy series of gilded rooms, studded with baroque monuments The city is built on a grid, like an early Manhattan, but there are no skyscrapers and all but essential traffic is banned. At its heart is St John's Co-Cathedral, built by the Knights of Malta from 1573. The knights from Italy, Provence, Auvergne and Aragon - competed to produce the most ornate chapels. The result is a blingy series of gilded rooms, studded with baroque monuments. The generous knights gave two Caravaggios, of St Jerome and The Beheading Of John The Baptist, to the cathedral. Both are still there. As a crucial naval port, Valletta once had a rackety side, concentrated on Strait Street, in the heart of the city. Nicknamed 'the Gut' by heavy drinking sailors, it was once thick with brothels, bars and seedy lodging houses. Charming: For a grander experience of Malta, stay at the Phoenicia, which the Queen and Prince Philip visited for naval parties when they lived on Malta Long friendship: The Queen is pictured on a state visit to Malta in 2005 These days, the Gut has cleaned up its act - I ate well at Palazzo Preca, a 16th-century palace at 54 Strait Street, run by the pretty, young Preca sisters, Ramona and Roberta. For a grander experience of Malta, stay at the Phoenicia, which the Queen and Prince Philip visited for naval parties when they lived on Malta. It has all the charms of a grand colonial hotel along with free wi-fi and excellent service. I can understand how Odysseus couldn't tear himself away from Malta and Gozo for seven years. You might find it just as difficult to leave. TRAVEL FACTS Double rooms at Phoenicia Hotel (00356 2291 1023, phoeniciamalta.com) from 100 room only. easyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Malta from Gatwick from 42 return. Advertisement After the recent release of over 80 hardcore Taliban prisoners, after the Loya Jirga assembled in Kabul gave the go-ahead for the release of the last of 400 Taliban prisoners, a temporary halt on the release of the remaining 320 prisoners is in effect, as a few more countries (France and Australia) shared the apprehensions of the Afghan government and public, that the prisoners in question had conducted serious violent attacks on Afghans and foreigners. The release was part of a peace agreement signed between the Taliban and the US on February 29 this year to clear the last hurdle for the beginning of intra-Afghan talks, to give peace a chance in Afghanistan. A quick announcement of US withdrawal of another 4,000 troops, post Loya Jirga's decision, indicated US fulfilment of its obligations as per the deal. The US may commend its Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, the architect of the deal for allowing the US to withdraw its forces and end its longest-ever war, but the fact is that the Taliban controls more territory in Afghanistan now than at the time when the US entered the war, and the terror groups like al Qaeda, Islamic State (IS), Haqqani Network co-exist with Taliban, with an opportunity to bounce back, if not be adequately in control. The peace deal does not guarantee success of intra-Afghan dialogue; hence all stakeholders have to wait and see its progress with hope, as well as apprehension. Has US created strategic space for others? India, having made significant investments in Afghanistan, will always hope for an Afghan elected, Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process and a popular democratic government in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban continues to be a force to reckon with. The US-led invasion ousted the Taliban post September 11, 2001 attacks. After losing 2,400 US soldiers, tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban fighters and Afghan civilians and spending more than $1 trillion, a war fatigue of 19 years for peace of another country, is enough reason to pull out. Besides, there was President Trump's election promise to end the war. The Taliban's assurance of not allowing the use of the Afghan soil for terrorism seems too good to be true; hence the US defense chief indicated that it will not hesitate to nullify the deal if the Taliban failed to hold its promises as per the deal. The complete withdrawal of US forces will also amount to ceding the crucial strategic space to its competitors; hence the US has made adequate promise to help the Afghan government in combating the al-Qaeda/IS/Haqqani network to ensure that it does not become strong enough to strike its mainland again. The Afghan government had no choice but to go along with the deal due to lack of any leverage, as the Taliban refused to talk to them and the election results were not convincing enough to put them in the driver's seat; hence the intra-Afghan dialogue, through this route, was the only workable option for them. The Afghan National Security Forces still need much more capacity building to withstand inimical forces. It indirectly means that the US is considering some support to Afghan Forces, may be little air support and some troops, albeit in reduced strength to continue. Another compulsion of the US for such compromise could be to reduce some engagements of troops, as some more flash points are emerging for them in the dynamic international scenario post the COVID-19 pandemic. The new peace spoilers The Taliban and Pakistan's promise to renounce support to al-Qaeda and fighting ISIS is unrealistic, because ISKP, AQIS and Haqqani network are already active, with no visible disturbance from the Taliban and continued support from Pakistan. The Taliban will continue to use violence as a leverage for a better bargaining position even in intra-Afghan talks. The recent attack by ISKP on the Afghan prison housing Taliban prisoners amongst many others, the earlier attack on a Sikh Gurdwara resulting in heavy casualties, and the new Pakistani leader from the Haqqani network joining ISKP, indicates close linkages of all the terrorist groups, including Pakistan-based terror groups. A weak Afghan government has resulted in the conglomeration of a variety of terror groups in Afghanistan who have their own agenda and, hence, can be spoilers of peace any time. The Taliban will not sit quiet unless it gains power. Even if its leaders put up a facade of giving reasonable governance if brought into the power structure, its cadres are unlikely to settle down without Sharia rule. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border clash earlier this month along the Durand Line, which is apparently being unilaterally fenced, in the light of a weak Afghan government, could be a quick gain for Pakistan, but will remain a friction point in the long run as it divides Pashtuns. A strong Taliban suits Pakistan, as it helped in its survival and shrinks Indian space in Afghanistan. It may, however, have its own limitations as the Taliban did not make any concessions to Pakistan on the Durand Line, even when they were in power. The reconciliation of all factions within Afghanistan is also as difficult as change of behaviour of Taliban. New concerns for India The Chinese are keen to extend the BRI to Afghanistan to get an alternate axis to warm water in Gulf should the CPEC face problems, besides exploiting mineral wealth of Afghanistan. China has been actively involved with the Taliban during the peace process. Iran is economically weak and needs Chinese support. The China-Iran strategic partnership fructifying the $400 billion deal may be an impediment for Indian entry routes into Afghanistan through Chabahar and further connectivity to International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), although Iran has not given any signals of disruption of these projects. From the Indian point of view, it may not be a happy situation in the light of its heavy investments. India is in touch with Russia, whose interests do converge with India's in this region, being a stakeholder in INSTC for connectivity with CAR and Eurasia. INSTC, through Afghanistan, is the shortest route for CAR to warm water, hence they will prefer it over Sino-Pakistan offer of connectivity through CPEC. India has to be watchful of the Iran-Pakistan-China axis developing in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan, with tentacles in the form of terror groups inside it. India has to be concerned about the growing strength and manoeuvring space of ISKP and AQIS, who have an agenda to increase their influence in the Indian subcontinent, although the Taliban has shown willingness to work with India and doesn't seem to have an anti-India agenda as of now. Since 2001, India has undertaken projects worth $3 billion in Afghanistan. Besides engaging with all stakeholders, including the Taliban, a watch on anti-India nexus of terror groups in Afghanistan is in India's national interest. India needs to exercise some smart diplomacy to convince the US that Indian engagement with Iran is as much essential to prevent loss of crucial strategic space of Afghanistan to China, as much as token presence of US troops there. The US is committed to withdraw some troops, but it remains to be seen whether this peace deal will work, or the US pull back will leave behind a stronger Taliban, growing IS, emerging AQIS, suffering population of Afghanistan and new challenges for India. (Maj Gen S.B. Asthana is a veteran infantry general and strategic analyst. The views expressed are personal and of the author, who retains the copyright. He can be reached at shashiasthana29@gmail.com and @asthana_shashi on twitter) Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell, has expressed his 'shock and disappointment' following violent scenes in Balbriggan, last week. Speaking following a weekend of disturbances, last week, Deputy Farrell said: 'Over the weekend a series of altercations and other wanton anti-social incidents between groups of youths took place in Balbriggan. These events left local residents concerned and anxious. 'I have been in contact with local Gardai and will be working to ensure that adequate resources are given to them, in order to tackle this problem. 'These incidents cannot be allowed to be repeated and should never be tolerated by wider society.' Deputy Farrell continued: 'This matter is being investigated by the Gardai and efforts are being made to identify those involved. 'I recognise the need for more Gardai in the area to reassure worried residents and will be contact the Department of Justice and Equality on this matter. 'While these events were severe, they speak to the wider problem of antisocial behaviour being experienced in many towns and cities in the country. To solve this problem, we will need engagement from stakeholders and youth groups as well as Government and Gardai.' Deputy Farrell added, 'By engaging with young people before they get involved in these types of behaviours, we can prevent such scenes reoccurring. 'Our community belongs to all of us and we should not allow any group to intimidate neighbours, friends and family members into feeling unsafe in their homes. We can and must do better.' Flash Belarus has been seeing mass protests after incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in the Aug. 6 elections, sparking worldwide attention and concern. The country's opposition, which gathers around presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, rejected the election results and accused the authorities of massive falsifications during the voting. The situation has triggered various reactions in the international community, with the United States and the European Union preparing to step in and other organizations and countries calling for constraint and urging outside forces not to interfere in Belarus' internal affairs. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is going to visit Russia and Lithuania soon to discuss the crisis in Belarus, Reuters reported Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto discussed the situation in Belarus over the phone Friday, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin statement said Putin reaffirmed Russia's stance that "meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and attempting to exert external pressure on the legitimate authorities are unacceptable." Finland expressed the hope that the situation in Belarus can return to normal as soon as possible, the statement added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei opposed external interference in the recent events in Belarus in a phone conversation Friday. "It was noted that the solution of the existing problems in Belarus is its internal affairs and it does not require external intervention and even more so instructions about who and how to conduct dialogue," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, Lavrov and Makei emphasized the need for all external forces to respect the sovereignty and independence of Belarus. They also underlined the necessity of dropping attempts to provoke confrontation in Belarusian society and undermine the normalization of the situation. Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia is ready to help resolve the situation in Belarus if its leadership wants it, but will not interfere in its internal affairs. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for restraint and calm in Belarus and called on Belarusians to address post-election grievances through dialogue to preserve peace in the country, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Thursday that the European Union (EU) facilitate a dialogue in Belarus along with other institutions and Russia. "We hope that this dialogue can be established by the Belarusians themselves. But the EU stands ready to accompany them -- if our role of mediation can be useful and desired by the Belarusians, with other institutions, notably the OSCE, and including Russia," said Macron. Macron made the remarks at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following their meeting at Macron's Mediterranean presidential retreat, Fort de Bregancon. Merkel said that Lukashenko "has not sought to speak" to any EU leaders. "It is clear we are telling Putin that we are seeking a dialogue," she added. China believes that Belarus can maintain political stability and social tranquility through its own efforts, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday at a press briefing. China has always respected the development path chosen by the Belarusian people and their efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, security and development, Zhao said. China is aware that the domestic situation in Belarus has become complicated, Zhao said, adding that "as good friends and partners, we do not hope that the situation in Belarus will escalate into chaos and oppose external forces triggering division and disturbances in Belarusian society." (Newser) A former Green Beret was collared Friday and accused of conspiring with Russian intelligence agents for over 15 years, the Hill reports. Peter Rafael Dzibinksi Debbins, 45, allegedly gave operatives of the GRURussia's foreign intelligence agencysensitive information between 1996 and 2011. That included "details of his unit" and the identities of "Special Forces team members for Russian intelligence to try to recruit as a spy," according to a senior US prosecutor. Debbins did have top secret security clearance while serving in the Army from 1998 to 2005, per the indictment, and deep family connections to Russia. NBC News reports that he met his wife there, his father-in-law once served as a Russian military officer, and his mother was born in the USSR. story continues below The indictment claims Russian intelligence agents began grooming Debbins in December 1996 when he was in Chelyabinsk for an independent study program. The agents allegedly gave him the code name "Ikar Lesnikov," taught him tradecraft, and had him sign a statement affirming his desire to serve Russia. They also persuaded him to take $1,000 along with a Russian military uniform and a bottle of cognac, per the Washington Post. Seems he wanted to quit the US Army but was told to stay. "Debbins thought that the United States was too dominant in the world and needed to be cut down to size," prosecutors say. The Virginia resident is charged with conspiracy to gather or deliver defense information to aid a foreign government and faces possible life in prison. (Read more Green Beret stories.) Ukrainian Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Resigns By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 21, 2020 KYIV -- The head of Ukraine's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office says he has resigned after five years in the post. Nazar Kholodnytskiy made the announcement in a Facebook post on August 21, saying he had quit of his own free will. "Today I can say with confidence that the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine will fulfill their mission," Kholodnytskiy wrote. "I thank my team for their dedication, honesty and integrity -- we do our job with dignity." He also said that his office has "systematically faced political attempts to encroach on our independence and manipulate the results of our work." Kholodnytskiy posted a copy of Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova's August 21 order to dismiss him "in connection with the application for voluntary dismissal." Kholodnytskiy, the first head of anti-corruption investigations at the prosecution service in Ukraine, has been embroiled in a scandal over allegations that he helped officials suspected of corruption evade prosecution. In July 2018, Ukraine's Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of Prosecutors (KDPK) rejected a request by the Prosecutor-General's Office to fire Kholodnytskiy and ruled to reprimand him. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected last year, has vowed to root out entrenched corruption that has plagued Ukraine for decades. In June, Ukrainian officials said they were offered $6 million in bribes to end a criminal investigation into the head of a gas company where the son of former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden served on the board. Kholodnytskiy, however, said that neither of the Bidens was connected to the alleged bribe attempt. The Burisma natural gas company was at the center of a scandal leading to U.S. President Donald Trump's impeachment trial earlier this year. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-anti-corruption- prosecutor-resigns-kholodyntskiy/30795677.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 Two Russian pranksters reportedly posed as Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg and her dad during a phone call with vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris and offered her damaging information about President Trump. Audio of the January phone call, which was obtained by The Sun, indicates that Harris had no idea that she was being duped by the two jokesters - Vladimir Vovan Kuznetsov and Alexey Lexus Stolyarov. During the three-and-a-half-minute call, Harris, the California senator who just weeks earlier had dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president, is heard accepting the call from Greta. Congratulations on all your leadership, Harris tells the pranksters. Kamala Harris (left), the California senator and Democratic nominee for vice president, was pranked by two Russian hoaxers - Vladimir 'Vovan' Kuznetsov (seen left in the image on the right) and Alexei 'Lexus' Stolyarov (seen right next to Kuznetsov) - in January, according to a report The two hoaxers posed as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (left), 17, and her father, Svante Thunberg (right). The two are seen above in New York in August 2019 Transcript of Kamala Harris prank call by two Russians posing as Greta Thunberg and her father STAFFER: Svante, I have you here with Senator Kamala Harris 'SVANTE': Ok KAMALA: Hi 'GRETA': Hi Kamala KAMALA: Hello Greta, congratulations on all of your leadership. I am so inspired by your courage and your voice. 'GRETA': Umm, it would be cool to support you in your campaign. What is the best way to do it? KAMALA: The best way to do it would be to talk about my climate plan. You know what I can do is, I can ask my policy team to follow up with you with more detail on what exactly would be helpful and what is something you would like to do. Then we can talk in more detail about how that can work and that would be very helpful, and I thank you for that. 'GRETA': We wrote to many politicians, but not many people respond. How sad it is. 'SVANTE': Recently, even President Putin said about you... 'GRETA': It wasnt what I wanted. KAMALA: Well it just highlights the need that we have to be active. There are forces working against our movement and we have to fight for these things. This is that moment, and you have been a great warrior in this cause. 'GRETA': I am so terrified of what Trump is doing, I even cannot eat or sleep when I see him on TV. That terrible meeting in the UN building in September, I have nightmares. I saw him in the corridor and shouted to him to sign the Paris climate agreement. He came over and he said softly to me "You will never achieve the goal".' KAMALA: No, but Greta 'GRETA': ...and he continued, he continued, he continued KAMALA: ...do not be discouraged, you have the ability to see what is possible in a way that many do not and there will be people who are going to work against progress. That is always the case, always in history there have been people who work against progress. Listen, nothing that has been achieved in this world that has been about progress came without a fight. This is the nature of it. 'GRETA': But it is very sick to behave like that - I mean President Trump KAMALA: Yes, it is similar to previous times in history when some people could not imagine how things can be different and then leaders did imagine and could see and lead. You have been a great leader, do not be deterred. 'SVANTE': Greta has a recorder always with her, and when it happened... GRETA: In my pocket, yes. 'SVANTE': ...it was on Gretas recorder. If you would like to get it, we can provide it. 'GRETA': Maybe this recording can help you. KAMALA: Thank you, that would be wonderful. 'GRETA': In my side, I can testify against this terrible man. KAMALA: Yes definitely, thank you so much. 'SVANTE': Thank you so much. KAMALA: I am sorry I have to hang up now, but Josh will follow up with you and we will stay in touch and work together. I look forward to working with you. 'SVANTE': We are in Canada now, but we will be in the US soon. KAMALA: Oh good, we should make a plan then. I would like that. 'SVANTE': I hope that you will not arrest us... KAMALA: ...no, no, no 'GRETA': ...I dont want to go to jail... 'SVANTE': .like some people do. KAMALA: I look forward to seeing you, be well, and Ill talk to you soon. Bye, bye. Advertisement Im so inspired by your courage and your voice. Greta then tells the senator: Umm, it would be cool to support you in your campaign. What is the best way to do it? Harris replies: The best way to do it would be to talk about my climate plan. You know what I can do is, I can ask my policy team to follow up with you with more detail on what exactly would be helpful and what is something you would like to do. Then we can talk in more detail about how that can work and that would be very helpful, and I thank you for that. When Greta and her father tell Harris that theyve written letters to many politicians but that not many people responded, the senator offered sympathy. Well it just highlights the need that we have to be active, Harris says. There are forces working against our movement and we have to fight for these things. This is that moment, and you have been a great warrior in this cause. The pranksters then appear to try and use their Greta persona to goad Harris into criticizing Trump. I am so terrified of what Trump is doing, I even cannot eat or sleep when I see him on TV, Harris is told by Greta. That terrible meeting in the UN building in September, I have nightmares. In the prank call, the hoaxers claim to have an audio recording of Trump whispering discouraging comments into Thunberg's ear during an encounter at the United Nations last year. Images of Thunberg's facial exprssion as she watched Trump upstage her big entrance at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York last year went viral I saw him in the corridor and shouted to him to sign the Paris climate agreement. He came over and he said softly to me you will never achieve the goal. Last year, Thunberg was photographed staring down President Trump as he spoke to reporters at the United Nations, which held a climate summit on that same day. Trump has been quoted as saying that climate change is a hoax. One of his first acts as president was to remove the United States from the Paris climate agreement, which aims to reduce the global carbon footprint. During the prank call with Harris, Greta recalled the negative experience with Trump, prompting the senator to offer encouragement. Do not be discouraged, you have the ability to see what is possible in a way that many do not and there will be people who are going to work against progress, Harris said. That is always the case, always in history there have been people who work against progress. Listen, nothing that has been achieved in this world that has been about progress came without a fight. This is the nature of it. Greta then replies: But it is very sick to behave like that - I mean President Trump To which Harris replies: Yes, it is similar to previous times in history when some people could not imagine how things can be different and then leaders did imagine and could see and lead. You have been a great leader, do not be deterred. Then, Gretas father tells Harris that his daughter used a hidden recorder to grab audio of Trump whispering in her ear. If you would like to get it, we can provide it, Svante tells Harris. In January, Representative Maxine Waters (left) was duped into thinking she was speaking with Thunberg (left) Greta then chimes in, saying: Maybe this recording can help you. To which Harris replies: Thank you, that would be wonderful. Greta then tells Harris: In my side, I can testify against this terrible man. Yes definitely, thank you so much, Harris replied. The senator then tells Greta and Svante that she needed to hang up and that one of her aides would follow up with them. This is at least the second time this year that the two Russian pranksters have pulled a fast one on a Democrat from California. In January, at around the same time as their prank call with Harris, Vovan and Lexus pulled the same stunt on House Rep. Maxine Waters. The House Financial Services Committee chairwoman is heard responding in shock as the supposed Swedish teenager recounts a fictional story about bumping into Trump at the UN Summit in New York. 'You'll never achieve your goals like those congressional fools who accuse me,' Vovan says in the voice of Thunberg emulating Trump. 'I'll tell you the truth: I really wanted to push the Ukraine president to put my competitor on trial. And he will go to trial with you, with [a bunch of] Democrats. . . . I would have a separate cage for all of you.' It prompts Waters to probe: 'Oh my god, he mentioned the Ukrainian president?' A prankster claiming to be the teenager's father even claims they have an audio recording they could share with the congresswoman. The hoax call includes Waters responding: 'If the public knew he talked to Greta like that, and that she will never achieve - that will go against him, too.' It's unclear when the phone call took place. The Russian duo say in a caption for the animated video posted Thursday that it's part of a 'project dedicated to global problems of modern society'. 'Vovan and Lexus discuss them with celebrities and politicians in order to find a solution together and save our planet,' the description reads, adding that in this episode they 'discuss the topic of harassment'. Earlier this year, the two Russian pranksters 'tricked' Prince Harry into believing they were climate change activist Greta Thunberg and her father Svante Kuznetsov, 30, and Stolyarov called Prince Harry twice on a landline at his home on Vancouver Island. The pair then allegedly animated the conversation and posted it on YouTube During the call, Prince Harry revealed his thoughts about Megxit. He and his wife, Meghan, are pictured in London in March Waters played down the wind-up which included the suggestion of a climate strike in support of the Chon-go-Chango island and began with a joke about Waters' nickname 'Auntie Maxine'. The call was dubbed likely to undermine US security. 'This was just another stupid prank by the same Russian operatives who have targeted many U.S. elected officials, including Rep. Adam B. Schiff, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, Sen. Mitch McConnell, and late-Senator John McCain, and international heads of state such as Emmanuel Macron. The end,' Waters told The Washington Post. The duo has denied they are agents of the Kremlin after past pranks went viral. In 2016 they told the Guardian they work for themselves, 'nobody else'. In February 2018, it was revealed that the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, was the victim of a prank phone call by the Russian comedians who offered to give him 'compromising' dirt on Trump including nude photos of the president and a Russian reality show star. On an audio recording of the prank call posted online, Adam Schiff can be heard discussing the committee's Russia investigation and increasingly bizarre allegations about Trump with a man who claimed to be Andriy Parubiy, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament. After the prank from a year before it was reported, his staff engaged in correspondence with what they thought was a Ukrainian politician to try to obtain the 'classified' material promised on the call. In May 2018, then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson spent 18 minutes on a phone call with the pranksters pretending to be the Armenian Prime Minister. Conservative Johnson sounded particularly startled when the pranksters claimed Vladimir Putin had revealed he was influencing Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn. In August 2019, Lindsey Graham fell victim to the Russian pranksters pretending to be the Turkish defense minister. Graham told the notorious cold callers in the call shared October that the Kurds are a 'threat' - contradicting his public statements that week condemning Trump. Earlier this year, the pranksters managed to trick Prince Harry into thinking he was conversing with Thunberg. During the prank call, the royal revealed his inner most thoughts about the decision by him and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to quit royal duties and move to North America. The TV drama Yellowstone is filled with nothing but cool people. Characters wearing dusty cowboy hats and uttering lines dripping with so much cool you pause the show and wonder if youve ever said anything in your life even half as badass as that. Theres Kevin Costners patriarchal character John Dutton who struts into a Montana restaurant and orders his steak by telling the dazzled waitress, Pull it outta the cooler, whisper fire and put it on my plate. Or shoots someone, then tells the dying man, If theres a heaven, and I sure hope so, this is your last chance to do something that just might get you in it. Kayce Dutton plays Costners son, whos a lot like his dad, only with a supersized since of honor Youll never meet a man whos killed more men than me, but I aint never murdered one. Never will. Hes also the cowboy philosopher of the family: Aint that the thing about problems? No matter how long youre gone, theyll be right here when you get back. No one has a sharper tongue than Beth Dutton, the self-loathing daughter who murders people with walk-off statements like, Youre the trailer park, Im the tornado. But, the real star of the show is Rip. He doesnt have as many prodigious quotes except when an overly excited barrel racer hops in his truck for a long road trip, asks what theyre going to listen to, and he doesnt blink. Instead, he stares straight ahead and mutters, the air conditioning. His character is so sublime, it takes a while for you to realize Rip is played by Cole Hauser. Cole Hauser, one of the skinheads from Higher Learning. Ben Affleck and Matt Damons drinking buddy in Good Will Hunting. That Cole Hauser. You mean to tell me Benny from Dazed and Confused grew up to be Rip? Paramount Pictures Give Hauser all the Emmys. The secret to Rips character is hes everything youd want to be. Cool voice, a little mysterious, doesnt start fights, but ends them. Rip and Yellowstone have been chugging along since 2018. Id hear whispers every now and again that I should saddle up, but everything Id seen about it featured Costner on a horse, and I was a child the last time I had interest in horses I cant wager on. Five months into a global pandemic, and now Im ready to live in a bunkhouse and run horses from one side of Montana to the other and fight any neer-do-well who gets in my way. The first two seasons of the show have been moved to NBCs streaming service Peacock, and because nothing can ever be easy, only the pilot episode is available on Peacocks free tier. If you want to watch the rest, you have to upgrade to premium and pay $5 a month or do what you can with a free seven-day trial. The current third season is free. So, I did what any cheap, opposite-of-a-Yellowstone character would do. I binged the entire series in that trial window and promptly dealt the bad news to Peacock by smashing that cancel button. And, thats what Im talking about. You think Rip would chain himself to the couch and race against a dwindling trial calendar just to save a measly $5? No, hed get in his truck and drive to the Peacock offices, throw his chewed-up toothpick at those suits and get as much time as he needed without having to enter so much as a single credit card number. But, Im no Rip. After this Sunday's season finale, Ill probably still ready to let him dip that Yellowstone branding iron into a fire and sizzle that Y brand directly over my heart, though. She recently returned from a sun-soaked getaway to Barbados with her husband and four children. And Coleen Rooney showed off her holiday tan as she stepped out for a rare date night with Wayne, 34, at The Ivy in Manchester on Saturday night. The WAG, 34, put on a leggy display in denim shorts which she teamed with a silky white blouse for the glamorous evening. Tanned: Coleen Rooney put on a leggy display in denim shorts for a date night with husband Wayne at The Ivy in Manchester on Saturday The star completed the going-out look with baby blue mules, a matching blue leather clutch bag and statement white earrings. She wore her dark tresses loose over her shoulders and opted for a glowing makeup look. Wayne looked casual in a green long-sleeved top and jeans as he joined his wife heading into the restaurant during a downpour. Stylish: The star completed the going-out look with baby blue mules, a matching blue leather clutch bag and statement white earrings Trendy: Wayne looked casual in a green long-sleeved top and jeans as he joined his wife heading into the restaurant Coleen had enjoyed several weeks in Barbados with her family, with current government rules stating those returning to the UK do not have to quarantine after travelling to the country. On Monday, Coleen was spotted heading into the Barbados airport with her family, though husband Wayne was absent, having flown home earlier to begin pre-season training with his current club Derby County. The sunshine break was no doubt needed for Coleen, who is currently engaged in an epic WAG war with Rebekah Vardy after she accused her of leaking stories to the press last year, a claim Rebekah vehemently denies. Radiant: She wore her dark tresses loose over her shoulders and opted for a glowing makeup look Legs for days: Coleen showed off her holiday tan as she stepped out for a date night with Wayne Coleen was also accused of leaking stories to the press by Rebekah earlier this month, after she told in a bombshell legal document how she had been left suicidal by the accusation that she had leaked stories about Coleen and her family. She also claimed in the document drawn up for her libel battle against Coleen that the stress of the scandal had left her fearful of losing her unborn baby and suffering panic attacks that made her too scared to leave her home. The I'm A Celeb star complained of being made a 'scapegoat' by her rival seeking to blame her for stories appearing when in the past Coleen had approved of her friends leaking gossip about her. Bad weather: The couple were joined by several friends for the outing and were shielded from the rain by a man holding an umbrella Night out: Coleen no doubt needed the night out after her recent drama with WAG Rebekah Vardy Stepping out: Wayne looked annoyed that he had been caught in the rain on Saturday The document says Rebekah believes she 'has deliberately been made a scapegoat (sic) by the Defendant (Coleen) for past 'leaked' stories.' It points to previous stories about Coleen and Wayne with some 'in particular about their marriage, which have in fact come from the Defendant's friends, at times even with the Defendant's approval.' Rebekah describes in her document how Coleen's public denunciation of her on Instagram while she was seven months pregnant had 'gravely injured her reputation'. Detailing how Coleen had 'caused her enormous distress and very extreme embarrassment', she disclosed how she had been bombarded with abuse on social media. Friendly: Coleen stopped to chat to some friends as she headed into the restaurant in Manchester Date night: Wayne and Coleen were seen arriving at The Ivy in Spinningfields Manchester for dinner on Saturday Fun in the sun: She recently enjoyed a sunny getaway to Barbados with her husband Wayne and their four sons Kai, 10, Klay, seven, Kit, four and Cass, two The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Friday the latest round of trade talks with Britain was at a stalemate and a deal at this time looks "unlikely." Speaking at a news conference in Brussels following the conclusion of the seventh round of trade talks, Barnier said the talks bogged down again on a few key issues, mainly fishing rights and competition rules. He said those hoping for swift negotiations this week will be disappointed, and he expressed his own frustration with the talks, saying, "Too often this week it felt as if we were going backwards rather than forwards." He added he was concerned they were running out of time. Express News Service By MUMBAI:A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday visited late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs house in Bandra along with a forensic team to recreate the occurrences that allegedly led to the death of the actor. According to CBI sources, Rajputs cook Neeraj and roommate Siddharth Pithani were also present at the scene. The actor was found dead in his home on June 14. The CBI team also visited Cooper Hospital and interacted with the doctors who conducted the autopsy on the actor. According to sources, the agency officials also met the dean of the hospital. ALSO READ | Sushant Singh Rajput death: Rhea kept her hand on actor's chest in mortuary, said 'sorry', claims witness Maharashtra: Neeraj and Sidharth Pithani along with the CBI team outside the residence of #SushantSinghRajput in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/SbiGOWzpKV ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 The CBI had questioned Neeraj on Friday as well along with the actors manager Samuel Miranda at a guest house in Andheri. The agency officials are working at the guest house as the Mumbai unit office has been closed after many officers tested positive for coronavirus. The agency also collected documents from Mumbai police, including forensic report, post mortem report, statements of more than 60 people that Mumbai police has recorded in the case, and other material evidence. Sources said that three mobile phones belonging to the actor, his laptop and clothes and the CCTV footage of his building have also been collected by the agency. The CBI was tasked with the investigation of the case by the Supreme Court. The apex court, while hearing a petition filed by actress Rhea Chakraborty demanding the shifting of the case to Mumbai from Patna, had directed the agency to probe the case. An FIR has been filed by the Patna police on the basis of a complaint lodged by Rajputs father. Rhea is one of the six accused in the case. The CBI has formed four teams to probe the case. While one team will deal with translation of documents from Marathi to English, another will question persons in relation with the case. Two other teams will handle the logistics and coordinate with Delhi. The agency, sources said, is likely to question Rajputs manager Deepesh Sawant in the NC: We cant take back what we already control. We are with the people. We are the people. We are headquartered in the hearts and minds of the people, in the villages, farms, suburbs and townships of our country. In the 2018 general elections MDC-T participated and got about 40 000 votes and MDC Alliance participated and got more than two million votes. Let us be clear about this. MDC Alliance and MDC-T are two distinct and different political parties, just like Zanu PF and Zanu Ndoga. Would Zanu PF allow Zanu Ndonga to take over the Zanu PF HQ and its legislators in Parliament, with the assistance of organs of the state? The daylight robbery, theft and honeymoon are short-lived and temporary. As regards the unprecedented and unlawful actions against MDC Alliance, these matters as you are aware are still before the courts and will be determined in the fullness of time. There is a reason why you and I are talking right now. It is because I and my colleagues in the MDC Alliance are still in charge of the biggest party in the country. If it was different and those who had written us off in March were right, we would be irrelevant by now. But we sat back and said someone has disturbed the pond, but everything will settle in due course. The water will find its way and the debris will settle on the floor. We are comfortable. A party is the people. It is not defined by buildings. For a house to be a home, it needs people. So we are not worried at all because our people are very clear. They know that Zanu PF wants to completely destroy the MDC Alliance and it has used some among our former number to achieve that objective. As democrats, we have respect for the courts of law, but we also understand that, ultimately, political questions are settled in the court of the people. I think it is quite clear now where the peoples loyalty lies and we are humbled by the trust and confidence they continue to show in us. In exclusive interview to Al Jazeera, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says Belarusians will no longer accept the president. Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has said her countrys people have changed and will no longer accept President Alexander Lukashenko, whose controversial re-election has sparked mass protests demanding his removal. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Tikhanovskaya, who is in exile in neighbouring Lithuania, said Lukashenko should step away and it is better for everybody. Sooner or later he will have to step away. Its better for everybody. Its better for the country if it will happen in the shortest time, the 37-year-old leader said. The Belarusian people have changed. They will never accept the old authorities. The former Soviet republic has been rocked by anti-government protests following a controversial election earlier this month that saw Lukashenko claim a landslide victory for a sixth straight term. The 65-year-old strongmans opponents say the August 9 presidential vote was marred by irregularities, and have called for a fresh election. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have since staged mass rallies across the Eastern European country to demand an end to Lukashenkos 26-year rule. The government responded to the unprecedented protests with a violent crackdown in which at least two people have died, while dozens of others were arrested and allegedly tortured in custody. An embattled Lukashenko on Saturday ordered his defence minister to take stringent measures to defend the countrys territorial integrity against the mass protests. When asked if she was worried that there could be more bloodshed if the movement continued, Tikhanovskaya said the crackdown was the biggest mistake of the authorities. The violence that Belarusian authorities showed to their people, I consider that to be their greatest mistake ever. I call for authorities to not repeat this mistake because our people will never forget or forgive our president, said the former English teacher. On being asked if she was planning to return from exile, Tikhanovskaya said she wanted to go back to Belarus, but did not feel safe in her country any more. I am safe here in Lithuania but I dont feel safe in Belarus now, she said, adding that she also feared for her husband and YouTube blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was arrested after he tried to register as a candidate for the presidential poll. Mood still quite optimistic Meanwhile, protests calling for Lukashenko to resign continued across Belarus for the 14th day on Saturday. Hundreds of women dressed in white formed a human chain in capital Minsk as a sign of protest. Another demonstration on Saturday evening was attended by 3,000 people. This is basically a warming for a very large rally that has been announced for tomorrow, said Al Jazeeras Step Vaessen, reporting from Minsk. The opposition has called for a major rally in Minsk on Sunday after more than 100,000 people flooded on to the streets of the capital and other cities last weekend. Vaessen said the mood is still quite optimistic among the protesters despite Lukashenko threatening more detentions, more police violence. He [Lukashenko] actually showed up today in a military uniform at the Polish border, again saying that NATO troops are moving towards Belarus, basically creating some kind of war atmosphere distracting people from internal affairs and from the protest movement, she said. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. will issue as much as 150 billion yen ($1.42 billion) worth of corporate bonds for individual investors by the middle of next month, the Nikkei newspaper reported Saturday. Funds from the issuance will be used for loans to small and mid-sized companies struggling with falling sales due to the pandemic, and to hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. The entire board of Britain's largest Muslim charity are to resign today after anti-semitic posts by one of its directors - who had been brought in to replace a disgraced trustee - were uncovered. Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), based in Birmingham, acknowledged last night that the Facebook posts were 'inappropriate and unacceptable', and its board of trustees would stand down and not seek election to a new board today. The charity had already been rocked by scandal after director Heshmat Khalifa was found to have called Israelis the 'grandchildren of monkeys and pigs' and Egypt's president a 'pimp son of the Jews'. When Mr Khalifa's Facebook posts were revealed by The Times in July, IRW said it was 'appalled by the hateful comments', and confirmed he had resigned. The entire board of Britain's largest Muslim charity are to resign today after anti-semitic posts by board director Almoutaz Tayara were uncovered The international aid agency also pledged that it was 'reviewing our processes for screening trustees' and senior executives' social media posts to ensure that this will not happen again'. His board seat was taken by another IRW trustee and director, Almoutaz Tayara, who is also the chairman of Islamic Relief Germany. But it has now been revealed that Dr Tayara, in posts on his own Facebook account, called leaders of militant Palestinian group Hamas as 'great men' who responded to the 'divine and holy call of the Muslim Brotherhood'. In another, he posted an image of former President Barack Obama wearing a tie branded with the Star of David, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Assad of Syria on his lap with quote marks saying 'Death to America!' and 'Death... death'. Tayara posted an image of former President Barack Obama wearing a tie branded with the Star of David, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Assad of Syria on his lap with quote marks saying 'Death to America!' and 'Death... death' His posts were written in 2014 and 2015, when President Obama was supporting Syrian rebels in the country's civil war. They were initially discovered by a German researcher, Sigrid Herrmann-Marschall, who published them in a 2017 blog post. Islamic Relief Germany admitted that it had known of Dr Tayara's posts since 2017 but allowed him to continue as its chairman after he apologised, deleted the posts and closed his Facebook account. It is believed Islamic Relief Worldwide did not know of the post until they were approached by The Times earlier this week. The charity said yesterday that Dr Tayara's posts also contravened its values. He would step down and "play no further part in the governance of IRW". It is understood that IRW did not know of the posts until it was contacted this week by The Times. IRW works to relieve poverty and hunger in more than 40 countries. The Centre has constituted the national council for transgender persons, headed by the Union social justice minster and comprising representatives from 10 central departments, five states and members of the community. The council Indias first and formed under Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was announced in a gazette notification issued late on Friday. According to the legislation, the council has five main functions -- advising the central government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons; monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of transgender persons; reviewing and coordinating the activities of all the departments; redressing grievances of transgender persons; and performing such other functions as prescribed by the Centre. The council will have joint secretary-level members from the ministries of health, home, minority affairs, education, rural development, labour and law. In addition, there will be a member from the department of pensions, Niti Aayog, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women. Representatives from five states or Union Territories, on a rotational basis, will be members of the commission. The first such clutch comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura and Gujarat. Five members of the community and five experts, from non-governmental organisations, have also been named to the commission. The tenure of the community members and expert shall be three years. I am glad that a member from the Northeast region has been appointed to be part of the council. However, there was no transparency in the manner in which the members were selected. This is a matter of concern, said Santa Khurai, Nupi Maanbi and trans rights activist based in Manipur. Intersex people are often invisiblised in the legal and policy discourse. The distinction between gender identity and sex characteristics is also not understood. To bring about changes in the existing governance regime, it is important to work and engage with the system. During my tenure in the Council, I plan to raise awareness about rights of intersex people in general and intersex infants and children in particular. I hope to contribute in developing a comprehensive legal protection regime for intersex people, said panel member Gopi Shankar M. My main aim will be to mainstream the trans communitys concerns, focusing on livelihood issues as well as to raise awareness about the trans community, so that transpersons are accepted within families and in the larger society. I look forward to working with the government to achieve this, said Reshma Prasad, founder of Dostana Safar, a Patna-based community organisation and a member of the newly constituted council. R Subramanyam, Union social justice secretary, said: The transgender welfare board would guide the government in welfare schemes for them. This is a landmark event. (With inputs from Amandeep Shukla) I walk into the cool doctors office on a hot Houston morning and take a seat on the couch. Before me sit three small nasal spray inhalers. Next to those is a jar full of suckers. A nurse takes my blood pressure. A note of good cheer in her voice, she tells me shell be back in a while to check on me. Im ready to change my mind. I was prescribed esketamine a few months ago for my treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation. Closely related to ketamine, a drugcommonly used to start and maintain anesthesia (and also as a party drug), esketamine was just last year approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other anti-depressants but have not benefited from them. This month, its approved use was expanded to anyone having suicidal thoughts or who have tried to harm themselves. For the purpose of such consumption it has been branded as Spravato, a name Im rather fond of. One part spray. One part bravado. Spravato. I continue to take oral antidepressants a requirement for esketamine prescription and Ive tried other means of attacking treatment-resistant depression, chiefly ECT (or electroconvulsive therapy). I didnt like ECT. Its safe enough, and some patients swear by it. But you need general anesthesia with each treatment a process which, coincidentally, may include ketamine and when I awoke from getting my brain jolted I always felt sad and disoriented for the rest of the day. And my short-term memory always took a hit: I saw the Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last year during my ECT period and I couldnt tell you a thing about it. ECT had some long-term benefits for me, but as a whole the experience was kind of traumatic. For these reasons I was hesitant to try Spravato. Also, Im a sober alcoholic in recovery, and in another lifetime I did a lot of drugs for non-therapeutic reasons. I dropped acid when I was 13. I smoked pot every day. My early, habitual drug abuse pains me today. I was way too young, messing with substances far too strong. I neither wanted nor found any solace or enlightenment. I wanted to disappear. I was an angry kid, I sought oblivion and I found it. How would I respond now to trying a new drug, under a doctor's supervision, at this point in my life? Then again, Im well aware that indigenous cultures have long used psilocybin (or magic mushrooms) and peyote for spiritual and healing purposes. And theyre not the only ones: A recent 60 Minutes segment revealed how doctors at Johns Hopkins are running tests using heroic doses of psilocybin to treat everything from depression in terminal cancer patients to smoking and alcoholic drinking. And then there was Cary Grant. When he sought treatment for depression, the suave classic Hollywood star claims to have taken LSD some 100 times under the supervision of his therapist. He later claimed the experience provided a beneficial cleansing. Closer to home for me, Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, saw LSD as a potential spiritual tool for those seeking sobriety. I am certain that the LSD experiment has helped me very much, Wilson wrote in 1957. Its worth noting that such drugs were not yet illegal. As a Harvard professor in the early 60s, Timothy Leary oversaw psilocybin experiments and trumpeted the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, particularly LSD. When Richard Nixon became president, he targeted Leary as The Most Dangerous Man in America, to quote the title of a recent book by Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis. Leary, as much as anyone, prompted Nixon to launch the War on Drugs. By 1970, when Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act (making LSD highly illegal), it had become a readily abused street drug, as it was when I was taking it in the 80s. The 21st century, however, has seen resurgence in the research and application of psychedelic therapy, and studies like those at Johns Hopkins have led to a mass reconsideration. Today you can find a surge in scientific research on what is commonly called psychedelic therapy, though such substances remain illegal in a non-clinical setting. The doctors with whom Ive discussed Spravato like it for one reason: Its a fast-acting and potent tool in the ongoing battle against treatment-resistant depression. These were just some of the ideas running through my head as I sat down for my first Spravato treatment. The nurse explains that the suckers are there to make the nasal drip more tolerable. She tells me how to ingest the drug: head leaned back, one sniff in one nostril, and one in the other. Twenty-eight milligrams per inhaler. Wait five minutes, then the next inhaler. Soon Ill graduate to three inhalers per visit, but for now, its two. I am to stay in the office until Im given permission to leave, in about 90 minutes. I note the incongruity of taking a mind-altering substance in a doctors office, but I take comfort in the supervision. I feel safe. I do my inhaling and can tell this wont be a wait-a-while-for-it-to-kick-in experience. Something is happening immediately. Specifically, the drug has commenced its role as an NMDA receptor antagonist. This means little to me. What I do sense is a shift in my mind, not violent but definitely not subtle. Its as if something has tapped me on the shoulder and delivered a message: I know youve always looked at everything this way. But have you ever considered looking at it that way? When youre not only severely depressed, but trapped long-term in severe depression, such an alternative perspective is massive. It implies change and hope. I suffer from a particularly virulent form of depression. It is crossbred with grief. For 18 months my girlfriend, Kate, suffered from a rare brain disease. She died July 2 of this year. My grief is largely defined by guilt, which takes the form of a voice telling me Ive done everything wrong, that I failed Kate and I should just give up. Shortly into my first esketamine experience I have an epiphany about the guilt. Its like Im standing outside myself and seeing the guilt as a lying invader, full of dangerous nonsense. I feel loving kindness toward myself. I feel Kates presence, and shes telling me I didnt do anything wrong. I smile. I am experiencing dissociation, one of the drug's side effects. Strictly speaking, esketamine is more of a dissociative drug than a psychedelic. But trust me: As someone who has experienced psychedelics, this fits the bill pretty well. I might be onto something with this Spravato. I start bringing a notepad to my subsequent appointments and writing down some thoughts. Grief is love. Helping others brings me closer to God. What would she have me do? These arent druggie ramblings. They are ideas that have subsequently proven invaluable to me. I find myself wondering about the welfare of others, and I feel gratitude for those who have helped me on this horrible journey. My sense of empathy, pretty strong to begin with, has been turned way up. In his book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, Michael Pollan writes about the importance of set and setting, an idea that goes back to early psychedelic research. Set refers to your mindset and expectations heading into treatment. Setting is just what it sounds like: the environment where your treatment takes place. I have found both to be important. Sometimes I carry a specific set, or idea, into treatment: self-compassion, guilt, survival. And it makes a big difference to have a welcoming setting. Ive found most psychiatrists offices are built for comfort and acceptance. My favorite treatment office has a black-and-white aesthetic, almost as if a cow lover designed it. The surroundings are warm, the couches comfy. I cant imagine psychedelic therapy in a setting of gleaming porcelain and steel. The effect wears off, of course. At the end of my 90 minutes Ive more or less returned to my normal state of mind (though they dont want you driving home). I feel a little tired. There are side effects, including dizziness, nausea and the aforementioned dissociation. But the effects of the treatment travel, which is sort of the point. Youre playing a long game with Spravato, as you are with ECT. I am less depressed since I started treatment (combined with a heavy dose of grief counseling and oral antidepressants), and my suicidal ideation is trending way downward. I find that Im able to take some part of the under-the-influence experience and apply it to my everyday life. Im still heartbroken; the only drug to treat grief is time. But Im much more likely to find a common bond with other people, and to show myself compassion, and to look at the prospect of another day with something other than dread. A friend who picked me up after a recent treatment asked me how it went. I sputtered for a minute, then came up with a one-word description. Spiritual. Hackneyed? Sure, a little. But its what we all want: connection, to others, to ourselves, to something bigger than any of us. Thats what Ive found in treating my depression. Not oblivion, but a reason to keep going. A different way of seeing that might just save my life. Vognar is a Houston-based freelance writer. The logo for Australia's public broadcaster ABC is seen on its head office building in Sydney on Sept. 27, 2018. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) A Letter of Grievance From the Mother of Anna to Australias ABC On July 21, Australias national broadcasting company, the ABC, aired a documentary critical of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, which featured interviews with a woman named Anna. In the open letter below, Annas mother registers her disagreement with what she characterises as the numerous misrepresentations contained in the documentary. Commentary To ABC, As the mother of Anna, featured in ABCs recent documentary series The Power of Falun Gong, I was shocked and deeply offended at the numerous misrepresentations contained in the ABC reports (online articles, Background-Briefing podcasts and Foreign-Correspondent TV broadcast). ABCs presentation is an outright assault on me and my beliefFalun Gong, a spiritual and meditation group with the principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance. I demand that ABC retract its misleading reports and issue a public apology for the harm done through spreading falsehoods without checking any facts with me. My daughter, whom I refer to as Anna below, was still a child (age 8 and 14) during the events covered. ABC used Annas limited understandings and scattered memories, which appear to have been altered over the passage of time and filtered through her later experiences. I can only conclude that ABC preyed on Annas vulnerability. Below I describe the most egregious falsehoods in ABCs reports. ABC falsely stated that I took Anna for a supposed exorcism at Dragon Springs (a Falun Gong temple site in upstate New York, which also houses two performing arts schools). Furthermore, ABC falsely stated that I tricked my daughter into going by saying that we were merely running an errand, and that I only told my child that I loved her after the supposed exorcism. The trip to Dragon Springs was for an oboe audition for the Fei Tian Academy of music. Falun Gong does not involve the practice of exorcisms, and no such event occurred. Exorcisms are mentioned only once in Falun Gongs teachings, where it is discussed as an example of something that is not sanctioned or endorsed in the practice. The purported statement that Mr. Li Hongzhi performs exorcisms on appointment would be ridiculous to anyone with knowledge of Falun Gong. Anna was fully aware of the purpose of the visit to Dragon Springs and was not at all tricked or misled about the nature of the visit. She traveled across the country with her oboe and sheet music, knowing full well that she was going to attend a music audition. ABCs statement that I only told my daughter I loved her after the non-existent exorcism is false. I love my daughter unconditionally, and any implication to the contrary is hurtful and misleading. ABC falsely reports that I rejected the hospitals treatment plan when Anna developed anorexia, because Falun Gong does not allow medical treatment. Anna was hospitalised multiple times due to anorexia starting in the fall of 2008, and during the first incident, I flew from the East Coast to California where Anna lived. She was rushed to Emergency where I discussed various treatment options presented by the medical team. Due to potential side-effects associated with medication, a less invasive treatment approach for Anna was agreed upon between everyone involved, and this was implemented by the medical team. There was never a situation of my rejecting the medical teams proposed drug treatment because of my Falun Gong beliefs. Falun Gong does not prohibit medical treatment. The statement that our family was torn apart due to Falun Gong is false. I am chilled to the bone that ABC exploited my daughters health struggles to depict my family as torn apart to defame me and my belief. Due to professional careers, we are a bi-coastal family with residences on the U.S. East and West Coast. My relationship with Anna only recently became strained and her alienation from me appears to coincide with ABCs reaching out to her. Meanwhile, I consider my relationship with the rest of my family to be in good standing. I admit that I am a tiger mom: I was strict with Anna holding her to high standards in her academic and artistic endeavours, as well as in her character development. For me, this is a manifestation of my love and concern for Anna. I am deeply saddened that Anna interpreted it differently, and felt anxiety and pressure growing up. Such issues do sometimes arise between first-generation immigrant parents and their American-born kids, but this dynamic has nothing to do with Falun Gong. ABCs statement that I became absorbed with practicing Falun Gong, to the detriment of my work, my family, and Annas education, is false. ABC reports that Anna watched as her mother gradually became absorbed in Falun Gong. She pulled Anna out of a Catholic school and quit her job to take up selling books for Falun Gong. Her time was increasingly spent doing exercises, meditating, and reading the movements teaching. These statements are completely fabricated and malicious. ABCs narrative to depict me as obsessed with Falun Gong to the neglect of my family, is false and slanderous. Anna was 8 years old at the time and did not mind leaving the Catholic school to enrol in a top public school in the area, preparing her for a prestigious private high school. This choice offered the greatest level of academic rigour and enrichment for Anna. I did not quit my job to sell Falun Gong books. My employment was eliminated in a restructuring and this became a unique opportunity for a career change, and, in fact, I co-founded a startup on the East Coast. The statement that Falun Gong promotes discrimination against persons of mixed ancestry is false; ABCs implication that I conveyed this to my young daughter is recklessly slanderous. ABC falsely states that Anna was taught that she was different to other children because her mother was Chinese and her father European, and quotes Anna saying that according to the teachings of Falun Gong when a child is born from an interracial marriage, that child does not have a heavenly kingdom to go to. ABC wrongfully reports I told Anna at age 11 that race mixing in humans is part of an alien plot to drive humanity further from the gods. I have never said that the race mixing in humans is part of an alien plot to drive humanity further from the gods. I never taught Anna that she was different because of her mixed race, or that interracial children do not have place in heaven. On the contrary, I assured her that her ancestry was irrelevant in spiritual matters, in keeping with Falun Gongs teachings, which hold that peoples true identity is represented by their immortal soul, not by ethnic identity. The ABC report also describes a dance audition at Dragon Springs, stating that Anna was the only child of mixed race at the audition. This is false: several other children attending the same audition were also of mixed race. Inter-ethnic families are very common within the Falun Gong community, and Falun Gong does not discriminate. The statement that I wanted Anna to forego her education and career aspirations for Falun Gong is false: ABC falsely reports that I intended to sacrifice Annas career and aspirations in order to have her live and study at Dragon Springs. It defames me and other parents and young people who study at Dragon Springs. Dragon Springs houses two schools: middle and high schoolFei Tian Academy of the Artsand Fei Tian College, a degree-granting college. Both are registered with the state of New York, conforming to, and even exceeding state standards. Students routinely perform at a very high level academically without foregoing their professional or academic ambitions. If Anna had chosen to attend Fei Tian Academy, I believe she would have excelled personally, academically, and as an artist. Since she chose not to, she enrolled at prestigious schools in California. I was, and remain, very invested in her success in whichever manner she would choose. Conclusion ABCs reporting is a flagrant attack on me and the entire Falun Gong community. It has taken a completely unethical approach and contains numerous falsehoods and misrepresentations to support the narrative that Falun Gong is abusive, cult-like, strange, or dangerous. ABC did not contact me to fact-check statements attributed to Anna, recollected from when she was a child, more than 17 years ago. I can only conclude that ABC had no interest in the truth or fairness but was only looking for material which would confirm its bigotry against Falun Gong. My grievance about this is especially heartfelt. ABC has exploited my own daughter, someone I still consider young and psychologically vulnerable, in order to attack me and my faith. Around the time of ABCs contact with her, she appears to have cut off all contact with me, without forewarning or explanation. I again demand that ABC retract all content referencing me which is recklessly false, misleading, and defamatory as described above. Annas Mother August 9, 2020 United States of America Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Serious Fraud Office has charged three men in connection with the collapse of an investment fund. Former solicitor Timothy Schools, 59, David Kennedy, 67, and 47-year-old Richard Emmett are facing different charges ranging from fraud to transferring criminal property. Collapse: The SFO alleged the trio had diverted money from the Axiom Legal Financing Fund for their own benefit The SFO alleged the trio had diverted money from the Axiom Legal Financing Fund for their own benefit. The charges follow a three-year investigation by the SFO into the case. The accused's lawyers have been contacted for comment. The case is listed for September 30 at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Chennai, Aug 22 : Chennai Air Customs on Saturday said that it has seized 1.45 kg gold worth Rs 78.4 lakh from a passenger's personal goods which had arrived as unaccompanied baggage from Dubai. According to Customs, a passenger who had arrived from Dubai earlier came for clearance of his personal household goods which had arrived by IndiGo Airlines Flight 6E 9480 as unaccompanied baggage. On opening the carton boxes, bedspread and toy boxes were found among other items. The bedspread was wrapped around a cardboard sheet, which appeared to be unusually heavy. On tearing the cardboard sheet, gold foil wrapped in carbon paper was found concealed in between the two layers of cardboard sheet. Similarly, cardboard sheets were found in all the toy boxes as well. On tearing open the sheets, gold foils wrapped in carbon paper were found concealed inside two cardboard sheets. In total, three bed spreads and seven toy boxes were recovered from four carton boxes. Ten gold foils weighing 1.45 kg valued at Rs 78.4 lakh were recovered and seized under the Customs Act, 1962, the Customs said. The arrested passenger belonging to Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu was working as a electrician in Dubai and had lost his job because of Covid-19. He had returned to the country recently. Readers of a sensitive nature be warned this story contains full stops. The humble dot may have been used to end sentences for the past 2,200 years without any whiff of offence, but to a new generation weaned on text messages, it has become a sign of muted aggression. Feverish debate broke out on social media last week after writer Rhiannon Cosslett tweeted: 'Older people do you realise that ending a sentence with a full stop comes across as sort of abrupt and unfriendly to younger people in an email/chat? Genuinely curious.' Several Twitter expressed disbelief, and, despite her own use of a full stop, one even accused her of 'peak snowflakery'. The humble dot may have been used to end sentences for the past 2,200 years without any whiff of offence, but to a new generation weaned on text messages, it has become a sign of muted aggression (stock image) That prompted crime novelist Sophie Hannah to reply: 'Just asked 16-year-old son apparently this is true. If he got a message with full stops at the end of sentences he'd think the sender was "weird, mean or too blunt".' According to experts, youngsters used to communicating electronically break up their thoughts by sending each one as a separate message, rather than using a full stop, which they use only to signal they are annoyed or irritated. Linguist Dr Lauren Fonteyn said: 'If you send a text message without a full stop, it's already obvious that you've concluded the message. So if you add that additional marker for completion, they will read something into it and it tends to be a falling intonation or negative tone.' According to experts, youngsters used to communicating electronically break up their thoughts by sending each one as a separate message, rather than using a full stop, which they use only to signal they are annoyed or irritated (stock image) Celia Klin, a professor of psychology at Binghamton University in New York, has published an academic paper into how US university students perceive the full stop. She said: 'Readers found responses without the period (full stop) to be more positive, more enthusiastic and the version with the period to be less sincere, more abrupt, less positive. 'The types of conversations people often have digitally depend on the type of nuanced meaning that has traditionally been expressed with tone of voice, facial expressions, hand gestures and pauses. Without the ability to use these cues, people have created new ways to make their messages clear.' The full stop derives from Greek punctuation introduced by Aristophanes of Byzantium in the 3rd Century BC. Didn't Portland, Oregon used to be a nice city? Once upon a time it was, steeped in civic culture and citizen involvement. All you need to do is read Tom Wolfe's 1986 essay on the creation of "Portlandia," the copper goddess, the citizens' emblem of their fair city. Today, it's some kind of dump, an ever-rioting hellhole, more than 80 days of it running, the latest instance of which has the anarchic leftist rioters targeting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. According to the Associated Press: PORTLAND, OREGON - Protesters in Oregon's largest city have clashed again with federal agents outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building that has become a new focus of the demonstrations that have gripped Portland for months, officials said Friday. People in a group of about 100 late Thursday and before dawn Friday sprayed the building with graffiti, hurled rocks and bottles at agents and shined laser lights at them, Portland police said in a statement. The agents set off smoke or tear gas and used crowd control munitions to try to disperse the crowd, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Three people were arrested, police said in their statement. The AP reports that they've been talking about car bombs and other hellish devices, this, besides the Molotov cocktails, graffiti, blinding lasers, and rocks and bricks they've thrown already. More to the point, this represents a serial sort of escalation against the federal government moving from one federal target to the next starting with courthouses of different varieties, and now moving onto direct law enforcement. It's not about the city anymore apparently, they've got it right where they want it, it's at federal installations now, where there is still resistance. They like to be fighting something. And more specifically, it's at federal installations associated with the law, first, courts, now law enforcement. Their argument is against any rule of law. Portland itself is so far gone that they don't even bother. That's a tragedy right there, given that Portland used to be a model of civic participation. In Wolfe's 1986 essay, opening with the arrival in Portland of a statue called Portlandia, he notes this: The statue reached Fifth Avenue, where it would come to rest in front of a new building, designed by a famous American architect, Michael Graves. The goddess' huge outstretched copper right hand was now within reach! Parents rushed forward, holding their children aloft so they might touch the huge cuprous index finger before it was hoisted above forever. Two days later thousands gathered for the dedication ceremony, despite cold winds that swept in from the sea. The mayor, Bud Clark, cried "Whoop-whoop!" The statue's sculptor, Raymond Kaskey, was lifted up in a cherry picker to the brow of the goddess, whose name was Portlandia, for the christening. A roar of emotion went through the crowd. I was part of that crowd nine months ago on Fifth Avenue in Portland, Ore. I was freezing in the wind. Nobody else was. The citizens of Portland were cooking with enthusiasm for their leviathan in copper, Portlandia. That spectacle flashed back to me many times during Liberty Weekend. Both Portlandia and Liberty are gigantic classical figures placed prominently in great port cities. Both were dreamed up casually to honor the broadest sort of civic ideals. The Statue of Liberty wafted up out of cigar and brandy fumes after dinner one night in 1865 at the country estate of Edouard-Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye, a French enthusiast of American democracy. The sculptor, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, was one of the dinner guests. Their blissfully boiled idea was to celebrate the common struggle of France and the United States to become free republics. Portlandia popped up from the bewilderment over a piece of campy icing that Graves put on his model for Portland's new government office center. He had plastered some garlands and a whimsically molded female figure against the side of the building. The city fathers said, "What's that?" There had never existed a Portlandia, not in Greek and Roman mythology and not in Oregon mythology. Nevertheless, they liked the idea. But they wanted a serious statue. So they did something quite odd by contemporary standards. They let the citizens choose, through an exercise in limited democracy. First the city arts commission held a competition that attracted 200 artists. Five were invited to submit models. The models were placed in the lobby of the building, the citizens invited to vote for their preference. Then a public meeting was held for the final selection by a panel made up of both citizens and art experts. Kaskey's Portlandia, the public favorite, won. What did the goddess represent? Nothing but the broadest pursuits depicted on the city seal commerce, agriculture and the sea. But that was enough to unite a large, modern city in a show of hometown enthusiasm. Today, such a scenario is unthinkable in Portland, now queen of the riot-pocked leftist blue-city hellholes. Portland's a mess, and civic unity is a thing of the past. The only thing left worth fighting now for the miserable rioters is the federal government. The soul of the city that could have citizens coming together to raise a statue is gone; today, all they do is tear down statues. No wonder the city is dying. Image credit: Screen shot from KOIN 6 via shareable YouTube. She's due to give birth to her first child with fiance Orlando Bloom any day now. And Katy Perry told Australian newspaper The Sunday Telegraph how she has enjoyed spending the last few months in lockdown ahead of her daughter's birth. The 35-year-old pop superstar, who is based in Los Angeles, said she's going into another form of quarantine - motherhood. 'I'm going to go into another version of quarantine': Pregnant Katy Perry (pictured), 35, revealed to Australian newspaper The Sunday Telegraph that she's looking forward to spending more time at home 'After I give birth, I'm going to go into another version of quarantine, which is motherhood,' she told the publication. Despite having just released a new album Smile, Katy admitted she is in no rush to get back to work. 'I'll be focused on that (motherhood). I wasn't planning on touring directly after this record, but it seems like I'm staying home and everyone's staying home with me,' the Firework songstress added. Power couple: 'After I give birth, I'm going to go into another version of quarantine, which is motherhood,' she told the publication. Pictured with fiance Orlando Bloom, 43 Meanwhile, earlier this month on her weekly Smile Sunday live stream, Katy gave fans 'just a little sneak peek' at the pink-themed nursery she crafted for her baby girl. 'Hey everyone, I'm going to show you my baby room,' said Katy, who carried her laptop in her hands as she panned over some 'little clothes' on display. The curated baby outfits, including shoes and accessories, were neatly displayed on circular hooks and stood out against the room's bubblegum pink walls. Sneak peek: During her weekly Smile Sunday live stream, Katy gave fans 'just a little sneak peek' at the pink-themed nursery she crafted for her baby girl The tour: 'Hey everyone, I'm going to show you my baby room,' said Katy, who carried her laptop in her hands as she panned around the room 'And then I have, like, a little pink room,' said Katy, before unveiling her daughter's crib and coordinating mobile. Her daughter's tranquil sleeping set-up resided next to a large window, which was covered by lavender toned drapes. There were also pentagon shaped light fixtures made out of metal hanging on the walls, which created a soft-lit effect in the room that Katy said she 'loves so much'. Baby's first bed: 'And then I have, like, a little pink room,' said Katy, before unveiling her daughter's crib and coordinating mobile Along a narrow white shelf, Katy displayed what appeared to be various baby books. 'This is my little chair,' narrated the Teenage Dream songstress as she focused her webcam on a light pink recliner that had a white blanket strewn across the headrest. She then gave fans a glimpse of the designated changing area she had installed, which featured a full-length mirror, a cushioned mat for the baby, and various diaper changing supplies. Daddy's girl: As an added bonus, Katy showed off some of 'Kicky Perry's' - the nickname she has given her daughter - clothes, which include a onesie covered in Orlando's face Before concluding her impromptu baby room tour, Katy swept her webcam across the entire room as she let out a few playful weeping sounds. As an added bonus, she showed off some of 'Kicky Perry's' - the nickname she has given her daughter - clothes, which includes a onesie covered in Orlando's face. With her due date swiftly approaching, Katy joked that she is ready to 'evict' her daughter from her belly. Although this is Katy's first child, Orlando, 43, is already father to nine-year-old son Flynn, whom he shares with Australian model ex Miranda Kerr, 37. Katy and Orlando, who first began dating in 2016, became engaged on Valentine's day in 2019. A high-flying businessman was granted an exemption to Australia's travel ban so he could pick up a new luxury yacht in Europe. Jost Stollmann was given permission to leave Australia on May 29 after he argued he had unavoidable personal business in Greece. The German-born Australian, who once hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison when he was treasurer as the CEO of Tyro Payments, is now waiting for Australia's borders to reopen to return. An email obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald revealed the millionaire had flown to Trieste, Italy, in June to pick up a new 'awesome' 24-metre yacht, named SY ALITHIA. Jost Stollmann (pictured), the former CEO ASX-listed Tyro Payments, travelled to Greece to pick up his new yacht He then sailed to the 'charming and spiritual island of Patmos in the Greek Dodekanese', the email read. Mr Stollmann will also attend real estate projects while abroad and is not expected to return to Australia until 2021. He will also cover any quarantine costs and has waived his rights to repatriation. The 65-year-old mingled with Mr Morrison when he was appointed to the FinTech expert advisory group in 2016 and Greg Hunt when he was the minister for industry, innovation and science. He has also crossed paths with former senator Arthur Sinodinos on a number of occasions. An email obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald revealed the millionaire had flown to Trieste, Italy, in June to pick up a new 'awesome' 24-metre yacht, named SY ALITHIA (pictured) The 65-year-old mingled with Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) when he was appointed to the FinTech expert advisory group in 2016 and Greg Hunt when he was the minister for industry, innovation and science Australians have been unable to travel internationally since March 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic, unless granted an exemption. Exemptions are granted for urgent personal business, compassionate reasons or travel for critical business or industry. In a statement the to the Sydney Morning Herald a Department of Home Affairs spokesman said: 'Decisions by the ABF commissioner to grant exemptions for travel for compassionate and compelling circumstances must be balanced against the government's intent for imposing the travel ban and the health risks posed to the Australian community by international travellers.' However, they declined to comment on Mr Stollmann's individual case. The department received 104,785 travel exemption requests from citizens and permanent residents of Australia between March 25 and August 16. A total of 10,942 of the requests were refused but 34,379 were granted by the ABF commissioner. Micky Chung, whose grandmother was on her death bed in Hong Kong, was denied permission to leave the country to be by her side. Micky Chung (pictured), whose grandmother was on her death bed in Hong Kong, was denied permission to leave the country to be by her side 'I've actually got an email saying we don't believe this is urgent,' he said, Nine News reported. Mr Strollmann sympathised for people like Mr Chung as 'the blanket overseas travel plan is not reasonable, not necessary and not proportionate'. 'There is no right to restrict any Australian to visit his dying loved one in his last hour, to witness marriages and births with the nearest ones, to pursue educational and business opportunities abroad or whatever an Australian in his right deems essential, when the bio-security protection can be delivered by compulsory testing and quarantine measures,' he said. Kristen Stewart and pal spend Labor Day weekend together dressed in casual tomboy outfits She just returned home after wrapping up production in Japan where she was filming her latest movie, Equals, for one month. And Kristen Stewart reunited with her good friend Alicia Cargile on Sunday while running errands together in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old actress showed off her tomboy style dressed in a casual grungy outfit. Scroll down for video Running errands with her good friend: Kristen Stewart got a refreshing beverage with her friend Alicia Cargile in Los Angeles on Sunday Both ladies kept their looks very low-key with Kristen wearing a baggy collared plaid top over a white T-shirt that was tucked into her dark skinny jeans. She completed her ensemble with black accessories including a cap, sunglasses and sneakers. Alicia also got the grunge fashion memo wearing a sleeveless black cut-off tee and dark shades. Casual Kristen: The 24-year-old actress showed off her tom boy style dressed in a casual grungy outfit The day before on Saturday, the pair were once again seen holding drinks in their hands as they spent the day together in Los Feliz. The good friends coordinated their outfits in similar white shirts, dark skinny jeans, sunglasses and white sneakers. Stewart and Cargile practically looked like twins as they were out and about during the Labor Day weekend. Tom boy style: Kristen wore a baggy collared plaid top over a white T-shirt that was tucked into her dark skinny jeans with black cap and matching sneakers In the recent weeks, Kristen and Alicia have been rumoured to have taken their platonic friendship to a new level as a romantic relationship. However, several people close to the actress quickly denied the false accusation and reminded everyone they are just good friends. Kristen even referenced the rumours in an interview inside the September issue of France's Vanity Fair. She told the publication: 'Just being in the middle of it it's weird to comment on it. But I don't want to add to this already pre-existing, enormous mound of salacious bulls**t that isn't real.' 'It's like a soap opera. I try not to let it mess with me, because my true personal life, as much as people think they know about it, they don't know d**k s**t.' The day before on Saturday, the pair were once again seen holding drinks in their hands as they spent the day together in Los Feliz wearing coordinated outfits of white shirts, dark skinny jeans, sunglasses and white sneakers She also addressed the fallacious details about her friend and actress Jennifer Lawrence after supposed nude photos of the Oscar winner were leaked. Kristen took to her Twitter account to show her support for Lawrence and tweeted a message to the X-Men star. In the note she wrote: 'I just want to mention: @_JSLawrence you do no have anything to be ashamed of! This sexy is so body.. wait..' The Hunger Games actress is just one of many female celebrities who were targeted in the scandal in which a hacker helped steal nude photos, both real and fake, and published them on an online site for the public to view. Supportive friend: On Sunday, took to her Twitter account to show her support for her friend and actress Jennifer Lawrence who is just one of hundreds of female celebrities involved in the recent nude photo scandal Forget pearls, go for the hoops. Ditch the double-breasted blazer, grab a leather jacket. Sensible shoes can be stilettos, or sneakers. And you can never go wrong with a bold lip. When preparing to make her national prime-time television debut at the Democratic National Convention this past week (tucked amid 16 other rising stars of the party) Yvanna Cancela knew which style she would go with: the reddest of lips and biggest of hoops. It was an ideological decision as much as a fashion choice. I think women in politics should present themselves as they see themselves, and not necessarily how they think they should be seen, said Ms. Cancela, a Nevada State Senator who lives in Las Vegas. I try to be intentional while also walking the line of not reinforcing stereotypes. If I didnt like it, I wouldnt do it, but I wear my hoops about 90 percent of the time. People are much more responsive to authenticity than to conformity, she added. Many of the most striking onscreen looks at the D.N.C. were departures some slight, some daring from anything resembling the uniform look of muted colors, conservative cuts and consultant-approved necklines that women in politics have been encouraged to abide by for years. It's early evening, and I'm in town to meet a friend. I catch sight of my phone it's 6pm. I root around in my bag, for the reassuring metal-foil feel of a blister pack of tablets. I can't find them. Panic rising, I practically empty my bag on to the pavement. The tablets aren't there. Did I leave them at home? Without thinking twice, I call and leave my friend an apologetic message, and jump back on the train. If I don't get back in the next hour or so, I'm going to start sweating, then feeling dizzy. The mother of all headaches will come on, and I will probably end up doubled over the loo. This is what happens when I am late in taking my pregabalin. I was prescribed the medication, otherwise known as Lyrica, by a psychiatrist in 2016, after six years suffering with insomnia and, as a result of that, depression. For more than five years, I'd had many pills thrown at me, from antidepressants to Valium. I had a hell of a time getting off Valium, which is well known for being addictive. And, despite all this, my insomnia persisted. Miranda Levy, who is still trying to taper off her doses, four years after being prescribed pregabalin It had started with a relationship break-up in 2010 but then took on a life of its own when the heartache had passed. I lost my job as a magazine editor, and contact with most of my friends and family. So when a new doctor offered me a newish medication that might 'help calm my nerves', I jumped at the chance. Pregabalin was first licensed in 2004 as a medicine to stop epilepsy seizures, and then for neuropathic or nerve pain it blocks pain signals in the brain. Patients on it reported feeling calmer, too, so doctors began offering it for anxiety one of my many diagnoses. Initially, it was hoped the drug, and its milder 'sibling' gabapentin, could be a less risky alternative to addictive painkillers as well as benzodiazepine medicines such as diazepam, also known as Valium and alprazolam, or Xanax. But this wasn't the case. I've seen it happen to my patients, writes DR ELLIE CANNON Anxiety and long-term pain are two of the most common problems I see in clinic. They can be life-destroying as Miranda's story shows. But they're also, often, extremely tricky to treat. We were hopeful when pregabalin, as well as a similar drug called gabapentin, came along. Back then, patients had limited options, for pain at least, and many were willing to try anything to get a semblance of their old life back. Today I'm much less enthusiastic. Last year the UK medicines watchdog published a safety warning about the drug's risk of addiction and withdrawal. This matched up with many of my own patients' experiences. Although many had seen life-changing results, some had found the side effects very severe and withdrawal a real problem. Many said they felt 'out of it' confused, tired, unable to concentrate or to remember anything. This made daily life work, being a parent, even leaving the house very difficult and in many cases distressing. Nowadays GPs are advised to prescribe pregabalin only for pain once other options have been explored, or on the suggestion of a specialist pain clinic consultant. Our guidelines also make it very clear that patients must not mix the drug with alcohol and that it should never be used in people with a history of addiction. And it wouldn't be common for a doctor to prescribe pregabalin for anxiety these days, either. There is a wealth of other medications out there such as sertraline or escitalopram, which are not addictive and have far less severe side effects. Advertisement Indeed, doctors have described it as 'the new Xanax' and even 'Valium on steroids' due to fears about its crushing side effects, including suicidal thoughts and weight gain. Earlier this month, Public Health England warned in a report of its 'increasing use and harm', as prescriptions passed a record 7.5 million in the 12 months to May. This came after pregabalin was reclassified as a class C controlled drug last year, to cut down on the potential for abuse. There have also been concerns that 'pregabs', sold on the black market, are being abused by heroin and other opioid addicts to enhance highs. Harry Shapiro, director of Drugwise, an online drug information service, believes there could be hundreds of thousands Britons hooked on these drugs, unable to stop taking them. Most, like me, will have been prescribed them in good faith by their doctors. The problem is that, unlike with benzodiazepines, there are no guidelines as to how long people should take pregabalin. In terms of prescribing practices 'it's the Wild West out there', says clinical psychologist and director of the Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry James Davies. And because of the lack of research into pregabalin, no one is entirely sure how many people get 'hooked' on it. Some take it and come off it with few problems. But a growing body of anecdotal evidence suggests that a lot of people do not. Professor Allan Young, a senior psychiatrist at King's College London, claims that even before the drug was given the green light, he and others raised concerns about 'dependence and withdrawal syndromes'. He adds: 'There was ignorance on the part of the regulator, psychiatrists and GPs. People were put on the medication, sent away, and not reviewed. When they tried to stop after a couple of years, they found they could not.' And that was my own experience. I didn't notice any specific difference in my condition when I started taking it I was on antidepressants, and sleeping tablets too. It was just another medicine I took dutifully because I was told it would help. I was so deranged from insomnia, if it had any other side effects I didn't really notice them either. For the past 18 months, I've been mentally well, and sleeping just fine, thank God. My recovery was basically a mixture of less stressful domestic circumstances, time, and a slow but joyful engagement with the world again. Coming off other medicines helped too, I think. But I've found I'm stuck on pregabalin. Professor David Healy, a psychopharmacologist and the author of 20 books on psychiatry, says: 'I'd rather be on Valium. It's easier to get off. Pregabalin is Valium on steroids.' Because of my experience on Valium which, as I said, was hellish to quit I vowed to be extra careful with this new drug. In April 2019, about two-and- a-half years after I began taking pregabalin, I started reading reports about drug abusers in prisons dying while taking it. I decided I'd stop but it was not that easy. By then, I'd read enough to know not to go cold turkey that could lead to fatal seizures. So, in my last appointment with my psychiatrist before he discharged me, we discussed a plan to reduce my daily dose by 25mg a month I was on 250mg a day: two red 100mg capsules, and a couple of cream-coloured 25mg ones. Doctors have described the drug as 'the new Xanax' and even 'Valium on steroids' due to fears about its crushing side effects, including suicidal thoughts and weight gain The plan was it would take ten months. Fourteen months later, I am still on just less than 50mg. If I 'jump down' too quickly, I get sick. If I forget it altogether, I get really sick. One night, on a mini-break in Bournemouth, I realised I had left my pregabalin at home. It was obviously too far to drive back to London, so I had to see an emergency doctor who gave me a couple of days' supply. And I'm not alone in my plight. While writing this piece, I visited the Lyrica Survivors Facebook group page, which has more than 10,000 members internationally. I asked people to share their 'war stories', and my inbox was soon inundated. Liz Walker, 62, from Chelmsford, Essex, came off pregab last year, having been initially prescribed the maximum of 600mg a day. She said the withdrawal was 'horrendous', adding: 'I could literally do nothing. To totter the 12 steps from my bed to the loo was a huge achievement. 'Nausea, dizziness, hot and cold sweats, itchy all over, huge headache, restless legs, and the feeling that something was crawling on your skin. It has wrecked my teeth too. A year on, things are better. I still have no appetite, but a lot of the weight I put on has come off, and my skin no longer looks grey.' Carla Brown, 38, from Edinburgh, had a similarly torrid time. 'I was so physically and mentally unwell,' said the former care-worker. 'My mental health deteriorated rapidly and I was considering ending my life. 'Finally, it clicked that there was a link between my withdrawal from pregabalin and my ill-health. I found this Facebook group and started learning exactly what this poison does.' Jonathan Kneath, 46, lives in Horsham, West Sussex. Before pregabalin, he was known as DJ Sharkey a music producer and DJ of some celebrity. He is now unemployed, and staying on a friend's sofa. 'I used to climb mountains, now I can't even make dinner without needing to lie down afterwards,' he says. Jonathan was put on pregabalin in 2009 after a traumatic relationship break-up. 'I was prescribed by a private doctor and never abused it,' he says. 'At first, I had a great response. My anxiety went right down. But over time, it started to wear off, so my psychiatrist increased the dose.' Before long, he was on the maximum dose. 'On the pregabalin, I became socially distant, unable to regulate my emotions, and had thoughts of suicide,' he says. By November 2019, it had dawned on Jonathan that the drug was causing many of his problems. 'I told myself, I'm coming off, and started tapering my dose,' he says. 'This is where things got really bad. I had so much pain in my joints, I couldn't walk down the stairs. I was exhausted, had blurry vision and skin rashes. I begged to be taken into a psychiatric hospital but they wouldn't have me.' Eventually, he moved back to his home town of Horsham from Exeter and is now receiving psychotherapy on the NHS. 'But there was nothing at all to help me with the withdrawal I just had to deal with it by myself,' he says. Jonathan has been off the drug for six months now. He is seeing 'glimmers' of his old, creative self. 'Pregabalin is an awful medication,' he muses. 'But the NHS hands it out like sweets.' And here is the real issue: there are no services for those addicted to prescription drugs (some prefer to term it as 'dependent on', to distinguish between those put on drugs by their doctors and recreational users). Drugwise's Shapiro says: 'Some of the NHS drug and alcohol services say they can help with pregabalin, but most of their clients are existing substance abusers. Harry Shapiro, director of Drugwise, an online drug information service, believes there could be hundreds of thousands Britons hooked on these drugs, unable to stop taking them 'Most people dependent on pregabalin or other prescription drugs would rather not be in the waiting room with a heroin addict. We need dedicated services for them.' Shapiro sat on the All Party Parliamentary Group that advised the Government on the Prescribed Medicines Review that came out in September 2019. This landmark report called for the Government to help people whose lives had been blighted by five classes of prescription drugs including benzodiazepines, opioid painkillers, and pregabalin, which is part of a group of drugs called gabapentinoids. The measures included tougher guidelines on prescribing, and acknowledgment for the first time that withdrawal from various medications could cause health problems. It also called for a 24-hour helpline to be set up which hasn't happened. 'We think the powers-that-be are actually scared of a national helpline because it will bring the issue out of the woodwork,' says Shapiro. 'Services will be inundated, and unable to cope.' In an ideal world, he would like to see the Government working with charities and the specialist Royal colleges. 'There should be clinics attached to GP surgeries, dedicated to helping people off prescription drugs,' he says. Prof Young highlights the need for investment. 'Few GPs and psychiatrists are skilled in bringing people off these drugs,' he adds. 'You can't take patients off them suddenly, or even over the space of a few weeks. The taper needs to be as slow as possible.' As for me, I am tapering my pregabalin at a snail's pace. When I reached 100mg, the only option was to drop one 25mg at a time (the smallest capsule), which was too much. For a while, I was gamely opening the capsules, pouring out the white powder, and chopping it up into smaller portions with a credit card. Fed up with feeling like a cocaine addict, I did some research, and saw that pregabalin came in liquid form. Despite the fact it is more expensive for the NHS, my understanding GP agreed to switch me to the liquid. So now, I take it with an oral syringe the same type you'd use to give a baby Calpol. I'm down to about 46mg. If it takes years for me to come off, then so be it. The sudden withdrawal symptoms are so terribly unpleasant, and even dangerous. I'm starting to lose a lot of the weight I gained on pregabalin, a common side effect. But it isn't easy. When I mention pregabalin today, most people have still never heard of it. But Shapiro feels this may be about to change. If the economic situation continues a downward trajectory, with more job losses 'we may soon see a huge rise in the number of people having problems with anxiety', he says. And if lessons about pregabalin aren't quickly learned, he warns: 'It might push prescriptions up even more. We could be facing a nightmare.' Pfizer said: 'When prescribed and administered appropriately as per the approved label, Lyrica (pregabalin) is an important and effective treatment option for many people living with chronic neuropathic pain, generalised anxiety disorder and epilepsy. 'The clinical effectiveness of this medicine has been demonstrated in a large number of robust clinical trials among thousands of patients living with these conditions. Patient safety is, and will always be, our utmost priority.' Mumbai, Aug 22 : The Special Investigation Team of the CBI probing the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on Saturday reached the Bandra flat of the actor, where he was found dead on June 14, along with the forensic team and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani and cook Neeraj and others. This was after another team of the CBI's SIT visited the Cooper hospital and Bandra Police station. Different teams of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) SIT are pursuing the probe from multiple angles, sources said. The team of the CBI's SIT led by SP Nupur Prasad reached the Mont Blanc apartment in Bandra area with the forensic team. The team will recreate the crime scene and also question Pithani, Neeraj, and Sushant's staff member Dipesh Sawant on the chain of events on June 13 and 14. The forensic team will collect all the evidence from the Bandra flat of the late actor. An agency source said that the photographs of the flat and autopsy report will be shared with the forensic team for analysis. The action comes after the CBI recorded the statement of Pithani and Neeraj earlier in the day. Neeraj and Pithani were brought for questioning at the IAF guesthouse where the federal agency officers are staying. On Friday, the CBI had also grilled Neeraj, Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda and Sawant. Miranda was questioned for over five hours and Neeraj for over 10 hours by the CBI. The source said that Pithani was questioned to put together the chain of events from June 13 that led to the actor's death on June 14 and also to find out who all were present in the apartment at the time. The CBI at the Bandra flat will ask Pithani: Who called the keymaker to open the lock of Sushant's room? Who brought down the body of Sushant? Who made a call to the police? Meanwhile, one of the federal probe teams arrived at the Bandra Police station to speak to the police personnel who were on duty on June 14 and visited the flat of the late actor after a call was received. Another team reached the Cooper hospital where the 34-year-old actor's autopsy was conducted by three doctors. On Friday, the federal probe agency also contacted the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi to seek medico-legal opinion on the autopsy report of the late actor. An agency source in Mumbai said the CBI will ask for the call detail records of Sushant, his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and others. The CBI and CFSL teams reached Mumbai on Thursday evening and were exempted from the mandatory quarantine by the BMC. On August 6, after a recommendation by the Bihar government, the CBI had taken over the probe from the Bihar Police on the orders of the central government following an FIR lodged by the deceased's father at Patna's Rajiv Nagar police station. The case was registered against Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit, mother Sandhya, brother Showik, Sushant's ex-manager Shruti Modi and house manager Samuel Miranda and unknown persons on the basis of K.K. Singh's complaint which was filed on July 25. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing a money laundering angle into the death since July 31. On Friday, the ED recorded the statement of Sushant's sister Priyanka Singh in Delhi. Earlier, the financial probe agency had recorded the statement of Sushant's father, another sister Meetu Singh, besides Rhea, Showik, Indrajit, Miranda, Shruti Modi, Pithani, Rumi Jaffery and several others. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Pompeo: US ready to block Russia, China from violating Iran sanctions Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 2:38 PM US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the United States is prepared to block Russia and China from any attempts to violate sanctions against Iran. Pompeo made the remarks in an interview on Friday, a day after the US moved to restore the UN Security Council's sanctions against Tehran. The top US diplomat also said that Washington was disappointed that its allies did not support the American effort to push for a "snapback" of UN sanctions, including an arms embargo against the Islamic Republic. On Thursday, Pompeo said Washington's European allies were "siding with" the Iranian leadership after they said the US could not reimpose sanctions on Iran. The United States' most prominent Western allies refused to fall into step with its push to snap back the United Nations sanctions against Iran. The United Kingdom, France, and Germany said the US did not have the legal right to trigger "snapback" sanctions because it pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. They said they could not support the US move, describing Washington's action as incompatible with efforts to support the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reported. The trio announced their position in a statement in response to an illegal US push to invoke the mechanism in the nuclear deal that would restore all of the UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic, whose related resolutions were annulled after the agreement was concluded. Delivering the unilateral US approach its next blow was China's UN mission that reminded that Washington had itself compromised all of its contractual rights under the nuclear deal. Neither did a letter presented to the world body by Pompeo to trigger the snapback module qualify for the purpose it has been written for, the mission noted in a tweet. Pompeo on Thursday said the United States will do everything it can to enforce United Nations sanctions on Iran if they are violated. He told reporters at the United Nations it would be an "enormous mistake" not to extend the arms embargo on Iran. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister has said that the US administration's attempt to snap back the UN Security Council's sanctions against Tehran will result in nothing but another disgrace for US President Donald Trump. "Last night Pompeo activated the mechanism of returning the annulled Security Council resolutions in his imaginations," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a post on his Instagram account on Friday. However, he added, at the same time Iran, Russia, China, the European Union, Germany, France, and the UK described the Trump administration's move as unlawful, futile, and null and voice in separate letters. "Today, some other members of the Security Council will likely adopt similar stances, and the Trump administration will be isolated and disgraced globally once again," Zarif said. "The history of the Security Council does not remember any similar situation," he noted, referring to an almost global consensus against Trump. On Friday, the UN Security Council almost unanimously refused to support a US-sponsored draft resolution on extending the arms embargo against Iran, which is due to expire in October under the JCPOA. During the 15-member Security Council vote, the US received support only from the Dominican Republic for its anti-Iran resolution, leaving it far short of the minimum nine "yes" votes required for adoption. Russia and China, both veto-wielding powers and parties to the JCPOA, voted against the draft resolution and the remaining 11 Security Council members, including France, Germany and Britain, abstained. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States was further isolated on Friday over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran with 13 countries on the 15-member U.N. Security Council expressing their opposition, arguing that Washington's move is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal that it quit two years ago. In the 24 hours since U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day countdown to a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran, including an arms embargo, long-time allies Britain, France, Germany and Belgium as well as China, Russia, Vietnam, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Indonesia, Estonia and Tunisia have already written letters in opposition, seen by Reuters. The United States has accused Iran of breaching a 2015 deal with world powers that aimed to stop Tehran developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief. But President Donald Trump described it as the "worst deal ever" and quit in 2018. Diplomats said Russia, China and many other countries are unlikely to reimpose the sanctions on Iran. Pompeo again warned Russia and China against that on Friday, threatening U.S. action if they refuse to reimpose the U.N. measures on Iran. The United States acted on Thursday after the Security Council resoundingly rejected its bid last week to extend an arms embargo on Iran beyond its expiration in October. Only the Dominican Republic joined Washington in voting yes. Dominican Republic has not yet written to the council to state its position on the sanctions snapback push. Under the process Washington says it has triggered, it appears all U.N. sanctions should be reimposed at midnight GMT (8 p.m New York time) on Sept. 19 - just days before Trump is due to address world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, the annual meeting that will be largely virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. WHAT NOW? A 2015 Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal states that if no council member has put forward a draft resolution to extend sanctions relief on Iran within 10 days of a non-compliance complaint, then the body's president shall do so within the remaining 20 days. Story continues The United States would be able to veto this, giving it a cleaner argument that sanctions on Iran have to be reimposed. However, the 2015 resolution also says the council would "take into account the views of the states involved." Given the strong opposition, some diplomats say the council president - Indonesia for August and Niger for September - would not have to put up a draft text. "Faced with this very strong view of a majority of Security Council members that the snapback process has not been triggered, as the presidency they are not bound to introduce the draft resolution," said a U.N. Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Pompeo and outgoing U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook signaled that Washington expects Indonesia or Niger to put a text to a vote. Another U.S. option is to put forward the draft itself or ask the Dominican Republic to do so. The United States argues that it can trigger the sanctions snapback process because the 2015 Security Council resolution still names it as a nuclear deal participant. However, in a joint letter to the Security Council on Thursday hours after the U.S. submitted it complaint, Britain, Germany and France said: "Any decisions and actions which would be taken based on this procedure or on its possible outcome would also be devoid of any legal effect." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres distanced himself from the showdown in the Security Council. "Security Council members will need to interpret their own resolution," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. "It's not the Secretary-General." (Reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Grant McCool) An incredible 12-year-long neighbourhood dispute that appeared to be coming to an end has flared up again, with one of the parties now trying to get out of paying for a fence between their homes - despite previously agreeing to it. Anthony Saba and Noel Plumb's suburban stoush has been running on the streets of East Ryde, in Sydney's north-west, since their first argument over a backyard tree in 2008. Mr Plumb - a retired bush re-generator - called his local council to dob in Mr Saba for cutting down large gumtrees in the backyard of his home. Since then Mr Saba, Mr Plumb and his now ex-wife Jeanette Minifie (as well as another neighbour Stuart Maxwell), have been involved in legal action in the NSW Local Court, District Court, Supreme Court and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunals (NCAT). The battle is directly blamed for the breakdown of two marriages and has left them collectively more than $300,000 out of pocket. But just when the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) looked set to put one part of the drama to bed, Mr Plumb - on Ms Minifie's behalf - has kept the fight going by launching an eleventh hour bid not to have to pay for a fence between their place and the Maxwell property. Noel Plumb (left) and Jeanette Minifie (right), his ex-wife and current housemate, have made an eleventh hour bid not to pay for a fence between theirs and a neighbouring property that has been a source of much contention. It looks set to continue an already 12-year long feud in their street in East Ryde, on Sydney's lower north shore A fence (pictured) was to be built between the property of Ms Minifie and Mr Plumb, and their neighbour Stuart Maxwell, with the parties to evenly split the cost. But when it came time to reimburse Mr Maxwell for half the fence, Ms Minifie and Mr Plumb launched action to get out of paying anything for the divide NCAT ruled last September that a fence be built to 'finalise the continuing dispute'. But just a few months later Mr Plumb and Ms Minifie appealed that decision, pushing the deadline for the fence to be built back to May 2020. The fence was finally completed on May 8, 2020 at a cost of $3,860, which was paid by the Maxwells as ordered by NCAT. However when they went to collect half the costs owed to them by Ms Minifie and Mr Plumb, they found that the separated couple - who still live together - were seeking a NCAT order that they not have to pay a cent. 'The appellant (Ms Minifie) wrote to the Registrar of this Tribunal seeking a "stay or suspension" of her obligation to contribute to the cost of the dividing fence,' court documents state. Ms Minifie and Mr Plumb claimed the fence had not been built as specified by NCAT. As the deadline for their payment to the Maxwell's passed, Ms Minifie wrote to NCAT asking for a ruling on her application but she was told the previous agreement that both parties pay 50 per cent was 'final and binding'. The tribunal has now ruled that a new hearing be set to determine whether Mr Plumb and Ms Minifie are required to pay up. In his judgement, NCAT principal member Frank Marks commented on the 'underlying dislike' between the parties that was 'demonstrated during the course of the hearing'. 'It is important the proceedings be finalised as efficiently and as soon as possible,' Mr Marks noted. Previously, Mr Plumb claimed the battle had taken a 'huge impact' on his life and was keen for it to be put to bed, while Mr Saba told Daily Mail Australia he intended to recoup every cent he claims he is owed by his neighbourhood nemesis. The view from the boudnary of Mr Maxwell's property down onto the home owned completely by Ms Minifie. A pile of fence palings from a previously demolished fence sits on the rockface between the two properties Anthony Saba and Noel Plumb's suburban stoush has been running since their first argument over a backyard tree in 2008. It has since involved Mr Maxwell, with a dispute over a fence on the boundary between his property and Ms Minifie ongoing before NCAT Anthony Saba (pictured) earlier this year he 'won't stop' until he is paid the $230,000 in legal costs he claims is owed by Mr Plumb from a spate of court cases in the various NSW jurisdictions 'I won't stop until Mr and Mrs Plumb (Ms Minifie) pay their due debts. That's when it's going to be over, when they pay their due debts,' Mr Saba said. The debt is referring to is $232,187 in legal costs Mr Plumb was ordered by a court to pay Mr Saba after he failed in his bid to have an AVO taken out against him. But Mr Plumb was unable to pay the outstanding amount because he had no assets. Just months earlier he had transferred his share of the East Ryde home where he and Ms Minifie lived to her as part of their separation settlement. However under the deal she allowed him to continue living in the house with her 'for life'. A TIMELINE OF THE NEIGHBOUR WARS: 2008: Mr Saba cuts down trees on his property, angering Mr Plumb 2011: The dispute escalates following an 'incident' that sees police called 2012: Mr Plumb's obsession with his feud with Mr Saba sees a breakdown in his relationship with Ms Minifie 2012: Mr Plumb sells his quarter-share of their home to Ms Minife, but can still live at the property 2015: Mr Plumb fails in his attempt for an AVO against Mr Saba and is ordered to pay $230,000 in legal costs, but he cannot afford it 2016: Mr Saba alleges Mr Plumb and Ms Minifie are faking breakup so that he does not have to pay legal costs 2017: Ms Minifie wants a fence sitting between her and Stuart Maxwell's home to be raised, but he disagrees. A tribunal ordered them to split the cost but she began building a fence illegally 2020: NCAT rules Ms Minifie must pull down the fence and another be built in its place - Once it is built, Ms Minifie attempts to get out of paying half the costs Advertisement This led to the feud continuing, with Mr Saba taking Mr Plumb to court and claiming his split with Ms Minifie was not genuine and instead an attempt to avoid paying his legal costs. As part of a case that eventually failed, Mr Saba relied on an affidavit from nextdoor neighbour Mr Maxwell who told the court Mr Plumb and Ms Minifie still had 'dinner parties' and that she continued to hang out her ex-partner's 'washing'. When the matter was thrown out Ms Minifie then attempted to have a fence erected because of 'privacy' concerns from Mr Maxwell. The dispute over the fence ended up before NCAT, but when the tribunal sided with Mr Maxwell a fence was soon erected on Ms Minifie's property anyway. Mr Plumb admitted he had been 'wrong' in pushing his 'housemate' to erect a fence on her side of the boundary, and would comply with the NCAT judgement - unless a middle ground can be found. 'This thing has become highly legalistic, it has dragged on, it has had an enormous impact on us,' Mr Plumb said. 'I felt that we could legally, without hindering the fence as ordered at the first NCAT hearing, build the fence on Jennies land that would give us privacy. (But) it's turned out I was wrong. 'Jennie is absolutely complying with the NCAT orders to clear the fence and that is what will happen unless there is some agreement to perhaps modify the fence... so that it is acceptable to the Maxwells.' But it appears he has since changed his mind and the saga will drag on a little bit longer. At the very least. Austin, Texas Aliyah Marandiz, who grew up a member of the Baha'i faith, said that her religion influences her actions, her perspective and how she treats other people, much the same way any religion would. Yet while many religious communities are grappling with how to talk about race in the wake of recent protests against racism and police brutality, Marandiz said she has seen her fellow Baha'i practice their core belief of eradicating racism through service to their community. "It's been really helpful to have these allies that are ready for action," she said. "The biggest thing is that all my Baha'i friends and the people in the Baha'i community have been so ready to act. We believe this so deeply, so we're like, 'How do we act on this?'" Khotan Shahbazi-Harmon, who serves as the chair of the elected Local Spiritual Assembly in Austin, described service to the community as akin to worship. "We're always thinking, how do we interact with people? How do we build relationships? How do we serve the community in a way that reflects the community?" said Chwinwi Ghogomu, who became Baha'i with his mother and sister at the age of 13. "How do you take the society that you're living in and serve that society and how do you learn to recognize the dignity that is inherent in all of us?" For many Baha'is, this service has recently meant attending protests or turning out to support local organizations involved in social justice work. Shivani Jain, who discovered the Baha'i faith in college a decade ago, said she appreciated the notion of a religion dedicated to achieving concrete, long-term structural change. "It's a faith that's really about the critical investigation of truth and about hopefully working toward a better world order that eradicates extremes of wealth and poverty, and racial prejudice," she said. "The idea is that true unity comes from justice. So we can't have unity unless we have fairness and justice at all levels, and we're working toward that in a very constructive way." This belief in justice is built into the structure of the religion itself. When electing members of the local spiritual assemblies, Baha'i policy says that a tie vote will go to the person whose identity is underrepresented in the local community. Baha'is are involved in many social causes in Austin, Jain said. "People are coming together to do things like food drop off, advertising things like rent relief, trying to help elderly people stay away from the heat," Jain said. "Baha'is are multifaceted and engaged in many ways. Many of them are vegan. Many of them are fighting for climate change issues." Eastern tradition in West The Baha'i faith is built around ending racism and striving for peace and justice. The religion, which emerged from Islam in mid-19th century Persia, now Iran, has about 5 million followers worldwide. Baha'is believe God has given progressive revelation over the ages and they honor all the major prophets and religions. Their founding prophet, Baha'u'llah, preached unity of humankind and world peace. "For Baha'is, racial unity is an imperative. It's an integral part of our faith," said Chris Bishop, a member of the Baha'i Local Spiritual Assembly in Austin. "Race unity does not mean sameness or assimilation. It means that we each have our own individual culture to bring to the faith, that those need to be included." Members of the community also offer classes for children, both Baha'i and not, focusing on social justice and spirituality. Marandiz leads 12- to 14-year-olds in a junior youth group, which she said teaches kids that actions speak louder than words. "We're doing the actions without having to explain it. My junior youth group is in a very diverse neighborhood and we're talking about spirituality and service," she said. "People can see that change happens from people of all different backgrounds." Peter Marks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said he would resign if the agency pushed out an unproven coronavirus vaccine. The FDA is under immense pressure to release a vaccine, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to rise, and as President Donald Trump urges health officials to act speedily. "You have to decide where your red line is, and that's my red line," Marks said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A high-level official within the Food and Drug Administration threatened to resign if the agency green-lights an unproven coronavirus vaccine. In a statement to Reuters, Peter Marks, the director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said he "would feel obligated" to step down from his role if the agency approves a dubious vaccine. "In doing so," Marks said, "I would indicate to the American public that there's something wrong." In his role, Marks oversees a team of experts who are responsible for identifying potential coronavirus treatments, the Washington Post reported. Historically, FDA officials like Marks have the final say on medical items issued out to the public. If this trend holds, Marks will be the determining figure on when a vaccine will be released, according to the Post. The FDA did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. There is mounting pressure to secure a vaccine for the coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases continues to climb worldwide. More than 5.5 million people have contracted the virus in the United States, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Of that sum, more than 174,000 Americans have died from it. Scientist Xinhua Yan works in the lab at Moderna in Cambridge, MA on Feb. 28, 2020. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images President Donald Trump has been urging health officials to work faster to approve a vaccine and said it was possible that one would be available before the November 3 election. Most health experts say it's unlikely that a vaccine could be proven safe that soon. Story continues Trump's eagerness to put out a vaccine comes as lawmakers remain critical of him for his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Perhaps more importantly, voters who will take to the polls in November to determine whether he gets re-elected have also indicated they're not satisfied with the way he's handled the pandemic. Only 35% of voters said they approved of his response in a July Quinnipiac University poll. That figure is compared with the overwhelming 62% who said they didn't. Adding on to the pressure, earlier this month Russia announced the release of what President Vladimir Putin has called the first coronavirus vaccine in the world. But the pressure isn't enough to drive officials to put out a vaccine just yet. "You have to decide where your red line is, and that's my red line," Marks said in the statement, adding that he "could not stand by and see something that was unsafe or ineffective that was being put through." Still, scientists and health officials have concerns that the quickly approaching November election will only encourage Trump to double down on the pressure, Reuters reported. The federal government is testing possible treatments, but a vaccine is not likely to be approved before the election, health officials have said. The government hopes to release a proven vaccine by January 2021, Reuters reported, citing Michael Caputo, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Read the original article on Business Insider With the new EVFTA, Vietnams pharmacy firms will have to compete fairly with manufacturers from the EU.With the new EVFTA, Vietnams pharmacy firms will have to compete fairly with manufacturers from the EU. Illustrative image A recent study of BMI Research found that in the next five years, Vietnams pharmacy industry will continue to be among 20 markets with the fastest and most stable growth rates. Regarding market scale, it predicted that the market value would reach $7.7 billion by 2021 and $16.1 billion by 2026, with CAGR of 11 percent if calculating in Vietnam dong, according to Nhip Cau Dau tu. In order to compete with low-cost Indian and Chinese products, some US pharmacy firms have licensed local pharmacy firms to make drugs or bought into enterprises in local underdeveloped markets like Vietnam, in order to use the cheap labor force and cut production costs. Vietnam is believed to be an attractive destination for multinationals to set up their production facilities that make products for export to third countries. Many large-scale projects have kicked off, including a $80 million medicine factory in the HCM City High-Tech Park Zone developed by Vietnamese Vinapharm and French Sanofi Group. More recently, Vietnam witnessed the establishment of AstraZeneca Vietnam, a subsidiary of the worlds big pharmacy manufacturer AstraZeneca. The group pledged to invest VND5 trillion, or $220 million, in Vietnam in 2020-2024. More recently, Vietnam witnessed the establishment of AstraZeneca Vietnam, a subsidiary of the worlds big pharmacy manufacturer AstraZeneca. The group pledged to invest VND5 trillion, or $220 million, in Vietnam in 2020-2024. AstraZeneca recently signed cooperation agreements with many Vietnamese firms, including drug distributors, which are among the first agreements between domestic distributors with a multinational pharmacy group, according to Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan. Once drugs are imported and managed directly by manufacturers multinationals this will help stabilize supply. In the past, foreign businesses were subject to limitations in drug distribution, including storage and transportation services. But with EVFTA, Vietnamese enterprises will have to compete fairly with businesses from the EU. Vietnamese businesses have reason to worry about competition as European pharmacy firms can join more deeply into the supply, production and distribution chains in the Vietnamese market. The quality of many made-in-Vietnam products is nearly the same as the quality of foreign imports, while the price is 1/20th as much, but Vietnamese patients still prefer foreign products. To prepare for the competition, many Vietnamese firms including Hau Giang Pharmacy, Bidiphar, Imexpharm and Pymepharco have planned big investments to upgrade their factories with modern technologies to improve the quality of products. However, equipping factories with imported GMP-EU standard technology, which costs VND300 billion on average, is a big challenge for Vietnams enterprises. Mai Lan VN pharmaceutical market: stiff competition fosters M&A wave Vietnam ranks 17th among 'pharmerging' markets, or markets expected to become a pillar for the worlds pharmaceutical industry, according to IMS Health. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that as a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is of great importance to promoting in-depth development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and forging a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a verbal message to Pakistani President Arif Alvi. Xi said he appreciates the fact that Alvi sent a congratulatory letter to the opening of the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, which fully demonstrated that Alvi attaches great importance to and supports the China-Pakistan relationship and construction of the CPEC. China and Pakistan are good brothers and partners who share special friendship, Xi said, adding that political parties from both sides often carry out friendly consultations and constantly build political consensus, which is conducive to steadily advancing the construction of the CPEC as well as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the global fight has fully demonstrated that mutual support, solidarity and cooperation present a sure way for humanity to defeat this novel coronavirus, Xi said. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, jointly promote regional solidarity and cooperation, and safeguard the good momentum of peace and development in the region. Alvi had previously sent a congratulatory message to the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism. He said in the message that building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by Xi profoundly interpreted the true meaning of cooperation, peace and development and reflected the universal aspirations of the people around the world. He thanked China specifically for providing timely medical assistance to Pakistan when it was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Pakistan will continue to enhance cultural exchanges and mutual trust with China, share common goals with China and make joint efforts to promote regional peace and stability. The CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism was established in 2019 between the CPC and the ruling and major non-ruling parties of Pakistan. On Thursday, the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, organized by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, was held via video link. When Trevor Henry arrived at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Aug. 21, he was expecting to drive division leading Desperate Man in the second of two $107,200 Gold Series stakes for the two-year-old pacing colts. He did not have a drive in the first Gold division. Fortunately for Henry, Jack Darling had just learned that Randy Waples was unable to drive Friday and the trainer was in need of a replacement to steer Bulldog Hanover in the first split. Henry was happy to step into the breach and, eight races later, he had piloted both colts to Gold Series victories. Starting from the outside post nine, Henry dropped Bulldog Hanover down to the rail in seventh and sat at the back of the main pack as Lawless Shadow sprinted out to a :26.3 quarter and battled Springbridge Duel to a :55.3 half. Springbridge Duel kept the tempo lively through the 1:23.4 three-quarters as No Bettor Joy and Bulldog Hanover started to advance up the outer lane. Turning for home, Henry moved Bulldog Hanover into an open lane and the colt sprinted down the stretch to a three-length victory in a personal-best 1:52. Favourite Lawless Shadow finished second and Flash Cube was third. He raced good for the nine-hole. He had a lot of luck -- three of them made breaks and he landed in a good spot -- but yeah, he raced really well, said Henry. Hes a nice colt. Trevor did a good job. When he drew the nine-hole, youre kind of expecting the worst, but actually the trip worked out perfect and he got around all the breaking horses, added owner/trainer Darling. So he got a little bit lucky and ended up getting a good trip, but he raced big too. That was a nice mile. Bulldog Hanover started his Ontario Sires Stakes campaign at the Grassroots level, finishing second in the July 6 season opener and romping to a five-length win in the July 20 leg, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park. With a month in between the second Grassroots leg and Fridays test, Darling gave the Shadow Play son a tightener in an August 11 qualifier, where Bulldog Hanover cruised to an 11-length win in 1:56. Hes basically been a nice colt all the way through; he just kept getting better and better as we went. He qualified good, he won the Grassroots kind of handy, so we gave him a try in the Gold and it looks like hes a nice Gold horse too, said Cambridge, Ont. resident Darling. Hes just a nice horse. Hes just that cocky type, always feeling good, got lots of try to him, and a beautiful-looking horse. Most of the Shadow Plays are great-looking horses and he is one of them. Another good-looking son of Shadow Play, Desperate Man lined up at post three in the second Gold division and left well enough to land in fourth as Bettor Sun and Darling trainee Avion Seelster hustled to a :26.2 quarter. Bettor Sun marched on to a :55 half, with Henry angling Desperate Man off the rail and catching a windbreak from Ucanttouchthis. As Bettor Sun paced by the 1:23.2 three-quarters, Desperate Man had advanced to third and, once the colts squared up in the stretch, Henry asked the favourite for another gear and Desperate Man drew away to a 1-1/4-length victory in a personal-best 1:51.2. Bettor Sun stayed game for second and Socrates Blue Chip closed to be third. Tonight he got second-over and kind of got towed up into it, said Henry. I figured he would be a little short because he hasnt raced in a while, and then the qualifier we had him in he made a break at the gate and he never got a real good workout that day, but he still finds a way to win. Good ones do. Desperate Man romped to victory in the July 3 Gold Series opener and the July 18 Gold leg, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and then dropped into the same August 11 qualifier as Bulldog Hanover for his prep in advance of Fridays start. However, things did not go according to plan for Henry, trainer Kathy Cecchin and her co-owners, husband John Cecchin, daughter Nicole Davies and son-in-law Paul Davies, all from Arthur, Ont. Desperate Man made a break behind the starting gate and was never part of the action. He was just behind the gate so long because, with the two-year-olds, they bring the gate way to the back here and he was behind it for quite a while, Henry explained. When I schooled him the once, he actually did it, but then he landed right away and I got away with him, but that day he just didnt land and it was just one of those things. Better going for nothing than when hes going for money. While Henry does not foresee any long term issues for the colt behind the starting gate, he said it is unlikely Desperate Man will be hustling off the wings this season. I dont think youd want to really rush him out of there, it takes him a while to kind of get in gear; hes a big colt. Hell come to that when he gets older, but for now it takes him a while to get in the motion, said the driver. Hes not maybe as quick off the gate as some of them, but...hes quicker home than the rest of them. The two-year-old pacing colts will make their fourth Gold Series start at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 5 before wrapping up their regular season at Flamboro Downs on October 4. The top 10 point-earners through the regular season will earn a spot in the $250,000 Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on October 17. To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park (With files from OSS) Aarogya Setu has rolled out a new feature that will enable organisations to get the health status of their employees or any other user without violating their data privacy, an official release said on Saturday. Aarogya Setu has now emerged as the most downloaded contact tracing app in the world, with more than 15 crore users, it said. The new feature called 'Open API Service' will help people, businesses and the economy to return to normalcy, and aims to address the fear/risk of COVID-19 infection. The service can be availed by organisations and business entities, who are registered in India with more than 50 employees, and they can use it to query the Aarogya Setu application in real-time and get the health status of their employees or any other Aarogya Setu user, who have provided their consent for sharing their health status with that entity, the release added. "In order to help businesses and economy to start functioning while being safe, the Open API Service enables organisations to check the status of Aarogya Setu and integrate it into its various Work from Home features," the release by Ministry of Electronics and IT said. The Open API (application programme interface) shall only provide the Aarogya Setu status and name of the Aarogya Setu User with their consent. No other personal data shall be provided through the API, the release added. Registration for the new service can be done at openapi.aarogyasetu.gov.in, it said. Since its launch on April 2, Aarogya Setu has been aiding the efforts of frontline health workers and the government in COVID-19 mitigation and management efforts. More than 6.6 million Bluetooth contacts have been traced and percentage positive of those who have tested is almost 27 per cent. "Since its launch, Aarogya Setu has continuously innovated and introduced more novel features like e-pass integration, QR Code scanning, sharing of Health status with family/known persons - all of which have been very effective in keeping India and Indians safe...," the release 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.) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the Western Operations Command to monitor the movement of the forces of NATO and the State Border Committee to tighten control over the border. "I order the Western Operations Command to start stringent monitoring of the movement of all military units of our neighboring states from NATO and the State Border Committee to tighten security of the entire perimeter of the state border," Lukashenko said at a rally in Grodno on Saturday. "You must scan every person heading here on unlawful purposes. No fighter and provocateur, no ammunition must end up in our territory," the president said. Peter Debbins, a former Army Green Beret, in a booking photo when he was arrested on Aug. 21, 2020, for allegedly conspiring with Russian intelligence operatives to provide them with United States national defense information. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office via AP) US Former Special Forces Officer Charged With Spying for Russia A former U.S. Army Special Forces officer was arrested and charged with providing U.S. national defense information to Russia, the Department of Justice announced on Friday. Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, a former Army Green Beret from Gainesville, Virginia, was arrested on Friday. He is accused of conspiring with agents of a Russian intelligence service for more than 10 years, specifically from December 1996 to January 2011, according to an indictment (pdf) made public after his arrest. If convicted, Debbins faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He will have an initial court appearance on Monday. Online court records remained sealed, so it wasnt immediately clear whether Debbins has an attorney. The Justice Department earlier this week charged a former CIA officer, Alexander Yuk Chung Ma, with spying for China, making Debbinss case the second arrest within the past week accusing a government or military official of divulging U.S. intelligence to a foreign country. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers said in a statement that the two arrests demonstrate that we must remain vigilant against espionage from our two most malicious adversariesRussia and China. Over the course of the conspiracy, Debbins allegedly gave information that he obtained as a member of the U.S. Army to Russian agents. This included information about his deployment to a chemical unit in South Korea in 1998 and 1999, and later deployments with his Special Forces unit to Azerbaijan and Georgia in 2004. He continued to disclose information to Russian agents after leaving active duty service, including providing names and information about his former Special Forces team members, so that the Russian agents could decide whether to approach them to ask if they could also spy for Russia. The facts alleged in this case are a shocking betrayal by a former Army officer of his fellow soldiers and his country, Alan E. Kohler, Jr., assistant director of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division, said in a statement. Debbins is accused of giving Russian intelligence officers sensitive information about the units in which he once served and also providing the names of other service members so Russia could try to recruit them. These actions cannot stand and the FBI will aggressively pursue such cases. Son of Russia Debbinss espionage began in late 1996 when he gave one of his Russian handlers the names of four Catholic nuns he had visited while in Russia, the indictment alleges. He allegedly told Russian intelligence in late 1996 that he considered himself a son of Russia, and by 1997, Russian intelligence agents assigned him a code name, Ikar Lesnikov, after he signed a statement saying that he wanted to serve Russia. Debbins had told his Russian handlers in 1997 that he wanted to leave the military but they encouraged him to stay, the indictment noted. The Russian handlers also encouraged his decision to join the Special Forces, saying he was of no use to the Russian intelligence service as an infantry commander. In 2008, he divulged U.S. secrets to Russia at least in part because he was angry and bitter about his time in the U.S. Army, prosecutors alleged, adding that Debbins thought at the time that Russia needed to be built up and that America needed to be cut down in size.' On multiple occasions, the Russian handlers asked Debbins for U.S. military field manuals. Debbins explained that he was unable to provide them because he believed that carrying the manuals would prompt the Department of Homeland Security to stop him at the airport and seize his electronic devices. Debbins lost his security clearance and command of his unit for an unspecified security violation in 2004 or 2005, and then left the military in 2005 with an honorable discharge, the indictment states. His security clearance was restored in 2010 by an Army adjudicator but it came with a warning that his family and business connections to Russia might make him the target of a foreign intelligence service. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More Former CIA Officer Arrested, Charged With Spying for China Dubai: A 64-year-old Indian woman who was attending a conference in Dubai died after suffering a heart attack in Dubai, according to a media report. Vasantha Reddi collapsed in a shopping mall after experiencing chest pain, and later died on her way to the hospital in an ambulance. Vasantha was on a visit to Dubai with her 68-year-old husband Sathyanarayana Reddi. They were among the several hundred delegates visiting the country to attend a Rotary Club conference, Khaleej Times reported. Also Read: (Delhi: Teenager girl shot dead by friend in Najafgarh area) The couple from Chennai was married for 39 years and this was their first foreign trip together. "We came to Dubai for the first time and my wife was quite happy. We were in Dubai Mall visiting various shops and taking pictures. All of a sudden, she felt uneasy and fainted. She wanted to rest as she was experiencing severe pain and we had to call an ambulance. While going to the hospital she died in the ambulance," Sathyanarayana was quoted as saying by the newspaper. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has said that the foreign nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event held in Delhi in March this year, were made "scapegoats" and allegations were levelled that they were responsible for spreading Covid-19 in the country. A division bench of Justices TV Nalawade and MG Sewlikar made the observations on August 21 while quashing the FIRs filed against 29 foreigners, who had attended the event. The bench also noted that while the Maharashtra police acted mechanically in the case, the state government acted under "political compulsion". The 29 foreign nationals were booked under various provisions of the IPC, the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and Foreigner's Act for allegedly violating their tourist visa conditions by attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held at Nizamuddin in the national capital. The bench in its order noted that there was a big propaganda against the foreigners who had come to the Markaz in Delhi. "A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them a scapegoat," the court said in its order. "The propaganda against the so-called religious activity (Tablighi Jamaat) was unwarranted. The activity was going on for more than 50 years and it is there throughout the year," it added. It said that the circumstances and the latest figures of infection of Covid-19 in India show that such action against the petitioners should not have been taken. "It is now high time for the concerned to repent about this action taken against the foreigners and to take some positive steps to repair the damage done by such action," the court said. In its order, the bench noted that many Muslims from across the world come to India and visit the Markaz Masjid in Delhi as they are attracted to the reform movement of Tablighi Jamaat. "It is a continuous process and it appears that there are arrangements of stay also made by the Muslims at Markaz Delhi," it said. The bench added that the visits of these foreigners to Masjids in India were not prohibited and there is nothing on record to show that this activity is prohibited permanently by the government. "The activity of Tablighi Jamaat got stalled only after the declaration of lockdown in Delhi and till then it was going on," the court said. The bench further questioned as to whether the people in India are really acting as per its great tradition and culture of welcoming guests. "During the situation created by COVID-19 pandemic, we need to show more tolerance and need to be more sensitive towards our guests, particularly like the present petitioners. Instead of helping them, we lodged them in jails by making allegations that they were responsible for violation of travel documents and that they are responsible for spreading the coronavirus," the court said. The bench noted that the Maharashtra police acted mechanically in the present matter and the state government acted under "political compulsion". "The government cannot give different treatment to citizens of different religions of different countries," the court said. Apart from the foreign nationals, police also booked six Indian nationals and trustees of the Masjids for giving shelter to the petitioners. The bench was hearing three separate petitions filed by the accused foreign nationals, who belong to the countries like Ghana, Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia. At the end of the judgement, Justice Sewlikar said that while he agrees with the quashing part of the order, he has differing views on a few observations made by Justice Nalawade. However, he did not specify which observations. The petitioners claimed that they came to India on valid visa in February 2020 and before March 10, 2020 to experience Indian culture, tradition, hospitality and Indian food. They claimed that when they arrived in India, they were screened and were let to leave the airport only after they did not show any symptoms of COVID-19. The petitioners further claimed that they were visiting several places in India to observe the religious practices of Muslims. They claimed that due to lockdown imposed across the country in March, the petitioners, who were in Ahmednagar district at the time, were accommodated in masjids as most lodges and hotels were closed. They further claimed that while granting visa, there was no prohibition to visit religious places, like masjids. The police, while opposing the pleas, said that post-lockdown, announcements were made at public places, asking persons who had attended the Tablighi event to come forward voluntarily for testing, but the petitioners did not do so and created a threat of spreading the coronavirus. The prosecution further argued that the accused persons were propagating Islam religion among public. The court, however, refused to accept this and said there is nothing on record to show that the foreigners (accused persons) were spreading Islam religion by converting persons of other religions to Islam. The bench further held that no orders were issued by any authority preventing Indians from accommodating persons in masjids or supplying meals to persons, including foreigners. . Russian Opposition Leader's Family says Moscow Covering Up Poisoning Attempt By Charles Maynes August 21, 2020 Family and associates of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny accuse Moscow of blocking his medical evacuation to Germany to cover up what they say is an attempt to poison him. Speaking to reporters outside the hospital in Omsk on Friday, Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and Ivan Zhdanov, a Navalny associate, said the decision put his life in mortal danger. "They refuse to hand over Alexei for his further transporting," Navalnaya said. "We certainly believe that it was made to make sure that a chemical substance which is in Alexei's body will dissolve. That's is why he is not handed over to make sure that particles of this substance will dissolve. He is not in a good shape. And we certainly cannot trust this hospital and we demand to hand him over to us so that we will be able to treat him in an independent hospital whose doctors we trust." Navalnaya spoke out against the Kremlin after the head doctor said moving him would put his life at risk because he was still in an induced coma and his condition was unstable. Navalny's team quoted a police officer as saying a highly dangerous substance had been identified in his body. "We approached that transit police representative who had come up with a phone (in her hands)," said Zhdanov, director of Navalny's anti-corruption foundation. "(We asked:) 'What substance?' She said: 'It is confidentiality of an investigation, we cannot tell you, but this substance poses a deadly threat. This substance poses a threat to Alexei's life as well as to wider public. Everyone around has to wear protective coveralls.'" The frictions arose as a German air ambulance landed in Omsk with the intention of flying Navalny to Germany for possible treatment. The Kremlin said on Thursday that medical authorities would consider any request to move him to a European hospital and the government would launch a criminal investigation if a toxicology report indeed found the poisoning allegations true. When asked about Navalny at the daily briefing Thursday, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, "We are following with the concern the reports that Mr. Navalny has a sudden illness. We obviously wish him a speedy recovery. Any allegations of suspected poisoning, if confirmed, should be fully investigated." U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, the ranking Senate member on the U.S. Helsinki Commission, told VOA's Russian service Thursday the news about Navalny "is extremely concerning." "The pattern of assaults, poisonings, and other attacks on Russian opposition figures, journalists, and pro-democracy advocates highlights the intensifying threats to civil society, human rights, and media freedom in Russia. I encourage the Russian authorities to investigate this incident and hold accountable those found responsible," Cardin said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A federal appeals court revived a legal challenge Friday to California prison security rules that allow some female inmates but no males to buy or possess a wide range of items including tweezers, bath towels, jeans and sugary foods like honey or jam. The rules, adopted in 2008, set different standards for male and female prisoners on the grounds that men are more likely to commit acts of violence or try to escape. Thus male inmates with the lowest security classification are barred from buying products from prison vendors, like metallic items that could be converted into weapons, or towels or scarves that could be used for strangulation, that females with high-risk classifications are allowed to purchase. In a 2016 lawsuit by a male inmate at San Quentin, a federal magistrate upheld the rules on the grounds that they were reasonably related to officials legitimate concerns. But the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said Friday that such suits must be judged by the same standards that apply to other claims of sex discrimination: that officials must show the differing treatment was necessary to serve important governmental objectives. That constitutional standard governs prison regulations such as this one, which facially discriminate on the basis of gender, Judge Richard Tallman said in the 3-0 ruling by a panel with a conservative majority. Two other federal appeals courts have applied the same standard to sex-discrimination suits in prison, but the Supreme Court has not addressed the issue. Tallman said prison officials might be able to justify their policy with evidence that male prisoners with low-risk security classifications, or those housed in lower-security prisons, are more likely to commit acts of violence than high-security female inmates. But he said the rules must be reviewed under the new standard by U.S. Magistrate Nandor Vadas, who had upheld them under less-demanding criteria. The ruling shows that whenever the state classifies its citizens based on their gender, that classification must be based on reasoned analysis rather than the mechanical application of sex stereotypes, said Samir Deger-Sen, a lawyer for the inmate. He said the case could have far-reaching consequences for both male and female prisoners across the Ninth Circuit who are subject to programs or policies that discriminate against them because of their gender. Dana Simas, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the department was reviewing the ruling. 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. California has about 96,000 prisoners, 3,800 of them women. The departments rules prohibit male inmates, regardless of security classification, from possessing metallic items such as tweezers, hair dryers, clippers, hangers, spray cans and alarm clocks. They are also barred from owning clothing items, like scarves and robes, that could be used to choke someone. T-shirts and jeans are also off-limits because they could allow an escaped inmate to blend in with the general population, according to the department. Necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry could lead to fights among male inmates. And sugary foods such as honey, jam and fruit, as well as ketchup, could become ingredients of an illicit alcoholic beverage called Pruno. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Flying high | RQ-21 soars into history with first Australian flight US Marine Corps News 21 Aug 2020 | Cpl. Harrison Rakhshani Marine Rotational Force - Darwin BRADSHAW FIELD TRAINING AREA, Australia -- A U.S. Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack was flown for the first time in Australia as part of the annual Marine Rotational Force Darwin, August 8. Marine Unmanned Arial Vehicle Squadron 3, MRF-D's Air Combat Element, launched the surveillance aircraft in support of bilateral training between the U.S. and Australian Defence Forces, marking a series of firsts for the Hawaii-based unit. "This is the RQ-21A's first deployment since we declared the squadron [fully operational], it's very exciting for us" said U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Trevor Ellingson, an unmanned aircraft systems officer with VMU-3. This historical milestone comes in the midst of an unusual year for MRF-D. In order to ensure health and safety of Australians and U.S. service members amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the rotation was delayed by two months, reduced from 2,500 Marines to just over 1,000, and saw the ACE, which was originally composed of several squadrons of manned aircraft including MV-22 Ospreys, reduced to just 32 Marines. However, the smaller footprint offered MRF-D an opportunity to exercise unmanned systems' capacity to support expeditionary advance bases and positions following modernization initiatives by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger. In line with these future operating concepts, Ellingson explained that the unit, "didn't bring a lot of manpower. We made our detachment as small as possible to get the mission accomplished. Out here, we're training to be fast, agile, to be able to setup, get a bird in the sky as fast as we can, and teardown quickly." In a real-world mission, Marine Air Ground Task Force elements would be swiftly and secretly deployed within striking distance of adversaries. These small teams would provide specific mission-tailored capabilities in order to shape the battlefield for follow on and larger naval forces. The RQ-21 provides a very unique enabling capability within distributed operations. The aircraft can be rapidly deployed with a limited footprint and provide anything from route reconnaissance and target confirmation to intelligence collection for both unilateral and multilateral operations. These capabilities are amplified by the system's ability to extend its flight distance using spoke sites as a way of extending the hub site's reach. "The spoke site, which enables UAS operators to fly the aircraft conveniently from the rear of a Humvee, also extends the range of the aircraft up to 150 nautical miles from the hub," said 1st Lt. Matthew Tatarka-Brown, a UAS officer. During a timed training event, the Marines were challenged to deploy from the hub location and establish a spoke site. All the necessary equipment for the spoke fit snugly into two high back Humvees. "I lead a small group of Marines in detaching from the main body to setup the spoke site," said Tatarka-Brown. "We got it up within an hour and ten minutes, but we're always aiming to get it up quicker." The RQ-21 is a valuable source of accurate, real-time intelligence to the United States and allies such as Australia. Tatarka-Brown explained that the spoke site is extremely valuable because "it's self-sufficient for a short period of time. It gives us the ability to have multiple aircraft doing separate missions simultaneously within the area of operations." To test this concept, the ACE also pushed live video from the spoke-operated RQ-21 to MRF-D's Command Element, being the first Marines ever to do so through the Stingray Satellite Communications system. "We're able to be that eye in the sky for long periods of time, providing battlefield situational awareness, pattern of life, whatever our joint force commander is looking for," said Ellingson. The ACE will continue training with their US and Australian counterparts into October, when the MRF D 2020 rotation will culminate. There's no saying exactly how or when they'll need to put their training into practice, but when they do, they'll be postured and ready to execute. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: A suspected ISIS operative, who was arrested following a brief exchange of fire, had planned terror strikes in high footfall areas of the national capital, Delhi Police disclosed said on Saturday (August 22, 2020). Addressing a press briefing, PS Kushwah, DCP (Special Cell), Delhi Police, said, Two pressure cooker IEDs were recovered from Mohammad Mustakeem Khan, alias Abu Yusuf, a resident of Balarampur in Uttar Pradesh. Khan had planned a terror strike in the national capital on August 15 but could not do so due to heavy security arrangements, DCP Kushwah said. Sharing more information, he said, The Special Cell has arrested the ISIS operative after a brief exchange of fire late night. The 36-year-old man is called Yusuf aka Abu Yusuf. He has various alias. Pressure cooker IEDs have been recovered from him. He was going to install them at heavy footfall area here. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his movement was restricted. Around 15th August, he had an intention to make an attempt (of attack) in Delhi but due to security arrangements here he was not successful, the DCP Special Cell said. He said Khan was in touch with ISIS handlers who instructed him to plan terror strikes in India. Mustakeem Khan, alias Abu Yusuf, was in direct touch with his ISIS commanders. He had passports made in the name of his wife and 4 children. Earlier, he was being handled by Yusuf Alhindi who was killed in Syria. Later, Abu Huzafa, a Pakistani, was handling him. Huzafa was also later killed in drone strike in Afghanistan, the DCP Special Cell told reporters. ''Abu Yusuf had plans to go for hijrat in Khurasan, Afghanistan along with his family. He even got passports prepared for his wife & 4 children on instructions of Abu Huzafa al Bakistani but this plan was shelved after the latter's killing,'' the DCP said. The suspected ISIS operative was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell on Friday night from the section of the Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh. The police recovered two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), weighing approximately 15 kilograms in two pressure cookers, from his possession. Besides, a pistol was also recovered from him post-firing. Khan had been under watch for the last year, the DCP told reporters. Our operation had been on for the last one year, Kushwaha said. He was remanded to seven-day police custody. According to reports, Special Cell officers are taking him to Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, for further investigation. Nobody is happy with the plans for school reopening. We are watching terrible news from across the country about how COVID-19 cases are on the rise at schools. And most of us are still concerned to send our kids back to school and put our lives, the lives of teachers and the whole community in danger. Our experience with virtual lessons, however, makes it discouraging to bring back remote learning. It revealed great divides in technology access and students achievement and engagement, particularly among English learners, students with disabilities and students from low-income communities. But if there is a silver lining to this pandemic, it is that it has strengthened our trust on science. Evidence-based plans have proven to offer the safest solutions against COVID-19. The early actions enforced in Connecticut, although seen as exaggerated at the time by part of the public, have successfully contained the spread of the virus, especially when compared to states that refused to take the virus seriously, delayed their stay-at-home orders and neglected mandatory use of masks in public spaces, which resulted in a more devastating situation. In a moment when feelings are running high about school reopening, I would like to invite you to look at the evidence here in Connecticut and listen to the specialists. In particular, not about the options offered to us, but consider a much-less-discussed alternative: outdoor education. For months now, we have been feeling safe to go back to restaurants and bars with outdoor seating, to return to parks and beaches for recreation, and to gather in massive marches on the streets in support of Black Lives Matter or against school reopening. Nevertheless, we have not seen a spike on the number of cases. Two major components have contributed to our safety here, besides wearing masks and using hand sanitizer. First, we must not lose sight of the fact that Connecticut has been sustaining one of the lowest infection rates in the country for several weeks. This is a completely different situation from other states, most of which are the homes of the scary news flooding our social media. Secondly, the fresh air outside seems to be extremely effective in dispersing the viral droplets and preventing the virus from building up in concentrated amounts. When asked about outdoor education in a recent call, the nations top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, emphasized that we should get as much outdoor as we possibly can. If you look at the super spreader events that have occurred they are almost always indoors, remembered Fauci. So why are we not talking about reopening schools in an outdoor setting? Do we think things would be different with kids? Outdoor summer camps across Connecticut can offer a perfect case to address these questions. They had a very successful summer, some of them serving more than 400 kids this season. In a virtual call recently, we were all happily surprised to learn that, although kids were not requested to wear masks during the programs (and most of them have not), there was only one reported case of COVID-19 among participants. After months of isolation, families recognized how much happier their kids were during and after the camps. Summer camp educators even noticed much less disruptive behavior during activities. Kids were just glad to be outside, exploring nature and interacting with each other. Helping overcome emotional and psychological stress is another great benefit of outdoor education at times like this. And it will be crucial to welcome back students from Black and brown communities that have been disproportionately traumatized by the pandemic, the conversations and reactions against police brutality, and the lack of support and engagement in online lessons in the spring. The main argument against the plans to return to in-person classes is that our underfunded schools cannot realistically comply with safety protocols. I absolutely agree with it! More than that: indoor classes can even jeopardize all the hard work we have put together to reach our current low levels of infection rate. We must look beyond the remote learning alternative that was presented to us because we have tried it, and it was far from optimal. Instead of readily dismissing outdoor classrooms as a nonviable option, I invite you to learn more from amazing examples from all around the world. Lets open our minds and consider what this healthier, safer, more engaging, more inclusive alternative plan can offer to our community. Gustavo Requena Santos is a board member of the Connecticut Outdoor & Environmental Education Association. UC San Diego scientists have found a way to make biodegradable flip-flops from algae. Flip-flops account for a huge amount of plastic waste in the world. Sadly, these wastes end up in our landfills, waterways, and oceans. In fact, more than one billion flip-flops are manufactured every year. Flip-flops make up 25 percent of plastic pollution in our oceans. If the current problem is not addressed, we could be seeing 13 billion metric tons of plastic polluting our environment in 2050. Read also: Scientists' Discovery: Coronavirus Detection by Slowing and Redirecting Light Addressing the flip-flop pollution problem In the hopes of addressing this environmental problem scientists at US San Diego have formulated polymers made from algae oil. These polyurethane foams were made to meet commercial specifications for making flip-flop footbeds. Professor Mike Burkart told Reuters that the process began with growing algae in raceway ponds. Once fully grown, they drain the water off until the algae are thick and paste-like. Then they extract the lipids which will base for making the material. The latest research is part of a series of publications that offer solutions to the plastics problem. Project co-leader Stephen Mayfield said that it took them hundreds of formulations to come up with the one that can be used commercially. He said that for now, the foams have 52 percent bio content. However, they see that they can get to 100 percent in the future. Algenesis president, Tom Cooke, said that people are now demanding products that address the environmental disaster. He said that Algenesis happened to be at the right place at the right time. You might be interested: First-Ever Chat's Choice Awards Promises to Be Something Like We've Never Seen Before The researchers worked with Algenesis to make and degrade the footwear. May explained that they had to redevelop the plastic material using bio-based monomers from scratch. Then they subjected the foams to tests such as immersing them in compost and soil. It took 16 weeks for the material to degrade naturally. They found several fungi and bacteria growing on the material. They then used a visualization process to confirm that the compost came from the original monomers. Hence, they said that it is possible to create a plastic raw material in which life is proportional to the life of the product. Other potential commercial uses Apart from flip-flops, the formulation has other useful applications as well. The report said that the polyurethane can be used foam cushions in seats and padding in luggage straps. It can also be used for yoga mats, foam insulation, and even tires. Mayfield said that materials should have a lifespan proportional to the product. A product that one uses only for some year should not have a material that sits around for 500 years. He added that they want footwear that biodegrades whether in the ocean or on land. You can read the published result at Science Direct. The report is titled "Bioresource Technology Reports at Science Direct." Read next: What Version of Windows Do I Have? Unique Features of Every Recent Version (Natural News) Black Lives Matter activists attacked a man and his girlfriend in downtown Portland on Aug. 16. Adam Haner was trying to intervene in an assault on another individual happening outside a 7-Eleven when the assailants turned on him. The assailants called Haner a white supremacist before they attacked him. In addition, they also attacked Haners girlfriend Tammie Martin. The assault left Haner with numerous injuries, though he has since been discharged from the hospital and is now on the way to recovery. Police have since identified one of the assailants as Marquise Love, who is now in police custody. Couple attacked despite being BLM allies In an interview with local station KATU, Haner, a former firefighter, insisted that he was only trying to help a woman who was being assaulted outside the convenience store. I remember saying very vividly that this isnt your enemy, this isnt who were trying to fight said Haner of the moments before he was assaulted. In a separate statement to FOX 12 Oregon, Martin seconded her boyfriends statement, saying that the mob who attacked them was merely looking for a fight. He was just trying to help and they called him a white supremacist, said Martin. She described how a protester tackled her to the ground and punched her repeatedly, leaving her with bruises and a fractured rib. Even she wasnt spared from the mobs verbal assault as she was called lame and loser, with some wishing that her boyfriend would die. (Related: Antifa and BLM rioters in Portland storm police union building and attempt to flood it.) Haners brother Brian also disproved the accusation of Adam being a white supremacist, attesting that his brother would give the shirt off his back to help any of the people around him. This came after the protesters involved insisted that Adam planned to run them over with a vehicle he was driving. Haner himself stated that he had participated in earlier Black Lives Matter protests even getting hit by rubber bullets and tear gas while marching. Suspect now in custody Suspect Marquise Love was identified after a video of the incident was shared online. The 25-year old Love had worked as a disc jockey in numerous Portland clubs alongside stints as a security officer and ramp agent at the Portland International Airport according to his now-deactivated social media profile. He attended a Black Lives Matter protest in July, even posting a picture of himself wearing a shirt with the movements name. Love is now facing felony charges of second-degree assault and coercion and one count of riot, with his bail set at $260,000. Star Protection Agency said in a statement that it had employed Love as an unarmed security guard from January to March 2020, but condemned his actions in Portland. Despite the injuries Haner suffered at the hands of Love and the rest of the BLM mob that night of Aug. 16, he insisted that he is not seeking anything from his attackers. Im sure karma will take care of him in whatever way it needs to. I hope he learns something, Haner said. According to Haner, the assault does not discourage him from stepping in to help people in need once he fully recovers from his injuries, which he insisted is just my nature. Haner says that this instinct is what made him become a firefighter in the first place. However, if theres one thing about him that the assault has changed it would be his opinion on the city he loves. In an interview with WKBN, Haner said that getting a drink at 7-Eleven in Portland is a different story than it was two months ago. For more information about assaults on civilians by Black Lives Matter activists similar to what happened to Adam Haner, visit Rioting.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com 1 KATU.com 1 KATU.com 2 KPTV.com NYPost.com 1 NYPost.com 2 TheSun.com TheEpochTimes.com 2 StarProtection.com WKBN.com The island of Jeju is having to adapt to the effects of a changing climate, including the problem of rising sea temperatures. Unprecedented summer rains in Central China are threatening the livelihoods of fish farmers and fishermen in neighbouring South Korea. Al Jazeeras Rob McBride travelled to the island of Jeju in the waters separating the Korean Peninsula from Chinas east coast, to learn more about a summer phenomenon that is being made worse by climate change. Most ASEAN small businesses are increasing their technology budgets, despite falling revenues This is according to a recent survey of 1,000 ASEAN small businesses with an annual turnover of $20 million and below before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, across five ASEAN markets Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam conducted by United Overseas Bank (UOB), Accenture, and Dun & Bradstreet. The research sought to understand how the small firms were adapting to the business environment given the changes brought on by the pandemic. Across ASEAN, Thailand had the highest proportion (71 per cent) of respondents prioritising technology investments in 2020, followed by Indonesia (65 per cent), Vietnam (63 per cent), Singapore (60 per cent), and Malaysia (59 per cent). The survey also found that small businesses across ASEAN are persevering in their efforts to invest in technology even when faced with the prospect of declining revenue. Although close to nine in 10 (88 per cent) of these businesses have lowered their revenue expectations for 2020, almost half of them (44 per cent) still plan to increase their overall technology budget. This suggests that ASEAN small businesses are looking beyond the present challenges and are set on adopting technology to improve their competitiveness and sustainability. Lawrence Loh, head of Group Business Banking, UOB, said, The unprecedented economic, business, and social impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has underscored the importance of technology for many small businesses across the region. Having had to cope with the disruption to their operations as a result of COVID-19, many of these firms realised quickly that technology can make all the difference to their business. Whether in revising their business models or even transforming their operations, small businesses are responding to the changes brought about by the pandemic by turning to technology to ensure their long-term viability and competitiveness. By industry sector, small businesses from the food and beverage (F&B), ICT, and healthcare sectors (50 per cent) indicated the strongest desire to boost their technology investments, followed by those in construction (48 per cent) and retail trade (46 per cent). Loh said, We at UOB have been keeping close to our small business customers to help them navigate the challenges in these difficult times. Apart from supporting their financial needs, we help them identify and implement digital solutions that enable them to manage their operations effectively and virtually. For example, for Singaporean small businesses in sectors which have been affected more severely, such as F&B, we have been helping them shape their predominantly physical business in response to consumers shifting more of their purchases online. Through our collaboration with Google, we have also made it easier for such firms to register for digital tools such as Google My Business and to set up strong online profiles to attract more customers. Beyond technology, ASEAN small businesses are looking to invest in developing their employees skills (51 per cent) and in machinery or equipment (40 per cent). Their lowest investment priority is in motor vehicles (18 per cent). ASEAN small businesses are also easing their cash flow pressures by seeking deferment on their loan repayments (75 per cent) and renegotiating the terms of their contracts with suppliers and landlords (75 per cent). Small businesses also look to increase their working capital through COVID-19-related financing schemes (73 per cent). One example of such a financing scheme is UOBs initiative to provide its eligible small business customers in Singapore with pre-approved financing of up to $200,000 so they have access to a ready source of funds should the need arise. Audrey Chia, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Singapore, said, Despite the uncertainties on the trajectory of COVID-19, the long-term growth potential for ASEAN remains, given the regions favourable demographics and rising consumption. While ASEAN small businesses are facing the current challenges brought about by COVID-19, we can see that they are still taking practical steps to increase their business resilience to prepare for the future. Firms which transform their business models for the long-term, even after COVID-19, will be better poised to tide through these current challenges and to create new business opportunities. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Brooklyn-based Serendipity Literary Agency, one of the largest Black-owned literary agencies in the country. Serendipity president and founder Regina Brooks has remained committed to making the publishing industry more diverse while building a roster of authors and illustrators who have won numerous awards, including the Caldecott Honor, Newbery Honor, and Printz Honor. Brooks, a 2015 PW Star Watch finalist, has worked to pave the way to visibility and success for authors of color and to recruit publishing professionals of color. She takes pride in training people from inside and outside the industry to become agents, and she also mentors young readers and writers through the YB Literary Foundation, a classroom-based literacy project, which she founded in 2004. Im working hard to bring more diversity into the business, Brooks explains. Im big on grooming people from the ground up. And thats both on the client side and on the staffing side. Brookss visibility in professional associations has been key in that regard. She is on the boards of the Association of Authors Representatives and the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, and is a member of the National Book Foundations Book Council. Serendipity represents authors and illustrators in the adult fiction, adult nonfiction, childrens, and YA categories. The current Serendipity team includes agents Gina Damasco and Nadeen Gayle, who are former attorneys, and Charles Kim, a former associate publisher of MoMAs publishing program. Ameerah Holliday and Kelly Thomas are junior agents. Theres plenty of awards buzz surrounding Serendipitys clients. Author-illustrator team Derrick Barnes and Gordon Jamess picture book I Am Every Good Thing will be published in September by Nancy Paulsen Books at Penguin; Barnes and Jamess 2017 book, Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, won a Newbery Honor, a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and many others. And Barness 2019 picture book, The King of Kindergarten (illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton), was a bestseller and was one of Amazons Best Books of the Month for July. Illustrator April Harrison, another Serendipity client, followed up What Is Given from the Heart, which was written by Patricia C. McKissack and won the 2019 John Steptoe Award for New Talent, with Nana Akua Goes to School, written by Tricia Elam Walker. Barnes, James, and Harrison all contributed to the recently published The Talk: Conversations About Race, Love & Truth, edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, an anthology that explores questions of racism, identity, and acceptance. Other Serendipity clients focused on social justice issues include journalist Ed Gordon, whose Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership was published in January by Hachette; Marcus Anthony Hunter, chair of UCLAs African American Studies department and author of the forthcoming Radical Reparations (Amistad); and award-winning illustrator Charly Palmer, who created the cover for the July 6 America Must Change issue of TIME. Forthcoming books from the agencys authors include titles from the estate of comedian and activist Dick Gregory; a memoir by record executive Drew Dixon, whose story of being raped by her boss in 1995 is featured in the current HBO Max documentary On the Record; and a memoir by former NASCAR driver Bill Lester, about the challenges he faced as one of the first African Americans to participate in the sport. Brooks, who has a degree in aerospace engineering from Ohio State University and studied theater, dance, and voice at SVA in Rochester, N.Y., attended the now-defunct Howard University Publishing Institute before working as an editor at John Wiley & Sons and McGraw-Hill. She founded Serendipity in 2000 as its only agent, building her agency, as she explained, one author, one book at a time. After I saw the dearth in the number of people of color in the business, I made a commitment to try to bring more people into the business and train them, Brooks said. I look for people with passion, subject matter expertise in a specific genre, and the personality to focus on author care. I try to always have a balanced portfolio of agents who will have one core category that they can own within the agency. Brooks said shes also doing more business with Hollywood, working with such Black producers as Ericka Alexander. With Hollywood wanting more content from people of color and people who have the correct sensibility around the content, I think its a very fertile time to stick my toe in, she explained. Brookss next project with YB Literary Foundation involves partnering with New York City and Chicago public schools. Were going to select books for them to read, then have conversations between the students about what humanity means to them.Diane Patrick Belarus is deporting two journalists from Radio Liberty's Russian-language service, who were detained in Minsk on Friday. "The journalists from the Radio Liberty Russian service who were held in Minsk, Yulia Vishnevetskaya and Andrei Kiselyov, have been released from the Partizansky district police station and are being deported," the Radio Liberty Belarusian bureau reported. Vishnevetskaya told the bureau that they were now traveling in a Russian Embassy vehicle to collect their belongings and after that will be driven to Smolensk. "Deportation with a five-year entry ban," she said. The journalists had been held outside the entrance to the Tractor Plant while filming volunteers distributing leaflets among workers. The editorial office said it had requested from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry official permission for the journalists' accreditation to work on the territory of the republic before Vishnevetskaya and Kiselyov left for Minsk. As the Democratic national convention played out over four days last week, it seemed as though Joe Bidens face was everywhere Democrats congregated. Except in Montana, where trying to find mention of the presidential nominee is akin to the 1980s childrens geography game show, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" While the states GOP candidates proudly tout their lockstep positions with those of President Donald Trump check out the homepage on U.S. Sen. Steve Daines campaign website the Democratic presidential nominee is conspicuously absent from the messaging by his partys candidates. The website for Gov. Steve Bullock, the Democrat running against Daines in a U.S. Senate race deemed one of the hardest-fought in the nation, features, well, Bullock. Biden is likewise nonexistent on the campaign site for Mike Cooney, the lieutenant governor seeking to ascend to the states top spot and continue 16 years of Democratic occupation of the big corner office in the Capitol. Meanwhile, the site for Cooneys Republican opponent in the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, invites people to click on Standing With Trump. Republican state Auditor Matt Rosendale, who seeks the congressional seat Gianforte is vacating, displays both photo and video images of himself with Trump on his site, as well as the president's endorsement. Democratic congressional candidate Kathleen Williams? No Joe. Democrats are focused on lifting up Montana families, addressing the challenges we all face, and bringing more opportunity and prosperity to all who strive for it, said Sandi Luckey, Montana Democratic Party executive director. That starts with electing Montana-focused candidates from the bottom of the ticket to the top. Thats one explanation. Heres another: Trump crushed Hillary Clinton by 20 percentage points in Montana in 2016. Bullock, seeking his second term as governor that year, defeated Gianforte by 4 percentage points to continue Montanas ticket-splitting reputation. Generally, statewide Democratic candidates need to run ahead of presidential candidates to win in Montana, said Jeremy Johnson, associate professor of political science at Carroll College. Montana Democrats have tried to emphasize local issues for years now and dont really focus on presidential candidates. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won in Montana since Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in 1992, and then only because Independent candidate Ross Perot split the ticket. Thats why Montanas GOP candidates welcomed Trumps four visits here to campaign on their behalf in 2016 (Gianforte won his congressional race, but incumbent Sen. Tester defeated Rosendale), while Hillary Clinton made herself scarce, although her husband, former President Bill Clinton, campaigned for her. Montana Democrats 2016 ghosting of Clinton is similar todays silence on Biden, Johnson said, and the opposite of the Trump love-fest. Julia Doyle, Daines campaign director, said the senator is proud to stand with Trump and his agenda of creating jobs, protecting our Second Amendment and securing our borders." The love goes both ways, with Trump frequently tweeting out praise for the senator. Daines, he tweeted last week, is doing a tremendous job for the people of Montana! Trump said Daines protects the Montana way of life feel-good territory Democrats also claim as their purview and took a shot at Bullock, saying hed be an absolute horror for Montana. As a Republican incumbent in a year with a Republican president running for re-election, Daines should be a shoo-in. But the nonpartisan Cook Political Report switched its prognostication on Montanas Senate race from "leans Republican" to a toss-up in June. A similar dynamic in other tight races around the country has led some Republicans to cautiously distance themselves from Trump. The Republican Party has tethered itself to Trump, which given the president's tumbling poll numbers "may not be as helpful as it was several years ago, Johnson said. So other incumbent Republican senators deemed embattled by the Cook report, such as Iowas Joni Ernst, Colorados Cory Gardner and Maines Susan Collins, have largely Trump-free sites. Georgias David Perdue has a small photo of himself with Trump and several others, but nobody outdoes Daines, whose entire campaign homepage features an exuberant image of himself and Trump at one of the Montana rallies. Which probably wont hurt Daines the way it might in states with large suburban areas, like Pennsylvania, Johnson said. U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, a Pennsylvania Democrat elected in 2018 to represent a Pittsburgh-area district that voted for Trump, endorsed Biden back in January. So expect to see plenty of references to Trump, and maybe even the president himself, in Montana. Just don't go looking for Joe. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. The declaration, passed at an all-party meeting on 4 August last year at Farooq Abdullah's Gupkar residence, said the parties were united in their resolve to protect the special status of Jammu and Kashmir Political parties in Kashmir on Saturday unanimously resolved to fight for restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed pre-5 August, 2019, saying the measures taken were "spitefully shortsighted" and "grossly unconstitutional". The parties reiterated that they are bound, wholly, by the contents of the 'Gupkar Declaration', a resolution issued after an all-party meeting on 4 August, 2019 at the Gupkar residence of NC president Farooq Abdullah. The resolution at the end of the meet on August 4, 2019, a day before the Centre announced its decision of revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and split it into two union territories, said the parties unanimously resolved that they would be united in their resolve to protect and defend the identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir against all attacks and onslaughts. "That modification, abrogation of Articles 35A and 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," the 'Gupkar Declaration' read that day. On Saturday, over a year later, the parties issued a joint statement saying they adhere to the last year's declaration. "We all reiterate that we are bound, wholly, by the contents of the Gupkar Declaration and will unwaveringly adhere to it. We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J-K and the restoration of the state and any division of the state is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be 'nothing about us without us'," the statement said. The statement, issued by the parties through National Conference (NC), said the signatories to the Gupkar Declaration of 4 August last year have barely managed to establish basic level of communication with each other in the face of "a series of prohibitive and punitive curbs" imposed by the government, "aimed at impeding all social and political interactions". However, they said, the limited confabulations held within the constraints imposed have resulted in this unanimous resolution. The signatories of the joint statement include NC president Farooq Abdullah, incarcerated PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir, CPM leader MY Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference senior vice-president Muzaffar Shah. The statement said the "unfortunate events" of 5 August last year have unrecognizably changed the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi. "In a spitefully shortsighted and unconstitutional move, Articles 370 and 35A were abrogated and the state was bifurcated and relegated to the status of two Union Territories and its Constitution tried to be made unenforceable. The series of measures undertaken on 5 August, 2019 were grossly unconstitutional and in reality measures of disempowerment and a challenge to the basic identity of the people of J-K. The measures attempt to redefine who we are. These changes were accompanied by repressive measures meant to silence people and coerce them into submission, and continue unabated," it said. The parties said these are testing times and times of pain for the peace-loving people of Jammu and Kashmir and said they assure the people that all their political activities will be subservient to the "sacred goal" of reverting to the status of J-K as it existed on August 4, 2019. "We all reiterate our commitment to collectively fight to restore the special status of J-K as guaranteed under the Constitution and the commitments made from time to time. There is unanimity amongst us that collective institution is the effective way to fight for these rights and tirelessly struggle to get back the special status and restore the Constitutional guarantees forcibly taken away, against our will. "We want to assure the people that all our political activities will be subservient to the sacred goal of reverting to the status of J-K as it existed on August 4, 2019," the statement said. While expressing gratitude to the people of India, political parties, intelligentsia and other civil society groups for opposing the "unconstitutional" measures of 5 August last year and "ever since standing with the people of J-K in this crises, we appeal for their unstinted support to our just cause till the unconstitutional measures of August 5, 2019 are undone and the special status of J-K restored". The parties exhorted the leadership of the subcontinent to take due notice of the "ever-increasing skirmishes" at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC) resulting in casualties on both sides and unabated violent incidents in J-K and work for enduring peace in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:02:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar has received a 1.5-million-U.S.-dollar grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to respond to COVID-19-related school closures, a statement released by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. The GPE, a multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries, released the grant to Zanzibar education authorities through UNICEF. The statement said the grant was aimed at ensuring more than 520,000 children in Zanzibar return to school safely and receive quality learning. According to the statement, schools will be equipped with adequate hand washing facilities and water disinfectants to prevent spread of infections. "The grant will also support the development of a back-to-school campaign to encourage students to return to school, targeting students who are the most at-risk of dropping out," added the statement. Riziki Pembe Juma, Zanzibar's Minister of Education and Vocational Training, acknowledged the grant support from GPE, saying it will support continuity of learning through the pandemic. Daniel Baheta, UNICEF Tanzania's head of education unit, said the funds will improve the education sector's resilience in the long term by creating and promoting alternative ways of teaching and learning suitable for the diverse needs of students across the Zanzibar archipelago. Enditem Chandigarh, Aug 22 : The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday shot dead five armed Pakistani intruders along the International Border (IB) in Punjab and seized over nine kg contraband drug suspected to be heroin along with six weapons. Officials said the incident took place around 4.30 a.m. when personnel of 103 Battalion of the BSF spotted some movement across the fence in Tarn Taran district. The BSF troops on duty noticed some suspicious movement ahead of the border security fence and launched a special operation. Subsequently, the BSF troops cordoned off the area and challenged the intruders to surrender but they did not pay any heed to the warning and opened fire at BSF troops. Image Source: IANS News "Hence, to stop their further misadventure and in self-defence, BSF troops retaliated with fire due to which the five Pakistani armed intruders succumbed to bullet injuries." All five bodies have been recovered and the BSF has seized one AK-47 rifle with two magazines and 27 live rounds, and four pistols (9 mm Beretta) with seven magazines and 109 rounds. Besides, nine packets (approximately 9.92 kg) of contraband drug suspected to be heroin, two mobile phones, and Pakistani currency with a face value of Rs 610 were also recovered from the possession of the intruders. Prime facie it is not clear whether the intruders were militants or drug smugglers as it is a matter of investigation, BSF Spokesperson (Headquarters) Krishna Rao told IANS. The official said they were armed Pakistani intruders and our alert troops of 103 Battalion fired upon them in self-defence. Image Source: IANS News "Our BSF men deployed on the border noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating IB. Upon being challenged to stop, intruders fired upon the BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence. Resultantly, five intruders were shot. Intensive search operation is underway," the official said. -- Syndicated from IANS Confident, self-sufficient women influenced federal judge and former first lady of Wyoming Nancy Freudenthal at a young age and continue to do so today. My mother wasnt an easy woman. Her mother worked and she worked. Having her as a role model and a compass point was important to me throughout my life, Freudenthal said. That significant influence included her choice in higher education. A philosophy major during her undergraduate years at the University of Wyoming, Freudenthal said her mother was very worried about how such a degree would be employable. She understood the importance of education, and she understood that sometimes, notwithstanding everyones hopes and abilities, things can happen to derail a womans plans, Freudenthal said. For her, it was always important to not discount the significance of family but to have a safety net: either be working or have an ability to quickly gear up and go to work, in the event you found yourself in a situation where you had to support yourself. Her mother was a single parent of four. Freudenthal refocused her education toward the practice of law. What I really liked about philosophy and the course of work there matched up well with law school and the demands of law school, she said. If you like reading, writing, reasoning and decision-making it just really clicked for me. It served me well as a foundation to being able to express reasoning well and to understand the logic of argument and persuasion. She applied those skills as a lawyer and also now as the first female U.S. district judge for the District of Wyoming. In a career mostly run by men, especially in Wyoming, she found mentors on the bench and a welcoming attitude. All of the men on the bench were wonderful. They welcomed me into their chambers, into their courtrooms for observation, gave me materials time and access, and just an open door to deal with any issues that were new, she said. Half of Freudenthals docket involves federal criminal cases, including those that happen on federal lands, such as Yellowstone National Park; the other half focuses on civil cases, such as accidents involving individuals and companies from out of state. This role began in May 2010 after being nominated by former president Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Prior to becoming judge, Freudenthal worked as a lawyer, and during her early years, she served on the staff of former Wyoming Gov. Edgar Ed Herschler. She also attributed him as being a mentor and a reason for her fortitude. I had demanding employers. One of the toughest people who was also a mentor was Gov. Herschler. I was the only woman in his office who wasnt clerical, she said. If you walked into his office, he often demanded why you were there. He wasnt a coddler to anybody at all. Anyone who knew him knew you had be well-prepared, you had to be able to articulate yourself efficiently, you had to have to the courage to just walk in to his private office and interrupt him, so you had to ask yourself if this was important or not. She said she is grateful for the experience. It was a gift in that point in my life being so young to form that grit and inner fortitude, to be confident that this was an important issue, that you warranted his time and attention. That wasnt just given, it was earned every day, she said. That was his method of operating who he was, and it allowed me to quickly develop and hone skills that Im still working on today. Those (standards) were extraordinarily helpful to me to step up and meet the demands of working in a challenging office. He was such an important figure in my world. It was a real honor to have known him. Freudenthal epitomizes a persistent work ethic. While serving as first lady of Wyoming during husband Daves two terms (2003 to 2011), she chose to continue working as an attorney, for which some people criticized her, she said. However, she stuck to her guns, remembering her mothers model of self-sufficiency. It was drilled into me, again from my mother, that women work thats what they do. You have to have it in yourself to step up if any wrinkle comes up no matter how hard it is, she said. Family issues, especially those that affect women and children, were topics she focused on as first lady, including womens self-sufficiency, and they remain important to her today. Those have been important me since childhood, watching my mother as a single parent, and drilling into me the need to be self-sufficient, she said. Freudenthal also worked on programs to reduce childhood drinking because it seemed like that was a public health issue affecting our children. Womens self-sufficiency remains important to her, and she stresses the need for women to work hard, grow in confidence and develop courage yet remain likable. I think women should pursue their dreams. They need to find their voice and be comfortable with who they are, she said. To some degree, women have to embrace the idea that they should work harder, harder than anybody else in the room. Make yourself invaluable. Whether its fair or not, they have to find a way to be assertive without losing their likability. They have to be comfortable advocating, including advocating for themselves. She said she had to ask Herschler for an office and a raise. Being well-prepared and sufficiently confident gives you the courage to approach situations that are challenging, she said. That demanding, exacting, positional authority (Herschler had) is something I credit as an advantage in making me who I am today. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the San Antonio City Council have shown exemplary leadership in framing a November election on three critical measures to regain the citys momentum as the pandemic eases and to position the city for permanent economic progress. The three measures pre-K education, workforce training and transportation to work each deserve our energetic support. I do not agree with comments that voting on all three measures in November is too complicated and leaves insufficient time for explanation. I believe voters will understand the propositions when clearly explained. As for the timetable, the nation is in an economic slump, and San Antonians understand the urgency of the moment and can act firmly to chart our destiny. I want to try my hand at explaining a few points about the three measures. First, the three measures do not assess new taxes. The 1/8-cent dedicated to pre-K education is already assessed, and this proposition asks voters permission to continue a successful program. The second 1/8-cent also is already collected and would be directed to two uses. For four years it will fund a worker training and education program. Thereafter it will fund badly needed improvements to the transit system. To repeat, both fractions of the sales tax are already being paid and have been for years. This means no new taxes. Second, the three measures do not compete. We can and should vote for all three. Pre-K education has proven highly effective. When first proposed by Mayor Julian Castro in 2011, he asked the citys top business and civic leaders to recommend the most important investment to improve educational outcomes. They said pre-K. They were right, and we should continue it. We know the pandemic has terminated many jobs. We do not yet know the full extent of the damage. What we do know for certain is we need to create homegrown jobs and to attract industries with more jobs. Leaders who can generate those higher-paying jobs tell us we need a better skilled workforce. Everyone benefits from a growth economy, and the iron law of that economy is higher wages require higher skills. Transportation is part of that equation, too. We need to move workers to jobs, students to schools, college attendees to higher education, patients to medical appointments and other residents to countless other destinations. Voting for the 1/8-cent for transit to take effect in 2025 returns revenues to the original intent of the sales tax when the VIA system was created. Third, these three measures do not require new taxes because the sales taxes are already being assessed. The 1/8-cent destined for training and transit is used to purchase land for aquifer protection and linear creekways. Both programs should continue. The aquifer protection program can go forward with funds paid to the city by the San Antonio Water System. The amount may be less per year, but land purchases can continue as long as needed to protect our water supply. It is logical that a water-protection program should be financed by water-related revenues. The creek trails can be completed collaboratively with designated city and county funds and will result in a beautiful asset for our region. Fourth, the November ballot will be long because we will vote for numerous offices, from president, the U.S. Senate and Congress to county officials and judges. The pre-K, training and transit measures will be at the end of the ballot. Voters will have to be alert and find these last local items. For me, these measures are an acknowledgment of unfinished business from 1976-77. As a council member, I worked with Mayor Lila Cockrell to engage the city government in a strategy of growing jobs and better wages by creating the city Department of Economic and Employment Development. Our city has since done a stellar job on the economic development side but not so well on the skills training and higher wages agenda until this opportunity. Also, in those years, VIA was breathed into life, but it has never been properly funded. All this occurred in years of community crisis requiring a referendum to protect the aquifer. We defended protective measures for our citys principal water supply then, and we need protective measures now. We are fortunate that on Nov. 3, we can take steps forward on all three measures we have needed for a long time. To repeat the key points of my explanation: No new taxes. All three measures are needed. Aquifer protection will continue. The three measures are at the end of the ballot. Many cities are deliberating on ways to speed their recoveries from the pandemics damage. San Antonio has already deliberated. We are ready to educate, train and transport our people while still protecting our water supply. Henry Cisneros is a former San Antonio mayor and former secretary of housing and urban development. A Sydney businessman with connections to the Morrison government was granted an exemption from the travel ban to pick up a new luxury yacht in Europe. Jost Stollmann, the former chief executive of ASX-listed Tyro Payments, was given permission to leave Australia at the end of May and is now waiting out the pandemic on board his yacht in the Greek islands. German-born Mr Stollmann has lived in Australia since 2004 and became a citizen in January 2011, making him subject to the ban on citizens and permanent residents leaving the country without permission from the government. The travel ban has been in place since March 25. Mr Stollmann wrote to Double Bay Sailing Club 10 days ago to beg off canteen duty because he was abroad and would only return to Australia once the overseas travel ban was lifted. Three-part stories from the United Nations Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth blog series : Meet 10 leaders who can inspire you to change the world. COUNSELING AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS Ella Ininahazwe, 26, is a graduate of Health Care Management and works as a Refugee College Guidance Counsellor with the organization Kepler in Rwanda, and Southern New Hampshire University in Kenya (Kakuma refugee camp). Originally from Burundi, Ella came to Rwanda in 2015 as a student and refugee. Ella is determined to increase the number of refugee youth who can access higher education and refused to let the pandemic slow her down. When it hit, refugee students who were attending university had to return to their camps and pursue online education. Due to issues accessing computers and internet connectivity problems, however, many of these students were at risk of seeing their online studies being interrupted as well. With the help of Kepler and UNHCR, Ella made sure that over 150 students in refugee camps in Rwanda (mostly Kiziba refugee camp) were equipped with reliable electricity, strong internet connections, and laptops. As a contingency for the times when power cuts, she has organized student discussion groups to ensure that students can continue learning until it returns. In addition to all of this, she has been conducting in-person check-ins with students, advisors, and teachers to ensure the well-being of students and their good standing in school. She has also contributed in the Tertiary Refugee Student Network & Global Advisory Youth Councils Twitter and Instagram COVID campaigns, which highlights what refugees are doing to support their communities by sharing videos of their work. Currently, Ella and her colleague Sadiki are also working on establishing an Africa-wide network of refugee college guidance counselors, including the development of the training curriculum and teaching material. They are also organizing a conference to be held on World Refugee Day with various partners working in tertiary programs. College Refugee Guidance Counselors will be hosting discussions with students about the pathways that have been implemented during this crisis. Ella is motivated by seeing the impact her work has. You feel like you are doing something great when you see a smile on someone elses face. CONDUCTING OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES The lack of information and spread of misinformation is one of the biggest fears surrounding this virus. Without proper knowledge, the virus may continue to spread, infect people, and continue to overstretch medical systems. Youth volunteers from YWCA Ethiopia have been raising awareness through various multimedia visual campaigns in their communities. On social media, they have been designing and sharing educational posters advocating for awareness and prevention of COVID-19, written in both English and Amharic (Ethiopias national language). They also designed a booklet containing information on COVID-19, but also on how to deal with abuse, violence, and stress, all of which have risen since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition to this sensitization campaign, YWCA Ethiopia has adapted their Safe and Inclusive Cities Project (operated in collaboration with Plan International) to address current health issues by organizing activities such as creating educational bumper stickers for public transportation vehicles, drawing queue lines to encourage social distancing while people are waiting to board buses, and donating hygiene kits to various communities. PAYING IT FORWARD Felix Sesay is a 24-year-old Nursing student at St. Karols School of Nursing living in Accra, Ghana. Born in Sierra Leone, he moved to Ghana in 2004 as a refugee, where he continued his schooling, eventually earning a DAFI (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative) scholarship to attend university. When the coronavirus hit Ghana, schools were forced to close, meaning that Felix had to return to Krisan Refugee Camp. Once there, he decided to put his nursing skills to good use: he has been spending his days teaching precautionary techniques to fellow refugees, encouraging them to stay safe, and, in the evenings, he helps students with schoolwork to make sure that they stay up to date with their lessons. Although there have been restrictions on gatherings, Felix works hard to reach as many people as possible. Through door-to-door visits, student group lessons for members of each section of the camp, and social media posts, he hopes to reach all 750 inhabitants of the camp. Personally, I have been helped my whole life, he explains, it is my duty to help others. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, Felix was an active member of the community, offering health screenings and advice, advocating for his fellow students, and attending the Global Refugee Forum as an official refugee co-sponsor of the Education theme. He hopes to continue this work through various initiatives, notably advocacy work with former refugees and work to help support the education of young refugees in the camp. Footnotes Curated from the UN Youth Envoy blog series "Meet 10 leaders who can inspire you to change the world" https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/category/blog/ 2020 Africa Renewal For more information on COVID-19, visit www.un.org/coronavirus Africa Renewal Sofia Vergara is defending her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres (pictured together in 2017) after Twitter videos showed the talk show host mocking her accent. (Screenshot: YouTube/The Ellen DeGeneres Show) Sofia Vergara is defending her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres after Twitter clips showed the talk show host mocking the stars accent. Two comedians having fun with each other to entertain, Vergara, 48, tweeted on Friday. I was never a victim guys, I was always in on the joke. A video montage circulated this week showing the host teasing the Colombian-American actress in various episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. So, Ive been doing a Spanish word of the day, DeGeneres said in 2017. So I thought I would teach you an English word. Then, in 2018, the 62-year-old, remarked, Youve been on this show for 10 years and your accent has gotten worse. How is that possible? And in a 2015 clip, DeGeneres told Vergara, Your English has gotten better, I have to say...Im understanding you. On Friday, the America's Got Talent judge demonstrated the pairs chemistry by tweeting a 2015 interview interview in which the two swapped lighthearted jabs about Vergaras accent and DeGeneress age and fame. Two comedians having fun with each other to entertain. I was never a victim guys, I was always in on the joke. https://t.co/mjUjPNRHlb Sofia Vergara (@SofiaVergara) August 21, 2020 Its been a rough time for DeGeneres, whose 17-year television show came under fire after two July BuzzFeed reports alleged racism and sexual harassment, according to current and former employees who spoke anonymously. The first story contained accounts from a Black employee who said she experienced racist microaggressions such as comments about her hair. Employees also said they were ordered to not address DeGeneres in person and were fired for taking medical leave or attending funerals. Related: Ellen Degeneres show under investigation after horror stories surface Producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner told BuzzFeed, "...For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better." Story continues The second report included multiple instances of sexual misconduct and harassment from Glavin and producers Jonathan Norman and Kevin Leman, who reportedly parted ways in August after a Warner Bros. studio investigation. Norman and Leman denied the BuzzFeed allegations while Glavin did not respond to BuzzFeed for comment. On July 30, The Hollywood Reporter obtained a letter DeGeneres wrote to her staff, apologizing for any mistreatment. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show, she wrote. DeGeneres also claimed that colleagues were misrepresenting who I am writing, 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. In 1997, DeGeneres came out as gay on her namesake sitcom for which she suffered backlash. Social media blamed DeGeneres for ignoring the alleged abuse and a March Twitter thread calling DeGeneres notoriously one of the meanest people alive didnt help her image. Celebrities Ashton Kutcher, Katy Perry, Diane Keaton and Kevin Hart defended DeGeneres, along with Portia de Rossi, her wife of eight years. However, Everybody Loves Raymonds Brad Garrett and Back to the Futures Lea Thompson openly disagreed. And the shows former and current DJs took opposing sides in the debate. The talk show has reportedly resumed production and according to Variety, in a meeting this week, producers announced additional employee benefits like time-off and medical leave. An emotional DeGeneres apologized to staff for mistreatment on her watch and said the controversy left her heartbroken. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, has announced that the NPP government will construct a new airport in Cape Coast, the Capital of the Central Region. He said the government will also construct a harbour in Central Region. He made the announcements at the launch of the 2020 Manifesto of the NPP in Cape Coast. According to him, constructing an airport in Cape Coast makes a lot of sense considering that it is a major tourism hub. Cape Coast has one of Ghanas slave castles which has for many years been an attraction for many international tourists, including former US President Barack Obama, First Lady of the US, Melania Trump, among a long list of other high profile individuals. Beyond the airport and harbour, he said when voted into power once again on December 7, the NPP government will continue with the construction of water supply systems. He stated that the government will accelerate its infrastructure projects. He said the government will continue to construct the Eastern Railway line and the Ghana Burkina Railway Line. ---Daily Guide New Delhi, Aug 22 : Jammu and Kashmir's new Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday reviewed the progress of the work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line with railway officials, who told him that the ambitious project would be completed by August 2022. The 272-km railway line would cost Rs 27,949 crore. The meeting held at the Civil Secretariat here was also attended by Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav, L-G's Adviser KK Sharma, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam and Northern Railway General Manager Rajiv Chaudhary, besides other senior officials from the Indian Railways, IRCON, and Konkan Railways Corporation Limited. The Lt Governor was told that 161 km of the total length of the project has been commissioned. Sinha, who was Minister of State for Railways in the Modi government during its previous term, directed railway authorities to complete the remaining part of the project from Katra to Banihal by August 15, 2022. Sinha assured of full support to the executing agencies for its timely completion. The world's highest railway bridge at a height of 359 metres is coming up on river Chenab under this project. Similarly, India's first cable-secured railway bridge on Anji Nallah in Reasi is also coming up on the route. The Lt Governor directed the railway authorities to extend the rail link towards unconnected areas of Rajouri-Poonch and Kupwara region. The railway officers said that a preliminary survey for 223-km Jammu-Poonch rail link at an estimated cost of Rs 22,768 crore had been completed and submitted in 2017, whereas the survey for the 39-km Baramulla-Kupwara rail link at an estimated cost of Rs 3,843 crore had been completed and submitted to the Railway Board in July 2020. Sinha asked the railways to prepare DPRs of both the projects so that the matter could be taken up with the Ministry of Finance for funds for these projects. The authorities also requested Sinha to resolve the issue of non-availability of minor minerals in Ramban district. In response, Sinha directed Director Geology and Mining and Ramban Deputy Commissioner to issue short-term permits so that the railways could procure essential construction material without any hassles. Government will scrap the 20 percent luxury tax on imported sanitary pads, Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia has said. The 20 percent levy exists because sanitary pads are categorized as luxury products per the Ghana Revenue Authority guidelines. The Vice President said the scrapping of the levy will reduce the cost of imported sanitary pads. We will eliminate import duties on sanitary pads to improve health conditions, particularly for girls. It is very important. What we intend doing is to make sure we produce sanitary pads in Ghana until that happens in their numbers, we are going to eliminate import duties to bring down their cost. The Member of Parliament for Kpando in the Volta Region, Della Sowah and other groups have appealed to the government to scrap taxes on imported sanitary pads. In the MPs appeal, she argued that some girls are forced to use rags in place of the pads in her constituency, due to the high cost of imported pads. In line with education, a non-governmental organisation, Happy School Girl project, has also called on the government to provide free sanitary pads as part of the Free Senior High school policy. ---citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:52:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- An inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by China has started phase-3 clinical trials in Argentina, according to its developer China National Biotec Group (CNBG), which is affiliated to Sinopharm. The launch ceremony of the phase-3 clinical trials was held in Beijing Friday after the CNBG obtained the certificate of approval for the process. This is an achievement brought about by CNBG's international cooperation in a bid to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The inactivated vaccine received approval for phase-3 clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates on June 23, and in Peru and Morocco on Thursday. The CNBG will work together with a company in Argentina to promote research and development related to the inactivated vaccine. Liu Jingzhen, chairman of Sinopharm, said the phase-3 clinical trials will help fight the epidemic and contribute to the building of a community of health for all. Enditem Iran envoy: UNSC to reject US demand of initiating trigger mechanism IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, August 21, IRNA -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi expressed confidence that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will once again reject the US demand to enforce the trigger mechanism against Iran due to lack of any legal standing. Talking in a press briefing in New York on Friday, he stressed that just the same way that the UNSC rejected the US administration's demand to extend arms embargo against Iran, it will reject the present request as well. He said this will turn into a catastrophe for American government. Noting that the US has officially withdrawn from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said that is why Americans now have no legal standing to trigger the snapback mechanism because it has left the nuclear deal and it is no longer recognized as the JCPOA member in international bodies. The Iranian envoy further noted that the reasons the US puts forward is a fabricated law given the fact that they have left the JCPOA and could never make comments on the nuclear deal any more. He further stressed that the US has resorted to lies and fabrications to mislead all United Nations (UN) member states and said like last week, this time too, the UNSC members will reject the US demand. 1424 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Government is being urged to change the rules on business support grants before the schemes are closed at the end of this week. Influential business groups including the Local Government Association, the Institute of Directors, the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Independent Retailers Association are also calling on the Government to extend the schemes, as businesses still urgently need support. Support: More than 11billion has been distributed to some 880,000 small businesses since March by local authorities Under the Government's rules, the three funding schemes set up to support businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic the Small Business Grants Fund, the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund and the Discretionary Grants Fund are to close on Friday with any unclaimed funds to be returned to central Government. So far, more than 11billion has been distributed to some 880,000 small businesses since March by local authorities. However, about 1.5billion remains unallocated. Many small businesses claim that they have been unfairly excluded from accessing the grants due to eligibility requirements and say that they still need financial help. Richard Watts, chairman of the Local Government Association's Resources Board, says: 'Councils need more time and flexibility to ensure as many businesses can benefit from this funding as possible. 'The Government also needs to commit to redistributing any unspent resources from the original schemes to councils so that it can be spent on supporting local businesses and rebooting local economies.' Horsa: Saxon chief and son of a King, had but one daughter, Ealine Yilling. Tales of her beauty far and wide reached Bren of Brent, who made her bride. She resisted the urge to scroll the history contained in her sleeping phone. Instead, Ealine tugged at the dwindling lock of hair from the base of her neck, where a patch of alopecia expanded. Flight-mode was switched on since the weekend, and she was even safer in this tunnel, where natural noise was bested by deafening subterranean smog, screeching at forced speed through the carriages. The air was compact and swaddling, carrying with it the cocooning relief that the notifications from the surface could not skewer her down here. The tunnel also protected Kings Place and the rest of Londons overground from the twisted knot forming in her stomach, which sooner or later, would require a notification of its own. Ealine did not know the man well, but she knew enough of him to judge she did not want his influence in her childs life. His notification would wait forever. Of her mistreatment, Yilling sent Starling to Horsa, who, hell-bent on avenging his only daughter, challenged to duel Brent of Thames Water Imperceptibly to the other St. Pancras commuters, a wash of secret shame shuddered through her. Behind Ealines lids, she was back on his screen, a voice only slightly distorted in that familiar timbre of connection buffering, from the dark of the room, sneers So does this one have a voice? You dont usually let them talk mate. Not a London accent, this must be one of his old Uni mates. A round of fraternity sniggering. Are you filming me? This evenings load was heavy; she had more than usual to carry as the Tube pulled into Sudbury Town, but at least the hordes which typically pushed past were notably missing. And although Ealine enjoyed it once she got there, she was grateful that her Friday Boxercise class had been called off due to the pandemic. It was absurd, that the self-care cure for burn-out, should entail high intensity calorie burning. Like a purge. Witches, punished, burnt at the stake. In a chaotic frenzy, Ealines Editor at The Beholder had packed the writers off with extra devices, several phones, a work-only laptop for GDPR reasons, welfare questionnaires, hastily promising to see everyone on Mondays Zoom. Ealine was grateful she would earn her way through this. As the most senior writer on the Environment section of her paper, she knew she was one of the few who could work at full capacity without the standard dehumanising commute. She did not want a cigarette. She did not want a Friday drink. She was looking forward to the solitude. to meet and cross at River Brents ford. There fought the two opposing Lords As if to dissuade her from her intentions for seclusion, Ealines handbag vibrated an alert. Irritation turned to surprise, as she remembered she had switched her phone to flight-mode; receiving notifications was impossible. Perplexed, Ealine stopped walking, put her backpack down and fished around in her handbag to make sure she would not be disturbed again. Eerily, her device did indeed appear to be as she left it. Even odder still, was a rogue text message, which had managed to intrude in spite of her precautions. Without unlocking her phone to unleash the invasive text, Ealine could only see the first character of the message; a ghostly, stencilled silhouette of a rabbit or a hare. Curiosity won, and Ealine followed the white rabbit down the hole: [I know more about Hares than you can ever imagine. I can show how that feels. I can answer your questions and help with your labours. RSVP for details.] Spam Ealine immediately said out-loud. But a deep movement within her had shifted subtly, and it cavilled at her silently, until Ealine had to read the proposal again. Who is this? How do they know about my Environmental writing, or about my labours? Ealine switched the phone off. In spite of the backpacks weight, she decided not to head straight home. The evenings had recently turned brighter and she never normally returned from work so early. Instead, Ealine walked away from the albatross of labels and debt in her rented apartment, and headed along Whitton Avenue East to turn left into Whittlers Woods to mull over the mystifying invitation. Under those ancient oaks, the oppressive containment of the Tube wisped up into the rustling cool of afternoon leaves, following its own Willo. Her backpack felt lighter. Her lungs filled with the grounds earthy musk, permeating up through the London clay and Dollis Hill gravel. Swishing canopies of fresh green brushed clear the air. Bren was slain and Horsa wounded, buried under the Hill now mounded. Woodland soon smoothed into the grasslands of Horsenden East, where Ealine knew the cattle would not yet graze for another five months. Ahead, arose the broad, grassy summit of the Hill, an island protruding from an absent lake. A sudden queasiness floored her, either the beginnings of morning sickness or the prospect that the sprawling facade of Brent was awaiting, should she continue to mount it. She did not wish to see The Shards phallic aspect any more that those unsolicited WhatsApp photos buried under recycle icons. Down here, she was shielded from that vista, and here encroached upon her an urge to press her stomach against the dry leaves and become flat. In a shallow dip of the long grass, she put her backpack of robotics down and sat, her back against it. From the parapet in front of her, as if by way of example, she could see other beings burrowing too. The redwings sensed evening approaching and began to congregate to the safety of branches. A fresh molehill left a trace of another hunkering down. The kestrels had recently returned to form their territories disguised in the cavities of trees. To the birring whirrup peeps of hidden parakeets, she lost an hour or two, until the sky changed hues. Ealine noted that by now, whatever time it was, she would usually need an extra layer. But she felt no shiver under the lilac sky and the waning crescent moons hanging smile. Dusk fell around her in a lavender haze, and an amaranthine vapour settled close to the ground, blanketing her further under her small valley. Twas here the crone that mothered the maiden, dug the green bolt-hole Ealings Haven. A pair of long, black-tipped ears appeared, dancing just above the violet and mauve mists. They emerged from a shadowy existence in the last light fading from day, and Ealine was surprised, but unmoved responding to this March hare in the same way she noted the unseasonal temperature. It was curious, to say the least, that such a shy, hyper-vigilant creature would venture so close. This was not the only trait to flag the specimen a rarity. The hazelnut hare stood at least a metre tall. Her umber fur stood on end, enraged, and her eyes flashed in a crazed fury. Out, of my FORM. she hissed with bile-fuelled enunciation. Again, Ealine, was not taken aback by this bizarity. Im sorry, your form? My FORM repeated the hare vehemently, twitching and ticking involuntarily. She clenched her paws up in front of her, low on her haunches in a boxers stance. My BED. Do you think I have spent my best March days, outrunning wolves, wild boar, and foxes, to have my form stolen from under my muzzle? Stand up and fight! Leave her be crackled an older voice, Is your brain so waxing-mad that your eyes cannot see she is with leveret? The voice came from another hare, crouched at the shoulders indicating her advanced age. Her ghost-fur was a luminous and immaculate winter snow. See, she has lined the form with her own plucked fur in preparation. The White Hare pulled Ealine up halfway out of the form, and pushed her head aside to reveal a patch of slow growing alopecia at the base of her neck, which subdued the March Hare, marginally. We may have outrun those beasts, but Eostra hides from the Huntsmen and Hounds. The White Hare reprimanded, and at this, the March Hare shuddered. Theres no fight in her anyway. Id have boxed her ears before your waning whiskers interfered and no mistake, the March Hair muttered, casting a suspicious eye over the backpack abandoned in the form. Now she was distracted from fighting. Is that your basket of eggs? The March Hare fell backwards into a guffaw, eyes streaming, unable to catch her breath. The White Hare tolerated Marchs foible, and turned to address Ealine for the first time. Your defence is stillness and camouflage. Lie low in the form, with ears pressed flat to your back. Be still. Tuck your belly full of leveret to the ground. She croaked, Better the Huntsman catches the fox, than either catch you. Ealine shrank lower with the percipience. She knew at once, she had been granted a refuge denied to the other two hares, and this was the generosity of generations. She saw that the White Hare, beneath her milky-down, was scarred with attacks and narrow escapes. Eostre, you ken not of your own place, and have found yourself here without knowing how began the White Hare crone. If you outpace a slathering hound without your heart bursting forth from your ribs, your own kind will attempt to use your entrails for divination and have you skinned to line their collars. They will fudge your flesh into a Jugged Hare pie to feed their own. You may rest here, but know that next comes the harvester to slice up your leveret. Then the mens mowers, turning your precious long grasses to silage, leaving you exposed and vulnerable. Hares are devoured in all ways, our modesty ravished, our leverets orphaned. Today, our Equinox, they stop. The men and machines are forced to allow you reprieve. So, what will you do Eostra? You hide here in the tussocks, thats what. And when you see the chance, leap. You have the strength of the maiden which came before you and the crone who comes after Unconsciously, Ealines hand moved up to the base of her neck, searching out the small, familiar, expanding patch of alopecia. It was a nervous response shed had since childhood, ripping out strands of hair to distract herself from anxiety. It had never grown back even in periods of peaceful living. The patch felt enormously bald, and Ealine realised it was proportionate to her rocketing distress over the past month. But there was an itch beneath bald skin, which seemed now to be scratching off in flakes under her nails. Underneath it, she detected with the pads of her finger-tips, soft downy strands of fluff could this be a recovery? It seemed to be sprouting at alarming speed though, as the rest of her hair fell out in clumps into her hands. The itch was spreading and irrepressible, a scorching burn forcing the entire covering of her bodys skin to convulse with the sensation, like an overwhelming anaphylaxis. Her jaw unhinged, dislocated, realigned, as her lens of vision was a concertina; an uncoiling spring uncurling around her head. The shells of her skull diverged and converged like tectonic plates, jutting her muzzle forward and her forehead back. Extending backwards, her ear buds were shooting into black-tipped stems. Sprouting hair intensified a fiery scald at Ealines cheeks and above her mouth where weighted whiskers emerged to rebalance her disorientation. Ealines previous anxiety processed itself into focus and purpose, as she became newly poised, acutely attuned to sights behind her and above her. The new awareness developed into an intuitive urge to lay flat against the ground. A primordial, ancient restlessness stretched out her cracking limbs, and instinctively, without thinking, Ealine fell involuntarily into a downward-dog position. Mechanically, her spine snapped and elongated as if under the manipulation of an experienced chiropractor. Inside, Ealines entrails twisted into knots, addling the confusion and dread which ought to accompany this scene. Pain replaced terror. The agony distanced her from this spectacle in the same way mothers are removed from their indignities in labour. The pain is the threshold. Without trauma, the coming of age ceremony is incomplete. A memory flashed across her; a story about a butterfly retold in school assembly. An onlooker helped the creature out of its cocoon. But because the butterfly had not squeezed itself through the tight tear, life-giving fluid was not wrought through its extremities, rendering it unable to unfold its wings to fly. Ealine was a spectator, watching herself being forced through a torturous portal, if she could endure it. She had no choice but to endure it, she was halfway down the birth canal. Fresh blood gushed in to intoxicate new tissues with a soaring, heady agitation. Her marrow expanded and contracted; the sinews and muscles surrounding the lengthened bones, struggling to keep up with the pace, like unfurling petals striving to unfold to an unnaturally fast sunrise. Gradually, Ealine recognised how rutted and crushed she had been in her preceding form, especially in her hind legs. With each stretch, Ealine noticed a conditioning, a straightening, a release. She was now lithe, supple, and loaded with a power ready to vault. Her two new friends rushed to her side and helped Ealine up onto her hind legs. To take stock, the Three Hares embraced, and rather eccentrically for hares, nestled together in the same form, that they might fortify each other to daybreak. Yillings mother in the forest, provided them with female fortress, where her father had not done, upon the Hill of Horsa Don. Ealine woke stiff and midget-bitten to the first day of Spring and the first day of lockdown. She could not accept that her undertaking was a harmless dream conjured up by some meaningless junk mail. The encounter was raw enough that she was compelled to bear the veracity of her experience, and that the deliberate intention of its design was to prompt the offers acceptance. She was no longer preoccupied with the genuineness of yesterdays cryptic summons. Instead, Ealine met an overpowering compulsion to seek out the sender. Newly determined, she carried her backpack home to her small, North London flat, ready to hunker down and lie low with her belly to the ground until it was her time to leap. * Note: The Hares of Horsenden Hill will appear as part of the Hare Spell audiodrama out in September, and also as a standalone audiodrama as part of the Alternative Stories podcast. Following Tropical Storm Higos, Tropical Storm Bavi has developed in the West Pacific Ocean. Bavi formed just east of Taiwan on Saturday morning, local time, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Bavi is known as Igme in the Philippines. Bavi will move over the warm waters of the East China Sea and will be in an area of light wind shear, or the change in direction and speed of wind in the atmosphere, through Sunday. The above satellite image shows Tropical Storm Bavi spinning in the East China Sea on Sunday night, Aug. 23. (RAMMB/CIRA) According to AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, the light wind shear and warm waters will provide an environment for the system to strengthen as it tracks across the region this weekend. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Before this system strengthened into Tropical Storm Bavi on Saturday morning, local time, it brought rounds of heavy rain to the Philippines late last week. Bavi is expected to continue on a northeastward trajectory just to the west of the Ryukyu Islands into early this week, bringing rounds of heavy rainfall. Through Monday, bands of heavy rain are forecast to be across the central Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa. Although the core of heaviest rain and strongest wind is expected to remain to the west of the islands, bands of downpours and strong wind gusts are still expected. Rainfall totals across the Ryukyu Islands are forecast to reach 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 250 mm (10 inches), which can lead to flash flooding. "Damaging winds will be possible across the Ryukyu Islands depending on the intensity of the system as it passes by," said Nicholls. Current indications show wind gusts of 80-95 km/h (50-60 mph) are possible that can lead to sporadic power outages and some down tree branches. Rough seas will also be found across much of the East China Sea as the tropical system passes through the area. Story continues A front moving through eastern China will influence the track of the tropical system. This front is expected to cause Bavi to accelerate to the north into the middle of the week after slowly spinning near the Ryukyu Islands to start the week. Latest forecast information shows that a track near or just to the west of the Korean Peninsula is most likely. As such, interests across South Korea, North Korea and northeast China should monitor the path of this system for potential impacts this week. As Bavi accelerates to the north from Tuesday into Wednesday, heavy rain and strong wind can reach South Korea. Meteorologists expect Bavi to remain a dangerous storm at this time and it has the potential to bring widespread and significant impacts along its path, including widespread power outages, flooding rain and coastal storm surge flooding. Rainfall will generally total 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) over the Korean Peninsula. Heavier rainfall totals of 100-200 inches (4-8 inches) can be expected across portions southwestern South Korea and northwestern North Korea, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 380 mm (15 inches). Wind gust are expected to be the strongest across the western Korean Peninsula where wind gusts of 80-115 km/h (50-70 mph) are expected. Stronger wind gusts ranging between 115-145 km/h (70-90 mph) can be expected near the southwest coast of South Korea, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 190 km/h (120 mph) that is most likely on Jeju Island. After passing the Korean Peninsula, Bavi can bring the risk for heavy, flooding rainfall across northeastern China and extreme southeastern Russia late in the week. AccuWeather forecasters are also monitoring Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco in the Caribbean. Together these storms can break a record when they move into the Gulf of Mexico. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Firefighters from Barstow tackle hotspots along Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning Complex fire Sunday in Boulder Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) Wildfires ravaged and menaced communities from Napas wine country to the coast above Santa Cruz on Friday, forcing California officials to make tough choices on which ones to fight as the state braced for a weekend that could include more lightning strikes. In some places, officials said they were being turned down for state help and left to beg equipment and manpower from volunteers and local agencies. Many of these firefighters have been on the lines for 72 hours, and everybody is running on fumes, said Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), whose district includes wine country areas currently under siege. Our first responders are working to the ragged edge of everything they have. More than 930,000 acres have burned so far in Northern and Central California an area larger than the land mass of Rhode Island with little containment, in part because firefighting resources are stretched beyond capacity by the number of blazes. On Thursday, 376 fires burned in the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But by Friday, there were about 560 active blazes, including two separate groups of fires, known as the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex, that have resulted from the convergence of about two dozen fires. The two complexes are among the largest fires the state of California has had to battle in recent memory, arguably in modern recorded history, said Gov. Gavin Newsom during an afternoon briefing. A third massive blaze has also grown in rural areas in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. Scott Lewis Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley, said some of the new burns were probably from a massive lightning storm last weekend that saw more than 12,000 bolts hit California, many unusually close to cities including San Francisco. Those strikes may be causing holdover fires that can ignite and appear days or weeks later after smoldering undetected, he said. Story continues Tony Scardina, deputy regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service, said the states 18 federal parks have also seen up to a 300% increase in campfires sparking wildfires this year, as more people seek the wilderness as a getaway from pandemic quarantines. The National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a weather watch from Sunday through Tuesday mornings for dry lightning from the state capital to Lassen County near the Oregon border. Though the heat wave that helped explode so many recent fires has broken, the possibility of new storms were crushing to many firefighters, 12,000 of whom are battling both flames and fatigue. With more need than can be met by the crews available, fire experts said state officials are now forced to prioritize which fires will get resources and change how those resources are being used. Though officials often deploy crews and equipment to surround fires with defensible lines so that they can be contained, fire experts said the focus is now is on saving lives and structures, and predict that the current blazes will burn for weeks. At the statewide level, we do get into this mode where we start wondering where the biggest loss is going to be, whats the highest priority, and that is where the resources are going to go, said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a fire expert with the University of California Cooperative Extension. Scardina, the U.S. Forest Service official, said priorities are being set by state and federal authorities continually evaluating the larger picture of where they will have the most impact to protect lives, property and infrastructure, but the calculations are difficult. At this point we have to triage, we have to set priorities, we have to make some tough choices, Scardina said. Every fire manager, every leader at a local level, every community, is really focused on their fire obviously and for valid reasons. ... The best we can do is ... be transparent and honest with people about the limitations that we have [and] be clear with them about how we set priorities. The lack of equipment and outside fire crews was evident Friday as a smoky evening fell in Ben Lomond, a heavily forested town in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The fire there has destroyed scores of homes and structures and is burning up steep hills that crest near the campus of UC Santa Cruz, normally an education hub of 18,000 students. Ben Lomond Fire Chief Stacie Brownlee said she requested help from Cal Fire and was told it had nothing to offer. The rejection startled her. In the 10 years shes been chief and 36 years shes served, she said shes never seen the state unable to help. She said she is running out of basic equipment, including hoses, radios and hand tools, and feels as though theyve been abandoned. Were sleeping just two to five hours, she said. Were just trying to get a handle on this. Matt Sanders, a volunteer firefighter for Ben Lomond, said he and his colleagues have barely slept since Monday. Their force, which is 27 strong, is being supplemented by retirees, many fighting to save their own homes. Todd Ellis, a Menlo Park Fire District training captain who lives in town and is captain of the volunteer force, on Friday persuaded his chief to send a engine, which arrived in time to fight a blaze at a retreat center amid redwoods. Billy See, one of the Cal Fire incident commanders, said personnel on this fire increased by almost 100 from the previous night, up to about 1,000, but its still not enough. Farther north, the LNU Lightning Complex now the second-largest fire in state history, having consumed more than 302,000 acres brought mixed news. In the Solano County city of Vacaville, halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco, some residents were able to return home from evacuations Friday, and officials reported the blaze was 15% contained. But on the northern part of that fire, new evacuation orders were issued for the Sonoma County enclave of Guerneville, where the blaze was burning strongly in rugged territory. Newsom said the state sent assistance to that fire overnight, nearly doubling the number of firefighters from about 587 yesterday to more than 1,000 Friday. California in recent weeks has also hired 830 seasonal firefighters meant to replace prison crews that are not available due to early releases prompted by the pandemic. Newsom also said Friday that 10 states had offered mutual aid to California so far, and he has sent out more requests, including to Canada and Australia. So far, dozens of extra engines, manpower, airplanes and other resources have arrived from Oregon, Arizona and other states. But there is also the threat of a long fire season, with the current blazes burning for weeks a scenario experts said was possible with containment a lesser priority. Smoke is also hampering aerial firefighting. There are so many conflagrations in California that aircraft have been hopscotching across the state trying to slow ones that pose the greatest threats, officials said. Smoke from the LNU Lightning Complex fire has at times settled over the area and kept scouting aircraft from descending low enough to see where the blaze was most active. Such air attack provides intelligence for crews on the ground and guides other aerial endeavors. You just avoid the areas where theres no visibility, said Scott Ross, public information officer on the LNU Complex fire. If you didnt have air attack, you wouldnt have fixed-wing tankers, helicopters, theyd all just be flying up there willy-nilly. Meanwhile, the SCU Lightning Complex fire, threatening rural areas around Silicon Valley, has only three water-dropping helicopters helping at a given time because the flames have stayed mostly in rugged terrain, said public information officer Dominic Polito. Nationally, the fire threat is also at its highest level. Some 90 large fires have burned in 14 states, leaving many places taxed for resources, according to federal fire authorities. "We have more people, but its not enough," said Newsom. "We have more air support, but its still not enough." For the record: 10:54 AM, Aug. 23, 2020: An earlier version of this story misidentified UC Berkeley professor Scott Lewis Stephens as Scott Lewis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 03:03:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close STOCKHOLM, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Although Swedish public authority has not recommended wearing face masks in public, a significant portion of the Swedish population believes face masks offer good protection against the novel coronavirus, Swedish Television reported Friday, quoting a new survey. Polling company Novus conducted the survey with just over 1,000 Swedes, asking if they believe wearing face masks in public places can help reduce the rate of infection. A total of 43 percent said they believe that is quite or very likely, while just 27 percent said it was unlikely to do so. "There is clearly a widespread support for face masks among the public," Novus CEO Torbjorn Sjostrom concluded. He told Swedish Television that "even if one believes face masks are effective, there is a reluctance to wear one unless everyone else does. There is a bit of an embarrassment factor here where we do not want to be the only ones wearing a face mask even if we believe in them." Just 6 percent of respondents said they actually wear face masks, with 36 percent stating they would start using them if more people did so. According to Sjostrom, this is a clear example of people adjusting to crowd behavior. Sweden's Public Health Agency has not issued any rules or recommendations for wearing face masks outside of medical settings, claiming that the scientific basis for such recommendations is weak. However, earlier this week the agency said it would, together with regional centers for infectious diseases around Sweden, consider whether general face mask recommendations could be valuable in some situations where it is difficult to uphold social distancing, for instance during rush hour on public transport. In a statement on its website, the agency said: "Face masks must always be regarded as a complement to other more central risk-reducing measures. Staying home at any sign of symptoms and maintaining good hand hygiene must always be observed and it is important that organizations and individuals take responsibility for maintaining physical distance both outdoors and indoors. However, there may be situations where it is difficult to avoid crowding and close contact during a prolonged period. In such situations, face masks could be of value." As of Friday, Sweden has counted 5,810 deaths and 86,068 infections in a population of over 10 million, according to the agency. Despite that, Sweden has neither imposed a lockdown -- even during the peak of the pandemic -- nor asked people to wear face masks in public, citing a lack of support in research. Enditem President Muhammadu Buhari reintroduced the police affairs ministry in tandem with his electoral promise to secure the lives and property of Nigerians. But a year after, these expectations have not materialised, PREMIUM TIMES reports. Mr Buhari at the beginning of his first administration in 2015 merged the ministry of police affairs with the ministry of interior but the move was opposed by many Nigerians. However, after his reelection in 2019, he separated the ministries. This separation was signalled by the appointment of Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi as the cabinet member to take charge of the ministry. At the ministerial screening preceding the assignment to their various ministries, none of the lawmakers envisaged Mr Dingyadi was up for any office related to the security sector putting his curriculum vitae into consideration. This is quite understandable because he had served in different ministries, including, but not limited to the Sokoto state ministries of education and water resources, as a civil servant. Meanwhile, in his first outing as the police affairs minister, Mr Dingyadi reiterated that President created the ministry to give special attention to police issues, with a view to repositioning the police for better service delivery. PREMIUM TIMES reviews Mr Dingyadis performance in securing the citizens and repositioning the police force. Insecurity Asides the surge of insurgency and terrorism in the North-eastern parts of the country, Nigeria has been plagued with kidnapping and banditry across the country. During a visit to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu in October 2019, the Minister decried the alarming rate of insecurity and urged the Police Force to come up with new ideas. Thereafter, PREMIUM TIMES had reported hundreds of violent deaths and kidnappings across the country. To depict the worsening rate, a security report by the Council on Foreign Relations, Kaduna State revealed that not less than 142 people were killed in different violent attacks in the northern part of Nigeria in a week (July 18 to 24). As contained in the same report, PREMIUM TIMES reported that no fewer than 44 others were also kidnapped in the region. While police have deployed its special intervention squad to quell the killings in Kaduna State and some affected regions, some persons have raised concerns about the ineptitude of the Nigerian authorities. Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar, recently said the Nigerian elites have failed the country by not addressing the insecurity ravaging parts of the nation. Bribery, corruption, rights violations Over the years, the Nigerian police force has been a haven for corrupt operatives and violators of human rights. This seems not to have waned despite warnings from the police affairs minister and the IGP. For instance, in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that over 105 cases of rights abuse were documented within the country while law enforcement agents, majorly composed of police officers, were enforcing the initial lockdown. READ ALSO: Interestingly, at that time, COVID-19 had claimed 11 lives in the country but there were already eight documented incidents of extra-judicial killing leading to 18 deaths- majority perpetrated by police officers. In addition, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation across the six geo-political regions of the country, exposed how police officers extorted motorists rather than arrest them for violating the interstate travel ban declared to curb the spread of the pandemic. Police Trust Fund controversy President Buharis assent to the Nigeria Police Trust Fund establishment Act and appointment of a board of trustees was a step in the right direction but the source of the funds has been a subject of an unsettled controversy. Jide Ojo, a public affairs analyst and development expert, said if implemented well, the trust fund will solve the inadequacy of necessary equipment to combat insecurity. According to the establishment Act, the source of funding for the Trust Fund shall comprise of 0.5% of the total revenue accruing to the federation account, take-off grants, aids, donations, and 0.005% of the net profit of companies operating businesses in Nigeria. Advertisements Meanwhile, the Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Elias Mbam, described the series of requests made by the police affairs minister in this regard as a breach of constitutional provisions. Mr Mbam said listing the sources of funding for the Trust Fund to include 0.5 per cent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account was inconsistent with the provisions of Section 162(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended. The provisions did not include the Nigeria Police Trust Fund as part of the beneficiaries from the Federation Account accruals, he noted. Mr Ojo advised that the controversy should be resolved for significant progress to be made. There would be significant progress in 2021 once the controversy has been laid to rest, he assured. Welfare concerns I am pleased to make the increase in salaries and allowances in the hope that it will increase the performance index of the police and strengthen Nigerias internal security system, President Buhari told the forces leadership in 2018. The news was greeted with jubilation from officers and Nigerians who had envisaged that the increment would boost the morale of the force. Two years on, the government is yet to walk its talk by implementing the upward review of salaries. Multiple police officers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the condition of anonymity bemoaned their poor salaries. Unrealistic recruitment target The police affairs ministry and a 13-man ministerial committees aim to recruit 400, 000 officers between 2019 and 2023, is a target that appears unrealistic considering the current realities. At the inauguration ceremony of the committee in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, said this is in the pursuit of the next level agenda of President Buhari. Meanwhile, the President has only approved 20,000 personnel for the 2019 and 2020 recruitment exercises. This implies that there would be a shortfall of 360,000 operatives by 2023 if the yearly recruitment of 10,000 operatives is not reviewed. In his reaction, Mr Ojo said the annual recruitment is not enough to solve the insecurity crisis. They should make procurement of highly sophisticated and technologically inclined equipment, establish more forensic laboratories to aid investigations In the last one year, under Mr Dingyadi, the force commissioned a crime control centre in Abuja, a crime and incident database centre and a new Police Mobile Force Training College in Nasarawa state. Way forward The public affairs analyst said the commercialisation of some services rendered by the security force and accountability of its officials are ways the government should explore. We need to fight corruption in the Nigeria Police. We can commercialise the activities to pull more resources for the force. For instance, people who want police protection like private organisation and individuals. Why cant you make them pay into the governments account? These people will give the monies to police commissioners but because the police are classified under social responsibility, the money is not accounted for because there are no receipts. They can also pay online to enhance transparency, Mr Ojo further advised. Also campaigning for reforms, Festus Ogun, a legal affairs analyst, said the ministry has a lot of work to do. Now is not the time for the ministry to jubilate as the purpose of its creation will be defeated if Nigerians are apparently not seeing its impacts. He urged the federal government to see to the realisation of a radical reform of the institutional and constitutional framework of the police. Many of the expectations of Nigerians for the ministry have not materialised. A mercy dash across the Tasman is being considered by the federal government to avert a nationwide shortage of shearers for Australia's sheep flock. Strict border restrictions have all but shut out the almost 500 New Zealand shearers who travel across the ditch annually, raising concerns about animal welfare and a looming financial crisis for wool producers. Data released earlier this month shows just 63,000 tonnes of wool came out of the nation's shearing sheds in the three months to the end of June, the smallest quarterly clip on record. Credit:Nicolas Walker The trade was added to the critical skills and sectors list for workforce visa arrangements by the Department of Home Affairs on Friday, with plans in place for what has become known as a "Wool Air" charter flight if required. The Shearing Contractors Association of Australia has warned for months that up to 8 per cent of the 68 million-strong national flock may not be shorn in a timely manner if the 480 Kiwi shearers are unable to enter NSW and Victoria. USC junior Alexis Timko in the hallway outside her apartment near campus. Classes are completely online for the fall semester. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Ethan Recinto could hear the laughter and faint thrum of music from his second-floor apartment near USC. It was midnight and he was trying to sleep. Restless and annoyed, he stepped outside and saw packs of students roving the hallways, following the alluring siren of collegiate revelry. On the eighth floor of the privately owned University Gateway complex, Recinto caught a glimpse inside a small apartment dozens of students packed shoulder to shoulder. "I'm trying to stay safe, and these people kind of just gave up," said Recinto, a junior studying international relations. He left, but the scene stirred fear. "We use the same elevators, washing machines, hallways. ... There's probably going to be an outbreak here, which sucks. And I'll be exposed to it." USC is among the first universities in California to begin the fall semester amid the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a look into the new order of campus life under strictly enforced safety rules: online classes, limited access to campus, dorms all but shut down. But like other major universities including most of the University of California's 10 campuses USC is ringed by thousands of off-campus, privately owned and operated apartments where student gatherings could quickly emerge as a catalyst for COVID-19 outbreaks. Although universities have urged students to stay home for online learning, many signed apartment leases months ago that management refused to allow them to break. Many yearned to be out of childhood bedrooms and back with friends near campus. Others' home circumstances were not conducive to studies. It's a "recipe for disaster," said John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert and professor emeritus at UC Berkeley. "Were dealing with a population thats unlikely to follow prudent guidelines, and we're putting them in a situation that is far too tempting," he said. "So I don't know what people expect." Story continues USC senior Ethan Recinto, 21, gets set up for his Japanese class in his University Gateway apartment on Aug. 20. (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times) USC officials have sternly warned students that parties and gatherings are barred, and hosting or attending one could lead to disciplinary action, including probation, suspension or expulsion. And the university has taken substantial precautions in response to the pandemic. Students are required to wear face masks, complete a "daily symptom check" through an app, make reservations before setting foot on campus, and submit to randomly selected temperature screenings once they arrive. "Now, more than ever, it is essential that we all take responsibility for our behavior," university leaders said in an Aug. 19 letter to students. "Our individual actions can have a profound effect on our entire community, and the choices we make carry very real consequences." But the primal urge to congregate has been irresistible for some, although big, loud bashes are markedly down this year. The USC Department of Public Safety's incident log shows that officers have shut down five off-campus parties since Aug. 10 because of noise complaints. In 2019, DPS shut down 21 parties in the same time frame, said USC Deputy Chief David Carlisle. Dr. Sarah Van Orman, USCs chief student health officer, acknowledged that the university doesn't have much control over activity at private off-campus housing. But she is confident in USC's ability to respond to outbreaks through its robust testing and contact-tracing program. Still, Van Orman said, "We are concerned about outbreaks. I dont think theres a college health director thats not concerned about outbreaks right now." USC student Mitchell Steimle, 21, and his brother Anthony, 18, participate in a wellness check conducted by campus health and screening ambassadors on Aug. 17, the first day of classes. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) COVID-19 surges have proliferated at some universities in other states that have already opened and officials are cracking down on parties. Syracuse University announced Thursday that it had suspended 23 students and is continuing its investigation to identify other partygoers after a large gathering of students on the campus quad selfishly jeopardized the schools reopening and may have done enough to shut down campus, a vice chancellor said in a statement. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced it would pivot to online learning after COVID-19 cases surged after the first week of classes. Notre Dame also ceased in-person instruction for two weeks after 147 students tested positive within a 14-day period. A viral video of a massive party held at an off-campus apartment complex near the University of North Georgia set off alarm bells. And at UC Berkeley, 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19 stemmed from a series of fraternity parties in July. A coronavirus outbreak was reported at USC's fraternity row in July, with at least 45 students testing positive. As of Aug. 19, at least 208 USC students and 73 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. One student was briefly hospitalized. The level of social interaction among USC students varies widely. Some students said they and a good number of their peers have limited their quarantine pods to roommates and a few trusted friends. Others are comfortable attending small gatherings, while some are hitting up multiple parties a week. But even hanging out in small groups outside their newly configured households still holds peril. USC has traced many COVID-19 clusters to gatherings of five to 10 people, Van Orman said. There is no such thing as a "trusted friend" at a time when everybody is drawing their boundary lines differently, Swartzberg said. Though parties are more scarce, USC students still fear outbreaks especially after a photo shared on Reddit depicting a large USC party in the courtyard of the large University Gateway complex went viral this week. In an email to residents Wednesday morning, Gateway staff wrote that gatherings of 10 or more people are not allowed and that masks are mandatory in all common areas. "The office staff and security will be closely monitoring this," the email said. Gateway's building manager and its parent company, Peak Campus, did not respond to requests for comment. USC students and friends Robert Beyer, left, and Ethan Recinto stand outside the University Gateway apartment complex. Both expressed concern after a photo of a party at the complex went viral. (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times) Private landlords should make clear to students that even a 10-person gathering could lead to spread, Van Orman said. Some students are disturbed by what they view as the careless behavior of their peers and described a hush-hush culture around parties; those who party tend to not talk about it unless they're around others who they know have also been partying. Ashley Abadeer, a junior from Riverside, lives in a duplex with five other people. Over the past few weeks, Abadeer has observed a change in the previously quiet summer environment. Small parties have cropped up near her duplex, and she saw several people at the nearby Trader Joe's not wearing masks. "It makes me feel quite upset, to be honest," she said. Still, Abadeer is grateful to live with people who have no problem with social distancing. Some of her friends aren't so lucky, dealing with roommates who take risks that could compromise the whole household. "We really have to empathize with how challenging this is for young adults," Van Orman said. Their roommates aren't necessarily their friends or support system, and "that makes following the public health guidance to stay with your household very difficult." Alexis Timko, a junior studying journalism and history, said she and her six housemates only allow significant others to visit. When they do see other friends, it's outside. Though these restrictions are imperative to Timko, they are far from easy. "You can always put classes and work on Zoom, but you can never re-create the social interactions and memories that come from the party-hopping and drunkenly ordering nachos and having weird bonding sessions with random girls you meet in the bathroom of some bar," she said. "Even just being sprawled out on the couch with a group of friends after a rough week. I miss it." In an Aug. 15 letter, USC officials directed Greek organizations to abide by the campus safety guidelines. Fraternities and sororities, whose houses flank 28th Street, will be held responsible for the acts of individual members who flout the rules, the letter said, potentially leading to the organization's suspension or "multi-year derecognition." Jordan Al-Rawi, vice president of administrative affairs for USC's Interfraternity Council, said that the recruitment process and all other social offerings will be completely virtual. "IFC is a dedicated partner of local and university health officials, and we will continue to do our part until it is safe to resume physical operations," he said. One 20-year-old junior living in a fraternity house, who requested anonymity to speak about his and other organizations, noted that some fraternities are taking the pandemic very seriously. Others are more laid-back. Mask-wearing is mandatory in the house when residents are not in their rooms, he said, and residents must also get tested for COVID-19 every two weeks. Visitors are limited to significant others and members of the fraternity. He went to one indoor gathering of about 10 people, but he didn't feel comfortable afterward. He said he regrets the decision and doesn't plan to attend any more parties and most of his fraternity brothers are of the same mind. "It's definitely a whole different experience," he said. "Were used to hundreds of people coming through the house every weekend. Now we're seeing the same faces day after day. "I guess Im lucky that all the faces I see are faces I like." One of the things people forget when they consider the scourge of Jim Crow is that it lasted so long because it was a government institution. Those white people who would have liked to rent hotel rooms or give restaurant seats to black people, whether because of principle or for profit, were not allowed to do so. The Southern Democrat governments made racism a state institution. That Jim Crow mindset which sees the government enforcing racism is reappearing across America. To appreciate why this is happening, one has to remember that leftism is, by definition, an institutional ideology. Rather than believing in individual liberty, leftists believe in the power of government. Therefore, it makes sense that those people most likely (a) to go into government and (b) to bend government to their belief system are going to be leftists. That's how we end up with this most recent batch of reports about state and federal institutions pushing anti-white racism. The first story comes out of Tennessee. A father whose child is in the Metro Nashville Public School District (and keep in mind that Nashville is a Democrat-run city) announced that he was pulling his second-grade daughter out of the school, effective immediately. The reason was that the district was teaching the seven-year-olds that white people are bullying race-haters and he provided the evidence to back up his contention: She has been and will always be taught that everyone is equal. She will not be ashamed of her skin color. GrantB911 (@GrantB911) August 14, 2020 The Mexican kids were sent away and forced to sit in the dirt with flies around them and an electric fence that shocked them because white people are bad. This is NOT a civil rights lesson. This is self-hate & fake white privilege. pic.twitter.com/fPU24odazO GrantB911 (@GrantB911) August 14, 2020 With that type of thing taking place in public schools, it's no wonder, as Stacey Lennox writes, that teachers in Tennessee's Rutherford County School District (that's Murfreesboro, which has a huge Sunni Islam population), are insisting that parents sign an agreement that, with their students doing distance learning from home, they will not monitor their children's classes. When challenged, the school district claimed that this rule was to protect students' academic privacy, but we already know that the real purpose in public schools around the country is so that teachers can preach leftism: This type of debate is not just happening in Tennessee. A founding teacher at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia also took to Twitter to express concern over parent observation of virtual classes. His laments about parents, especially conservative parents, had been retweeted over 1,000 times before he locked his account. Retweeting means other people were sharing his concerns with their own followers. Matthew Kay put this up for other teachers to respond to: "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?" If you need clarity of what equity and inclusion work means, you can see the pictures in the previous tweets. Matthew concluded his thread with: "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," he added. "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 [sic] racism or homophobia or transphobia how much do we want their classmates' parents piling on?" Meanwhile, at the federal level, the Revolver caught NASA broadcasting "unhinged race rhetoric": On Thursday, the YouTube account for the NASA Johnson Space Center broadcast an unannounced livestream. Instead of showcasing engineering accomplishments, scientific research, or life on the International Space Station, the livestream, organized by NASA's African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG), was a panel discussion on "white privilege." Instead of featuring top scientists and engineers, NASA's broadcast starred academic race hustlers, like Prairie View A&M University political science professor William Hoston, whose groundbreaking work includes the 2018 book "Toxic Silence: Race, Black Gender Identity, and Addressing the Violence against Black Transgender Women in Houston." [snip] Another participant in the virtual event was University of Pittsburgh adjunct professor Austin O. Richardson II, who used the virtual meetup as a chance to share extreme views with NASA's imprimatur. Richardson stated that all white people on earth possess a secret knowledge of racial hierarchy, but may conceal it in order to oppress others. "If you are non-white, and you come across a white person, and they act like they don't know what's going on, they are deceiving you, and they are trying to disarm you," Richardson said. "Every white person over the age of 12 knows that they are white, and they know that racism exists...If they say 'I'm white,' they automatically know all the implications of what that means." You can read much more of this taxpayer-funded anti-white racism here. It's ugly, it's hate-filled, and it's the moral equivalent of Jim Crow. The question now is whether this can be stopped. Can we correct the institutions? Must they be defunded and broken up? Or has the rot sunk so deep that we're stuck with this hatred and its inevitable fallout on the streets of America? Image: NASA anti-racism live stream by NASA Johnson, public domain Turkey announces discovery of large natural gas reserve in Black Sea Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 3:16 PM Turkey has announced the discovery of a large natural gas reserve off its Black Sea coast, which could ease the country's dependence on energy imports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement on Friday. He had promised earlier this week to deliver "good news" that would herald "a new era" for Turkey. Erdogan said the amount of the natural gas discovered was 320 billion cubic meters. He said it had been found by the country's drilling ship Fatih. "We have carried out nine deep-sea drillings in the Mediterranean and Black Sea through our Fatih and Yavuz ships so far. We have had the honor of giving our nation the good news that it has been waiting for," he said. "There is no stopping and resting until we become a net exporter in energy." Erdogan expressed hope that the discovered gas would be made available for public use in 2023. The Turkish drilling ship Fatih has been operating since late July in an exploration zone known as Tuna-1, about 100 nautical miles north of the Turkish coast in the western Black Sea. If the gas reserves can be commercially extracted and confirmed as recoverable, they will help the country cut its dependence on energy imports, which last year totaled 41 billion dollars. The discovery comes as Turkey is involved in a dispute over oil and gas exploration rights with Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. It has sailed seismic research vessels and escorting warships in waters disputed there. Greece has dispatched its own military vessels to the area. Erdogan has vowed to continue the country's energy exploration in the disputed waters despite warnings from the European Union (EU) and a military buildup by France. Turkey had paused the research activities on a request from Germany but restarted them after a maritime agreement was signed between Greece and Egypt. Ankara described that agreement as "worthless" and an attempt to keep Turkey out of the region. Earlier this month, Turkey also launched naval exercises off two Greek islands. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Russian doctors gave a dissident in a coma after a suspected poisoning permission to be transferred abroad for medical treatment, in a sudden reversal Friday that came after more than 24 hours of wrangling over Alexei Navalny's condition and treatment. Navalny, a 44-year-old politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in the Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe tea he drank was laced with poison and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a German hospital. Russian doctors say there is no evidence of poisoning, and the Kremlin denied authorities tried to prevent the transfer from happening. Even after German specialists arrived on a plane equipped with advanced medical equipment Friday at his family's behest, Navalny's physicians said he was too unstable to move. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Navalny's supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organized the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. Deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital Anatoly Kalinichenko then told reporters that Navalny's condition had stabilized and that physicians "didn't mind" transferring the politician, given that his relatives were willing "to take on the risks." The flight to Berlin is scheduled for Saturday morning. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who represents the family of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has said that Kangana Ranaut is not fighting the particular case but is only highlighting general problems in the film industry. "Kangana is not Sushant's friend. She is basically highlighting the general discrimination in media," Singh told news agency IANS. Ranaut has been raising nepotism and other issues in the film industry, especially after the demise of Rajput in June. "The issue that she is raising is correct, but she is not Sushant Singh Rajput's representative and neither is she carrying on his case. She is bringing out a general problem in the industry. Sushant may also have been a victim (of nepotism), but she is not representating him. Woh Sushant ka nahi kar rahi kuch bhi (she is not doing anything for Sushant). She is only doing her own," Vikas Singh said. The Supreme Court of India (SC) on August 19 ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigative into Rajput's death. Among other celebrities , Kangana had lauded this development, calling it a historic day. Seoul, Aug 22 : The South Korean government announced on Saturday said that it has decided to expand strict social distancing guidelines to the rest of the country from Sunday amid the recent surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases. Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a press briefing that the guidelines will be raised by one notch to Level 2 across the country, reports Xinhua news agency. The government had imposed the Level 2 guidelines of the three-tier system only in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province from August 16, but it decided to expand it to the whole country amid the recent surge in virus infections. South Korea reported 332 more cases on Saturday, raising the combined number of infections to 17,002. The daily caseload soared in triple digits for nine straight days, topping 300 for two days in a row. It was the highest in more than five months since March 8. The number of confirmed cases for the past nine days reached 2,232 due to clusters in the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul and a massive rally held in the capital city on August 15 by conservative voters and politicians. Of the new cases, 127 were Seoul residents and 91 were people residing in Gyeonggi province. Under the Level 2 social-distancing guidelines, the indoor gatherings of over 50 people and the outdoor events of over 100 people will be banned, while high-risk facilities such as karaoke rooms, clubs and PC gaming cafes will be prohibited from doing businesses. All sporting events will be conducted without an audience, and offline church services will be banned. Schools in areas that reported cluster infections will be required to switch to online classes from August 26. School attendance will be limited to one-third of capacity in kindergartens, primary and middle schools. Crowded places will be required to follow tighter regulations, including the recording of all visitors. All beaches across the country will be closed from Saturday midnight. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Israel and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) next week to discuss the normalization of diplomatic ties between Israel and the U.A.E. Israel and the U.A.E. announced on August 13 that they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal, whihc included an Israeli pledge to suspend its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. The deal makes the U.A.E. the first Gulf Arab state to establish full diplomatic ties and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic relations with Israel. The move was hailed by several Gulf states but slammed by Iran, Turkey, and the Palestinians. Pompeo is expected to depart on April 23 for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, the U.A.E., Qatar, and Sudan, according to the Associated Press, quoting unidentified diplomats. Pompeo's agenda also will include security challenges posed by Iran and China in the region, said sources quoted by Reuters. Taliban Talks In Qatar, Pompeo plans to meet with members of the Taliban to discuss peace talks between the militant group and the Afghan government that are key to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, plans a separate trip to the Middle East, the AP said, quoting diplomats. Kushner plans to leave later in the week for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. The trips come after the United States formally launched the process of activating the Iran nuclear deal's "snapback" mechanism aimed at reimposing UN sanctions on Iran, citing Iranian violations of the deal. Pompeo on August 20 submitted a letter to the president of the UN Security Council notifying him of Iran's "significant" noncompliance with the terms of the landmark accord. The move followed the failure of a U.S.-sponsored resolution calling for an extension to an arms embargo on Iran in the Security Council. The United States and its European allies have sparred over the U.S. approach. Some members of the Security Council have questioned the U.S. right to trigger the snapback since Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal more than two years ago and reimposed unilateral sanctions. With reporting by AP and Reuters By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), which is the states apex church organisation, is wary of a Chinese cult called 'Church of Almighty God' that is suspected to have spread its tentacles into the Christian-majority state. In a statement addressed to fellow church workers, NBCC general secretary reverend Dr Zelhou Keyho cautioned: I am writing this with a grave concern concerning a cult, called the Church of Almighty God from China, reportedly making inroads into our land. The Church of Almighty God or Eastern Lightning cult is a well-organized group, aggressively moving forward with publication and creating many Facebook pages and colourful artwork that appears biblical and enticing. Keyho said the cult teaches that Jesus has returned to earth as a woman, named Yang Xiangbin, also called Lightning Deng, and the New Testament has been replaced by their new bible called "The Word Appears in the Flesh". "They teach that God is speaking through this woman and they refer to Gods speaking through this woman, as utterances and these are written in their books as revelations from God and they are being published and promoted through books, videos, computer-generated movies, artwork and other forms of media," Keyho said. The cult proclaims there are three ages that God is working out His plan for mankind. The Age of Law that begins salvation and Gods name is Jehovah. The Age of Grace which continues salvation and Gods name is Jesus. The Age of Kingdom which completes salvation and Gods name is The Almighty. "Jesus said in His Word that He would return to earth, not as the almighty who speaks through a woman from China, but as He was, is and ever shall be," Keyho said. He appealed to church workers to beware of this "dangerous" cult as "they are actively spreading a false Gospel and false teachings". "Let us research them and expose them and take every measure to shield our respective congregations from such false religion," Keyho wrote in the statement. New Delhi, Aug 22 : BJP General Secretary Bhupender Yadav has demanded an independent inquiry into the anti-CAA protests, the ensuing violence in the country and the riots that erupted in Delhi this year. Yadav said that the alleged foreign funding angle should also be brought under the purview of this new probe. He was speaking at a virtual interaction on the Delhi riots this year. "This country should be proud of the fact that India is giving citizenship to the religiously persecuted which is part of the human rights declaration. But this truth was projected as anti-constitutional and a poisonous atmosphere was sought to be created. I know that we all became a part of this tragedy. Hence I agree with this book when it seeks another independent probe. Foreign fundings should also be taken into consideration. Intelligence should be gathered about the network. One should be concerned about those few people who are trying to radicalise a religion," said Yadav, in a virtual interaction from Patna, during what author Monica Arora claimed was the launch of the book 'Delhi Riots 2020 - the untold story'. However, the publisher Bloomsbury India decided to withdraw the book saying the event was "without our knowledge by the authors". Yadav also raised objection to the new interpretation of secularism, and said that India accommodates all including atheists. The senior BJP leader said that India doesn't need lessons on secularism from the 'so-called liberals'. Yadav called upon the "so called liberals" to read the medical reports of the likes of Ankit Sharma, the murdered IB staffer, which are part of the book to understand how the riots were "started". Sharma was found dead in a drain near his home during the riots in North-East Delhi this year in February with 51 stab wounds on his body. At least 53 people were killed and approximately 400 were injured in the violence that was sparked off by clashes between protesters "who were for and against the widely debated Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA." The BJP leader said that he has full faith in the judiciary while taking a passing dig at Lawyer Prashant Bhushan without naming him, while talking about "contempt of contempt". Yadav said that a certain section of the society only selectively expresses faith in the judiciary depending upon whether the verdict suits them. The event which was also attended by BJP leader Kapil Sharma created online outrage which forced the publishers to clarify, "In view of very recent events including a virtual pre-publication launch organised without our knowledge by the authors, with participation by parties of whom the Publishers would not have approved, we have decided to withdraw publication of the book. Bloomsbury India strongly supports freedom of speech but also has a deep sense of responsibility towards society." Palestinian militants attach a fire bomb to inflated plastic bags and condoms before launching it across the Gaza border into Israel Israeli tanks shelled military positions of Gaza's ruling Hamas movement early Saturday, the army and Palestinian security sources said, hours after a rocket was launched at southern Israel. A statement from the military said the Israeli "tanks targeted Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip" in response to the Friday fire. The rocket, which set off sirens in southern Israel, was intercepted by air defences without causing any casualties or damage. Gaza security sources said the Saturday tank fire targeted Hamas observation posts east of Rafah and east of Khan Yunis, causing no casualties. Israel has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6 in retaliation for the launch of balloons fitted with fire bombs, or, less frequently, rockets. On Thursday night, Gaza militants fired a dozen rockets at Israel, which responded with air strikes on a rocket manufacturing plant and underground infrastructure. Israeli firefighters meanwhile continued to put out blazes on farmland and scrub set alight by incendiary balloons launched from Gaza. An Egyptian delegation was trying to broker a return to an informal truce. Egypt has acted to calm repeated flare-ups in recent years to prevent any repetition of the three wars Israel and Hamas have fought since 2008. According to a source close to Hamas, the movement wants the extension of an industrial zone in the east of Gaza, and the construction of a new power line. Hamas also wants the number of work permits in Israel issued to Gazans to be doubled to 10,000 once anti-coronavirus restrictions are lifted, the source said. sa-jjm/kir BERLIN Russias most prominent opposition figure, Aleksei A. Navalny, arrived in Berlin for treatment on Saturday after falling into a coma in Siberia in what his family and supporters suspect was a deliberate poisoning weeks before nationwide local elections. Mr. Navalny was admitted to Charite, one of Germanys leading medical research facilities, where he is undergoing extensive diagnostic tests, the hospital said after a plane transporting him from Russia touched down. He arrived more than 48 hours after he first lost consciousness, a delay his supporters bitterly criticized Russian officials for having caused. Patient stable, mission accomplished, said Jaka Bizilj, who runs the Cinema for Peace, the foundation that organized the air transport at the urging of Mr. Navalnys friends and family. Mr. Navalny became violently ill on Thursday shortly after a Moscow-bound flight he had boarded took off, forcing an emergency landing in the Siberian city of Omsk. Theresa, a 33-year-old migrant worker from Kenya plays with her two children Malak and Christiano, as she takes a break from the protest demanding repatriation on August 14, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Elsie Haddad/Getty Images) The news reports speed by as I watch: small children, their little faces injured from the flying glass. Tiny heads bandaged, and bulging dressings around ears, because fragile eardrums have been agonisingly blown out. Whatever the injury, their eyes all look the same. Fearful, terrified, staring into a world that's changed forever. I don't know these children, don't know their favourite cartoon character, if they like strawberry ice cream or prefer pistachio, if they still sleep with a special teddy or not. But I know that their lives have been radically altered since the cataclysmic explosion in Beirut on August 4. Some 300,000 people have been made homeless, a quarter of them children, like the sad-eyed little ones on the news. The streets are covered with broken glass and some of these children have not been reunited with their families. And perhaps that's because their families are dead. Once you have a child to watch over, you can never see the TV news or read the newspapers the same way again. Every injured child makes you reach out a hand to your own darling children - as if touching them will keep them safe. At around 6pm Beirut time on that fateful day, just over two weeks ago, 2,750 tonnes of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate exploded in the city's port. The blasts generated seismic waves equivalent to a 3.3-magnitude earthquake. The explosions were felt some 240km away in Cyprus. Expand Close Theresa, a 33-year-old migrant worker from Kenya plays with her two children Malak and Christiano, as she takes a break from the protest demanding repatriation on August 14, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Elsie Haddad/Getty Images) Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa, a 33-year-old migrant worker from Kenya plays with her two children Malak and Christiano, as she takes a break from the protest demanding repatriation on August 14, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo by Elsie Haddad/Getty Images) A huge pinkish mushroom cloud went up over the city - and I cannot imagine the fear felt by anyone staring up at it, thinking the worst. The shockwaves destroyed buildings, turned cars over as if by a giant hand, blew out windows and knocked people onto the ground, where they were injured by debris. The blast zone extends more than six miles from the port. UN figures described the explosion as being "like 15 years of war in 15 seconds". Thousands were injured, and hundreds of thousands were made homeless. I'm at my desk in still-sunny Wicklow, looking at news reports of the injured in Beirut, and my heart breaks for them and for their parents. It may take a lifetime of help to remove the fear and terror in their eyes. They'll need help to take away their nightmares. How can any parent look at those little boys and girls and begin to imagine where to start to ease their pain? My sons are teenagers now, miles taller than I am, and yet the need to comfort any small child is still strong, as it is with most parents. Many of the injured are among the 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. This small, impoverished country of just six million people hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world. On one report, a mother says her daughter won't talk about what happened, and that she wishes it had happened to her instead. That's something I've often been told in my 15 years as a Unicef ambassador. I've sat with women in malaria units where the children lie two to a bed and watched them numbly say they'd take the illness themselves, anything to save their child. I sat with a woman, who was probably not yet 30, her small girl on her lap, waiting for the results of the blood tests that would tell if the little girl had picked up HIV when she was being born, because the mother was HIV-positive. The mother sat utterly silent in her fear. No interpreter was needed to tell that she wished her child was left unharmed. These brave women have never left me. I can see them if I close my eyes. Because they are like many of us: parents. In recent months, Lebanon had already been a country on the brink. The economic system went into freefall in late 2019. Its currency lost 90pc of its value. Even before the blast, nearly half of all Lebanese people were living in poverty. These wonderful people had given refuge to more people fleeing the ravages of the Syrian war than any other country on the planet. And then two disasters hit Lebanon, a country which has already seen so much devastation. Covid-19 arrived. And the giant explosions rocked Beirut. Warzones and disaster zones require cool but high-speed planning. As soon as the blast happened, Unicef and other organisations were assessing the needs of the people. They have been delivering medical care, safe drinking water, shelter, food and vaccines against diseases like tetanus, and efforts to reunite children with relatives are still ongoing. Unicef now has a huge 200-person team on the ground At least 1,000 children are wounded. Some still have no shelter. No medicine. The three big hospitals in the area are destroyed, including one neonatal clinic supported by Unicef. Meanwhile, Covid-19 is roaring through the city. Many much-needed ventilators are in smithereens and the medical capacity of the city is at below 50pc as healthcare workers desperately try to help the wounded. Children caught up in the explosion will not just be facing medical issues: the psychological shock of such a trauma can be felt for a lifetime. I've seen the remarkable work Unicef psychologists do with kids in Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp. Ripped from their homeland after a brutal war and living in the limbo of camp - never knowing if they can return to their beloved Syria - these children and teenagers have seen brutality and sights no child should have to see. It takes years of help to deal with this pain. Now Lebanese children and Syrian refugees in Beirut have been at the epicentre of yet more destruction and fear. Unicef has set up a tent in downtown Beirut to provide psychosocial support to help children coping with trauma and bereavement, many of whom were separated from their families in the chaos and destruction of the blast. Little ones who couldn't tell rescuers who they were because they couldn't yet speak or were too traumatised to talk. I can't bear to think of any child in that situation. Expand Close Cathy Kelly with husband John Sheehan and twins Murray & Dylan. (Credit: Ronan Lang/Feature File) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cathy Kelly with husband John Sheehan and twins Murray & Dylan. (Credit: Ronan Lang/Feature File) Because Covid-19 has already pushed the limited Beirut medical system to the edge, the destruction of those three hospitals has made the situation much worse. We must keep help coming. The food situation is critical too because 90pc of Lebanese food imports came through the port, which has been destroyed. The country's main grain silo was wiped out in the blast. There are real doubts about how this country is going to feed itself. We need the international community and people from around the world to stand in solidarity with the children of Lebanon and help bring some degree of normality back into the lives of the people of Beirut - because they are just like us: people trying to do their best for their beloved families. This catastrophe couldn't have happened at a worse time for the children of Lebanon, as ordinary families were already struggling to earn enough to feed and clothe their children. I've met many parents who stare in blank pain at me as they describe how impotent they feel merely trying to protect their children. They face their children dying from diseases that are nothing in the West, but can be fatal depending on where you live. What these parents need is someone beside them. They are grateful to wonderful Irish donors for malaria nets because they know that, in their world, malaria kills. They give thanks for wells sunk to provide clean water and money donated to provide their precious children with school materials. When disaster strikes, Beirut might as well be Ballyhaunis. We owe it to our fellow humans to help. In 2020, all our worlds changed as Covid-19 came into our lives, taking loved ones from many, putting the world into lockdown, terrifying anyone who is older or has health issues. It's been a time like no other I've known in my 53 years and, despite all the fear and worry, it has been a time of huge kindness in our beautiful country. Neighbours have been looking out for neighbours. Strangers help with grocery shopping. People working from home sit at their desks with children in the background, small heads peeking around the door to say, "Muuum..." or "Daaad..." Our country has suffered, but we still have a place in our hearts for Lebanon, where for so many years brave Irish soldiers served as part of Unifil. For decades, we have stood side by side with the wonderful people of this small country in the eastern Mediterranean, and I hope we can do so again now. Because, despite everything, when I look into the eyes of our friends in Beirut, little and big, I still see hope. And I know that by working together, we can rebuild. To support children in Lebanon, please donate to Unicef's Emergency Lebanon Appeal at www.unicef.org.uk/donate/lebanon GREENVILLE President Donald Trump will touch down in the Upstate on Monday on the way to North Carolina for the Republican National Convention. He will land by helicopter and depart by plane from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, according to a news release. The White House confirmed that no event is planned in South Carolina. Trump will arrive at the Greer airport on Marine One and depart on Air Force One. Details of the trip were not available, but the GOP convention begins next week in Charlotte, and Trump is expected to make an appearance for delegates and attend another event near Asheville. GOP officials in Charlotte are expected to vote to renominate Trump in a small in-person session on Monday, according to The Associated Press. And on Thursday night, he will use the South Lawn of the White House as the backdrop for his acceptance speech, the AP reported. The crux of his message is expected to be sounding the alarm over the consequences of a victory by Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The Republican's last visit to the Palmetto State was in February, the night before the Democratic presidential primary. The president held a Keep America Great rally at the North Charleston Coliseum to reinforce his South Carolina support. Voters here had solidified Trumps status as the 2016 Republican presidential nominee. Supporters frequently broke into chants of four more years and waved his campaign signs. U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott were both invited onstage. During his 90-minute speech Feb. 28 early in the pandemic for the United States he said Democrats were using the coronavirus to undermine him. They tried the impeachment hoax, Trump said, to reverberating boos from the thousands of people. And this is their new hoax." He emphasized that no one had died here from the virus and said his administration was totally prepared to respond. A virus starts in China, bleeds its way into various countries all around the world, doesnt spread widely at all in the United States because of the early actions that myself and my administration took, he said, before claiming that Democrats would still blame him for the coronavirus. The rally marked Trumps sixth visit to the state since he was elected president, with previous stops including to support Gov. Henry McMasters election, to give a speech at Benedict College in Columbia, and to visit to the Boeing campus in North Charleston. Cleve O'Quinn contributed to this report. Iraqi resistance groups threaten to target US interests in case of no deal on troops pullout Iran Press TV Friday, 21 August 2020 2:44 AM Iraqi resistance groups threaten to target the American interests in the Arab country if Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khadhimi's ongoing visit to Washington fails to produce an agreement on US forces' withdrawal from the Iraqi soil. The statement was released on Thursday -- concurrent with the premier's meetings with American officials at the White House -- by the resistance groups that form part of Iraq's Hashd al-Sha'abi or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) anti-terror force, Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported. The PMU, which includes such resistance groups as the Kata'ib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, has been integrated into the Iraqi Defense Forces as a result of its successful and indispensable contribution to the country's defeating the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in late 2017. The groups considered expulsion of the troops to be Baghdad's top priority, urging the PM to accord primacy to a law approved by the parliament that mandates the forces' withdrawal. The legislature passed the law in January shortly after a US drone strike assassinated Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the PMU's second-in-command, in Baghdad alongside many others. The attack came while General Solemani was paying an official visit to the Iraqi capital. "If an agreement on the expulsion of US forces from Iraq is not concluded in Washington, we reserve the right to target America's interests in Iraq," the statement warned. "We do not expect Kadhimi to return to his own country from Washington with new expansionist plots and scenarios devised by the United States," the statement read. The groups also weighed in on a recent agreement that enabled full normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. It condemned the development and cautioned, "We confront treacherous rulers and regimes that are considered to be cheap tools for prolonging the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday discussed the issue of installation of charging stations as per AAP government's new Electric Vehicle policy with Union Power Minister R K Singh and said the Centre assured that subsidy will be provided for 1,000 electric buses in the city. "Gahlot and Singh discussed the installation of charging infrastructure in Delhi-NCR in the presence of officials from the state and Union government, as part of the recently launched Electric Vehicle policy," said a Delhi government statement. The first leg of the policy targets installation of 200 charging stations in Delhi in the next one year, so that there is a charging station within every 3 km. "Had a fruitful meeting today with Hon'ble Minister of Power @RajKSinghIndia and other stakeholders. Heartfelt thanks & gratitude for your appreciation of Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy & support for successful implementation," Gahlot tweeted. The Delhi EV Policy is being discussed worldwide now. It is the result of more than two years of hard work by the Delhi government in consultation with experts, Gahlot said. "Singh has also assured to consider subsidies for 1,000 electric buses in the city. The Centre's support will act as a huge catalyst to the policy and motivate more people and organisations to switch to EV," the statement quoting Gahlot said. The EV policy of Delhi government launched on August 7 by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal aims at having 5 lakh (25 per cent of all new vehicle registrations) electric vehicles in Delhi by 2024. Also Watch: Along with providing category based incentives, it also aims to develop an effective network of charging stations and infrastructure throughout the city. There are also provisions in the policy to encourage more private players to become partners in the initiative through setting up private charging stations/battery charging points while ensuring there is enough competition so that the technology is affordable to the common man, the statement added. In 1999, a Canadian mining company, Taseko, bought a mothballed copper mine in the middle of British Columbia. At the time, copper was trading at 50c (38p) a pound, the mine was uneconomical and the vendors were keen to dispose of it. Taseko paid a dollar for the asset, known as Gibraltar. Today, the mine produces 140 million pounds of copper a year and is the fourth largest open pit mine in North America. Copper-bottomed: The copper price has risen, helping miners such as Taseko, as its use in industry increases Having sold 25 per cent of the mine to help fund initial construction work, Taseko benefits from the sale of more than 100 million pounds of copper annually. Prices bumped along at about 50c for a while but have been above a dollar almost continuously since 2004, and today copper is trading at a two-year high of more than $3 a pound. With production costs of between $1.30 and $1.90 a pound, Gibraltar has turned out to be a very canny investment. Vancouver-based Taseko is smart at flexing costs too. When copper prices fell as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, president Stuart McDonald focused on areas where extraction was easier and cheaper. Ultimately, extraction will pivot to a new section of the mine, where production is more costly. However, with copper prices expected to increase steadily through the year, profit margins are likely to remain robust. Earlier this month, Taseko issued an upbeat statement about the three months from March to June, with sales and production ahead of last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Analysts expect full year sales for the 2020 calendar year of at least C$350million (201million), up more than 6 per cent since 2019, with further growth pencilled in for next year and beyond. Gibraltar is Taseko's only mine that is currently in production, but the group has five other sites in its portfolio, one of which, Florence Copper, should start making money in 2022. Located in the Arizona desert, an hour and a half from Phoenix, Florence is expected to deliver 85million pounds of copper a year, almost doubling Taseko's current production. The site benefits from highly unusual geological properties so Taseko can adopt a mining process that is widely used to extract uranium but has never been used for copper before extracting the metal, rather than its ore, directly from the ground, using a solution made from water and sulphuric acid. The method does not involve any of the usual mining practices, such as blasting, tunnelling and waste dumps, so the carbon footprint is some 90 per cent lower than conventional mining. The acid is neutralised with alkaline solution once each section of the site has been mined so the environment is protected too. For shareholders, there is another key advantage at $1.10 a pound, costs are significantly lower than in traditional copper mining. McDonald has been testing the new method for the past 18 months and results have been highly encouraging. In a major step forwards, Taseko was recently granted a draft environmental permit from the state regulators and a full permit is expected in the next few months, with federal permission set to follow. In the meantime, McDonald is in active discussions over financing. The group needs $230million to take Florence into production and may well seek to secure the bulk of that from an external investor, in exchange for about 20 per cent of the mine. The strategy worked well for Gibraltar and Florence is, in many ways, an even more beguiling asset, which has already attracted interest from potential customers. Further down the line, another asset in British Columbia, Yellowhead, is likely to come on stream with three more Canadian assets waiting in the wings. Copper has proved a volatile metal over the past 20 years but the outlook for Taseko is bright. Supply from Chile and Peru, the two biggest producers, has been constrained by coronavirus, even as demand has picked up in China, which accounts for around 40 per cent of global demand. Looking ahead, copper followers are optimistic. Governments worldwide are keen to stimulate economic growth through building works and copper is integral to most construction projects. It also plays a key role in renewable energy and electric vehicles, where demand is likely to increase over the coming years. Midas verdict: Taseko has been listed in Toronto for years but only joined the London market in November 2019. The shares have done well in recent weeks but they should continue to rise, as copper prices increase and Florence comes closer to production. At 65p, the stock is a long-term buy. Traded on: Main market Ticker: TKO Contact: tasekomines.com or 001 778 373 4533 Giving southwest Manitoba residents several days (including a weekend) before elevated COVID-19 restrictions are enforced is not only asking for trouble, it casts doubt on whether it's a true emergency, one outspoken health policy expert says. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Giving southwest Manitoba residents several days (including a weekend) before elevated COVID-19 restrictions are enforced is not only asking for trouble, it casts doubt on whether it's a true emergency, one outspoken health policy expert says. "It's like calling the fire department, and they say they'll get to your house five days later," Amir Attaran, professor of public health at the University of Ottawa, said Friday. On Thursday, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin raised Manitoba's new pandemic response system risk level for the city of Brandon and the Prairie Mountain Health region to "orange" one level below worst-case, critical red. (JUSTIN TANG FOR WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Amir Attaran, professor of public health at the University of Ottawa. Everyone in the region must wear face masks in public places, and indoor and outdoor public gatherings are limited 10 people, with restrictions "effective immediately" but not fully "implemented" until Monday, he said. "It will take time to facilitate these measures," Roussin told a media briefing. On Friday, Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen repeated the mixed message in a news release. "It's like calling the fire department, and they say they'll get to your house five days later. Amir Attaran, professor of public health at the University of Ottawa In one sentence, he said the restrictions "take effect immediately;" in the next, he said: "As of Monday, Aug. 24, masks will be mandatory in all public indoor places and at all indoor and outdoor public gatherings in the region, which will be restricted to 10 people." Issuing an urgent health threat, then giving people time to prepare for it can have disastrous consequences in a pandemic, Attaran said. "This is a public health emergency," Attaran said of the novel coronavirus pandemic situation in Prairie Mountain Health region. "Once you decide a limit on gatherings is necessary, waiting five days to implement it is foolhardy." RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Minister of Health Cameron Friesen: mixed message. There's a chance people will attend gatherings this weekend in Prairie Mountain because it will be a taboo starting Monday but they're not the ones who follow public health advice anyway, virologist Jason Kindrachuk countered. Getting the message out early to those in the region that they shouldn't be partying and need to wear face masks, and why, will work with most people who don't need the threat of enforcement, the assistant professor with the department of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba said. "If you build up trust with the community, you get better adherence to policies that are enacted you have that transparency," Kindrachuk said. This is a public health emergency. Once you decide a limit on gatherings is necessary, waiting five days to implement it is foolhardy." Amir Attaran on the novel coronavirus pandemic situation in Prairie Mountain Health region However, if people don't take the orange restrictions seriously, it won't take much for a weekend gathering to cause COVID-19 chaos when there is already community transmission of the virus, Attaran warned. The province should also be telling people when they can expect things to go from yellow to orange to red, he said. "There are a certain numbers of triggers that are numerical and, when you get above a certain threshold, that would be an automatic signal to go to the next level of alert," said the Ottawa-based professor. Roussin has said he won't provide those numbers, because there are so many variables that need to be considered along with them. A trigger number taken in isolation won't determine a public health response, he said. It is not a stance Attaran agrees with. Mandated masks in Westman Click to Expand All indoor public places and public gatherings (indoor and outdoor); parks and beaches; out and about in town; all civic facilities in Brandon. Public health's "orange" restrictions are for public spaces. They don't apply to commercial spaces or workplaces such as restaurants and retail outlets. Such establishments already have to abide by Public Health Act orders. "We are now half-a-year into COVID-19, and Manitoba lacks a clear definition of a threshold for when things go from yellow to orange," he said, adding when there's not a lot of transparency, there's not a lot of trust. For example, the province won't divulge the five-day test-positivity rate for Prairie Mountain alone. The five-day test-positivity rate for the entire province rose to two per cent Friday. Meanwhile, Kindrachuk said he trusts public health officials know what they're doing. "Let's give them a little rope to figure this out, put our faith in them, and see how things progress." He said a pandemic response system is useful in a place such as Manitoba because of its size and population distribution, so it can target needed measures. The timing is where it gets tricky, the virologist said. "With all of these types of early-warning or emergency systems, there's always a debate over how useful they are if they don't give a response or a signal at the moment they happen to immediately follow up," Kindrachuk said. "Ultimately, we're going to find out how it works." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca 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. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/21/2020 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 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. stars Karen Landry and Amani have revealed they also knew each other prior to appearing on Season 11 of the series!On 's eleventh season, Miles Williams and Woody Randall both applied for the show in the hope of being matched with New Orleans-based strangers who could turn out to be the wives of their dreams.In a first for the franchise, Miles and Woody were cast as grooms and happen to be best friends. The guys looked forward to going through this extreme experiment and taxing process together so they'd always have a shoulder to lean on.Little did viewers know, however, that Miles' wife Karen and Woody's wife Amani also had ties to each other before signing up for the show."Since your husbands are best friends, how has it been getting to know each other so far?" : Unfiltered host Jamie Otis asked during Wednesday night's episode."I think we all kind of have similar lifestyles," Amani shared. "We have similar things that we like to do. It's just easy to hang out, like, with everybody together.""And we had some mutual friends, you know, before this," Karen revealed. "So we kind of hung around with some of the same people."Jamie therefore asked if Karen and Amani "kind of knew each other, a little bit" before getting matched to marry on Season 11 of ."Yeah!" Karen revealed."We definitely met before, yes," Amani confirmed. "New Orleans is pretty small, so everybody goes to the same places -- the same bars and hangouts."Jamie -- who appeared on Season 1 of and is still married to her match, Doug Hehner -- noted that's "so cool."experts Dr. Viviana Coles, Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz had made it know on the casting special New Orleans is the smallest city in which they've ever searched for participants.As a result, there was a strong possibility the strangers matched to marry could already know each other or have even dated before.Jamie therefore asked Viviana on Unfiltered what pros and cons went into the experts deciding whether to cast two best friends -- Miles and Woody -- on the same season."It really didn't weigh that heavily on our decision," Viviana replied, speaking on behalf of Pastor Cal and Pepper."It really was coincidence. It certainly was something that at one point, we were like, 'That's kind of cool [or] that would be cool,' but behind the scenes, there are so many factors that go into matching someone.""So the fact that they both were able to get matches," Viviana added, "I love that we were able to do that."Jamie concluded it wasn't a surprise to see both Woody and Miles get matched because they seem like "great guys."As it turned out, Season 11 couple Amelia Fatsi and Bennett Kirschner recognized each other at the altar. They had met twice before their wedding day due to having a mutual friend, but at the time of their initial meetings, Bennett had been dating another woman and wasn't looking for love.The New Orleans participants worried about marrying somebody they already knew, but Amelia and Bennett were best case scenario since they found each other attractive and likeable at first glance."That was one of the things I was most nervous about," MAFS groom Henry Rodriguez said during a recent episode of Unfiltered in regards to recognizing his wife right away."New Orleans is a small city, which makes the dating world rather complicated. I'm glad it wasn't me ."Pastor Cal acknowledged at the time that Amelia and Bennett's pre-existing relationship didn't exactly come as a shock to the experts."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 earlier this month, "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."During a late July episode of Unfiltered, Pastor Cal said there's "a reason" why the experts don't want people to know their matches ahead of time, and Karen's situation was evident of that.The night before Karen's wedding, one of her bridesmaids received a text with Miles' name on it. The text was intended for one of Miles' groomsmen.Since New Orleans is a small city, Karen was able to look Miles up on social media and do some research on him.Karen quickly determined Miles wasn't her "type" and seemed to emotional based on his videos, so she went into the process with some preconceived notions about her husband. She also considered quitting the show altogether."It was a little disheartening ... If you've been successful at dating up until this point, then you wouldn't need ," Pastor Cal said on Unfiltered last month."The people who are not finding success -- and not that anything is wrong with them -- but for instance, when she says, 'He's not my type,' well the types that you've had have not worked."He added, "The whole idea here is we're getting you a type that can work based on the information you've given us... Be open to the person and find out whether or not you two are compatible. You may be surprised and find out that what you thought was your type actually was your anti-type and what you have is what you need."Karen and Amani both have successful relationships so far on . While Karen and Miles are taking things a little slower, they laugh together and really enjoy each other's company. Karen also appreciates how Miles has behaved like a gentleman.As for Amani and Woody, the couple were smitten with each other right away and Woody felt confident right from the start their marriage would last forever.On the last night of their honeymoon in Mexico, the pair consummated their marriage and Amani just hoped their relationship would stay as strong once they returned to New Orleans together.'s eleventh season, which currently airs on Wednesday nights, also stars Henry and Christina and Brett and Olivia.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group Fears of hidden coronavirus cases spreading through Sydney have grown after an Aldi supermarket and doctors practice were visited by infectious people. A warning was issued on Friday night urging anyone who had visited Aldi in Bonnyrigg, south-west Sydney, on August 11 to watch for symptoms. Cabramatta State MP Nick Lalich posted the alert to his Facebook page and encouraged shoppers to self-isolate and seek testing. A customer who visited an Aldi supermarket (pictured) in Bonnyrigg, south-west Sydney, on August 11 has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting a health warning for other shoppers An infectious person also visited Cabramatta Family Practice on John St (pictured) on Friday and anyone who visited the doctors practice has been urged to self isolate 'The store has undergone a deep clean and will be safe for customers to return to,' he wrote. Mr Lalich also warned that a person who tested positive for coronavirus had visited a doctors surgery in Cabramatta, western Sydney, on Friday. Anyone who visited the Cabramatta Family Practice on John St was urged to self-isolate, monitor their symptoms and seek testing. 'The practice is now undertaking a deep clean and will be closed for some time,' Mr Lalich said. NSW Health are expected to provide further details later on Saturday. The news comes after NSW recorded just one new coronavirus case on Friday despite conducting at least 32,580 tests. But health authorities remain on high alert over fears of hidden infections continuing to spread throughout Sydney. NSW has recorded at least 16 coronavirus cases that have not yet been linked to a known source over the past six weeks. Cabramatta State MP Nick Lalich posted an alert to his Facebook page (pictured) and warned Aldi shoppers to self isolate and monitor for coronavirus symptoms The majority of these cases have been detected in Sydneys west and south-west and suggest the virus could be circulating undetected. NSW Health have also doubled the states list of identified hotspot areas, on top of the existing warnings for City of Sydney, Parramatta, Cumberland, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Fairfield and Liverpool Local Government Areas. The new additions include the entire Newcastle area, Woollahra LGA, Hornsby and The Hills LGA as well as Guildford and Merrylands. They have been identified as higher risk areas for a number of different reasons, including recent coronavirus cases, an infectious person has visited or there is a fear of undetected community transmission. The one coronavirus case reported on Friday was linked to an existing virus case at Hornsby Hospital and brought the NSW total to 3,783 cases. Health officials are treating 111 people for COVID-19 and 7 are in intensive care. Day 1: Boring. Day 2: Embarrass. Day 3: Kill. Day 4: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Day 5: Hell. If you ever find someone with a freakish travel itinerary, do not dismiss him as dingbat. Or, perv. Or, someone who forgot to press the keyboard Space bar for Day 4. Chuckle a little. Perhaps the traveller has a funny bone the size of a watermelon. Maybe he likes throwing humour into his day trips. Perhaps he prefers picking cities with weird names. The itinerary isnt erroneous. There are actually cities named Toad Suck; Yum Yum; Truth & Consequence. Even an Intercourse city! Hold on to your laughter, here are a few funny cities from around the world. Anus, Condom, Bitche (France): If Condom wasnt funny enough for a town name in France, the French also named a town Anus. Yes, Anus located in Burgundy (not the colour, the region). Other strange city names in France include Brest, Seix, Bitche. Hell (Norway): Not sure about Heaven but there certainly is a Hell on earth. Not the Hell that we dread - in Norwegian, the word Hell means luck. The town, however, borrows its name from the overhanging cliff caves in the area known as hellir in old Norse. The 1990 Miss Universe Mona Grudt hailed from Hell; the media dubbed her the Beauty Queen from Hell. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (Wales, UK): In 1880s, the tailor of a sleepy Welsh village had a brilliant marketing idea. As publicity stunt he suggested a ridiculous, unpronounceable Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch as the new name for the village. And the gimmick worked. Visitors throng to the village merely to get photographed by the citys signage. Not that anyone cares but the Welsh word translates into: St. Marys Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave. Nowhere Else (Tasmania, Australia): When someone is going to Nowhere Else, he is actually going to a rural town in Tasmania (Australia). If a family of 4 gets there together, that would be 10 percent of the towns population. Only 40 people live in Nowhere Else. Perhaps people want to live somewhere else and not Nowhere Else. Kill (Ireland): The historical village of Kill hugs the border of County Kildare and County Dublin. According to a Church land record of 1800, the town is called Kilbarrymeandon and that may have been abbreviated to a simpler Kill. Truth or Consequences (New Mexico, USA): The town does not spew Commandments about Truth, Lie & Consequences. It was originally named Hot Springs but in March 1950, when Ralph Edwards, the host of NBC Radio quiz show Truth or Consequences announced that he would air the program on its 10th anniversary from the first town that renamed itself after the show, Hot Springs renamed itself Truth or Consequences. Birdsville (Queensland, Australia): Birdsville is situated between the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert, the vast gibber plains of Sturts Stony Desert to the south and rich Channel Country to the north. Do not know how many birds live in Birdsville but the human headcount is only 115. Intercourse (Pennsylvania, USA): It's okay, you can giggle! We know our name gets us lots of attention - the official website of Intercourse begins like this. You might hold the giggle because Intercourse has a few non-sexual theories about its name. The town sitting at the edge of a racecourse had an entry point named Entercourse, which probably later evolved into Intercourse. Or, the name may have come from the Intersection of two major roads, or courses. Or, the town was named after a phrase commonly used at the time of the town's founding: In early English, Intercourse was used to refer to fellowship and social interaction shared in a community. Fucking (Austria): Once upon a time there was a Bavarian nobleman called Focko who founded a town called Fucking (33 kilometres north of Salzburg). The town name must have come from Focko because it was only in 1475 that fucking was first used to denote sexual intercourse. In 2012, it was rumoured that this tiny town with a population of 100 voted to rename it to Fugging. Alas! the Fuckingners (yes, thats what locals are called) had to effing stick to Fucking because the name Fugging was already taken by another Austrian town called Fucking. The Fucking road sign has been stolen so often as souvenirs that after 2005, the signage was made theft-resistant. Dildo (Canada): Theres a Dildo in Newfoundland & Labrador (Canada). Its first historically documented use, then Dildoe Island, was in 1711, but its origins remain shrouded in mystery. Few believe that it comes from the French word for the Island, ile d'eau, owing to its freshwater springs; others think that Dildo is the adaptation of the Spanish word for the bottom of a boat. Boring (USA); Dull (Scotland) and Bland (Australia) are sister cities and referred to as the Trinity of Tedium. Bangkoks official name is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit. The full name of Los Angeles city is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula. It is generally believed that Mexico is a portmanteau of the Nahuatl words for moon (metztli) and navel (xictli). Sydney is named in honour of the then British home secretary, Thomas Townsend Lord Sydney, the man responsible for devising the plan to ship convicts to Australia. Hong Kong is the phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of two Cantonese characters meaning fragrant harbour Preeti Verma Lal is a Goa-based freelance writer/photographer. On Monday Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko went to the Minsk Tractor Works, the countrys biggest factory with almost 15,000 workers, and did his tough-guy act: Until you kill me, there will be no other election. The horny-handed sons of toil simply replied by chanting Ukhodi! Get Out! It looked like a restaging of the famous scene in Bucharest in 1989 when long-ruling Romanian Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was shouted down by an enraged crowd. Like Ceausescu, Lukashenko faltered, amazed and bewildered these people were supposed to be his base and then fled the podium. Ceausescu was dead within four days of his last speech, executed by his own colleagues. That probably wont happen to Lukashenko: the Belarusian uprising is non-violent. Lukashenko is not a Communist either, although his regime has been called neo-Soviet. But will he be gone in four days? Maybe so. And maybe not, of course. There could be a Russian military intervention to prevent power from falling into the wrong hands, although that seems unlikely. Or Lukashenko might manage to persuade his demoralized security forces to do enough killing to clear the streets of the daily demos, though that also seems improbable. Or the change of regime could just take a bit longer: these things dont run on rails. After filling the streets with protesters for 10 consecutive days, however, the democratic opposition is confident enough of its popular support to form a 35-person coordination council of artists, writers and business people to oversee the transfer of power. It could go quite smoothly if Lukashenko accepts that exile is his best remaining option. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, probably the real winner of the election two weeks ago, says she would become president only long enough to organize a new, free and fair election (which her imprisoned husband would probably win). But win, lose or draw, there are two encouraging conclusions to take away from the Belarusian events. The first is that winning an election is now the only way of achieving political legitimacy almost anywhere in the world. Apart from China, a few other Communist countries, and a few Arab countries, all countries now require popular consent expressed in a public vote. Many of those votes are rigged, of course: winning elections is easy if you control the media, the police and the courts. But the principle is now almost universal: its now as important to win some sort of election, however flawed, as it was 300 years ago to prove you were the true and legitimate heir to the throne. Lukashenko won five such elections over 26 years before coming a cropper this time: the point is that the requirement to win an election creates repeated opportunities for non-violent protest to flourish, and often even to triumph. For all the abuses and disappointments, it has made the world a better place. The second cheering thought is that state-sponsored violence is less effective than it used to be: Lukashenko tried it for two nights, and then backed away from it. The problem is that violence is always ugly, and social media technology has made it much more visible. This might deter some people from activism, but it seems to motivate more people to protest. The same consideration applies to military force deployed across borders to decide political outcomes elsewhere. This is something the old Soviet Union used to do with complete impunity East Germany 1953, Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968. Russian leader Vladimir Putin certainly doesnt want to see Lukashenko overthrown by a non-violent democratic uprising in Belarus the parallels with his own situation in Russia are alarmingly close but he probably doesnt dare to send in Russian troops even if Lukashenko asks for them. To do so could be the trigger for a similar popular movement in Russia. We are still a very long way from the Promised Land, but the balance of forces has changed, perhaps permanently. It is the dictatorships, not the democratic governments, that must worry constantly about being overthrown, and from Putin in Russia to Sisi in Egypt to Mnangagwa in Zimbabwe to Chan-ocha in Thailand they are very worried indeed. So we should encourage them all to steal enough money that they can go into exile with an easy mind when their time finally comes. (They must know it may come one day; why else would they bother stealing so much?) And this is where the real problem with Lukashenko could arise: he may not have been corrupt enough. That means the country registered a trade surplus of US$10 billion. In the first half of August, Vietnam exported US$12.7 billion worth of goods and imported US$10.8 billion, according to the General Department of Customs. It is worth noting that Vietnams export activity has seen signs of a rebound recently. With US$24.87 billion worth of exports, July was the second best-performing month, behind August of 2019, and Vietnams exports continues to maintain momentum this month. Top export earners in the first half of August include mobile phones (US$2.58 billion), computers and electronics (US$1.9 billion), textiles (US$1.36 billion), machinery (US$1.11 billion) and footwear (US$652 million). Conversely, Vietnams main imports were computers and electronics, machinery, mobile phones and fabrics. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 19:33:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close By Bambang Purwanto JAKARTA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia continues to increase with the death toll also rising even after the country has been taking measures to deal with the pandemic. Within this month, the Indonesian Health Ministry noted that the daily increases in the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country averaged more than 2,000 compared to less than 2,000 in the previous month. The Health Ministry said on Saturday the COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 2,090 within one day to 151,498, with the death toll adding by 94 to 6,594. However, amid the rising surge in the number of the COVID-19 cases, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi encouraged international airports in the country including Yogyakarta province's airport to attract tourists to come to its tourist destinations in an effort to help recover the national economy. "Yogyakarta has already had the infrastructures and cultural potentials to attract both domestic and foreign tourists, and now we have to make efforts to recover the economy and tourism in Yogyakarta," the minister made the statement here on Friday. Those would make the Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force make more efforts to test people for possible further infections of the contagious disease in the country. An epidemiologist with the Indonesian COVID-19 Task Force, Dewi Nur Aisyah, said the hike in the number of the COVID-19 cases did not mean that the condition was deteriorating and the struggle on the pandemic failed. She pointed out that the increase in the COVID-19 cases was influenced by many factors, and among them was the increasing number of tests so that more results were found. For instance, at the first time the target of the tests was 10,000 per day, and it was then increased to 20,000 daily making the results of the trials rise, including that on the number of the cases, she remarked recently as quoted in the official website of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. In addition to the increasing number of the tests, according to her, the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 also made the data on the number of the cases change. Given the fact, she said more infrastructures and capacity of medical workers as well as related components on the COVID-19 mitigation measures were needed due to the increasing number of samples to aggressively trace possible new cases. In response to the lingering pandemic, the Indonesian government has been making all efforts to contain the deadly disease in the country including the establishment of the COVI-19 Task Force, the issuance of policies on large-scale social restrictions and the imposition of sanctions on those violating the policies. An observer opined that there should be no more reason for the government to be late in distributing funds for the COVID-19 mitigation and economic recovery next year as a number of infrastructures and rules have been prepared this year. Hermawan Saputra, an expert with the Board of Experts of the Association of the Indonesian Health Experts commented that the establishment of the National Committee on the COVID-19 Mitigation and Economic Recovery focused more on the economic recovery than the COVID-19 mitigation. The current COVID-19 Task Force in place of the previous one plays only a small role both in the central and regional levels, so that it would make Indonesia difficult in measuring the time when the COVID-19 pandemic would end, Saputra told Media Indonesia recently. Enditem No decision yet on airport opening By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane & Meleeza Rathnayake Extensive talks on when and how to open all entry-points, while safeguarding against COVID-19 View(s): View(s): No concrete decision has been taken yet as to when Sri Lanka will open its points of entry fully and extensive discussions are underway among all stakeholders to work out the pros and cons, the Sunday Timeslearns. The Health Ministrys Chief Epidemiologist, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, said that no specific date has been set to open the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, and discussions are on how to go about it, while ensuring the safety of the country against COVID-19. Even though a possible date for the opening of BIA was set as September 15, many sources that the Sunday Times spoke to reflected the information given by Dr. Samaraweera. The Sunday Times learns that those involved in the decision of when to open the BIA include the Airport & Aviation Services Ltd. (AASL), the Health Ministry, the Tourism Ministry, the Civil Aviation Authority and the army. With regard to the numbers affected by COVID-19 within the country, Dr. Samaraweera said that all sub-clusters of the Kanadakadu cluster have waned but a few confirmed cases may still surface from the Senapura sub-cluster. Now those who are detected as positive are returnees who are in quarantine centres. Referring to the limited operations at the BIA and the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), he said that until the points of entry are opened fully, everyone who comes into the country undergoes a mandatory quarantine period of 14 days at a centre run by the government or a designated hotel, followed by another 14 days of home-quarantine. Transit passengers who disembark for a short while are kept in a separate section at the airport with all safety precautions. Even the staff members who have minimal contact wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), he said. When asked about the potential vaccine produced by Russia, Dr. Samaraweera said that all the usual protocols followed by Sri Lanka in introducing a new vaccine would be followed if and when a vaccine against COVID-19 is produced. He added: We will ensure that it is safe for use on people, whether clinical trials have been carried out to check its efficacy and effectiveness and what valid data are available. AASL Chairman (Retd.) Major-General G.A. Chandrasiri confirmed that no date had been set to open the BIA but they were getting ready for the opening whenever the government decided to do so. The BIA would be opened in a phased manner for normal traffic once the government makes a decision. When considering the COVID-19 pandemic, there are high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk countries and the government will study how, when and to which countries we would open the airport, said Mr. Chandrasiri. Looking at the different scenarios once the airport opens, he said that if tourists are from low-risk countries, they would take samples for RT-PCR testing, keep them at a nearby hotel for 24 hours until the test clears them of COVID-19 and release them to the Tourist Board which would oversee their tours. It would be a controlled release. Those from high-risk countries would have to be in quarantine for 14 days mandatorily. With regard to transit passengers, he said that currently there are around two transit flights per day which usually arrive at Gates 8 and 9 of the BIA. All the transit passengers, who stay only for a maximum 12 hours, are taken to one area and do not have access to the duty-free shops. Disinfection and security teams are on hand. The number of transit passengers varies from around 300 to just two. Each gate has the capacity to hold 350 passengers. He too underscored that any staff member whether immigration, customs or airline or ground staff who comes into contact with passengers wears the PPE which includes the mask, headgear, gloves, etc. The AASL spends more than Rs. 16 million a month to ensure that the airport staff is protected against COVID-19. Repatriation flights Mr. Chandrasiri said that repatriation flights have increased and the number of returnees, mainly from West Asia, Lebanon and the Maldives, varies from 900 to 1,200. RT-PCR testing at the BIA When asked about the RT-PCR testing capacity at the BIA, Mr. Chandrasiri said it stood at 500. We started with 100. The health authorities have taken over the RT-PCR laboratory. We got it done and handed it over to the health authorities, he said. It takes around 12 hours to issue the test results. The returnees are taken to quarantine centres or designated hotels soon after the samples are taken and informed of the results there. If the test is positive they are taken to hospital from quarantine but if negative they complete their 14 days of quarantine at the centre or designated hotel. MRIA There is no confirmed date for the resumption of normal activities at the MRIA, said its Chief Airport Manager Upul Kalansuriya, explaining that it would open on the same day that the government decides to open the BIA. Currently MRIA gets only repatriation flights and arrivals of seafarers. We have not received instructions from the health authorities or the government with regard to the opening of the airport but we are ready to do so, said Mr. Kalansuriya. Usually, the MRIA has the capacity to receive about 10 flights per day which bring in about 3,000 passengers. The Sunday Times learns that the government is planning to utilize both the BIA and the MRIA for business flights. There are no transit flights arriving at the MRIA currently. A SriLankan Airlines flight was due yesterday (August 22) from Nairobi, Kenya, with 250-300 returnees. The Kandakadu cluster & sub-clusters are waning Kandakadu & SenapuraForty-six COVID-19 positive cases from the Kandakadu Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre and 37 from the Senapura Rehabilitation Centre, a sub-cluster of the Kandakadu cluster are receiving treatment at the Kandakadu field hospital. No new cases have been reported since August 14, said the Commissioner-General of Rehabilitation, Major-General Dharshana Hettiarrachchi. The rehabilitation authorities are expecting the clusters to subside by the end of September. Around 630 including the inmates of Kandakadu and Senapura (558) and their contacts have got infected by the virus. Rajanganaya The 16-year-old student from Rajanganaya who caused some concern when he tested positive on August 11 after being released from quarantine, returned home from Methsiri Sevana of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital on Monday where he was kept under observation. Health sources indicated that the student may have had COVID-19 earlier and the third RT-PCR test would have been weakly positive due to virus-shedding from his body. The Rajanganaya Public Health Inspector (PHI), S.N. Dissanayaka said that all the contacts of a lecturer from the area who contracted the virus at Kandakadu have now concluded their quarantine. Twenty-one positive cases were reported from Rajanganaya. Around 50 RT-PCR tests taken on Tuesday were negative. So far, around 1,300 tests have been carried out since the sub-cluster began on July 10. Lankapura The situation in Lankapura has returned to normal, a source in the area said. The Lankapura cluster began when an employee of the Divisional Secretariat who had visited the Kandakadu Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre tested positive while in quarantine. The secretariat and the nearby Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) were shut down and all employees quarantined and tested. Thereafter, a minor employee also tested positive. The 180 contacts of these two cases completed their quarantine on August 12 and the secretariat and PS were re-opened on August 14, along with the Peoples Bank, Post Office and the Samurdhi Bank. Gampaha No new cases were reported in the Gampaha sub-cluster, said the areas Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Dr. Subasha Subasinghe. The four people who contracted COVID-19 have been discharged from hospital. They were a driver, an instructor from the Kandakadu centre, a teacher and a female relative of the driver. Around 80 RT-PCR tests have been carried out on August 15 on employees of the Gampaha Municipal Council, all of which were negative. Kahathuduwa The four patients of the Kahathuduwa sub-cluster set off by a visiting lecturer from the area who was at Kandakadu have been discharged from hospital, while their home quarantine after hospital-discharge has also been concluded, sources said. The four patients were from one family. More than 200 RT-PCR tests have been done in the area, all which have been negative. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE:ARGO) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. You can purchase shares before the 27th of August in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 11th of September. Argo Group International Holdings's next dividend payment will be US$0.31 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$1.24 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Argo Group International Holdings stock has a trailing yield of around 3.6% on the current share price of $34.82. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. See our latest analysis for Argo Group International Holdings If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Argo Group International Holdings lost money last year, so the fact that it's paying a dividend is certainly disconcerting. There might be a good reason for this, but we'd want to look into it further before getting comfortable. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. Argo Group International Holdings reported a loss last year, and the general trend suggests its earnings have also been declining in recent years, making us wonder if the dividend is at risk. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, Argo Group International Holdings has lifted its dividend by approximately 15% a year on average. Story continues Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Argo Group International Holdings's financial health, by checking our visualisation of its financial health, here. The Bottom Line Has Argo Group International Holdings got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? It's definitely not great to see that it paid a dividend despite reporting a loss last year. Worse, the general trend in its earnings looks negative in recent times. These characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance, and investors may not be happy with the results of owning this stock for its dividend. So if you're still interested in Argo Group International Holdings despite it's poor dividend qualities, you should be well informed on some of the risks facing this stock. Our analysis shows 1 warning sign for Argo Group International Holdings and you should be aware of this before buying any shares. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. 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. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Mumbai, Aug 22 : Kasautii Zindagii Kay actor Akash Jagga says there are times when he feels that people do not reveal true emotions on social media. "Sometimes, I think the world of social media is fake. People may seem to be happy and glamorous in pictures, but no one really knows what's going on in their heads," he said. "I've learned not to take things seriously when people comment on you. When it's something good I always say 'thank you for the love and support', and if it's something bad then I simply ignore it because I hate negativity around me even on social media," he added. On social media being addictive, he said: "I'm actually quite active on Instagram but I've stopped thinking about the following and likes. I believe in doing good work, enjoying the process and being down to earth." Talking about how actors are judged on the basis of their social media following rather than craft these days, he said: "There are many actors I know who are not aware of their following on social media. They don't know how to use their accounts. These people are old school, they don't know much about technology and gadgets, but they are so good with their craft, with many years of experience." San Francisco, Aug 22 : Jeff Wilke, the CEO of Amazon's worldwide consumer division, is set to retire early next year after serving the company for over two decades. Dave Clark, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, will succeed Wilke, Amazon said in a statement on Friday. In a memo to employees, Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos called Wilke his "tutor". Wilke, who joined the company in 1999, is often credited with shaping the logistics system that the e-commerce giant has today. "When you see us taking care of customers, you can thank Jeff for it," Bezos said in the memo, announcing Wilke's departure from the company. "Jeff's legacy and impact will live on long after he departs. He is simply one of those people without whom Amazon would be completely unrecognisable," the Amazon CEO said. In a message to Amazon teams around the world, Wilke said that "it's just time" for him "to take time to explore personal interests that have taken a back seat for over two decades." "I'm planning to retire in Q1 of next year. I don't have a new job, and am as happy with and proud of Amazon as ever," Wilke said. Several top Amazon executives have recently announced their plans to leave the company including Vice President of Robotics Brad Porter, The Verge reported. A Statement by The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group; Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) Tasking The Federal Government to Immediately Expunge Those Toxic Provisions in The Amendments To The Company and Allied Matters Act 2020 for Seeking To Disempower Non-Governmental Bodies and Churches so as To Shut Up Independent Voices and Opinions, Which is A Direct affront on Constitutional Democracy and A New Form of Dictatorship BACKGROUND: It is reasonable and intuitive, within a liberal normative and institutional framework, to expect that human rights conditions would improve when a country makes the transition from authoritarian government to democratic rule. In the Nigerian context, as the struggles of the people continue to unfold and as symbolized by the blood of those who died in the process, one of the obvious goals for which its people fought, was for the restoration of human rights (including civil, political, economic and social rights) previously repressed by military decrees. Nonetheless, the goal has arguably not been optimally realized in the country which restored civil rule in 1999 after many years of military dictatorship but which has not shown as much progress as might be expected in positively altering its human rights standing. Evidence from several local and international reports on the human rights situation in Nigeria indicate continuing human rights violations under a democratic constitution in which human rights guarantees (contained in the Constitution itself and international agreements that Nigeria signed onto) are prominently prioritized, at least on paper. A more recent obstacle to the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and human rights as encapsulated in the Nigerian Constitution and international agreements that Nigeria signed into, which includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter and Peoples Rights is the amendments to the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, which forms the fulcrum of the statement. THE ISSUE On August 7, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Company and Allied Maters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020), which repeals and replaces the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. The controversial section 839 (1) and (2) provides that religious bodies and non-governmental organisations will be strictly regulated by the Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission and a supervising minister. The law also wields power to suspend the trustees of an association or a religious body and appoint an interim manager or managers to coordinate its affairs where it reasonably believes that there had been any misconduct or mismanagement, or where the affairs of the association are being run fraudulently or where it is necessary or desirable for the purpose of public interest. It would be recalled that there was a public hearing conducted by the 8th National Assembly on the Non- Governmental Organisations Bill tagged; Bill for an Act to Provide for the Establishment of the Non-Governmental Organisations Regulatory Commission for the Supervision, Co-ordination And Monitoring of Non- Governmental Organisations, which was attended by CAN and many NGOs. On the crest of the desire of the people, the bill that sought to bring the religious organisations and NGOs under the control and influence of the government was rejected because it would kill the church, but regrettably it is now smuggled into CAMA through ambush and making the rejected bill a law. This is of utmost concern because the establishment of a church has a spiritual foundation and the invitation of a manager who obviously does not share the spiritual insight of the founders of the church would undermine the church, insidiously defeating its purpose. How can a secular and political minister be the final authority on the affairs and management of another institution which is not political? Again, we discovered that CAC which will control Churches and NGOS has always been controlled by Hausa Fulani Moslem Northerners since inception. Even when Mrs. Azinge acted briefly, President Buhari brought up kangaroo charges of non-declaration of assets to unseat her so as to make way for the candidate of the Moslems, controlled from the Sultanate in Sokoto. How then can a non-Christian head of government ministry would be empowered to determine the running of the church as envisaged by the CAMA 2020. We are worried that this amendment would lead to the revocation of licences of not only NGOs, but also religious bodies and other similar CSOs. It would also have disastrous consequences for the daily lives of ordinary Nigerians and to society more broadly. OUR POSITION AND DEMANDS: The amendment to CAMA is NGO Bill in disguise because what NASS failed to do before through the NGO Bill they have now achieved through the backdoor. Obviously, the legislative & regulatory agenda of the present NASS as illustrated in several of their proposed legislations appear to be aimed at attacking freedom of speech & civil space and to abrogate property & economic rights. The clause in section 839 of CAMA which shows that an order of court is required to suspend the trustees of an NGO under that section the extant principles of Nigerian administrative law are adequate to ensure that the wrongful exercise of the regulatory powers of the CAC are brought under the supervisory control of the courts is misleading and deceptive owing to the sabotage and the undermining going on in our nations judicial system. THE JUDICIARY HAS BEEN HIJACKED BY THE EXECUTIVE BECAUSE THE HEAD OF THE NIGERIAN JUDICIARY AND THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA WAS RAILROADED INTO OFFICE BY TGE EXECUTIVE CONTROLLED CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL THROUGH AN EX PARTE ORDER WHICH ILLEGALLY UNSEATED THE THEN SUBSTANTIVE CJN WHO IS FROM CROSS RIVERS SOUTHERN NIGERIA AND REPLACED BY A JUDGE FROM HAUSA/FULANI. So this crippled judiciary can't guarantee fair hearing in the event that a case is lodged against any action of the government against any NGO deemed unsatisfactory under the controversial CAMA 2020. While we are not against the government fighting corruption wherever it may be found as claimed by the proponents and supporters of the amendment, we completely reject the idea of bringing the church, which is technically grouped among the NGOs, under control of the government. The church and the civil Society Organisations cannot be controlled by the government because of the spiritual responsibilities, obligations. Additionally, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), which are often assumed to be institutions that facilitate communication between citizens and policymakers is only as effective as the space allowed by government, and so cannot be controlled by the government too in a third World Country whereby institutions are deliberately weakened by strong men in political offices. Moreover, the Constitution of the Association usually contain provisions, which sanction these conducts, ascribing civil and sometimes criminal liability to erring trustees and which may result in the removal or replacement of the trustee. Why is the Government of Muhammadu Buhari codifying this position only to reinforce its statutory teeth to disempower Non-governmental bodies and Churches and to shut up independent opinions and voices. Assenting to the CAMA 2020, which repealed the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990, despite its rejection at the public hearing is a declaration of war on Christianity and a further agenda to islamise Nigeria by another means and must be resisted by all means. More so, the operational independence of plurality of voices in a democracy which these amendments to CAMA seek to undermine is tantamount to taking away the right to liberty and freedom and thus constitutes a huge obstacle to the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and human rights as encapsulated in the Nigerian Constitution, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on civil and political rights and the African charter on HUMAN and people's rights. In the Nigerian Constitution, two Chapters, spanning 26 (twenty six) sections are devoted to human rights subject and the right to personal liberty is one of the most central human rights. Besides, Nigeria as a constitutional democracy, cannot be making a law that makes the executive arm of government far and above the other arms or segments of government when the grund norm envisaged a clear delineation or Separation of powers in section 4,5 and 6 of the Nigerian Constitution. Therefore, the section 839 of the CAMA 2020 is a direct affront on constitutional democracy, aimed at attacking freedom of speech, civil space and abrogate property and economic rights. This is not different from the military takeover of government that has just happened in Mali. We wonder how President Buhari will be condemning the coup in Mali but happily staging a military or dictatorial coup against Churches and non-governmental bodies and CSOs. HURIWA is totally in support of Rev. David Oyedepo and the organised body of Christians that opposed the amendments. We join our voices with theirs to task the federal government to immediately expunge those toxic provisions. We also urge Nigerians to institute multiple court cases to challenge these illegalities. Just like CAN rightly noted; Nigeria should not be compared with any other nation when it comes to the relationship between the religious institutions and the government. In Nigeria, peoples religions are tied to their humanity and of course, their life. How can the government sack the trustees of a church which it contributed no dime to establish? In other climes, bodies registered as charities enjoy some forms of funding support from public fund so such stringent rules on management are permissible but not the same position in Nigeria in which the Nigerian government has no role in the funding of non governmental bodies. In Nigeria, there is a clear separation between church and state and it is strange for the government to enjoy the arbitrary powers to suo moto nominate trustees for organisations that are Non-Governmental because this is a direct injury to the operational independence of non-governmental groups and a way to kill the vibrancy of the civil society. COMRADE EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO: NATIONAL COORDINATOR. Miss. Zainab Yusuf: DIRECTOR; National Media Affairs. HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). 22nd/AUGUST/2020. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Finland amounted to $102.9 million over 1H2020, compared to $114.2 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee. The share of Finland in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 0.2 percent during the reporting period compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2019 indicating it was flat year-on-year. Kazakhstans export to Finland amounted to $37.2 million over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $33.9 million during the same period of 2019. Finlands share in the total volume of Kazakhstans export amounted to 0.1 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Finland stood at about $65.7 million over the reporting period, compared to $80.3 million during the same period of 2019. Finlands share in the total volume of Kazakhstans import amounted to 0.4 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to less than 0.5 percent during the same period of 2019. The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $42.5 billion over the period from Jan. through June 2020 which indicates a decrease from $46.1 billion during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export amounted to $26 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($28.6 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $16.5 billion ($17.5 billion in 2019). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh U S President Donald Trump slammed this week's Democratic National Convention as the "gloomiest in American history" as he took aim at rival candidate Joe Biden's bid for the White House. Speaking on Friday after the conclusion of the Democrats' four-day event, Mr Trump lashed out at his opponent and said where Mr Biden sees American darkness, he sees American greatness. Over the last week, the Democrats held the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history, Mr Trump said in a speech to the Republican-aligned Council for National Policy in Arlington, Virginia. They spent four straight days attacking America as racist, a horrible country that must be redeemed. He also chided the Democrats for failing to address the threat from China and ensure safety in Democratic-run cities. Mr Trump in recent speeches has drawn his own stark images of unrest and violence in US cities and has positioned himself as a defender of law and order. But in his nomination acceptance speech on Thursday night, Mr Biden portrayed Mr Trump as someone who tries to divide Americans. United we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America, Mr Biden said. Mr Trump and the Democrats agreed on one thing, however, with both emphasising the importance of the upcoming presidential poll. Just as the Democrats had repeatedly contended on Thursday night, Mr Trump declared: The future of our country and indeed our civilisation is at stake on November 3. Joe Biden promises end to national darkness in acceptance speech Vice President Mike Pence meanwhile said on Friday that the Republican's own national convention next week will focus on what Mr Trump has accomplished, including on the economy and with his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans plan to nominate Mr Trump and Mr Pence as their presidential and vice-presidential nominees respectively at the event. Appearing in a series of interviews on Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, ABC, CBS and CNN, Mr Pence promised a heavy focus on GOP support for law and order and said the Democrats had failed to acknowledge violence plaguing some US cities. Were going to make sure that the American people see the choice here, he said just hours after Mr Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party nominations for president and vice president respectively. Both Mr Trump and Mr Pence have blamed outbreaks of violence on a radical left, which they have sought to associate with Mr Biden and his running mate. US election polls: Trump trails Biden by seven points Mr Trump made clear after the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, and the protests that sprang up around the country calling for changes to policing that he sides with law enforcement. Mr Pence said: We dont have to make a choice between supporting law enforcement and supporting our African American families. We have done both from the beginning of this administration. Were going to continue to do both. Mr Pence, who claimed the Democrat's convention featured "so much negativity" and "nothing but ad hominem attacks", also promised a great lineup of leaders at the Republican National Convention along with a great number of voices from all across the country to talk about what this president has done. Among the speakers set to appear at the event are Mr Trump, Mr Pence and first lady Melania Trump. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 21:33:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The National Center for Disease Control of Libya on Saturday reported 414 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country so far to more than 10,000. The center said in a statement earlier Saturday it received a total of 2,562 suspected samples, of which 414 were tested positive, adding that 6 patients have recovered and 7 died. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Libya so far is 10,121, including 1,053 recoveries and 180 deaths, the center confirmed. In order to fight the pandemic an prevent infections, a series of precautionary measures have been taken by the Libyan authorities since the first case was reported in March, including closing the country's borders, closing schools and mosques, banning public gatherings and imposing a curfew. China donated medical aid to Libya in June to help the country's pandemic battle, including 834 nucleic acid diagnostic kits, 5,000 medical protective suits, 15,000 N95 face masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 5,000 pairs of goggles and 5,000 pairs of medical gloves. Enditem We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The police killing of black man George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25 sparked outrage that has seen protests across the world denouncing police brutality, demanding change, and the end of systemic racism. Floyd's death, unfortunately, is just one of a slew of police killings upon black men and women, including those who were unarmed and just going about their daily lives. In some cases body cameras were turned off, police departments have refused to share footage, and officers have yet to be criminally charged. Below are some of the black men and women who have died by the hands of police in 2020: Rayshard Brooks 27 years old, June 12, Atlanta, Georgia Rayshard Brooks (pictured), 27, was killed by police in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta on Friday On June 12 Rayshard Brooks, a black man, was shot dead in a confrontation with Atlanta police officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Bronsan. Officers were called to the scene following reports of a man sleeping in his vehicle at a Wendy's parking lot. Cops awoke him and had him complete a sobriety test, which he failed. When trying to handcuff him Brooks grabbed one of the officera's Taser and ran from the officers and pointed the stun gun at one of them. Officer Rolfe then shot Brooks twice in the back and he died at a hospital. His death has been ruled a homicide On June 17 the Fulton County District Attorney's Office announced Rolfe has been charged with 11 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, in the killing of Rayshard Brooks. Felony murder that carries a possible sentence of life without parole or the death penalty. Brosnan has been charged on three counts, one of aggravated assault a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison and two violations of oath, including a failure to administer timely medical assistance. Rolfe has been fired and Brosnan placed on administrative leave. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned from her post less than 24 hours after the shooting. Atlanta police officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Bronsan were the cops involved in Brooks' killing. Rolfe, above, has been fired David McAtee 53 years old, June 1, Louisville, Kentucky David McAtee ran a popular BBQ joint in Louisville called Yayas BBQ Shack. He was fatally shot by police and the Kentucky National Guard as they dispersed a large crowd on June 1 following reports of a group of demonstrators in the area though it wasnt confirmed if that group was a part of protests. Witnesses said McAtee and his friends and family were separate from the group of protesters and were at a weekly neighborhood party where McAtee served food. According to officials, the police and soldiers were fired upon and two Louisville cops and two National Guardsmen returned fire. McAtee was killed by a shot fired from a guardsmen. Louisville police chief Steve Conrad was fired after it was revealed that the body cams of the police involved in the shooting had been deactivated. Officer Katie Crews, a white woman, was involved in the shooting and had mocked a different protester on Facebook earlier the day of the shooting, was placed on administrative assignment following the shooting. The other officer in the shooting was Austin Allen. Kentucky State Police, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI are investigating the shooting. Lawyers for the McAtee family intend to file a lawsuit. David McAtee was shot dead on June 1 after Louisville officers and the National Guard 'returned fire' into a group gather in a parking lot, next to where McAtee's business is located Two cops were involved in that shooting. Officer Katie Crews (left) and Officer Austin Allen (right), neither of whom had their body cameras switched on during the incident Tony McDade 38 years old, May 27, Tallahassee Florida Tony McDade, a black trans man, was shot dead in Florida just two days after the killing of George Floyd. Though the details surrounding Tony McDade's (pictured) death are murky, he was killed on May 27, two days after George Floyd died under the knee of Derek Chauvin He was killed after being approached by police as a suspect in a stabbing. According to the Tallahassee Police Department, McDade was in possession of a handgun and a bloody knife that was found at the scene. But videos shared on social media by witnesses appear to tell another story. According to Rolling Stone, one witness said on Facebook: 'They said "Stop moving, n****r," and then they shot him after he stopped moving.' Witness, Clifford Butler, told WFSU: 'I never heard, "Get down, freeze, Im an officer." I never heard nothing. I just heard gunshots.' The identity of the officer who shot McDade has not been released due to Marsy's Law. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. Marsy's Law classifies anyone whos allegedly had their life threatened as victims including police officers and ensures their right to privacy. Yet witnesses have said the officer in question was white. A press release from the TPD states that he has been placed on administrative leave. The Tallahassee Police Department still hasn't released body camera footage. George Floyd 46 years old, May 25, Minneapolis, Minnesota On Memorial Day George Floyd was arrested by a group of officers for allegedly using a fake $20 bill at a deli. George Floyd (pictured) died on May 25 under then knee of Officer Derek Chauvin He was pinned to the ground by white police officer Derek Chauvin, who dug his knee into the back of Floyd's neck for an excruciating eight minutes and 46 minutes in a horrific act caught on camera. In the video Floyd is heard gasping 'I Can't Breathe' - words that would be echoed across the globe to decry his violent death. All the while, cops Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng helped restrain Floyd as Tou Thao stood nearby. The video sent shockwaves across the country and sparked massive protests denouncing police brutality against black people and demanded justice. All four officers were fired after the incident. Chauvin was charged with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder on June 3. He had previously been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was arrested on May 29 and is being held at Minnesota Department of Corrections. His bail sits at $1million. He was the subject of at least 18 prior complaints and only two were 'closed with discipline'. From left to right: Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane On Wednesday June 3 the three other officers involved were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. On Wednesday June 10 Thomas Lane was released from Hennepin County Jail after posting bail. The bail for him and the other officers was set at $1million unconditional or $750,000 with conditions. He had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died. On Friday June 19 J. Alexander Kueng was released on $750,000 bail bond. Dion Johnson 28 years old, May 25, Phoenix, Arizona On May 25 a Phoenix police trooper approached a vehicle and found Dion Johnson, 28, sleeping behind the wheel with beer and a gun visible in the car. Following a struggle, the trooper shot Johnson and killed him On May 25 a Phoenix police trooper approached a vehicle and found Dion Johnson, 28, sleeping behind the wheel with beer and a gun visible in the car. The details of the circumstances around Johnsons death are murky as troopers at the scene were not equipped with body cameras or dash cameras. Cops said that the trooper approached Johnson and a struggle between the two ensued. The trooper then fired their weapon and struck Johnson, claiming they feared theyd be pushed into oncoming traffic, as per 12News. Johnson was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The trooper involved is on paid administrative leave. Officials with the FBI will review evidence in Dion Johnson's case alongside the Arizona U.S. Attorneys Office, and the DOJs Civil Rights Division. Maurice Gordon Jr 28 years old, May 23, New Jersey Maurice Gordon, 28, was fatally shot by a white officer following a traffic stop on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. Maurice Gordon, 28, was fatally shot by a white officer following a traffic stop on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey on May 28 Gordon was shot by a New Jersey State Police trooper four times following a struggle with the officer, just two days before the death of George Floyd. His car was pulled over for driving 101mph and while sitting in the back of a police cruiser, he tried to flee. Gordon then allegedly tried to get in the drivers seat of the patrol car and in the confrontation with police was shot multiple times. Damcam video of the traffic stop shows him being shot and killed by the trooper. The trooper involved in the case was Sgt. Randall Wetzel. Wetzel remains on administrative leave with pay. An investigation is underway. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that a grand jury would review the case to consider possible criminal charges. Gordon had moved to the US from Jamaica to attend college and work. His friend had called 911 in Dutchess County, New York in the early morning of May 22 hoping police would check on Gordon, who had been talking about being possessed and having paranormal experiences. But New Jersey police did not know about Gordons mental health history. The trooper involved in the case was Sgt. Randall Wetzel. He is seen above on dashcam before shooting Gordon dead Robert Johnson Jr 29 years old, May 16, Essex, Maryland Robert Johnson Jr was fatally shot on May 16 while celebrating his cousins 15th birthday party in Essex. Robert Johnson Jr was fatally shot on May 16 in Essex, Maryland after getting into an argument with a neighbor after he bumped into their car. An officer was called to the scene who shot Johnson. He dented a neighbors vehicle while trying to park and told the man who owned the car that hed pay for repairs, but the discussion escalated into an argument. The neighbor called police reporting that Johnson was armed. The departments initial release on the incident stated 'the first arriving officer was confronted with an armed suspect and discharged his weapon.' Johnson died after he was taken to the hospital. The department later said that when the officer approached Johnson's car he exited his vehicle and his 'gun fell to the ground in plain view of the officer'. Baltimore County Police say they recovered a gun from the scene and have body camera footage of the confrontation, which the department has declined to release. 'He wasnt even a threat, he dropped the gun. Yall didnt go by the protocol and the right procedures. They just got out of their car and started shooting,' Johnson's brother said following his death. The officer in the shooting was identified solely by his surname as Police Officer First Class Knight, a 24-year-old veteran of the force with no prior offenses. He was initially placed on adminstrative leave and has resumed patrol duties. On Wednesday June 24 prosecutors released bodycamera footage and said they wouldn't press charges against officer. They said the shooting 'justified' because Johnson was seen grabbing the gun off the ground and running with it, though he did not shoot or aim it at the officer. Dreasjon 'Sean' Reed 21 years old, May 6, Indianapolis, Indiana Dreasjon 'Sean' Reed was shot and killed by officers on May 6 during a high speed chase with police that was streamed on his Facebook live in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dreasjon Reed also known as Sean Reed was fatally shot by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police on May 6, 2020 following a police pursuit on the city's northwest side. The incident was recorded on Facebook Live by Reed Officers saw someone driving recklessly on Interstate 65 speeding at nearly 90mph. Police pursued but lost sight of the vehicle. The car was later spotted in a city street and officers chased Reed on foot before cops said Reed and the officer exchanged gunfire. According to police, there was an exchange of gunfire between Reed and an officer after the officer's use of a stun gun was 'ineffective'. However, Reed's family and their attorneys maintain that Reed did not fire a gun. The officer who shot Reed was identified on June 10 as Dejoure Mercer, who had been with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police for four years. A special prosecutor is investigating Reeds death. The officer who shot Reed was identified on June 10 as Dejoure Mercer, who had been with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police for four years Shaun Fuhr 24 years old, April 29, Seattle, Washington Shaun Fuhr was fatally shot by police on April 29, suffering a gunshot wound to the head. Shaun Fuhr was fatally shot by police on April 29, suffering a gunshot wound to the head following a domestic violence report Police responded to a call by a woman who reported that her boyfriend, who is the father of her one-year-old daughter, had beat her, fired a gun at her, and taken their daughter at gunpoint and fled. Seattle police body camera footage showed several officers chasing a man on foot as he ran through a small parking lot and confront him. He was holding the child when he was shot and an officer ran to pick up the child. NAACP officials in Seattle argued that deadly force was not necessary in the confrontation and from the video Fuhr did not appear to display a weapon. Fuhr with his infant daughter above Seattle police SWAT Office Noah Zech, 35, was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting. The shooting is being investigated by its own force investigation team and the King County Sheriffs office. Breonna Taylor 26 years old, March 13, Louisville, Kentucky Taylor was a 26-year-old EMT who was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police inside her home in the early hours of March 13 by officers conducting a 'no-knock- warrant. Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old black EMT, was shot eight times in her bed on March 13 by Louisville police officers who stormed into her home on a 'no-knock- warrant searching for a drug suspect who wasn't there The warrant was a part of a drug probe, but the suspect had already been in custody. Officers entered the apartment and were fired upon by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who believed a robbery was in progress. Police returned fire, striking Taylor eight times, who had been sleeping in bed moments before. On June 11 no-knock search warrants were banned in Louisville following a unanimous vote of the Metro Council. Following the council's vote, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer vowed to sign Breonna's law 'as soon as 'it hits his desk'. Det. Joshua Jaynes, the officer who applied for the 'no-knock' search warrant that led to Breonna Taylor's death, is now on administrative reassignment. The three officers in the case - Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Brett Hankinson and Myles Cosgrove - have not been charged in the shooting and have been placed on administrative leave. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer fired embattled Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad on June 1 after learning that officers behind fatal shooting of popular barbecue restaurant David McAtee did not have their body cameras on, even though they were mandated to following Taylors death On Friday June 19 Mayor Greg Fischer announced Friday that Louisville Metro Police is moving to fire Brett Hankison for 'blindly' firing 10 rounds into Taylor's apartment. On September 23 Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron indicted fired Det. Brett Hankison on three first-degree wanton endangerment charges accusing him of blindly firing into Taylors home and the walls of a neighbors apartment. No charges were filed againt any of the three officers directly related to Taylors death. The three officers in the case - Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Officers Brett Hankinson and Myles Cosgrove - have not been charged in the shooting and have been placed on administrative leave. From left to right Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, Det. Brett Hankison, Det. Myles Cosgrove Manuel Ellis 33 years old, March 3, Tacoma, Washington Manuel Ellis is a black man who died while being restrained by Tacoma police officers for allegedly 'trying to open car doors of occupied vehicles'. Manuel Ellis, 33, died as he was restrained by Tacoma, Washington police officers on March 3, stopped for allegedly trying to open car doors of occupied vehicles Cops said they approached Ellis and an 'altercation ensued' and Ellis had to be physically restrained. Officers said they called for medical aid when they said Ellis needed help but he died at the seen. In jarring audio from the 911 call Ellis is heard exclaiming, 'I cant breathe' as an officer is heard asking for hobbles to strap down Ellis' legs. Video of his arrest shows Tacoma officers striking down a black man and pinning him to the ground. An autopsy shows he died of respiratory arrest due to hypoxia caused by physical restraint. Hypoxia is a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. Officers Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, Masyih Ford and Timothy Rankine, who are now on administrative leave following the incident. Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards has called for them to be fired. The officers involved were also not wearing their bodycams, by Tacoma Police Department. Masyih Ford (left) and Timothy Rankine (right), are two of the four officers involved. They were not wearing body cameras but there is footage of the incident that has been submitted. The four officers involved are on administrative leave Ahmaud Arbery 25 years old, February 23, Atlanta Ahmaud Arbery (pictured), 25, was killed on February 23 while jogging on a residential street just outside the port city of Brunswick Arbery was fatally shot on February 23 while jogging on a residential street just outside the port city of Brunswick. He was shot dead by father and son Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael who armed themselves and chased him down when they saw him running in their neighborhood. Gregory McMichael had worked as an investigator in the Glynn County District Attorney's office for 24 years until he retired in May 2019. But it wasn't until May 7 that the McMichaels were arrested and charged with murder, more than two months after Arbery's death. The elder McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighborhood. Video that showed Arbery collapse on the pavement after being shot three times fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made. The Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine has sent the evidence of Russia's war crimes committed in August 2014 near Ilovaisk, Donetsk region, to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. "According to the conclusions of experts and a set of other evidence obtained, the military aggression of the Russian armed forces is the only factor that led to the tragic events near Ilovaisk. On the night of August 23-24, 2014, the largest direct invasion by the aggressor country's armed forces of Ukraines territory and their subsequent commission of war crimes took place. At that time, the combat power of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation consisted of nine battalion tactical groups: 3,500 personnel, up to 60 tanks, up to 320 armoured assault vehicles (infantry fighting vehicles), up to 60 guns, up to 45 mortars and 5 anti-tank missile systems," the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office informs. According to the data established, the critical ratio of the military forces of Ukraine in the area of Ilovaisk town with the units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and representatives of illegal armed formations controlled by the Russian Federation was: personnel 1 to 18; tanks 1 to 11; armoured vehicles 1 to 16; artillery 1 to 15; Grad multiple rocket launcher 1 to 24. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine "Dnipro-1", "Myrotvorets", "Svitiaz", "Kherson", "Ivano-Frankivsk", the National Guard battalion "Donbas" and the forces of sector "B" were encircled by the enemy already on August 24-25. On August 26-28, negotiations began between the leadership of Ukraines Anti-Terrorist Operation and the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces to provide guarantees for safe humanitarian corridors so that the servicepersons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and other military formations of Ukraine could retreat from the encirclement along the agreed routes. However, on August 29, 2014, by the direct instruction and order of the Command of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and in violation of Article 37 of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, Russian troops used heavy weapons to shot columns of Ukrainian servicepersons and three captured Russian paratroopers at a point-blank range as they were retreating along the corridor near the localities of Starobeshevo, Chumaky, Novodvorske, Ahronomichne, Mnohopillia, Chervonosilske, Osykove, Novokaterynivka of Donetsk region. In addition, by the direct instructions and orders of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Russian servicepersons and Russian-backed irregular illegal armed groups killed the wounded Ukrainian servicepersons who could not offer resistance. "Thus, 366 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 429 servicepersons were wounded, and 300 soldiers were taken captive," the Prosecutor General's Office reports. According to the results of the investigation into the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a total of 110 people have been prosecuted for committing the mentioned crimes, including 68 citizens of the Russian Federation (21 high-ranking officials among them). These persons were put on a wanted list. Forty-eight indictments against 51 people have been filed at court. Ukrainian courts have already convicted 35 people, including 13 Russian citizens (three servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces among them). "The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has been provided with the information on the evidence of war crimes, including the treacherous murder of Ukrainian servicepersons near Ilovaisk, to make a decision on the opening of criminal proceedings," the Prosecutor General's Office informs. It is noted that investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine continue to collect evidence and identify all the perpetrators. On August 29, the Day of Remembrance of Defenders fallen in the struggle for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is marked to honour the greatest losses suffered by the Ukrainian army in Donbas. ol In a significant escalation of political censorship on its platform, Facebook published an update on Wednesday to its Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy that labels left-wing and anarchist organizations as violent and falsely amalgamates them with fascist militia groups and right-wing extremists associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory. In a Newsroom blog post entitled, An Update to How We Address Movements and Organizations Tied to Violence, Facebook says that it is taking action against Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts tied to offline anarchist groups that support violent acts amidst protests, US-based militia organizations and QAnon. While Facebook says it already removes content calling for or advocating violence and bans organizations and individuals that proclaim a violent mission, the blog post says that we have seen growing movements that, while not directly organizing violence, have celebrated violent acts, shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them, or have individual followers with patterns of violent behavior. That the expanded Facebook definition of dangerous people and groups is aimed at stifling speech on the social media platformwith 2.7 billion monthly active users worldwideis shown by the fact that its policy now includes organizations and movements that have demonstrated significant risks to public safety but do not meet the rigorous criteria to be designated as a dangerous organization and banned from having any presence on our platform. Facebook then outlines the actions it will take to suppress content from those it deems dangerous and violent but do not fit the rigorous definition of either description. These measures may include removal of accounts from Facebook and Instagram, limiting recommendations, reduced ranking in News Feed, reduced visibility in Search, removal from Related Hashtags on Instagram and prohibition from advertising and fundraising. As Facebook is listing off the many techniques it utilizes to ban, delete and suppress contentwhich it refers to in corporate-speak as remove, reduce and informit becomes clear that these methods are being perfected in the service of political censorship against oppositional, left-wing and socialist views that are increasing in popularity and pose a threat to the capitalist foundations of the social media giant. Facebook currently has a Wall Street value of $762 billion and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accumulated a personal wealth of $100 billion. The Newsroom blog post goes on to say that Facebook has already removed over 790 groups, 100 Pages and 1,500 ads tied to QAnon and additionally imposed restrictions on over 1,950 Groups and 440 Pages on Facebook and over 10,000 accounts on Instagram. Lumping anarchists and left-wing groups in with the far right, Facebook says, For militia organizations and those encouraging riots, including some who may identify as Antifa, weve initially removed over 980 groups, 520 Pages and 160 ads from Facebook. Weve also restricted over 1,400 hashtags related to these groups and organizations on Instagram. Among the accounts of anti-fascist and left-wing activists that have been shut down in the present Facebook dragnet are the following: Its Going Down: an anarchist news publishing platform that reports on social struggles and exposes the activities of white supremacist and neo-Nazi networks. CrimethInc.: a left-wing and anarchist publishing organization that identifies itself as an international network of aspiring revolutionaries. PNW Youth Liberation Front: a group that says it is a decentralized network of autonomous youth collectives dedicated to direct action towards total liberation and has been involved in the recent protests in Portland, Oregon. There is no question that by including such groups in its list of dangerous and violent individuals and organizations, Facebook is supporting the drive by the US political establishment and the US Justice Department to equate opposition within the working class and among young people with the violence of alt-right, neo-Nazi and fascistic militia individuals and groups. The recent history of ideologically motivated violence in the US exposes Facebooks false identification of these groups with the extreme right. According to a report by Natasha Lennard in the Intercept, It bears repeating, ad nauseam, that the far right has carried out 329 murders in the last three decades; none have been attributed to antifa. Between 2009 and 2018, white supremacist and far-right extremists were responsible for 73 percent of extremist murders in the U.S. And thats not even to mention the state-sanctioned, racist killings carried out by the police. The effort to label the left as violent has also intensified over the past three months during the nationwide and global mass protests against police violence and repression that were sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day. Both the Democrats and Republicans along with the corporate media have slandered these demonstrations as violent and riots and, as Trump has stated numerous times, part of the radical left and anarchist takeover of American cities that must be put down with law and order. In June, at the height of the George Floyd protests, Attorney General William Barr created a task force dedicated to counter anti-government extremists who engage in indefensible acts of violence designed to undermine public order. In his directive to all Justice Department law enforcement representatives, Barr wrote, Among other lawless conduct, these extremists have violently attacked police officers and other government officials, destroyed public and private property, and threatened innocent people. Furthermore, Barrs memo said that the acts of violence came from extremists of all persuasions including the extreme right-wing Boogaloo militia advocates who have engaged in murder and other criminal acts along with those who identify as Antifa on the left. Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas) chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on August 4 where he claimed, Across the country, were seeing horrific violence, were seeing our country torn apart. Violent anarchists and Marxists are exploiting protests to transform them into riots and direct assaults on the lives and safety of their fellow Americans. This position is not unique to Barr, Trump and the Republican Party. On the fifth night of the George Floyd protests in cities across the US that have been devastated by decades of attacks on living standards and social programs, the future Democratic Party nominee for President in the 2020 elections, Joseph Biden, denounced protesters for burning down communities and carrying out needless destruction. While police and federal agents were beating protesters and National Guard troops were being called up and mobilized against peaceful demonstrations, Biden blamed the public for the decay in the cities, saying, Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the community is not the American response. In late July, Biden reiterated his stance, calling for the prosecution of arsonists and anarchists. These same sentiments have been expressed by Representative James Clyburn (Democrat, South Carolina) and Democratic Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot who, according to the New York Times, after police assaulted protestors calling for an end to police violence, said, To those who engaged in this criminal behavior, lets be clear: We are coming for you. The purpose and results of the recent closed-door meetings between the Silicon Valley tech monopolies and the White House in the preparations for the US presidential election in November are becoming obvious. As reported by the WSWS, representatives of nine major tech firmsincluding Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Redditmet with US government law enforcement and national intelligence agencies on August 12 to discuss election security with little or no information reported to the public following the online gathering. The endless references by Facebook and the others to those who identify as antifa as violent and dangerous are proof of the completely reactionary character of the effort to amalgamate left-wing and anarchist groups with far-right extremists who have actually committed acts of violence and killed people while proclaiming support for the Trump administration. A Google search of antifa will only yield a Wikipedia entry for the name. There is no official website for an organization with this name in the US, Europe or anywhere else in the world. While there are clearly individuals who identify with the message of anti-fascism, the claim that an organization called Antifa is coordinating acts of extreme violence against the US government is entirely fabricated. Instead, what the ruling establishmentof which the social media monopolies are a critical elementfears more than anything is that masses of workers and young people will break free from the two-party political system and begin to organize independently of the entire capitalist political setup on the basis of the fight for socialism. The ever-expanding scope of political censorship on social media and on the internet more broadly is certain grow in the weeks leading up to the November 3 election and in its aftermath as the US ruling class seeks to suppress all signs of opposition. (Natural News) The whole world is still reeling from the devastating socioeconomic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns. But in Brazil, the government has forbidden Doctors Without Borders from lending aid to indigenous villages that may have already been infected with COVID-19. Sesai over MSF The Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was founded in May 1968 after a group of young doctors set out to help victims of wars and major disasters, effectively reinventing the concept of emergency aid. The group was known as Doctors Without Borders in English. On August 20, Thursday, MSF reported that the Brazilian government has forbidden them from helping prevent and detect suspected cases of COVID-19 in seven villages of the Terena indigenous tribe in southern Brazil. According to the medical NGO, it presented a plan to help the seven communities with at least 5,000 inhabitants. In a statement, Doctors Without Members revealed that it had been invited to help the indigenous communities by tribal leaders. But instead of allowing MSF to proceed, Sesai, the Brazilian governments indigenous health agency, allowed its own doctors to help another village with 1,000 inhabitants. Sesai claimed that the village needed assistance because its COVID-19 cases were more widespread. Red tape and risk of contagion According to a statement from Sesai, MSF presented an expanded plan for assisting Terena communities. However, MSFs proposal wasnt authorized since it didnt name the communities and resources it would be using. Indigenous rights organizations in Brazil have spoken up about the government, which allowed Christian missionaries to work with isolated tribes despite the existence of contagion risk due to outsiders. Articulacao dos Povos Indigenas do Brasil (APIB), or the Brazils Indigenous People Articulation, the countrys main indigenous umbrella organization, is critical of the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. Despite the alarming spread of the pandemic, Bolsonaro continues to deny the gravity of the second-worst coronavirus outbreak outside the United States. The pandemic threatens indigenous communities who dont have access to healthcare in remote parts of the Amazon. Other people at risk include those in certain areas of Brazil where communal living under large dwellings make social distancing impossible. APIB reports that 690 indigenous people have died because of coronavirus while 26,443 cases have been confirmed among Brazils 850,000 indigenous people. At least 50 percent of Brazils 300 indigenous tribes have confirmed infections. (Related: Over 25,000 dead in Brazil from coronavirus as daily deaths surpass USA.) In a statement, the NGO concluded that MSF has strict infection prevention and control protocols that it has successfully applied during its work to combat COVID-19 worldwide. Protecting cultural traditions On August 6, Wednesday, Brazils Supreme Court ruled that Bolsonaros government must enforce measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 to the countrys vulnerable indigenous communities. Most of the justices voted to give the government 30 days to develop a plan that will help minimize the threat to indigenous people from the virus as it can easily wipe out some of these tribes. Suggested measures include setting up sanitary barriers to stop outsiders from going into protected tribal lands and isolating invaders. However, the court didnt call for the immediate expulsion of illegal loggers and miners even though indigenous leaders have reported that they are spreading the virus. APIB called for the preventive measures and the organization was backed by six opposition political parties who were also critical of Bolsonaros government. Protecting indigenous tribes is essential, especially since they might lose cultural traditions with the death of their elders infected by COVID-19. On August 6, 71-year-old Chief Aritana Yawalapiti, one of Brazils most influential indigenous leaders, died from coronavirus. MSF reports that at least 15,000 to 30,000 people in Brazil are diagnosed with coronavirus while hundreds of people die every day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country has the second-highest number of cases and deaths worldwide, with over 900,000 cases and 45,000 deaths. About 100 nurses in Brazil die from the disease per month and they are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate than any other country. The pandemic has spread throughout Brazil from large cities like Rio and Sao Paulo, all the way to remote areas like Amazonas state. COVID-19 threatens the most vulnerable and neglected communities, such as those living in slums, the homeless and indigenous and riverside communities. While MSF has launched six COVID-19 emergency responses in Amazonas and Roraima states, both located in the greater Amazonia region, in Rio de Janeiro, and in Sao Paulo, the NGO is quickly reaching its capacity. The organization called for a more focused COVID-19 response from the central government. MSF suggested that the Brazilian government should provide greater support to community leaders, local organizations and staff on the front line of the epidemic. Local groups and health workers in the country also require direct assistance and essential tools to continue its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Sources include: Reuters.com 1 DoctorsWithoutBorders.org 1 Reuters.com 2 DoctorsWithoutBorders.org 2 Police Lt. Mike Ziemba takes a Black Lives Matter sign from Bilal Ansari before planting it in the ground outside the police station. Margot Besnard addresses the crowd in the Williamstown Police station parking lot on Friday evening PreviousNext Protesters March to Williamstown Police Station to Demand Reform The weekly social justice rally walked from Field Park to the police station on Friday. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. About five dozen protesters carried a lot of signs on the 1-1/2 mile march from Field Park to the Police Department. And there is one sign that they hope will leave a lasting mark. At the end of a half-hour demonstration in the police station parking lot, Bilal Ansari, a member of the town's Diversity, Inclusion, Race and Equity Committee called on someone from the department to have the courage to put a Black Lives Matter sign in the ground alongside the large sign that announces the building's presence on Simonds Road (Route 7). Lt. Mike Ziemba, who stood silently as multiple speakers harshly criticized the department and its leadership, took the lawn sign from Ansari and planted it in the ground. "It was just a relief to see that there's some leadership here that cares enough to make a statement that Black Lives Matter here," Ansari said afterward. "For Lt. Ziemba to step up and, first of all, just to be here I feel like there is leadership here, but it's just not recognized. "I'm just so grateful for him. But the people who are in charge need to be held accountable. I think that's what the resounding message was: People just need to be held accountable." Ziemba, meanwhile, told the protesters gathered for the weekly social justice rally that they have a role to play in achieving the peace and safety that they seek. "We see you," Ziemba told the crowd after placing the sign. "We're committed to fixing this and growing, but we need everyone here to help us do it." It was a harmonious end to what at times was a very acrimonious summer evening. The signs carried messages like, "Dismantle and Restructure WPD," and "Oversight Now." The chants included, "Chief Johnson has to go" and "The whole town is watching." The speakers were just as clear. Margot Besnard, one of the driving forces behind the weekly Friday demonstrations that began earlier this summer, was the first to take the bullhorn on Friday. She told the crowd the march to the police station was organized because the community recognizes that "there is something really wrong about the way we're doing law enforcement oversight in this town, in this state and in this country." Besnard then refuted the notion that protesters in Williamstown are "making up issues" in the North County town. She said there are verifiable portions of the federal lawsuit filed against the town, Chief Kyle Johnson and Town Manager Jason Hoch that show Williamstown's issues are very real. "Let's not talk about the allegations, let's talk about the facts we learned last week," Besnard said. "This is what I learned. I learned that in 2011, a Williamstown police officer, off duty, went to a female resident's home and when he asked her to have sex with her and she said no, he didn't understand the concept of consent. "And we know this is a fact, not an allegation, because he admitted to it. He admitted to committing indecent assault and battery." The incident Besnard cited is detailed on pages 7 and 8 of the complaint filed against the town by Sgt. Scott McGowan. The complaint states that Johnson "disciplined Officer B but allowed him to remain on the force, where he works to this day." "Imagine what you would do if you were the police chief of Williamstown, and you found out one of your officers committed sexual assault," Besnard said. "What would you do? This police chief, Chief Johnson, did not fire him. He docked a couple of vacation days. "Let that sink in a minute. He docked a couple of vacation days." Besnard said the department needs to serve and protect all residents of Williamstown. "We want a police chief who holds his officers accountable for following the law," she said. "It's a crazy thing to ask for. We the people are paying their salaries, their benefits and for their toys right over there. It's not a crazy thing to ask for. "I don't want a police chief who can't say Black Lives Matter and mean it. We want a police chief who can say Black Lives Matter and who can police a town as if Black lives matter because they do." Washington: A scathing US Congressional report released on Thursday branded intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a serial exaggerator and fabricator and said he has had continual contact with Russian intelligence services. The partially redacted report, released by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, portrays Snowden as a disgruntled government contractor rather than a legitimate whistleblower. The former National Security Agency contractor leaked thousands of classified documents to the press in 2013, revealing the vast scope of US surveillance of private data that was put in place after the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to the report, Snowden swiped about 1.5 million documents and those he leaked to the press were merely the tip of the iceberg. Most of the material he stole had nothing to do with Americans privacy, and its compromise has been of great value to Americas adversaries and those who mean to do America harm, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said. Snowden was quick to disparage the report, taking to Twitter to decry its obvious falsehoods. After three years of investigation and millions of dollars, they can present no evidence of harmful intent, foreign influence, or harm. Wow, he wrote.Snowden now lives in exile in Russia where he has sought asylum after fleeing his home in Hawaii and a brief stint in Hong Kong. Should he ever return to the US, he would be tried for espionage and other charges carrying up to 30 years in prison. Since Snowdens arrival in Moscow, he has had and continues to have, contact with Russian intelligence services, the report states. Snowden tweeted that the committee report was slanted and deliberately omitted his criticisms of Russian policy. Despite this, they claim without evidence Im in cahoots with Russian intel. Everyone knows this is false, but lets examine their basis: he adds, before posting a series of tweets on the matter. The report also states that a Pentagon review had identified 13 high-risk issues, eight of which relate to specific capabilities that if the Russian or Chinese governments know about could put American troops at greater risk in any future conflict. Since September, a campaign calling for a presidential pardon for Snowden has won support from figures such as financier George Soros and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The campaign says Snowden should be welcomed home as a hero for actions that benefited the public because they reined in US surveillance programs and led to improved privacy protection laws. Snowdens lawyers are trying to win him clemency before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January or a plea bargain that would shield him from spending a lot of time in jail. Snowden himself has said he is not expecting a pardon. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The return to in-person instruction at New York City schools this fall is bound to bring a massive adjustment period for students and teachers alike, as new coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines have completely reshaped the way in which classrooms will operate. While about a quarter of families have elected to participate in strictly remote learning during the coming school year, the remaining student body will participate in a blended learning model that sees students in the classroom two to three days a week and learning remotely on the other days. Fall 2020 is a hybrid event, with live and digital ticketed experiences prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Patrons can either catch a show in person or watch remotely via live-streaming. Tickets for the live events are $80, $100 and $125 and include valet parking, a signature cocktail and hors doeuvres in a space that has been configured to allow for 6 feet of social distance between groups of guests. Venue capacity is being limited to 40%, Brook Hudson said, and OFW is asking everyone to mask up to help control the spread of COVID-19. Patrons will be required to complete a screening questionnaire via email or text the day of the show, and temperatures will be taken at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m., but arrival times for guests will be staggered according to ticket level, and food will be plated and delivered to guests at their seats. Live-streaming begins at 8 p.m. with the first collection on the runway. Tickets are $40, with a freewill donation component for patrons hosting private watch parties in their homes or other locations. For tickets and more information, visit omahafashionweek.com. OFW Primer Kamala Harris quotes 2 Corinthians as she accepts VP nomination at DNC Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., accepted the Democratic Partys vice-presidential nomination Wednesday night as she pulled from the New Testament in her speech on the third night of the Democratic National Convention. Harris stepped onto a stage at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware and became the first black woman and Asian-American to run on a major United States political party presidential ticket. To introduce herself to the country, the early parts of her speech were focused on her background before she went on to criticize the current administration and voice concern about the direction of the country. She briefly invoked Scripture when mentioning the values instilled in her by her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris. Quoting from 2 Corinthians 5:7, Harris professed her commitment to the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. The 55-year-old explained that her mother taught her that service to others gives life purpose and meaning. And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she's looking down on me from above, the senator and former California attorney general, explained. I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman all of five feet tall who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California. Harris declared that her mother probably would never have imagined that her daughter would one day accept the Democrat Partys nomination for vice president of the United States. I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight, she stressed. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans one that Joe Biden shares. The nominee said that the vision is a desire to see our nation as a Beloved Community where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love. The idea of the beloved community is one that was made popular by Martin Luther King, Jr. A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect, Harris said. This was not the first time that Harris has spoken about how the Bible influences her politics. Last year, as she was campaigning for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination, Harris discussed the influence the parable of the Good Samaritan has had on her policy views. I often think of the parable of the Good Samaritan because what the teachings are there from the book of Luke, it is about how do we define neighbor, she said at a June 2019 gathering of left-leaning clergy and activists in Washington D.C. Everyone knows [we need to] live and treat our neighbor as we would want to be treated, Harris added. But what I like about the parable of the Good Samaritan is that its about defining who is neighbor and understanding that neighbor is not about the person who shares your zip code. Harris quick Bible reference in her convention speech, as brief as it was, came as speakers reportedly omitted the phrase Under God from the Pledge of Allegiance during at least two public meetings held earlier this week during the convention. The Democratic vice-presidential nominee began her acceptance speech by noting that this week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Harris mentioned her background and upbringing, specifically highlighting the fact that she was the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India. She explained the influence that her late mother had on her career path. She said it was her mothers belief that public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility that inspired her to become a lawyer. Harris went on to become a district attorney and California attorney general. And at every step of the way, Ive been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People, she added. As Harris has received some criticism over her record as a prosecuting attorney, she defended her legal career by saying that she has fought for children and survivors of sexual assault. I've fought against transnational gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges, she stated. I know a predator when I see one. While Harris did not mention him by name, Harris has faced criticism for her prosecution of David Daleiden, a pro-life citizen journalist who works for the nonprofit organization Center for Medical Progress. Daleiden and his associate Sandra Merritt released a series of undercover videos documenting meetings with Planned Parenthood officials. The videos purportedly show Planned Parenthood officials casually admitting that they can sell the body parts of aborted babies for profit. Rather than prosecute Planned Parenthood, Harris, the then-California attorney general, prosecuted Daleiden. Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress have faced years of legal troubles. In May, Daleiden filed a lawsuit against Harris and others this year, citing a brazen, unprecedented, and ongoing conspiracy to selectively use Californias video recording laws as a political weapon to silence disfavored speech. Harris also used her convention platform to take multiple shots at the current occupant of the White House, President Donald Trump. Donald Trumps failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods, Harris argued. Harris specifically took issue with the presidents handling of the coronavirus pandemic. As she spoke about coronavirus, she explained that the virus was not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino, and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately, she said. This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism. Harris spent the latter half of her speech discussing her relationship with the man at the top of the Democratic ticket this fall, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. She looked back on her relationship with Bidens late son Beau, who served as the attorney general of Delaware while she held the same position in California. After running through Bidens record as a senator from Delaware and vice president under President Barack Obama, Harris explained her vision for a Biden presidency. Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose, she said. Harris vowed that Biden will bring us together to build an economy that doesnt leave anyone behind and help the U.S. squarely face and dismantle racial injustice. Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind, she stressed. Maria Shriver cheated on Arnold Schwarzenegger with his own campaign strategist - flaunting the relationship in front of staffers five years before her husband's affair with the family maid was exposed, a shocking new report claims. Shriver debuted boyfriend Matthew Dowd last month at her cousin Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s wedding - introducing him to the family at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. According to initial reports, the two have been seeing each other for less than a year. However, the New York Post now claims that Shriver and Dowd started their relationship in 2006 when Dowd was a chief strategist for Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial reelection campaign. Schwarzenegger found out, but she continued the relationship anyway, according to the newspaper. Shriver and Schwarzenegger split up in 2011 after it was revealed he had an affair with the family's housekeeper 'Patty' Baena that dated back to 1992 and that they had a teenage son together. The New York Post claims that Maria Shriver had an affair with Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign strategist Matthew Dowd - beginning in 2006. The couple are seen here at Schwarzenegger's swear-in in 2007 Part of the family: Maria Shriver (center) introduced boyfriend Matthew Dowd (right) to the Kennedys at her cousin Bobby Jr's (second from left) wedding to Cheryl Hines (left) The divorce hasn't been finalized, but the pair have been living apart since Schwarzenegger went public with his love child. Dowd, now a political analyst for ABC News, denied having an affair with Shriver in 2006 - and told the Post that they were just 'good friends' at that time. Neither Dowd nor representatives for Shriver or Schwarzenegger responded to requests for comment from MailOnline. Former Schwarzenegger's campaign staffers are now coming forward to expose Shriver's dalliances with Dowd, according to the Post. 'There was a lot of flirtation. They frequently spent time alone, and Arnold was rarely, if ever, around when they were together,' one staffer told the newspaper. 'She had a unique banter with him and lit up when he was around. He was comfortable poking fun at her, and she would slap him teasingly.' The whole clan: Maria and Matthew posed for a picture with the whole Shriver clan. Maria is the niece of JFK and RFK The pair often spent time alone together after meetings and took long walks, according to the Post. When Schwarzenegger found out about the relationship, he removed Dowd from his inner-circle. The governor and Shriver fought about it constantly on the campaign trail, the newspaper reports. After Schwarzenegger won a second term as California governor, he and Shriver remained together in public - but she continued to see Dowd on the side, the Post claims. A source told the Post that in 2007, she went to see Dowd at the Four Season in New York and that the pair were seen out together in Santa Monica, California. When Schwarzenegger's marriage to Shriver ended, he forbade any of his friends and staffers from publicly talking about Shriver's relationship with Dowd, according to the Post. Dowd made his reputation as one of the mastermind's behind George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns and was part of the president's inner circle until he began speaking out against him in 2006. Shriver and Dowd were first spotted in public together last October. Both come from large Irish Catholic families - and both have a history of heartbreak He's the third of 11 children from a strict Irish Catholic family. He was an altar boy and keeps at least 100 crosses in his rural Texas home. He's been married and divorced twice; his second marriage fell apart after one of his twin infant daughters died in the hospital, according to a 2007 profile piece in the Los Angeles Times. He also worked for Shriver's husband - taking a job on Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial reelection campaign. Shriver, 58, has been dating Dowd, 52, since last fall, according to the Washington Post - although Kennedy's wedding to Cheryl Hines appears to be their first public event together. They both currently work in broadcasting. Dowd is an ABC political analyst and fixture on the Sunday talk shows. Shriver is a special Shriver - the niece of Robert F. Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy - was married to Schwarzenegger for 25 years until it was revealed that he had an affair with his maid and had fathered a child with her. She and Schwarzenegger have four children together. Dowd grew up in Detroit, Michigan, the son of an auto executive father and a school teacher mother. Dowd told the Times his family would have been upper-middle class - if his strict Irish Catholic parents hadn't had 11 children. He was an altar boy and even considered the priesthood - though, he told the Times, he liked girls too much. He has two grown sons with his first wife and a 12-year-old daughter Josephine with his second wife. That marriage ended after his wife gave birth to twin girls in 2002. Josephine survived. Her sister died after two months in the hospital. After he publicly criticized the Bush administration over its handling of gay marriage and the Iraq War, he left politics and moved to a ranch in rural Wimberly, Texas, an hour outside of Austin. Health official: Omicron cases 'just skyrocketing here in the community' As of Jan. 18, McLaren Northern Michigan had 23 COVID-19 inpatients at the Petoskey-based hospital, which included 10 in critical care units and 13 in non-critical care units. The Bombay high courts Aurangabad bench on Friday struck down criminal cases registered against 34 people, including 28 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, in Maharashtras Ahmednagar district, saying foreign nationals were virtually persecuted. A political Government tries to find scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity, and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats, said a bench of justice TV Nalawade and justice MG Sewlikar. The material of the present matter shows that the propaganda against the so-called religious activity was unwarranted. The Jamaat hit the headlines in March when authorities blamed a congregation at its headquarters in New Delhis Nizamuddin area for a jump in Covid-19 infections. The headquarters was sealed and thousands of attendees, including foreigners from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the US, were quarantined. Police initially filed a case against Jamaat chief Maulana Saad for violating a ban on big gatherings. He was later booked for culpable homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of 10-year imprisonment. The Jamaat, which has followers in over 80 countries, maintained many visitors at its headquarters were stranded after the government declared a lockdown to check the pandemic spread. The Centre blacklisted around 1,500 foreign Tablighi members for violating their visa norms and multiple cases were registered against them across the country, including in Maharashtra. The high court said foreigners having valid visas to enter India cannot be prevented from visiting mosques if they go there to observe religious practices. It is true that in view of wording of Article 19 [the right to freedom of speech and expression] of the Constitution of India, the freedoms given under this Article are not available to foreigners, a person who is not the citizen of India, it said. However, it needs to be kept in mind that when permission is given to the foreigners to come to India under visa, Article 25 [freedom of professing religion] comes in to play. Then Articles 20 and 21 [that relate to fundamental rights] are also available to the foreigners. All the foreigners, who petitioned the high court, had participated in the Nizamuddin congregation and thereafter gave religious lectures at mosques in Ahmednagar district allegedly in violation of lockdown norms in the last week of March. Initially, cases were registered against the trustees of mosques where the foreigners had stayed. All the 34 accused, including the foreigners, moved the high court seeking quashing of the criminal cases registered against them. The foreigners contended they came to India on valid visas and argued they were here mainly to experience Indian culture, tradition, hospitality and food. They said on their arrival at airports, they were screened for Covid-19. The foreigners argued they were struck in Ahmednagar after the imposition of the nationwide lockdown because of the suspension of the transportation services. They said that is why they stayed at mosques. Ahmednagar police maintained the Jamaat members were found preaching and so cases were registered against them. They added the foreigners were arrested after institutional quarantine and subsequently five of them were found to be infected. The police insisted there was sufficient material to indicate the accused had breached lockdown norms and visa conditions. The court cited guidelines and added foreigners visiting India on tourist visas are prevented from engaging in preaching activity. But it noted under the recently updated visa manual, there is no restriction on foreigners for visiting religious places and attending normal religious activities like attending discourses although tourist visas limit the purposes of a visit to recreation and site seeing. Social and religious tolerance is a practical necessity for unity and integrity in India and that is also made compulsory by our Constitution. By hard work over the past years after independence, we have reconciled religion and modernity to a great extent. This approach helps participation of most in a developing process. We have been respecting both religious and secular sensibilities since independence and by this approach, we have kept India as united, said the bench. The most powerful church body in Nagaland has issued a warning to its followers against a dangerous Chinese cult and its online activities. The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), the umbrella body of Baptist churches and associations in the state, sounded the warning on August 19 through a letter to all its associate units. I am writing this with a grave concern concerning a cult, called the Church of Almighty God from China, reportedly making inroads into our land, the letter by NBCC general secretary Rev. Zelhou Keyho said. NBCC is the central organisation of nearly 1,500 Baptist churches in Nagaland. Christians account for 87.93% the states population of 1.97 million people, according to the 2011 census. It is the biggest church body in the state and has considerable clout. According to the NBCC letter, the Church of Almighty God, also called Eastern Lightning cult, is a well-organised group, which is aggressively spreading its influence in the northeastern state by creating many Facebook pages and by publication of colourful artwork that appears biblical and enticing. Till date, this cult, which seems to have started in 1991 and has since spread to the US and other countries, doesnt have any office in Nagaland or have conducted any activity in the state. But they are very active online and usually target young people by sending friend requests, Rev. Keyho told HT over phone. They also conduct indoctrination online. The teachings of this cult are faulty and dont conform to our faith. They are connecting with people across India, and not just Nagaland. We have warned our organizations, but have no plan of filing official complaint against the cult, he added. A Facebook page by the name The Church of Almighty God has over 137,000 followers. The page claims Almighty God is the second coming of Jesus, and the organisation says it has offices in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, France and South Korea. The cult teaches that Jesus/God has come back to Earth as a woman, named Yang Xiangbin, also called Lightning Deng, and the New Testament has been replaced by their new bible, called The Word Appears in the Flesh, the NBCC letter read. According to the letter, the Chinese cult proclaims that there are three ages: Age of Law, when salvation begins and the Gods name is Jehovah; Age of Grace, when salvation continues and the Gods name is Jesus; and Age of Kingdom, when salvation is completed and the Gods name is The Almighty. Jesus said in his word that he would return to Earth, not as the Almighty who speaks through a woman from China, but as he was, is and shall ever be. Let us beware of this dangerous cult as they are actively spreading a false gospel and false teachings, the letter read. Rev. N Paphino, vice president, Nagaland Joint Christian Forum, said: I am not certain how much inroad the Chinese cult has made into Nagaland. But if Rev. Keyho has issued the letter, it means that there is definitely some cause of worry as he will not write without a genuine concern. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is an assistant editor based in Guwahati. He covers all eight states of North-East and was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times . ...view detail Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is in a stable condition after arriving in Germany for treatment following a suspected poisoning. The air ambulance landed on Saturday morning in Berlin's Tegel airport after a day-long standoff over his medical evacuation. An air ambulance landed in the German capital on Saturday carrying Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has suffered a suspected poisoning, after a day-long standoff over his medical evacuation. "Navalny's condition is stable," said Jaka Bizilj, the head of the Cinema for Peace NGO after the flight touched down at Berlin's Tegel airport. The plane, chartered by the German NGO Cinema for Peace, landed at 8:47 am local time, where Navalny is expected to be transferred to the Charite hospital for treatment. The 44-year-old lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner, one of President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, fell into a coma after becoming suddenly ill Thursday on a plane to Moscow that had to make an emergency landing in Omsk. Poison? His aides say they believe he was poisoned, apparently by a cup of tea at the airport, and blamed Putin, though Russian doctors said tests showed no trace of any poison. Doctors treating him in Omsk had refused to let Navalny leave but reversed course after his family and staff demanded he be allowed to travel to Germany. The air ambulance was dispatched to take Navalny to Berlin after Chancellor Angela Merkel extended an offer of treatment. European Union leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have voiced concern for Navalny, who has faced repeated physical attacks and numerous jail terms in more than a decade of opposition to Russian authorities. Pressed by senators, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said on Friday he was unaware of recent mail operation changes until they sparked a public uproar. But he also said he has no plans to restore mailboxes or high-speed sorting machines that have been removed. His testimony raised fresh questions about how the Postal Service will ensure timely delivery of ballots for the November election. DeJoy told senators that election mail would be prioritized for delivery as in years past. But he said that blue curbside collection boxes and sorting equipment that have been removed are not needed. DeJoy distanced himself from President Donald Trump's complaints about mail-in ballots that are expected to surge in the coronavirus pandemic, but he told senators could not yet provide a detailed plan about how he will ensure on-time election mail delivery. He declared that the Postal Service is fully capable and committed to delivering the nation's election mail securely and on-time. He said that was a sacred duty and his "No. 1 priority between now and Election Day. I think the American people should be able to vote by mail, DeJoy testified. The new postmaster general, a Trump donor and ally who took the job in June, has faced a public outcry over changes and delivery delays. Democrats warn his cost-cutting initiatives are causing an upheaval that threatens the election. They peppered him during a two-hour hearing with questions about the Trump administration's push to starve the Postal Service of emergency funds to process ballots for November. Trump had said he wants to block agency funding to make it harder for the Postal Service to handle the expected surge of mail-in ballots during the COVID-19 crisis. DeJoy said he has had few conversations with White House officials. He said he had no idea equipment was being removed until the public outcry. Democrats asked DeJoy to explain the rationale behind the changes and pressed him on how, exactly, he would ensure election mail and ballots would arrive on time. Do you have a more detailed plan? demanded Senator Maggie Hassan, D-N H, asking for it by Sunday. I don't think we'll have a complete plan by Sunday night, DeJoy replied, acknowledging it was just being formed. Grilled by Senator Jacky Rosen, D-Nev, DeJoy acknowledged he did few studies of how the changes he was making would impact seniors, veterans and working families. It was the first time DeJoy publicly answered questions since the delays,said and several senators said he has not been forthcoming with information to Congress. However, Republican Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, defended him and dismissed the Democratic claims of election sabotage. So this isn't some devious plot on your part, Johnson said. Johnson, of Wisconsin, said public outcry over the mail smacked of ginned up" effort to rally voters a political hit job". The hearing was held remotely as Congress is on recess and lawmakers have been conducting much of their business during the coronavirus outbreak in virtual settings. The outcry over mail delays and warnings of political interference have put the Postal Service at the center of the nation's tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation's oldest and more popular institutions. With mounting pressure, DeJoy promised this week to postpone any further changes until after the election, saying he wanted to avoid even the perception of interference. Blue mailboxes were being removed, back-of-shop sorting equipment shutdown and overtime hours kept in check. But DeJoy told senators dramatic changes are coming to the Postal Service after the election, and he stood by a newly-imposed rule that limits late delivery trips, which several postal workers have said is a major cause of delivery delays. Senator Mitt Romney said the public's concern is understandable, particularly given Trump's efforts to stop universal mail-in ballots. Meanwhile, attorneys general in Pennsylvania, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Washington DC, filed a lawsuit on Friday to halt the changes. In all, some 20 states and several voting rights groups are now suing. House Democrats are pushing ahead with a rare Saturday session to pass legislation that would prohibit the actions and send $25 billion to shore up postal operations. Republicans say the money is unnecessary, and House Republicans in a memo to lawmakers called the legislation a conspiracy theory by Democrats to spread fear and misinformation. Nevertheless, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a $10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package. The White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader bill. The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume, COVID-related costs and a rare and some say cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits. The postal board of governors, appointed by Trump, selected DeJoy in May to take the job. A GOP donor, he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor. He maintains significant financial stakes in companies that do business or compete with the agency, raising conflict of interest questions. (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.) (CNN) In mid-March, as the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold in Europe and the United States, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern presented her country with a choice. They could let coronavirus creep into the community and brace for an onslaught, as other countries around the world had done. Or they could "go hard" by closing the border even if that initially hurt the island nation's hugely tourism-dependant economy. Ardern opted for the second path. When New Zealand had only reported 28 cases, Ardern closed borders to foreigners, and when there were 102 cases, she announced a nationwide lockdown. In effect, Ardern offered New Zealanders a deal: put up with some of the toughest rules in the world, and in return, be kept safe first from the deadly coronavirus, and later, from potential economic devastation. For a while, it seemed that deal had paid off. New Zealand spent seven weeks under lockdown, five of them under strict rules that meant even takeaway food and traveling outside of their immediate neighborhood were off limits. But by June, life was basically back to normal and in August, New Zealand marked 100 days without any community transmission. Then, last week, that changed. The country reported its first cases of community transmission in three months, forcing the country's most populous city, Auckland, back under lockdown. The national election was postponed for one of the few times in the country's history. Somehow, authorities said, the virus appeared to have crept in through the border. As of Thursday, New Zealand has 101 active cases, bringing the country's total reported coronavirus cases to 1,304, including 22 deaths. That prompted outrage from New Zealand's opposition parties, who questioned whether the government failed to uphold their end of the bargain. "The Government has one job: keep the virus out of our community so we can avoid lockdowns. It has failed and we are all paying the price," said David Seymour, the leader of right-wing minority party ACT. Around Asia-Pacific, other countries that entered into similar implicit deals with their citizens are facing similar situations. Australia, for instance, also took swift, tough action at the start of the pandemic but issues at the border lead to an outbreak in the state of Victoria, prompting the country's second-biggest city, Melbourne, to return to a lockdown and be placed under a curfew. Now, as those in Europe go on holiday, people in parts of New Zealand and Australia two countries that were once held up as examples of how to handle the virus remain under lockdown. To some, that begs the question: did they take the right approach? And by promising safety, were governments like Ardern's always setting themselves up to fail? Inevitable outbreak? Right from the start, Ardern was clear she didn't want to simply limit the impact of coronavirus, she wanted to eliminate it. Elimination which the New Zealand health authorities defined as stopping the chains of transmission in the country was an ambitious goal, and one that few nations adopted. But Ardern and her government said it was the right one to protect the health of both the public and the economy and by April, New Zealand announced that it had achieved its goal of eliminating the virus. For months, New Zealand had no instances of community transmission, but even before the country announced its fresh cases, health authorities and experts were warning that another outbreak was inevitable. Shortly before New Zealand marked 100 days without any coronavirus transmission, Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield advised people to stock up on face masks. "I don't think it's scaremongering asking ask people to prepare for potential natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis and so on - it's actually looking after people," he said on a Facebook Live Q&A session. "This is about being prepared." For some people, that didn't really make sense. Only New Zealanders can come into the country, and even then, they must spend 14 days in a state-run quarantine facility and be tested twice for coronavirus. If the borders were secure, then why would a new outbreak be inevitable? The problem in this case is that the borders weren't that secure. Authorities have admitted that workers at New Zealand's border facilities people who would have been most vulnerable to catching the virus weren't being tested on a regular basis. "I want to acknowledge, at the outset, that testing of staff working at our border has been too slow," Health Minister Chris Hipkins said Tuesday. "It has not met the very clear expectations of Minister, the decisions that Cabinet has made were not implemented in a timely or a robust manner, and that is disappointing and frustrating." But even if the authorities hadn't made errors, it's possible to imagine a scenario where an infectious person could slip through the cracks. We know that false negative tests happen, so there's a very small chance a person could be Covid-19 positive and still be infectious when they are let out into the community after 14 days. As top scientist Peter Gluckman, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, and former Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe wrote in a paper in July: "As smugglers have known for centuries, border controls are never foolproof." What the outbreak means for Ardern It's never a good time for a resurgence of coronavirus, but the timing of this latest outbreak is particularly bad for Ardern. In April, when New Zealand was under its strict lockdown, a survey showed 88% of New Zealanders trusted the government's pandemic response, state broadcaster TVNZ reported. In the months since, Ardern's party soared in popularity to well over 50%. But now, with the election only eight weeks away, Ardern's opponents have seized on the problems at the border. On Thursday, Judith Collins, the leader of the main right-wing opposition National Party, launched its own proposed border policy, saying that the government's "disorderly and confused response" had put the health and livelihoods of 5 million New Zealanders at risk. Others questioned whether New Zealand's focus on elimination was the right approach after all. "Our attempt to eliminate Covid is an obsession that will destroy us," wrote columnist Damien Grant on the country's biggest news website, Stuff.co.nz. He echoed sentiments that have been rattling around New Zealand for a while -- in their paper in July, Gluckman, Clark and Fyfe questioned whether New Zealand could afford to wait out another year or two "in almost total physical isolation." "We were told we went hard and early and we stayed longer in lockdown the first time, those additional hard weeks, because we wanted to avoid a yo-yo back into lockdown, and here we are again," Paul Goldsmith, from the National Party, said Tuesday. As Goldsmith noted, there isn't just a health risk in the virus returning there's an economic one from a return to lockdown. Auckland makes up about 40% of New Zealand's economy, and the country set aside another half a billion New Zealand dollars ($327 million) to help support workers during the city's current lockdown. Lockdowns also come with other costs like other countries, New Zealand saw a rise in domestic violence reports during its first nationwide lockdown, national broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported. Ardern and her party will try to play up the benefits that have come from their strict handling, even if hasn't been perfect. The Prime Minister has consistently said that the best economic strategy is to win the fight against Covid-19. After all, there are costs to letting the virus spiral out of control. An out of control outbreak would have economic impacts anyway, and on top of that, there's health resources, the cost of a slow recovery from coronavirus, and death. So far, statistics show that New Zealand's tough approach hasn't had a devastating economic cost. Earlier this month, the government reported only 4% unemployment, although the underutilization rate grew from 10.4% to 12%, the largest quarterly rise since 2004. "What we're finding internationally is that countries that have control of Covid-19, like China, even if they're experiencing occasional outbreaks, have stronger economies," said Dominick Stephens, Westpac NZ's chief economist, in a video statement last Friday. "Those countries that have lost control of the virus like the United States are seeing economic forecasts constantly revised down and are weaker economically." While Ardern's critics are getting louder, there's still goodwill toward the Prime Minister and her government it wasn't so long ago that New Zealand was the envy of the world. And New Zealand authorities have acted swiftly a day after the new cases were announced last week, Auckland went into lockdown, and more than 100,000 tests were processed within five days. But Ardern's real test is yet to come. When the country heads to the polls in October, she'll be hoping that, despite the hiccups, the country still thinks her tough coronavirus approach was worth it. This story was first published on CNN.com "New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern wants to eliminate coronavirus. Is she setting herself up to fail?" PLA announces large-scale, live-fire drills in Yellow Sea Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/21 23:28:40 The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will hold large-scale, live-fire exercises in the Yellow Sea from Saturday to Wednesday, and Chinese military experts predicted on Friday that the drills could feature anti-ship, air defense and anti-submarine exercises to prepare for possible military conflicts with the US, which has been frequently sending bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and warships near China. Issued by PLA Unit 91208 and local maritime authorities on Friday, a navigation restriction notice said that the drills will be held in a vast region of waters east of Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, and Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, with other ships prohibited from entering the designated areas. The notice did not provide further details on the drills. According to the Qingdao government, PLA Unit 91208 is attached to the Navy, and similar drills in the area have taken place multiple times in the past, including in September 2016, July 2017 and August 2017. Judging from the large area and the description of "large-scale," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Friday that the drills are likely to feature anti-ship, air defense and anti-submarine exercises. The drills could also be joint exercises that feature multiple military branches based in different regions of the country, Song said, noting that this could mean that these exercises could be linked to the recent consecutive, realistic drills in the Taiwan Straits. The US has been frequently sending bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and warships near China, particularly in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan Straits. Additionally, the US Pacific Air Forces sent four B-1 and two B-2 bombers in simultaneous missions on Tuesday in the Sea of Japan and Indian Ocean, with some aircraft coordinating with the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group near Japan at one point, US military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on Wednesday. Song said that the PLA should not only prepare for battle in the South China Sea and East China Sea, but also in the Yellow Sea, because the goal of these drills should be joint operations, and troops from Northern, Eastern and Southern theater commands should be capable of cross-regional joint combat. If a military conflict breaks out, it will likely not be restricted to one sea region, but interconnected, Song stressed. The latest drills also mark that there have been major PLA exercises in the three major sea regions of China, namely the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Yellow Sea, in this summer, analysts noted. Qingdao is also the home port of the Liaoning aircraft carrier. According to Sina Military and commercial satellite images on Monday and Wednesday, the Liaoning was not in its base. It is not known if the Chinese aircraft carrier will participate in the drills. Chinese military enthusiasts also said they hope to see the Nanchang, China's first 10,000 ton-class Type 055 destroyer, and potentially the second Type 055 destroyer in the drills. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The coastline around the Lavender Hill Faecal Treatment Plant at Jamestown in the Greater Accra Region is under siege from hundreds of squatters, a situation that poses a security threat to members of the public who operate in that vicinity. The squatters, whose structures were demolished at the site for the Jamestown Fishing Harbour project three months ago, have invaded that section of the coastline where they have put up makeshift structures for accommodation. The area has also been turned into a business enclave, as fishmongers and petty traders have pitched camp there to ply their trade. When the Daily Graphic visited the sprawling shantytown last Wednesday, it was observed that the area was fast developing into squalor. Observation When the team got there about 2:30 p.m., some of the squatters were seen busily erecting wooden structures and mini-kiosks to serve as accommodation and business centres. The area was buzzing with human activities as the squatters engaged in different endeavours. It was observed that as a result of their activities, the coastal enclave was inundated in filth, as the squatters threw waste matter around with impunity, worsening the sanitation situation there. Security threat It was also evident that the place had become a haven for criminal elements, as some of the youth there were seen living gangster lifestyles. Some of them said they were ready to do anything to survive because their livelihoods had been affected by the demolition exercise at the Jamestown Beach enclave. One of them, who gave his name as Kwasi Annan, said the situation they found themselves in could push them into crime as things were difficult for them. Some of us put our money into building structures to do our business, but officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) came and destroyed them. When we moved to this new place, I erected another structure which cost me GH2,000 and the AMA destroyed it again. If the assembly continues demolishing our structures and we do not have anything to do, we will be left with no option but to resort to criminal activities to make a living, he said. Appeal Another squatter, Samuel Nii Quaye, who introduced himself as the linguist of the Chief Fisherman at Jamestown, said the lifestyle at the new squatter community was dangerous. He complained that since the area was along a highway and vehicles moved at top speed, it was a threat to the lives of squatters. He added that although the people had been at the area for about three months now, the AMAs continued demolition of their structures was a major concern. Some of us are fishermen and we keep our premix fuel here; but anytime the AMA comes to demolish the structures, they destroy the fuel. We want the AMA to stop demolishing the structures here because we do not have any place to go, he added. Jamestown Fishing Harbour Project The AMA has demolished hundreds of structures at the Jamestown Beach enclave to pave the way for work to begin on the Jamestown Fishing Harbour project. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the fishing harbour on December 6, 2018. He said the project would be built with a Chinese grant of $60 million and was expected to improve the lives of residents of the coastal community. The Jamestown Fishing Harbour project is in three major parts the dredging of about 118,000 cubic metres harbour basin and shipping channels, the construction of hydraulic structures composed of berths, a sea wall and a breakwater and the construction of administration, production and supporting facilities, including an office building, a kindergarten, a market, a processing area, a commercial area and other production activities. AMA reacts Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the AMA, Mr Gilbert Nii Ankrah, said the assembly had taken note of the activities of the squatters and would flush them out. He told the Daily Graphic that following the demolition of structures at the Jamestown fishing harbour site, the AMA decided to prepare the coastline along the Lavender Hill Faecal Treatment Plant to be used as a temporary landing beach for fishermen. "We prepared the place only for the fishermen in the area to be able to carry on with their fishing activities until the fishing harbour project is completed. However, we have seen that some other people have moved in there and even started building permanent structures," he said. How soon? Mr Ankrah added that the city authority had mapped up a strategy to fish out the illegal occupants of the area. When asked how soon the AMA would carry out that exercise, he said "I can tell you that we are engaging and seeing how best to take the illegal settlers out because they should not be there." 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 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York will allow voters to request absentee ballots for the general election because of an outbreak like coronavirus under a new state law signed Thursday. New Yorkers can now vote by absentee in any election through Jan. 1, 2022, over concern about voting in-person during an epidemic or disease outbreak. For weeks, Democrats and voting rights groups had called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign the legislation, which the Democratic-led Legislature passed in late July. Voters were allowed to vote by absentee ballots in the June primary because of virus concerns. New York typically only allows voters to request absentee ballots if they fall into one of several categories, including absence from ones county on Election Day. Voters in New York can start requesting absentee ballots immediately under another bill Cuomo signed. New York's new legislation comes amid growing concerns about the impact of cost-cutting moves at the United States Postal Service, a potential surge in the pandemic this fall and mailing delays and other issues that plagued the June primary. An unknown number of voters didnt receive their ballot until Election Day or after, fueling calls by voting rights group for a ballot-tracking system across New York. Some lawmakers have proposed reducing reliance on the mail by allowing drop boxes outside the usual confines of voting sites and local election offices. But State Board of Elections spokesperson John Conklin told The Associated Press it's unlikely New York has the time to buy enough drop boxes to widely expand their use for November. Election officials are expecting an even bigger flood of mail-in votes in November than for the June primary, after which results were delayed for six weeks. Election officers worked through the pandemic to process 1.8 million requests for absentee ballots in a primary that saw nearly 40% of votes cast by absentee ballot a monumental sum in a state whose long-restrictive absentee-voting system involves fewer than 1 in 10 voters in typical elections. Story continues Unlike New York, 34 states allow residents to vote absentee without citing a specific excuse, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. New York state lawmakers who want to allow no-excuse voting would have to pass a proposed state constitutional amendment a second time in the next Legislature to send it to voters for ratification. Some states, including Missouri and Massachusetts, have already expanded absentee voting this year, while similar legislation is pending in Connecticut. Other voting-related legislation, including a bill to pass an automatic electronic system of voter registration, is still under review, according to Cuomo's office. As of early Thursday afternoon, Cuomo had not signed a bill to notify voters of issues with their absentee ballots such as the lack of signature and allow voters to fix them. Some state election officials calling for additional funding and time to process ballots this November from lawmakers along with patience from voters have warned the measure will fuel more delays. Its unclear how the state and Postal Service will fix several issues with mail-in voting ahead of the November election. Earlier this year, Cuomo announced the state would mail applications for absentee ballots with prepaid postage to all registered voters. His office didnt immediately respond Thursday when asked whether hell do so for November as well. But the Postal Service failed to postmark all ballots sent with the prepaid postage in the June primary, even though its their policy to do so. Over 4,800 ballot envelopes in Brooklyn lacked a postmark while the four other boroughs saw fewer than 100 ballots without postmarks, according to Robert Brehm, the state elections board's co-executive director. He said the state received complaints from upstate counties as well. I am sure you agree that is an unacceptably high number, Brehm said, in an Aug. 10 letter asking the Postal Service how it'll avoid more voter disenfranchisement in November. Brehm cited a federal judge who found that discrepancy in the diverse borough whose minority communities were hard-hit by the coronavirus was unconstitutional. As you are aware, a lack of a postmark results in disenfranchising voters, and our efforts should focus on preventing such disenfranchisement, he said. Another new state law Cuomo signed Thursday would let election officials count a ballot even if it wasnt postmarked, at long as it arrived by the day after Election Day. Still, lawmakers haven't addressed the fate of ballots without a postmark that arrived several days after the June primary, and whether the state will accept such ballots in November. Meanwhile, state and local election commissioners are calling on New York to prevent delays and give poll workers more time and funding to prepare. The Postal Service asked New York on July 30 to require voters to request a ballot at least 15 days before the Nov. 3 election, up from seven days currently. Brehm endorsed pushing back the deadline in a recent legislative hearing, but Cuomo and lawmakers havent indicated whether theyll do so. And Brehm is urging the Postal Service to avoid a repeat of the 2017 November election, when large batches of absentee ballot envelopes in Brooklyn werent delivered until late April in 2018. He said the postal service expected the city to pick up the ballots per a verbal agreement. The Postal Service didnt respond to request for comment Wednesday or Thursday. But she said she feels exhausted by trying to motivate schools to address race. The CCCU has so hurt and disappointed so many of us who have worked for years to try to be patient enough and collaborative enough and in dialogue enough with this issue that many of us have given up, Salter McNeil said. I have given up. China says a new set of U.S. trade restrictions on Chinese technology company Huawei will hurt world trade. The new U.S. rules block suppliers from using American technology to produce processor chips and other electronic parts for Huawei. The Chinese company is a major supplier of equipment to telecommunications companies around the world and is also a major producer of smartphones. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman accused the U.S. of violating international trade rules and harming the international supply chain. China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, the spokesman added. While such language is commonly used during trade disputes, it is often not followed up with official action. Huawei had already removed U.S.-supplied parts from its main products following earlier restrictions. The new rules expand those controls to Asian and European parts if the manufacturing process uses U.S. technology. Such U.S. manufacturing methods are widely used in the industry. Huawei had no comment on the latest U.S. restrictions. The president of the companys consumer division, Richard Yu, said this month that Huawei was running out of processor chips for its smartphones. Huawei designs its own chips, but Yu said production of a more complex kind, the Kirin series, would stop on September 15 because the company depends on outside manufacturers that use U.S. technology. Officials at the U.S. Commerce Department said the new action should prevent Huaweis attempts to get around U.S. export controls. It makes clear that were covering off-the-shelf designs that Huawei may be seeking to purchase from a third-party design house, an official told Reuters news agency. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a message on Twitter the new restrictions dealt a direct blow to Huawei and the repressive Chinese Communist Party. The measures were meant to further limit Huaweis ability to get U.S. technology. In addition, they aim to prevent the company from compromising the worlds networks and Americans private information, Pompeo added. U.S. officials have pushed governments around to world to cut ties with Huawei. They say that the company could provide data to the Chinese government for spying. Huawei denies it spies for China. Im Bryan Lynn. Reuters and The Associated Press reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story chip n. an electronic device that contains many circuits used in computers consumer adj. related to products that people buy for personal or home use supply chain n. a system of organizations or operations that work together to design, produce and deliver a product to the market legitimate adj. permitted by law off-the-shelf adj. available from an existing supply of goods, not specially made purchase v. to buy compromise v. a change that makes something worse and that is not done for a good reason Deputy Information Minister Hon Pius Enam Hadzide has described former President John Dramani Mahama's call for a debate on infrastructure with the President, HE. Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo as pointless and unnecessary. He says the president is more focused on delivering his promises to the people of Ghana, and does not have time to waste on such a venture. Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the December 7 elections, John Dramani Mahama, has thrown a challenge to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for a debate on infrastructural achievements. I am willing to present myself for a debate with Nana Akufo-Addo, any day, anytime, anywhere and we will settle the matter once and for all, he said. John Mahama threw the challenge to the President during a meeting with traditional leaders of Ho West in the Volta Region as part of his campaign tour of the region. I have recently been listening to debates about infrastructure. Our infrastructure record is there for everybody to see. And in 2016 when I was talking about the value of infrastructure, my friends on the other side said we dont eat infrastructure; we dont eat roads. That was what they said. Today I can see a scramble for even KVIPs and any infrastructure and they tout it as an achievement. But speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, the Deputy Minister explained that government, through the vice president, has laid bare its infrastructural achievements. "So if they have anything to show, they should also come out and also present what they achieved during their tenure as we have done. "For me, it looks like the former president who wants to engage in "kids play", other than that I do not see the need to call for a debate when we have presented bare facts to you and to the people of Ghana. "The former president wants to draw us back with his request for debate because if he really means business, then he should also through his community and public engagements show to the people of Ghana what he was able to achieve whilst he stayed in government," he posited. He maintained that the people of Ghana know what the NPP government has achieved within their short stay in government "so if the former president has any notable achievements to consolidate his tenure in government, then he should also display them to the public like what we did at our town hall meeting than to call for a needless debate. "For us, we are moving onto our next phase of answering and accounting to the people of Ghana what we have been able to achieve within this small time and stay in government; and we trust that the people of Ghana will give us another mandate to take them to the next level of a better economy, good living, and growth," he added. 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 AUSTIN Lame duck Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, leaving office after he was caught on tape plotting against fellow Republican legislators, boosted the taxpayer-funded salary of several top aides just as he was cutting the amount he gives them from donated campaign funds, records show. Bonnens office said campaign work dried up after he decided to bow out of politics and noted his overall payroll expenditures dropped as staffers have departed and werent replaced. Political watchdogs say the expenditures, while legal, suggest Bonnen is treating the state treasury like its his own money while ensuring the pot of cash he received in his campaign account which he can control and use for years remains as big as possible once hes out of office. Bonnens campaign funds totaled about $3.4 million as of June 30, records show. It's essentially trying to squeeze as much as you can out of your taxpayer-funded accounts so as to protect your campaign accounts, said Mark Jones, political scientist at Rice University. It's somewhat untoward to be paying these people that much out of your officeholder account, which is why you originally used your campaign account. The new staff salaries range as high as $280,000 annually, records show. Its not unusual for top state officials to boost the take-home pay of their top staffers by giving them supplemental salaries from campaign accounts. Watchdogs have criticized the practice, arguing that the politicians become more beholden to wealthy donors because they come to rely on the money to attract and retain talent at the Capitol. But the Ethics Commission long ago deemed the arrangement legal. Bonnen, an Angleton Republican first elected to the House in 1996, was elevated to the powerful post of speaker in 2019. But a self-inflicted wound soon after the session ended left his political career in tatters. Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press In a meeting at the Capitol with far-right activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, Bonnen trash-talked fellow Republicans and dangled favors to Sullivan. In late October, after Sullivan publicly released the secretly recorded audio of the meeting, Bonnen announced he would not run for re-election this year. Not long after, the speaker began boosting the state salaries of top aides. Funding sources switched Bonnen effectively replaced the money his aides lost from his campaign officeholder account with money from state coffers. The taxpayer money flowed in just as the donor money went out all just a few weeks after Bonnen announced he would retire from the Texas House. Case in point: In December of last year, Bonnen chief of staff Gavin Massingill saw his campaign salary drop from $10,000 a month to $5,000 a month. The same month, his state pay increased by the exact amount he lost: it went from $18,333 a month to $23,333, an annualized state salary of about $280,000. Likewise, the Republican speakers top lawyer and policy adviser, Gardner Pate (now an aide to Gov. Greg Abbott) had his campaign salary reduced by $3,000 in December. His government salary went up by $3,083 to $17,666 the same month. Thats an annual state salary of about $212,000. At least five more Bonnen aides for a total of seven got substantial state raises just as private campaign payments decreased by identical or similar amounts, records show. Another five got state raises after the taping scandal exploded but dont show up on campaign reports or had minimal payments there to begin with. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Adjustments included: * District affairs coordinator Jessica Follett got a $1,000 monthly raise in December and lost her $1,000 monthly campaign salary the next month. She was making an annualized state salary of about $82,000 as of July. * Digital media coordinator Caroline McKinney saw her monthly state salary rise by $1,250 in December only to lose her monthly campaign salary of $1,250 the same month. Her most recent annualized state salary was $80,000. * Office director Shera Eichler got a $3,000-a-month state raise in December and had a campaign salary cut of $2,550 in January. Her most recently available annualized state salary was $201,000. * Administrative coordinator Kimberly Tharel gained $300 a month from the state in December but lost the same amount from the campaign; her state salary has gone up twice since then, to a total of $5,834 a month, an annualized state salary of $70,000, records show. Spokeswoman Cait Meisenheimer, who became the public face of the speakers office as scandal engulfed it, received two state salary bumps that coincided with similarly timed drops in campaign payments. In August 2019, just as the secret recording of Bonnen began to threaten the speakers reign, the speaker promoted Meisenheimer to communications director and raised her monthly salary by about $4,300, pushing it from $6,667 to $11,000 a month. The next month, Meisenheimers campaign salary dropped by $1,500 a month. In December, a little over a month after the secret tape scandal forced the speaker to announce an early retirement from politics, Bonnen raised Meisenheimers state salary again, this time by $1,500 a month, to a monthly total of $12,500, which works out to an annualized state salary of $150,000, Texas House records show. The next month, state filings show, her monthly campaign salary dropped by $1,300. Beginning in February, a separate political fund created by Bonnen, Texas Leads PAC, started paying both Eichler and Meisenheimer $400 a month, according to the most recent reports that go through June of this year. A budget reduction State ethics rules allow state politicians to hang on to their campaign money for years, and many of them use it to continue wielding influence at the Texas Capitol, donate to their favorite charities and pay for a variety of expenses, including travel and meals. In written statements to the Houston Chronicle, Meisenheimer said Bonnens office expenses went down by almost a third as people have left and werent replaced, meaning existing staffers had to pick up the slack. Speaker Bonnen made the choice to save taxpayer dollars and cut operational costs by asking members of our current team to take on greater responsibilities rather than rehiring for positions, and that decision has successfully led to a 31 percent reduction in our office budget, she said. Rather than defend her own salary increase, which Meisenheimer said was awkward and a little bit insulting, she sent a statement directly from Bonnen, who accused the Chronicle of suggesting that a woman is not entitled to the same compensation as a male counterpart, despite having earned the same job title and responsibilities. Nick Wagner, MBR / Associated Press Meisenheimer was promoted to communications director from press secretary and her salary shot up as a result when her male predecessor, Gene Acuna, left the speakers office last summer. Anthony Gutierrez, executive director for the non-partisan watchdog group Common Cause Texas, said the Legislature needs to tighten disclosure rules to ensure people who work for elective officials in Texas are giving the public more details about what theyre doing to justify both their state and political salaries. It definitely doesn't sound like there is something illegal here but it certainly borders on unethical, Gutierrez said. Clearly what's happening here is you just decided you wanted to give some people some more money, and it's taxpayers who are footing the bill for these raises. Meisenheimer responded: Would the so-called watchdogs prefer, she asked, that an outgoing speaker in an interim (between sessions) no less hire people to fill vacated positions, thus spending more taxpayer money on salaries? jay.root@chron.com twitter.com/byjayroot Penn State students moved back into dorms and off-campus housing this past week, injecting life and traffic into a downtown that seemed empty and largely abandoned during the months-long coronavirus shutdown. It was really disheartening to get here in the morning and not see anyone, said Rebecca Durst, owner of Rinaldos Barber Shop, which has been shearing students scalps since 1925. It was abandoned, she shuddered. Just a few people. Everyone was working from home. As students return, Penn State and the borough have established rules for wearing face masks, social distancing and have limited gatherings in an effort to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. A firestorm erupted on social media earlier this week when a video circulated showing scores of students gathering Wednesday night on the sands of a beach volleyball court in East Halls for a celebration, without masks or any apparently thought for social distancing. The backlash from the administration and fellow students was swift. Theres a lot of people angry at all the freshman, saying that were going to be the reason everyone goes home, said East Halls resident Ryan Macosko. Officials and fellow students were hoping that disapproval of their peers and warnings from administrators will prevent a recurrence. In the meantime, students Saturday were exploring State College borough and preparing for classes to resume on Monday. The Delhi Police on Saturday said they have arrested a 36-year-old suspected operative of the Islamic State. Police said the man had planned a lone wolf terror strike in a high footfall area in the city using a high-intensity pressure cooker-based improvised explosive device (IED). Police did not specify the high-footfall area that the man was to target, but said he hailed from a village in Uttar Pradeshs Balrampur, and was set to carry out the IED blasts. Police said they received information that the alleged operative, Mohammed Mushtaqeem Khan, would pass by Dhaula Kuan area on Friday. Officers of the special cell said around 11pm, the man was intercepted and caught after a shoot-out in the Ridge area between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh. Police said they recovered two pressure cooker IEDs weighing around 15kg, a.30 bore pistol and four cartridges that Khan was carrying in a bag. Khan was on a white TVS Apache motorcycle at the time of his arrest. Also read| Delhi: Suspected ISIS operative arrested with IEDs after encounter Five shots were exchanged, including three fired on the raiding party by Khan. Nobody was injured, deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Pramod Kushwah said. On Saturday morning, around a dozen National Security Guard (NSG) officers, including those from its bomb disposal squad, carried out a controlled blast to dispose of the IEDs, for which they created a pit inside the Buddha Jayanti Park and cordoned off the entire area as a safety and precautionary measure. The team used a remote-controlled vehicle to lift and contain the IEDs. The operation last nearly three hours. The IEDs were ready for use and only installation of timers were needed for carrying out explosions, Kushwah said. In a press statement, police said Khans interrogation has revealed that his original plan was to carry out the IED blasts during the Independence Day celebrations on August 15. However, because of the heavy security arrangements, Khan could not enter the city and had to drop the terror strike plan, Kushwah said. During a press briefing, the DCP said Khan had planned the blasts on the directions of his handler, a commander of the ISKP (Islamic State of Khorasan Province) in Afghanistan, which is a banned terrorist organisation and is a part of IS. The officer did not disclose the handlers name, saying it would hamper their probe. Khan was in touch with the commander through social media, they said. Khan told us that he was more inclined to fidayeen (suicide) attack. But his handler had told him that after successfully executing the IEDs blasts, he would be getting fresh instructions to carry out a fidayeen attack. He claims that he has already prepared an explosive belt for the fidayeen attack. We are verifying his claims and trying to recover it, Kushwah said, adding that the ownership of the motorcycle with UP registration that Khan was riding is being verified Khan has told the police that he learnt to make IEDs and suicide belt through videos on social media. He has told us that he carried out a successful dry run of a small IED blast at a burial ground in his village. Also, he prepared the two pressure cooker IEDs himself. We are verifying his claims, the DCP said. On Saturday, Khan was sent to eight-day police custody by a Delhi court. A Class 9 drop-out, Khan runs a cosmetic shop at his village in Balrampur, where his wife and four children also live. Uttar Pradesh police has sounded a statewide alert on Saturday after Khans arrest , Prashant Kumar, additional director general (ADG) of police (law and order), said. Kumar said all district police chiefs have been asked to intensify vigil and carry out extensive drives to check the movement of suspicious people. SHANNON Airport has been dealt a fresh blow after it was confirmed Delta will axe its service to New Yorks JFK. Its the second transatlantic route to be cut from the airports offering in the last three months, with United Airlines also ceasing its connection to Newark Airport in New Jersey. There have been calls for more government support at Shannon Airport which was also rocked by the news last month that Aer Lingus's base there was under threat. Limericks local airport did receive 6.1m in emergency funding, but many critics have pointed out that more is required, with Irelands smaller regional airports able to draw on specialist pools of support. In a statement, the Shannon group confirmed the grounding of Deltas New York operation. Delta has advised Shannon Airport that with demand at an all-time l,ow across their network, they are cutting their transatlantic capacity next year and will be concentrating mainly on hub-to-hub activity and major cities, they said. Deltas history with Shannon Airport goes right back to 1986, with the firm making the base its first Irish stop then. Its departure from Shannon leaves just two potential transatlantic operators next year: Aer Lingus and American Airlines. Budget airline Ryanair and Aer Lingus remain at the airport, operating short-haul routes to Britain and Europe. It were books that helped her heal from the trauma of being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt for her activism back in 2012 and after graduating from Oxford University in June 2020, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is all set to come up with her digital book club Fearless. It will be hosted by Austin-based literary startup, Literati, which is making a big move from their childrens book club into adult book clubs. Malalas Fearless is slated to start in October this year and will feature bold and inspiring women writers. Literati CEO and Founder Jessica Ewing told Forbes, Malala has always been a perfect choice for us obviously just because she is so aspirational. Shes just admired by so many people. And shes just a fanatic reader. Fanatic reader, in love with books, she feels at home with education. We just knew this is someone who cares deeply about books and deeply about reading. For our brand she is the perfect mind in the middle between our kids brand our luminary brand. So shes been really wonderful to work with. A lover of non-fiction, Malala barely had access to many books in Pakistan until the age of 15. The eight-nine books that she had were considered a huge accomplishment by her. While Paulo Coelhos The Alchemist is her all-time favorite book, the 23-year-old will be selecting a book each month which she will read and later discuss with her followers before recommending it to the subscribers. Talking about Fearless being the theme of her upcoming book club, Malala shared with the news agency, As somebody who spoke out during a time when terrorism was spreading, being fearless became such an important part of my life. And for me that was overcoming your fear. She elaborated that while it is inevitable to be nervous, anxious or worried about the responses that we receive, what defines one is overcoming those fears and sticking to doing what one believes in. Fearless are those people who overcome these obstacles, who overcome these fears that surround them internally and externally. And they come forward with all that is in their heart they tell the truth, theyre radical in expressing their feelings and they share actual true stories, they express their true feelings. Thats what fearless means to me, Malala reasoned about her book clubs name. While her own robust writings include books like I Am Malala, We Are Displaced and Malalas Magic Pencil, Malala revealed in an interview with Bustle about a book that she would suggest President Trump to read if she had the power to make one recommendation to him. She told the news agency, I wish he would read. Based on whats happening right now, Why Im No Longer Talking to White People About Race. I just started [it], but its a sophisticated and detailed approach to defining structural racism. Its [about] being educated and understanding what racism is, and how its embedded within our systems. I want the president to know a lot of things. I want him to learn a lot. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The pandemic has hit Louisianas economy and economists say it could takes years to recover. Since March more than 800,000 people have filed new unemployment claims. When COVID19 made it to Louisiana, Louisianas job loss was at 11% leaving local economists looking at unprecedented numbers. To put that number in perspective its almost double the job loss the state in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, said Dr. Gary Wagner, a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Hes never seen anything like this. I almost double-check everything because you think that number cant be right, said Dr. Wagner. Thats kind of the world were in right now. The category five Hurricane that devastated southern Louisiana 15 years ago left a mark on Louisiana, but this pandemic is doing much worse because it isnt just local. Its a natural disaster that is sweeping across the country, said Dr. Wagner. So were not able to pull in resources from other states to help us because they need those resources. During Katrina, Lafayette didnt face too big of a negative impact. In Lafayette, our jobs were increasing during Hurricane Katrina because we had a migration of people. And during this pandemic, Dr. Wagner says Lafayette has been luckier than other areas. Were actually down about 18,000 jobs which is about 9%, said Dr. Wagner. So New Orleans, Shreveport, Baton Rouge all lost more than 10%. I think New Orleans was like 15%. But looking at the numbers, he says we could have a long way to go to begin the recovery process. It doesnt look like any of the models in my forecast points towards her recovery until at least 2022, said Dr. Wagner. Even though there are a lot of unknowns Dr. Wagner says there is a positive, he and other economists at the beginning said it looked like it was going to be worse than its is now. To look at Dr. Wagners Economic Forecast you can go here. Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh has fallen victim to an elaborate cyber scam. Ms Marsh, 48, was conned out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by overseas hackers impersonating legal advisors. The sophisticated online scam sees fraudsters send emails mirroring correspondence that the victim is already expecting from trusted business associates or lawyers. It is believed Ms Marsh was targeted by hackers while she was in the process of buying a $10million beachfront home in Noosa, Queensland. Krissy Marsh (picture), 48, is the second high-profile victim to be scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by overseas hackers The former real estate agent starred on the Real Housewives of Sydney and is married to property developer John Marsh. They have three children - Billy, Nicco and Milana. She is currently living in her home in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Dover Heights, which she listed for sale for $8million in 2017 but never sold. According to the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Marsh was swindled out of about $550,000 after hackers sent an email impersonating a law firm which represented the 'property princess'. As part of the settlement, the mother-of-three was asked to send hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ms Marsh did not confirm the figure when she was contacted on Saturday. It is believed Ms Marsh (pictured) was targeted by hackers during the purchase of a $10 million beachfront home in Noosa, Queensland In July, former Balmain and NSW rugby league legend Ben Elias was scammed after hackers impersonated his 'lawyer' asking for a settlement of $860,000 for a multimillion-dollar parcel of land he bought in Western Sydney 'The police are aware of it but I am unable to comment at the moment,' she told The Daily Telegraph. In July, former Balmain and NSW rugby league legend Ben Elias was scammed after hackers impersonated his 'lawyer' asking for a settlement of $860,000 for a multimillion-dollar parcel of land he bought in western Sydney He transferred the figure and called his real lawyer to confirm he received the amount. Unfortunately, his lawyer could not confirm he had received the amount or knew what he was talking about. 'That was the scary thing. They sounded exactly like my lawyer and how he would speak in my email. Nothing seemed out of order,' Elias said. Ms Marsh (pictured) was swindled out of thousands after hackers impersonated her lawyer 'I try to be very careful with significant transactions so this blindsided me.' Elias was then notified by his bank's cyber fraud department he had been targeted by hackers. The team helped him to retrieve his money by tracking it down before it had been 'lost forever' by being wired offshore. 'To be in a publicized interracial relationship is not a joke': Kanye West discusses Kim marriage before ranting about Jay Pharoah's VMA impersonation Unimpressed: Kanye West ranted about Jay Pharoah's impersonation of him during his performance at the Made In America Festival on Saturday night His wife Kim Kardashian was forced to sit through SNL comic Jay Pharoah's impersonation of him during the recent MTV Video Music Awards. But Kanye West did not exactly see the funny side. In fact, the 37-year-old has revealed he went so far as to phone the 26-year-old following his performance on August 24, which also saw him do an impression of Jay-Z. 'I called Jay Pharoah right after the MTV awards,' Kim Kardashians husband told the audience while on stage at the Made In America festival in Philadelphia on Saturday night. 'I said, "I appreciate your show, but let me tell you about my story. Let me tell you about what I went through to get to that position," he recalled. 'So we ain't gonna have no black comedians going onstage spoofing the people that's working hard, and helping the next man out.' Kanye seemed to take exception to the fact, that in his view, Pharoah was making fun of his work ethic. 'It's fine and all funny and everything, but don't distract from our vision,' he said. 'It's not a joke what we do up here. This music that we do is not a joke. What we do culturally is not a joke.' The rapper also mentioned his marriage to Kim, telling the audience: 'For me to be in a very publicized interracial relationship is not a joke. It's something that should be treated with respect cause were all in this together.' The star also tried to make light of his legendary ego, saying his intention is to help everybody with his creative work. 'They try to make it seem like a self absorbed thing, but the bottom line is that I want to be able to create more, to create more that can help more people,' he said. 'I know everybody's doing their job. But before we go to the next song, what I want people to realize is what we do we put our love, our heart, our pain, our story, our lives into it.' No laughing matter: Jay Pharoah'sd impersonation of Kanye at the VMAs didn't go down too well with the rapper Captive audience: Kim Kardashian and half sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner appeared to find the VMA performance amusing Pharoah's impersonation played on West's legendary ego, taking in a crowd which included Kim and her half sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner. 'They asked me to come out here and tell y'all about the artists to watch. But there's really only one artist to watch - ME!' Pharoah ' s West proclaimed. 'I created television! Can't nobody else do that Matt Lauer. I didn't even get an award even though everything I do is genius. My videos cure ALS, y'all! I don't need to do no ice bucket challenge!' Pharoah, who also impersonated Jay-Z, then went on to describe Kim as 'the smartest human being on the plan et ,' adding: ' Me and Kim are so next level , we named our daughter North West after an airline that no longer exists. ' People in Oldham, Blackburn and parts of Pendle will be told not to socialise with anyone from outside their household from midnight on Saturday to slow the spread of coronavirus. Although business closures have been avoided, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said new measures mean social activities indoors and outdoors can be shared only by people who live in the same home. No more than 20 people will be able to attend weddings, civil partnerships and funerals, and this must be made up of household members and close family only, and residents must avoid public transport, except for essential travel. People can still shop and go to work, while schools and other childcare settings will open as normal under the new restrictions, the government said. Oldhams council leader Sean Fielding had earlier this week warned a total lockdown could be catastrophic for businesses. Commenting on the restrictions introduced on Friday, he said: Over the last few days weve made a clear argument that an economic lockdown was not the answer for Oldham. Instead, we put forward a strong case to government for a different approach one where we increase testing, use our powers to drive compliance and enforcement among those not currently following guidelines and carry out intensive door-to-door engagement in areas with higher cases. There have been 187 new cases of Covid-19 recorded in Oldham in the week to 17 August the equivalent of 78.9 per 100,000 people, figures published on Thursday showed. This was a decrease from 111.8 in the seven days to 10 August. Pendles latest weekly rate was also down to 64.1, while Blackburn with Darwens was 67.5. Elsewhere, measures will be relaxed in Wigan, Rossendale and Darwen, while Birmingham was added to a watch list as an area of enhanced support and Northampton became an area of intervention. The DHSC said coronavirus cases are rising quickly in Birmingham, with 30.2 per 100,000 and more than half of cases in the last week in people aged 18-34. Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, warned some people in Birmingham have not been strict enough with measures. People across the region have made an enormous sacrifice since the start of lockdown to keep the virus at bay, but the virus is now returning and recent efforts to counter that have been insufficient, he said. It is evident that some people have not been strict enough when it comes to keeping up the basics of social distancing, hand-washing and wearing a face covering, nor following the guidelines on avoiding mass gatherings. Recommended Birmingham at risk of local lockdown in matter of days This has to change immediately and I would ask every single citizen, both across Birmingham and the West Midlands, to redouble their efforts. Mr Street was scheduled to meet with Mr Hancock and local council leaders to discuss urgent next steps on Friday. Ian Ward, the leader of Birmingham City Council, said the watch list should be a wake-up call for everyone. Meanwhile, the Greencore sandwich factory that was at the centre of the outbreak in Northampton is to close from Friday, with staff and members of their households having to isolate for 14 days. It was announced last week that more than 200 people had tested positive for Covid-19 after an outbreak linked to the factory. The DHSC said regulations will be introduced to ensure that this self-isolation period is legally enforced and warned breaking the rules could result in fines being issued. The new restrictions will not apply in the Darwen area of the Blackburn with Darwen upper tier local authority area, parts of Pendle, in Rossendale or in Wigan. But they do come on top of the existing ban on indoor gatherings of more than two households in place across parts of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said the main objectives this week had been to avoid a full local lockdown in Oldham and to lift restrictions in areas with consistently low infection rates, such as Wigan. They added: We have all been concerned about the situation in Oldham and this is why we have sought to work in partnership both with the local council and the government to agree the most suitable and effective measures, as set out by Oldham Council. Increased measures to restrict the mixing of households are a much more sensible approach than local lockdown. ARCHIVED - 520 per cent increase in the number of migrants crossing to the Canary Islands The numbers using other crossing routes have fallen elsewhere, mainly due to the Covid lockdowns and closure of Moroccan and Algerian borders The arrival of irregular migrants on the Canary Islands as they seek a new life in Europe experienced only a temporary halt during the early stages of the covid lockdown, but has suddenly accelerated and is experiencing a surge in new arrivals. Latest data published by the Ministry of the Interior indicates that in the year to August 15th, a total of 3,448 people arrived by boat on the shores of the islands, a record figure that represents an increase of 520% compared to the same period last year, when 556 immigrants reached the archipelago by sea. In just the last 15 days, the number of people who have reached the Canary Islands in nine boats was 312, according to official data from the Government of Spain. The number of boats and canoes used by migrants to enter the archipelago have also increased from 49 in 2019 to 114, with an increase of 133%. In other areas of Spain the migrant pressure is lower and the levels are well below those of 2019, mainly as a result of the Covid lockdowns in Algeria and Morocco and the closure of their borders, which has restricted the activity of criminal groups, particularly in the case of Morocco.However, this is once again accelerating and Frontex reports that the number of Algerians, who accounted for one out of every two detections on the western Mediterranean route so far this year, was seven times the figure from a year ago. At a national level, the total number of migrants who arrived in mainland Spain by sea so far is 10,716 people, compared to 14,597 in 2019, which represents a decrease of 26.6% and 3,881 fewer people. At this moment 676 boats, 124 more than in the same period of the previous year and 22.5% more, have been detected. The number of migrants reaching the Balearic Islands by sea decreased by 47.3%, from 13,603 to 7,172 up to August 16th, in comparison to 2019. The Canary Islands route is particularly dangerous This month is also highlighting the dangers of the Canary Islands crossing. At least 50 immigrants of sub-Saharan origin drowned in 24 hours when the two boats in which they were heading to the Canary Islands were shipwrecked, one in the vicinity of Dakhla, in the Sahara, and another in Nouadhibou, Mauritania on August 5th. In the case of the first shipwreck, ten bodies were found by Moroccan fishing boats and Royal Navy personnel, while another ten immigrants were rescued alive. In the second sinking, another 40 sub-Saharan immigrants perished after capsizing the boat in which they tried to reach the Canary Islands, not far from the coast of Nouadhibou (Mauritania). Only one survivor was rescued from this vessel. This boat suffered a breakdown and remained adrift for several days without being located; the occupants decided to jump into the sea but all drowned, except for the only survivor who was found by chance by the authorities off the shores of Nouadhibou. Covid complications The biggest problem facing the authorities is handling the volume of migrants due to the covid pandemic, as in virtually every boat some of the migrants are testing positive for covid-19 and their travelling companions must all be quarantined, a situation which is stretching the resources of Cruz Roja and local authorities very thin. Donate to Cruz Roja; Humanitarian work to ensure those arriving in Spain are treated with dignity is undertaken by the humanitarian organisation Cruz Roja. If you would like to donate, here is the link: Cruz Roja Espanola Further reading EU Action plan against Migrant Smuggling 2015/2020 Click to read EU Directive f2008/115/EC Common standards and procedures in EU Member States for returning illegally staying third country nationals. Click to read FRONTEX european coast guard and border control agency. This explains more about the migration issue and shows the different routes taken. Our routes here are the "Western Mediterranean" routes used principally by Moroccans And Algerians.Click Frontex 'Power corrupts" is one of the most famous maxims in politics. In Ireland, we know all too well how public life can be corrupted by money and influence. Growing up in Longford in the 1990s, one of my abiding memories is the seemingly endless corruption tribunals involving senior politicians, backroom fixers and businessmen (they always seemed to be men). But if you want to influence politics beyond a planning decision or a dodgy public contract, doling out cash in brown envelopes is a very blunt tool. Politicians might not do what they say. They might get voted out or be demoted. Besides, what if instead of getting land rezoned or a sweetheart deal, you want to change a country's entire political culture? The way to do that isn't to buy the politicians - it is to own the ideas that dominate the political conversation. This is what has happened in the United States and the United Kingdom in recent years as increasingly amounts of secretive 'dark money' has flooded into politics, aided by the rise of anonymous digital campaigning and weak electoral laws. Where buying politics once involved backhanders to politicians, now it's about buying the system itself. The result is a world of Donald Trump, Brexit and social media partisanship that many experts believe is imperilling the future of democracy. 'Dark money' is an American term for an increasingly global phenomenon: funds from unknown sources that influence our politics. This money gets into the political system in an increasing variety of ways, including through loopholes in election law and online political campaigns and through agenda-setting pressure groups that do not declare their funding. In her authoritative book on election finance, Dark Money, the American journalist Jane Mayer outlines how US democracy was in effect bought by a cadre of the super-rich and their surrogates, often through anonymous political action committees (PACs) that can spend limitless amounts of money. Expand Close Electoral law expert: Jennifer Kavanagh / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Electoral law expert: Jennifer Kavanagh The sums involved in these 'super PACs' are eye-watering. The Koch brothers, David and Charles, co-owners of the second-largest private company in the US with strong interests in coal and petroleum, spent more than $1.5bn on Republican political causes until David's death last year. Trump's biggest backers included the hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer, a major investor in Cambridge Analytica, the data analytics company that was shut down in 2018 after being found to have harvested data from more than 85 million Facebook profiles without users' knowledge. As the US gears up for November's presidential election, the importance of money has seldom been greater. Both Trump and Joe Biden are furiously fundraising, with most of the money raised coming from a handful of super-rich donors. Attempts to control the role of private money in US politics have largely been abandoned, since the 'Citizens United' Supreme Court decision that corporations qualify as individuals whose free speech needed protection, paving the way for unlimited anonymous campaign contributions. "A federal election in the US is supposed to be decided by 150 million voters and yet the policy preferences are being determined by literally 20 people, 20 major donors," Adav Noti, a US election lawyer with the Campaign Legal Centre, told me from Washington DC. Libertarian political philosophies This 'dark money' takeover of American politics can be traced to the 1970s, and one unlikely character in particular: Richard Fink. A teenage tearaway, Fink injured his back loading freight cars in his native New Jersey. Bored, he enrolled in an economics course in university. He would later say that he didn't even know what economics was. Fink soon learned. He developed a particular passion for the Austrian school that underpinned most libertarian political philosophies. The state should play a minimal role, and the fewer regulations the better. After college, Fink started a postgraduate course in New York University but he was struck by the paucity of schools teaching about the Austrian school economists Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. He asked Charles Koch for money to start a programme in Rutgers University, where he was teaching part-time. In the late 1970s, Fink flew to Wichita, Kansas, the centre of the brothers' oil empire. Fink was 27, with long hair, a beard and a black polyester suit with white piping that wouldn't have looked out of place in Saturday Night Fever. Charles Koch gave him $150,000. Fink repaid the mogul's faith in him. He developed a theory of how political change could be manufactured, just like any one of the myriad products that Koch Industries produced every single day. Fink summed up his theory in a paper called The Structure of Social Change. Behind the dry title was an ingenious three-tiered model for how to bring about a libertarian revolution. The first stage was investing in academics who would produce "the intellectual raw materials". Money poured into universities from libertarian donors. Graduate programmes in Austrian economics started opening across the US. Step two in the process, Fink once explained, entailed taking the "often unintelligible" intellectual output of these academic programmes and refining them into a "usable form". Think-tanks were key. Independent research institutes had existed in the US and elsewhere since the turn of the century. These organisations professed to follow facts and reason rather than partisan bias. Fink's think-tanks, by contrast, were deeply partisan. Expand Close Donald Trump during his campaign for the White House in 2016 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump during his campaign for the White House in 2016 The Koch brothers alone spent hundreds of millions of dollars on think-tanks: the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation and dozens more. These were more like lobbying organisations than research centres. They pushed often fringe positions - such as playing down the human role in climate change - that at times conflicted with one another but chimed with their sponsors' overall libertarian aims. The third part of the strategy was subsidising citizens' groups that would pressurise politicians to adopt particular policies, and funding fringe political movements to lobby inside the established parties. These political outriders pulled the Republican party base and their political representatives further and further to the libertarian right. US libertarians have invested billions in think-tanks, universities and election campaigns over the past four decades. Guided - explicitly and implicitly - by Fink's insights, a tiny group of plutocrats bought unparalleled influence over the American political system. Before this methodical and precisely targeted spending spree, libertarians were largely thought of as cranks. Now they owned the policy agenda. Under Donald Trump, whose agenda in many areas is set by these foundations and by wealthy activists such as the Mercer family, American environmental regulations have been more or less scrapped. Industries have been deregulated. The ostensibly grassroots Tea Party movement - in many ways a precursor to Trump's election victory - was bankrolled by the Kochs and others. The super-rich achieved this remarkable reorientation of the political sphere not by crudely bribing politicians but by ensuring that the limited space within which policies are created and publicly discussed was filled with proposals that they wanted. Something similar has been happening in the UK. Britain, as the author Anne Applebaum notes, "has become a place where untransparent money, from unknown sources, is widely accepted with a complacent shrug". The relatively small sums involved can make it even easier to get access to the top table of British politics. "A little bit of money goes a long way," former Conservative minister Guto Bebb told me. "We are not America. You don't have to spend half a billion on a general election campaign. If you are willing to put a quarter of a million into a think-tank, you can get a lot of bang for your buck." Where US donors might be expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in a single election cycle, for 50,000 pretty much anyone can get a seat with the British prime minister at the Conservative Leader's Group dinner. Discussions at these lavish dinners are kept strictly private, even if they touch on government policy. Eurosceptic think-tanks The effect of dark money is most evident in the biggest policy change in recent British history: Brexit. In two decades, the idea that Britain should leave the European Union, deregulate its industries and environmental standards and form a new trading relationship with predominantly white English-speaking nations went from a fringe concern to a widely held political aspiration. London's corporate-funded libertarian think-tank world - second only in size to Washington's - has exerted political influence far beyond its relatively small size. "Brexit is a big example of centre-right think-tank success," a former staffer at a British libertarian think-tank told me. Westminster's nest of Eurosceptic think-tanks - mostly housed in two adjacent town houses a stone's throw from parliament - are committed to open markets and perfect information in all areas except one: their own funding. Words like 'institute' and 'centre' give an appearance of academic rigour to what is essentially paid-for lobbying. This kind of criticism has even come from within the think-tanks themselves. John Blundell, former head of the influential Institute of Economic Affairs, complained that corporations were buying up these 'research' groups "left, right and centre". David Frum, formerly a fellow at the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute has said that think-tanks "increasingly function as public-relations agencies". British politics has become increasingly Americanised, with anonymous corporate money playing a more influential role in setting the political agenda. If anything, the UK is even more vulnerable to capture than the US political system. Britain's laws are incredibly weak. Breaking American electoral laws can land you in prison - as Trump lawyer Michael Cohen discovered. The maximum fine the British Electoral Commission can impose is 20,000. When the successful Vote Leave campaign broke electoral laws during the 2016 Brexit referendum - including by massive overspending - there was almost no political payback. Dominic Cummings, Vote Leave's director, repeatedly refused to give evidence before a parliamentary committee. One of Boris Johnson's first acts on becoming prime minister in June last year was to make Cummings his chief adviser. Johnson had been Vote Leave's most famous public face during the referendum campaign. So, could the dark money playbook come to Ireland? Well, we're certainly no strangers to graft. As Elaine Byrne notes in her excellent book Political Corruption in Ireland 1922-2010, Wolfe Tone's very first pamphlet, in 1790, warned of the "choice of open or concealed corruption". The 1801 Act of Union - which robbed Ireland of any vestige of political independence - was paid for in bribes and backhanders. Of course, post-independence Ireland was no city on the hill either. Latterly, there are signs that corruption has receded somewhat from Irish public life. Last year, Transparency International ranked Ireland 18th on its corruption index, below countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway but above the Western European average. Anonymously funded think-tanks and huge political donations are not a major feature of Irish political life. But, as in Britain, Irish electoral law is weak and poorly regulated. Until the late 1990s, regulations on political funding barely existed. The establishment of the Standards in Public Office Commission - in the wake of a series of corruption tribunals - was an important first step but has not been followed up. It is disarmingly easy for Irish politicians to sidestep regulations on disclosing political donations. As in Britain, Irish electoral law is piecemeal and outdated. Even more remarkably, our electoral law is the responsibility of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Repeated manifesto pledges to set up a dedicated Electoral Commission have yet to be implemented. Irish question Jennifer Kavanagh, an electoral law expert at Waterford Institute of Technology, says that an Electoral Commission "is badly needed in Ireland as we are one of the few EU (probably the only) countries that does not have an overall electoral management bodies to take overall control of the management of elections and to review both the adequacy of regulations and to act as a repository for electoral research in the country. There is legislation proposed but considering how long this body has been talked about and promised, you wouldn't need to be a cynic to think that securing the electoral integrity of the Irish electoral process is not a major governmental concern." Electoral integrity might sound like a dry topic. But it can have huge consequences. Already in the US, Donald Trump seems determined to tip the scales to gain any advantage he can in November's election, including clamping down on postal voting. When politicians abuse the political system, voters can easily lose faith with democracy itself. A Cambridge University study published this year found that 58pc of those surveyed were dissatisfied with democracy. Discontent was most pronounced in the US and Britain. If Ireland is to avoid a similar fate, it needs to start thinking seriously about regulating the business of politics - before it's too late. Peter Geoghegan's new book 'Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics' is out now, published by Head of Zeus The Congress Working Committee is expected to meet next week to address the leadership issue amid mounting pressure from party leaders, and warning signs that delaying the decision further can lead to more problems. The CWC is the highest decision-making body in the Congress, and may see some drama on the day. Rebel Congress leader Sanjay Jha set the cat among the pigeons when he alleged that more than 100 party leaders had written to Sonia Gandhi, seeking organisational polls to decide the next full-time party president. Though the existence of such a letter was denied by the Congress and Sonia Gandhis office, the growing restlessness in the party couldnt be ignored. The crisis in Rajasthan showed what an ambiguous leadership could lead to. Many felt the issue could have been resolved much sooner had there been clarity on leadership. Sonia Gandhi has been fairly successful in keeping the flock together, but she has made no secret of the fact that she wished to retire and have a new leadership in her place. It is also a known fact that Sonia isnt too keen on a non-Gandhi taking charge and would want son Rahul to be the next party president. Her reluctance in picking a non-Gandhi leader over Rahul is one of the reasons why the leadership issue hasnt been settled yet. But the inevitable can no longer be put off. The special CWC meeting has now been called to settle the debate once and for all. Officially, the CWC is being called to discuss the current political situation ahead of Parliament session, but the main focus is expected to be on organisational elections and changes. Till date, Rahul Gandhi remains reluctant in taking the reins again as he feels the reasons he quit in 2019 havent changed. But now, he too is under pressure to take charge. The cues are clear. The team sent to handle the Rajasthan crisis comprised leaders believed to be close to Rahul. The fact that he was reluctant to let go of Sachin Pilot also shows that he doesnt want the seniors or the old guard to be smug about their indispensability. More importantly, Rahul and Priyanka worked as a team in defusing the crisis. The signal to the party is clear. Those who spoke of Rahul vs Priyanka will now have to accept the fact that they work as a team, that Priyanka would have an important role to play, as would Rahul. The speed with which the party clarified that Priyankas remark on a non-Gandhi president was a year old, shows that it does not want the CWC to even think of any other name. Chances are that true to the Congress style, a plan would be worked out. Its quite likely that many voices would rise in unison that Rahul Gandhi should be party president. The big question is whether Rahul would agree and, if he does, what would be his terms. Whats clear is that the Congress doesnt have the luxury of time anymore. Party leaders at least wouldnt want to give that luxury to the top leadership. Investigators of the Office for Investigation of Crimes Committed in Relation to Mass Protests in 2013-2014, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) has completed a pretrial investigation into two persons suspected of involvement in a criminal organization on January 21, 2014, Euromaidan activists Ihor Lutsenko and Yuriy Verbytsky from the Oleksandrivska Clinical Hospital in Kyiv. According to the SBI press service on Saturday, two persons are suspected of illegal imprisonment or kidnapping by an organized group (Part 3 of Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); creation, management of a criminal community or a criminal organization, as well as participation in it (Part 1 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); illegal obstruction of the organization or holding of meetings, rallies, processions and demonstrations (Part, Article 340 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). One of the defendants is also suspected of premeditated murder of a kidnapped person, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); torture, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons (Part 2 of Article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); forgery of documents and their use (4 Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); service forgery (Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). It is noted that due to the use of a forged passport and the use of knowingly forged official documents, the suspect has been hiding from the pretrial investigation agency for more than five years. "Now the suspects are in custody, they have been given access to the materials of the pretrial investigation. After the parties have finished familiarizing themselves with the materials of the criminal proceedings, the indictment will be submitted to the court," the SBI said in the statement. As reported, Ihor Lutsenko and Yuriy Verbytsky were abducted in Kyiv on January 21, 2014. (Newser) Strange things often happen at fast-food drive-thrus, but luckily for one man at a Taco Bell in Clarksville, Tenn., Sonja Frazier was working the day he drove up to place an order. People reports that on Aug. 12, Frazier and her co-workers noticed that the drive-thru line had suddenly stopped moving, and when her manager checked out the surveillance video, one of the vehicles was facing the wrong way. "It looked like it'd rolled into the drive-thru line and was blocking it," she tells Clarksville Now. When a co-worker went outside to see what was going on, he noticed a man in the driver's seat of the oddly parked van was hunched over the steering wheel. Frazier, 37, ran out to assist him, and when they saw the man had turned blue, she sprung into action. story continues below Even though Frazier has worked at Taco Bell for more than a dozen years, she was a home health-care worker before that, and so she's certified in first aid . The two co-workers pulled the man out of the van, and Frazier, who despite being "extremely scared of COVID-19," started performing CPR. "I [did] CPR until the firetruck came," she said. By the time first responders arrived and took over, the man had regained some of his color. Frazier later found out his name and tracked him down on Facebook to see how he was doing. "He reached back out and said thank you," she says. "He said he wanted to repay me, but this is repayment enough to know he's OK." The two may soon go to lunchFrazier's treat, she says. (Read more uplifting news stories.) As of August 22, the red list includes 65 countries. Ukraine's Health Ministry has updated the list of countries in terms of the level of coronavirus spread and corresponding travel restrictions applied. The red zone of countries that Ukraine's health officials perceive as a higher threat now includes Albania and Montenegro, which were previously assigned to the safe green zone, according to an updated list posted on the Health Ministry's website. As of August 22, the red list includes 65 countries. Read alsoTravel amid COVID-19 restrictions: Ukraine updates list of red, green zone countriesAmong them are the USA, Israel, Romania, Spain, Malta, Luxembourg, Monaco, etc. Turkey, Egypt, Croatia, and a number of other countries remain on the green list. Red and green zones: what are they? New talks concluded on Friday discussed quarantine measures for those hailing from the Grand Duchy. People travelling from Luxembourg into Rhineland-Palatinate or Saarland no longer need to self-isolate upon their arrival, nor do they require recent negative coronavirus test results. According to a statement from the local government, these agreements would allow for the continuation of their strong partnership and close collaboration around the border. On Thursday, the designation of Luxembourg as a high-risk area was lifted in Berlin. The RKI website states that anyone travelling from high-risk areas can expect subsequent quarantining measures in their federal state, however this will not be the case for Rhineland-Palatinate or Saarland. Space is truly breathtaking -- whether it is the planets in our solar system, the galaxies far, far away or supernovas that truly blow our minds. Our space telescopes often offer beautiful and breathtaking from the farthest regions in the universe, which NASA commonly shares on its Instagram. NASA Just last week we saw NASA share the image of Jupiter that looked like a delicious pepperoni pizza. However, today, NASA shared the image of a rather unique phenomenon right from our planets atmosphere. The image that has, as of now garnered over 9 lakh likes has captured two of our planet's most beautiful phenomenons -- the aurora lights and airglow. The phenomenon occurred in March and was captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The image was captured as the ISS was passing through the southern region of the Alaskan Peninsula. While showing the breathtaking curve of the planet from the high vantage point, under the aurora and airglow was the region of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada as the early morning sky was entirely covered with a sky full of stars. Aurora and airglow Most of you guys would be wondering whats the difference between aurora lights and airglow, since both of them look awfully identical. NASA, however, explained this in the post, stating Though they appear at similar altitudes, aurora and airglow are produced by different physical processes. Airglow is the emission of light from chemical interactions between oxygen, nitrogen, and other molecules in the upper atmosphere. Auroras, on the other hand, stem from interactions between solar energy and Earths magnetic field. Representational Image: Reuters People travel to icy northern regions in Switzerland or Canada to glance upon the breathtaking aurora lights in all its glory. However, nothing can truly beat the view and light show from the International Space Station. And until space travel doesnt get easily accessible for all of us, well have to rely on such picturesque images to awe us. Tesla stock (TSLA) is still soaring today even though registrations for its vehicles made in China plunged in July. It seems a price target increase from an analyst and a five-for-one stock split are boosting investor euphoria to the point that bad news from China doesnt even matter. China registrations don't weigh on Tesla stock Bloomberg reported on Monday that registrations of Tesla vehicles made in China plunged last month, but Tesla stock wasn't even affected by that. Data from the state-backed China Automotive Information Net reveals a 24% month-over-month decline in registrations of Tesla vehicles made in China. There were 11,456 Tesla vehicles built in China and registered in the country last month. The automaker doesn't reveal how many vehicles it sold in China with its earnings reports. Tesla started delivering vehicles made at its factory near Shanghai earlier this year. China has played a major role in Tesla's growth plans outside the U.S. In fact, at least one analyst has been touting China registrations and sales as a key part of Tesla's stock valuation. China's vehicle market has been recovering from a slump that has lasted about two years. Even as the Chinese auto market struggled, Tesla sales in the country had been going well before July. Tesla Q2 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Competition in China could weigh on Tesla stock The company is up against a growing number of domestic competitors, which started to take a bite out of Tesla sales in July. NIO reported that its deliveries more than quadrupled last month, reaching 3,533 vehicles. The Chinese EV maker is also getting ready to launch a new crossover coupe and sedan. Non-Chinese automakers are also releasing their own electric vehicles in China. Daimler AG and BMW are getting ready to launch their own electric vehicles there. Competition isn't Tesla's only problem that could weigh on vehicle registrations and potentially its stock. Bloomberg reports today that the EV maker is in a dispute with Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, which ran a Model 3 promotion that Tesla said went against its policies. Story continues Auto retailer YiAuto ran a promotion on Pinduoduo for a Model 3 that was about 7% less than Tesla's official price. The automaker denied it was competing with Pinduoduo and YiAuto and said the buyer who bought the Model 2 won't receive the standard rights offered to those wo buy their vehicles through official channels. Analyst boosts price target for Tesla stock Tesla stock soared above $1,900 for the first time on Monday after Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives boosted his base case price target to $1,900. The new price target is the fourth-highest target on Wall Street. This marks the eight time Tesla stock has climbed more than 30% in four days. Although Ives raised his price target to $1,900, he maintains his Neutral rating on the stock. Interestingly, he cited signs of accelerating demand in China despite the news about plunging vehicle registrations in July, which was reported the same day. The average price target for Tesla stock is $1,235.37 per share, which is 32.7% lower than the closing price on Monday. Ives' bull case price target is $2,500 a share. He believes that demand for electric vehicles in China started to accelerate in July and August as Tesla competes with both domestic and international competitors for market share in the country. He called Gigafactory 3 the "linchpin of success which remains the prize that [CEO Elon] Musk and Tesla are laser focused on capturing." Ives also believes the company's price cuts could stimulate demand in both China and the U.S. He also expects Tesla to announce several "game changing" battery developments at its upcoming Battery Day, which is set for Sept. 22. One of those announcements could be a "million mile" battery, which would support an EV for 1 million miles and push EV technology further in competition against gasoline-powered vehicles. By Michelle Jones By Jonathan Cook August 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - When the Palestinian actor Mohammed Bakri made a documentary about Jenin in 2002 filming immediately after the Israeli army had completed rampaging through the West Bank city, leaving death and destruction in its wake he chose an unusual narrator for the opening scene: a mute Palestinian youth. Jenin had been sealed off from the world for nearly three weeks as the Israeli army razed the neighbouring refugee camp and terrorised its population. Bakris film Jenin, Jenin shows the young man hurrying silently between wrecked buildings, using his nervous body to illustrate where Israeli soldiers shot Palestinians and where bulldozers collapsed homes, sometimes on their inhabitants. It was not hard to infer Bakris larger meaning: when it comes to their own story, Palestinians are denied a voice. They are silent witnesses to their own and their peoples suffering and abuse. The irony is that Bakri has faced just such a fate himself since Jenin, Jenin was released 18 years ago. Today, little is remembered of his film, or the shocking crimes it recorded, except for the endless legal battles to keep it off screens. Bakri has been tied up in Israels courts ever since, accused of defaming the soldiers who carried out the attack. He has paid a high personal price. Deaths threats, loss of work and endless legal bills that have near-bankrupted him. A verdict in the latest suit against him this time backed by the Israeli attorney general is expected in the next few weeks. Bakri is a particularly prominent victim of Israels long-running war on Palestinian history. But there are innumerable other examples. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter For decades many hundreds of Palestinian residents in the southern West Bank have been fighting their expulsion as Israeli officials characterise them as squatters. According to Israel, the Palestinians are nomads who recklessly built homes on land they seized inside an army firing zone. The villagers counter-claims were ignored until the truth was unearthed recently in Israels archives. These Palestinian communities are, in fact, marked on maps predating Israel. Official Israeli documents presented in court last month show that Ariel Sharon, a general-turned-politician, devised a policy of establishing firing zones in the occupied territories to justify mass evictions of Palestinians like these communities in the Hebron Hills. The residents are fortunate that their claims have been officially verified, even if they still depend on uncertain justice from an Israeli occupiers court. Israels archives are being hurriedly sealed up precisely to prevent any danger that records might confirm long-sidelined and discounted Palestinian history. Last month Israels state comptroller, a watchdog body, revealed that more than one million archived documents were still inaccessible, even though they had passed their declassification date. Nonetheless, some have slipped through the net. The archives have, for example, confirmed some of the large-scale massacres of Palestinian civilians carried out in 1948 the year Israel was established by dispossessing Palestinians of their homeland. In one such massacre at Dawaymeh, near where Palestinians are today fighting against their expulsion from the firing zone, hundreds were executed, even as they offered no resistance, to encourage the wider population to flee. Other files have corroborated Palestinian claims that Israel destroyed more than 500 Palestinian villages during a wave of mass expulsions that same year to dissuade the refugees from trying to return. Official documents have disproved, too, Israels claim that it pleaded with the 750,000 Palestinian refugees to return home. In fact, as the archives reveal, Israel obscured its role in the ethnic cleansing of 1948 by inventing a cover story that it was Arab leaders who commanded Palestinians to leave. The battle to eradicate Palestinian history does not just take place in the courts and archives. It begins in Israeli schools. A new study by Avner Ben-Amos, a history professor at Tel Aviv University, shows that Israeli pupils learn almost nothing truthful about the occupation, even though many will soon enforce it as soldiers in a supposedly moral army that rules over Palestinians. Maps in geography textbooks strip out the so-called Green Line the borders demarcating the occupied territories to present a Greater Israel long desired by the settlers. History and civics classes evade all discussion of the occupation, human rights violations, the role of international law, or apartheid-like local laws that treat Palestinians differently from Jewish settlers living illegally next door. Instead, the West Bank is known by the Biblical names of Judea and Samaria, and its occupation in 1967 is referred to as a liberation. Sadly, Israels erasure of Palestinians and their history is echoed outside by digital behemoths such as Google and Apple. Palestinian solidarity activists have spent years battling to get both platforms to include hundreds of Palestinian communities in the West Bank missed off their maps, under the hashtag #HeresMyVillage. Illegal Jewish settlements, meanwhile, are prioritised on these digital maps. Another campaign, #ShowTheWall, has lobbied the tech giants to mark on their maps the path of Israels 700-kilometre-long steel and concrete barrier, effectively used by Israel to annex occupied Palestinian territory in violation of international law. And last month Palestinian groups launched yet another campaign, #GoogleMapsPalestine, demanding that the occupied territories be labelled Palestine, not just the West Bank and Gaza. The UN recognised the state of Palestine back in 2012, but Google and Apple refused to follow suit. Palestinians rightly argue that these firms are replicating the kind of disappearance of Palestinians familiar from Israeli textbooks, and that they uphold mapping segregation that mirrors Israels apartheid laws in the occupied territories. Todays crimes of occupation house demolitions, arrests of activists and children, violence from soldiers, and settlement expansion are being documented by Israel, just as its earlier crimes were. Future historians may one day unearth those papers from the Israeli archives and learn the truth. That Israeli policies were not driven, as Israel claims now, by security concerns, but by a colonial desire to destroy Palestinian society and pressure Palestinians to leave their homeland, to be replaced by Jews. The lessons for future researchers will be no different from the lessons learnt by their predecessors, who discovered the 1948 documents. But in truth, we do not need to wait all those years hence. We can understand what is happening to Palestinians right now simply by refusing to conspire in their silencing. It is time to listen. Five years after a United Nations resolution sanctioned the Afghani terror group and recommended member states to freeze their assets, Pakistan on Friday announced financial sanctions against the Taliban and key individuals including the head of Haqqani network, associated with the group. The sanctions are part of Pakistans efforts to avoid being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body that provides a framework against money laundering, terrorist financing, and other threats to the global financial system. Pakistan is currently on the grey list and has been warned that lack of compliance with the international regulations on terror financing will result in the country being downgraded to the black list. Only Iran and North Korea are currently blacklisted. Blacklisting by FATF isolates a country financially by severely impacting its borrowing credentials. Islamabads sanctions also identified dozens of individuals, including the Talibans chief peace negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar and several members of the Haqqani family, including Sirajuddin, the current head of the Haqqani network and the deputy head of the Taliban. The sanctions also target al-Qaida, the Islamic State affiliate and local terror groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out deadly attacks in Pakistan. It has been reported that several leaders of the Taliban own businesses and properties in Pakistan. Islamabads association with the proscribed group goes back to the 1980s when they were fighting the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan with the backing of Pakistan and the US. Also Read: BSF shoots down 5 intruders at India-Pakistan border in Punjabs Tarn Taran Meanwhile, the Pakistan foreign office said that it is the UNSC Taliban sanctions Committee that deals with sanctions on Taliban and related entities and individuals. Upon any change by the Committee, all states including Pakistan, implement these sanctions which include assets freeze, arms embargo and travel ban. The Taliban Sanctions Committee has not announced any changes in its sanctions list recently. The order, issued by Pakistan on Aug 18, 2020 only consolidates and documents the previously announced orders as a procedural measure and does not reflect any change in the sanctions list or sanction measures. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Express News Service BENGALURU: Halasuru police have arrested two men for allegedly stealing Rs 32.28 lakh from ATMs and recovered cash of Rs 24.10 lakh from the duo. The accused are Kiran Kumar (24) and Ashwath (33), both natives of Gauribidanur of Chikkaballapura district. Kiran was working as a cash custodian with a company that provided ATM cash loading service to banks. Police said Kiran was loading cash into ATMs along a particular route and the company had recently replaced him with another cash custodian, changing Kirans route. However, Kiran, who knew the passwords of the ATMs in which he loaded cash previously, hatched a plot to steal the money. With his friend Ashwaths help, he stole money from two ATMs. About Rs 17.71 lakh was stolen from an ATM on Bazaar Street in Ulsoor while Rs14.57 lakh was stolen from an ATM on CMH Road in Indiranagar. The company lodged a complaint. After verifying CCTV footage and questioning the companys staffers, we found out that Kiran had masterminded the theft. Based on his statement, his accomplice was arrested, police said. Kiran said he assumed his role will not be suspected as he was working with the company. However, he had emerged as the key suspect as there was no damage to the ATMs and insiders job was the first lead in the case. He committed the theft just a few days after his route was changed, police said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 16:40:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines soared to 187,249 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,933 new daily cases on Saturday. The DOH said that the number of recoveries surged to 114,921 after 436 more patients have survived the disease. The death toll also climbed to 2,966 after 26 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 cases reported on Saturday with 2,845, followed by Cavite province, south of Manila, 461; Laguna province, south of Manila, 288; Rizal province, east of Manila, 167; and Bulacan province, north of Manila, 152. The Philippines is hiring up to 50,000 more contact tracers amid the surging coronavirus infections as the country plans to ramp up its case surveillance in the communities where most of the country's over 1,300 virus clusters were traced. Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, the vice-chair of the national coronavirus task force, earlier stressed the importance of adding more contact tracers to track down people who have been exposed to COVID-19. The Philippines now has 85,000 contact tracers, he added. The government aims to trace 30 to 37 people, or 1:37, who have close contacts with a COVID-19 case. Tracing czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong earlier said that from a ratio of 1:4, Metro Manila obtained only a 1:5 after the strict quarantine measures imposed during the first two weeks of August. It means that the region was able to trace five close contacts of one confirmed COVID-19 case. The ratio is the same in the outlying provinces with reported high coronavirus cases. According to Magalong, aggressive contact tracing is the key to the success of the COVID-19 response in the northern Philippine Baguio City and Metropolitan Cebu in the central Philippines where infection rates have significantly reduced. The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region has recommended to the Philippines' Department of the Interior and Local Government the ramping up of contact tracing system to cut the virus transmission. The Philippines has established "coordinated operations" to help the local government units contain the disease by aggressive testing, contact tracing, isolation, and treating the sick while gradually reopening more economic activities. Enditem But the restrictions are being loosely observed, mainly because even those Lebanese who have not been affected by the blast are already struggling to get by. The United Nations estimates that the poverty rate in Lebanon soared from 28 percent last year to 55 percent in May, three months before the blast. It is almost certainly higher now, U.N. officials say. Its been five months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Manitoba, sparking fear, uncertainty and a constant, resounding call from authorities to stay safe. Since then, more than 800 people have contracted COVID-19 in the province; more than 550 have recovered, but there have been 12 deaths. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Its been five months since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Manitoba, sparking fear, uncertainty and a constant, resounding call from authorities to stay safe. Since then, more than 800 people have contracted COVID-19 in the province; more than 550 have recovered, but there have been 12 deaths. Four Manitobans whove come out on the other side of the virus have shared with the Free Press what their lives are like now. COVID-19 has no boundaries it attacks all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities. Experiences and outcomes with the illness are just as varied. A 29-year-old man spent time in an intensive-care bed at Grace Hospital. A 35-year-old said hes had a worse experience with the flu. A 66-year-old man was placed into a medically-induced coma; a 53-year-old woman had few concerns about her own health but was worried about those around her. The only thing they had in common was travelling in the days before they got sick. All share the same message: COVID-19 is real, and its important to follow public-health protocols to keep everyone safe. Ryan Slobodesky JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ryan Slobodesky, shop manager at Multicrete Systems, started to feel sick 13 days after returning home from Las Vegas in March. A healthy 29-year-old fabrication shop manager, Slobodesky was in Las Vegas in March and flew home earlier than planned as news of COVID-19 spread. He felt fine until his 13th day back home. "It was about six in the evening when it hit me like a bag of bricks," he says. His knees ached. He started to feel weak. He had a bad headache his eyes hurt if he looked left or right and he had a fever. He got tested, but it came back negative. "I was extremely uncomfortable," he says. "Now Im thinking, Whats really wrong with me?" JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "Its kind of eye-opening. Im a young guy, and I think Im invincible till something like this happens," Slobodesky said. He stayed home and got progressively sicker, and began to struggle with breathing. Fluid filled his lungs. At one point, he video-called his sister, who watched him turn from pale to yellow. She called an ambulance, and Slobodesky ended up in Grace Hospital. "My second test at this point didnt come back yet, so they werent sure," he says. "I was more of an assumed case." Nurses took his blood three times a day. He was on oxygen and a regime of vitamins and antibiotics. He was moved into the intensive-care unit, where doctors checked in on him hourly. The second test came back positive. In a few days, his breathing started to normalize and he was taken off oxygen. He spent a week in hospital and was sent home via a stretcher service and told to wait 24 hours after his symptoms disappeared before going out in public. He waited a week. "I was sick for a long time, so once I got home, I was motivated to do all the things I couldnt before, like clean my house," Slobodesky says. "I got tired extremely fast. I tried to do some laundry in the basement, and Id do the stairs and lose my breath instantly." He feels "normal" now, but his lung capacity isnt what it used to be. "I find myself getting tired a little quicker than usual," he says. "Its kind of eye-opening. Im a young guy, and I think Im invincible till something like this happens. It really opens your eyes to, You know what? Anything can happen." Hes back at work and trying to maintain a sense of normal. At least, normal during a pandemic. And he has a greater appreciation for life. "(COVID-19 has) taught me to enjoy my life a little more and not be so serious like I used to be," he says, adding hes trying to be less of a workaholic. Hes relieved that his 60-year-old mother hasnt caught the virus, given the risk appears to increase with age. "If my mother went through this, it wouldve had a different outcome," he says. People dont treat him differently now, he says. If anything, folks are curious about his experience. But in the beginning, some people ran away. Others understood he wasnt going to make them sick, but kept an appropriate distance. "I dont blame anybody for how they reacted," he says. "This is new to everybody." And he "cant say enough good things" about the staff at Grace Hospital who got him through the ordeal. Neil Funk-Unrau JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Neil Funk-Unrau suffered several strokes while spending three weeks in a medically induced coma. He wants others to know to take it seriously but not to panic. Getting in and out of the bathtub without help was a big deal for Neil Funk-Unrau. He accomplished it nearly four months after he was admitted to St. Boniface Hospital with severe respiratory symptoms on March 27. Life is very different now for the semi-retired 66-year-old college instructor who suffered several strokes while in a medically induced coma for more than three weeks. He awoke weakened, struggling to speak. Recovery has been difficult. "My voice is a bit slurred. It was definitely quite noticeable; I was having trouble speaking and articulating and even just projecting my voice quite a bit when I first came out of the coma," he says. "A lot of it was the physical and having to gain the strength to be able to get out of bed, to be able to walk. Even now, I have a cane, I have a walker here at home I have used from time to time. I use a cane, not continuously, but if I am taking any kind of longer walk or engaging in anything more strenuous, I have at least the cane or walker with me." Funk-Unrau and his wife returned from Cuba on March 15. His wife works in the public health field and had to be tested. When her test came back positive, he got screened. "I thought I was feeling a bit more of it, but not to the point that I felt really alarmed by shortness of breath. I just remember the hospital staff taking over and things moving along really quickly. I dont think I realized at the time how sick I actually was." Neil FunkUnrau Other than feeling a little short of breath, he wasnt exhibiting any symptoms. But his oxygen level was so low that he was transferred from the testing site to St. Boniface Hospital. His condition deteriorated rapidly. "I thought I was feeling a bit more of it, but not to the point that I felt really alarmed by shortness of breath," he says. "I just remember the hospital staff taking over and things moving along really quickly. I dont think I realized at the time how sick I actually was." Hes currently working with a speech therapist and is planning to return to his part-time position at Menno Simons College, where hell be teaching his restorative justice course via Zoom. Itll be nice to get back to normal, he says, adding hes aware that means something else now. "Theres some physical weakness that I imagine will be longer lasting," he says. "I certainly dont do some things I used to do, like shimmy up a ladder to clean the eavestroughs and those types of things." He says his experience with COVID-19 has reinforced the idea that the virus is something people need to take seriously, but at the same time he doesnt want to live in fear. Funk-Unrau says hes getting a lot of support to help him through his lengthy recovery. His wife organized a drive-by event in June; family and friends stopped by to chat and wish him well on the front lawn. "It was quite an uplifting time and I think that kind of support has been essential to help me maintain a positive attitude throughout this whole time," he says. "This sort of slowly struggling to regain strength and get better, just knowing theres that much support makes a huge difference." Ryan Caligiuri JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ryan Caligiuri, who caught COVID-19 while on vacation in Mexico, says he self-isolated at home and slept 20 hours a day due to fatigue. Meditation, exercise and connecting with others are more important to Ryan Caligiuri after his bout with COVID-19. Caligiuri, 35, started getting chills while vacationing in Mexico in March. After returning to Manitoba, he tested positive for the novel coronavirus and became the provinces 26th case. He self-isolated at home with a fever that reached 38.9 C (102 F) and fatigue that made him sleep 20 hours a day. The marketing expert started feeling better by the end of March. "After a week or two, I felt great," he says. He started jogging and taking his dog Roxy for walks. "I found that it was my cardio... that was much less," he says. "Id be out of breath faster... Id never experienced that before." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "Exercise, the importance of it, has really doubled down for me," Caligiuri says. Caligiuri exercised five times a week before he contracted COVID-19. Now, hes back to his routine of running, weightlifting and high-intensity interval training workouts. He said he feels like his "normal" self again, but it took a while. "Exercise, the importance of it, has really doubled down for me," he says. "Its become even more important to take care of (myself), to eat right." When Caligiuri started getting outside again, he posted a video online to show others he was OK. "I think a lot of people felt sympathy for me. They were so scared, they were so worried," he says. "I felt it was my job to let people know, Hey, Im OK, dont worry about it." Even so, he faced backlash in the comments. Facebook friends told him to stay inside, but he wasnt sick any longer and had clearance to go out from public health officials. "Certain people didnt want to be near me," he says. "I think its just something people had to get used to. They were scared, they didnt quite know, so they had to get used to it and cope in their own ways." Its been five months since Caligiuri recovered; people treat him as they did before he got sick. But in many ways, he has changed. The pandemic has shown him how special it is to see others, even if its through video calls. He took to watching funny movies, listening to podcasts and practising meditation while on the mend. Those activities helped him combat some of the fear, he says. "Certain people didnt want to be near me. I think its just something people had to get used to. They were scared, they didnt quite know, so they had to get used to it and cope in their own ways." Ryan Caligiuri "I wasnt a big fan of meditation, but when I noticed (my) stress levels increasing, I said, OK, let me try something new and see if this works. And it ended up working quite well I continue to do it today." As someone whos career focuses on peoples minds, Caligiuri said the levels of depression during the pandemic have alarmed him. "I think that a healthy dose of fear is important, but not so much that fear freezes us," he says, adding that hed recommend everyone tries exercise, meditation or taking time to learn something new to improve their mental health instead of spending time on social media. Over the last three years, Caligiuri has battled COVID-19, a nasty bout of the flu and hand-foot-and-mouth disease. COVID-19 was, for him, the mildest of the three, but he worries about senior citizens and people with pre-existing conditions. Nicole Rebeck JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nicole Rebeck caught COVID-19 in March. She was among those who developed no symptoms, but she fears for what might have happened had she passed the virus on to elderly family members. Nicole Rebecks phone was glued to her ear for three days as she shifted back and forth between her dining-room table and her living-room couch, making difficult phone calls. Rebeck, 53, received the news on March 17 that she tested positive for COVID-19. She said she didnt have any symptoms and she wasnt worried about herself. That night she reached out to every person shed been in contact with since returning from a trip to Denver earlier that month. "I was horrified, horrified I phoned everybody because I felt it was my responsibility to do that and explain everything I knew," Rebeck says. "I made myself available and answered as many questions as I could I stayed on the phone for three days and I easily had two to three breakdowns where I was just overwhelmed with what could be, what might have happened." When she landed back home in Winnipeg near the beginning of the pandemic, her father asked her how she was feeling and told her there had been positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Denver while she was there. "I then did a little bit of research on what COVID was all about," she says. "Then I just started watching the news like everybody else. The first thing that I noticed was that there was a breakout in a nursing home in Vancouver, and I had just been to see my 80-year-old aunt in a nursing home, which kind of made me think twice about that." I didnt have any of the symptoms that they were referencing at that time and still are referencing fever, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat. I didnt have any of those things. Nicole Rebeck And Rebeck was worried about her 79-year-old father who has asthma, and her sister, whose daughter has Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect. She was relieved when they all tested negative. There was shock, however, when her test came back positive. "I didnt have any of the symptoms that they were referencing at that time and still are referencing fever, shortness of breath, cough, sore throat. I didnt have any of those things," she says. "The common symptoms that people have that are very scary, they cant breathe, they feel like they have a weight on their chest, the fever they cant shake, I had nothing like that." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "I was horrified, horrified I phoned everybody because I felt it was my responsibility to do that and explain everything I knew," Rebeck says. She decided to get tested after watching a news story about a couple who were asymptomatic, which put the thought in her mind that she could be, too. 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. She says no one treated her any differently after learning she had tested positive. "I cant even tell you now Im going to get emotional again just how supportive my family is, my friends, surrounding myself with people who are good people I just realized how incredibly blessed I am for the people that are around me," she says, adding her story reinforces what the government has been saying in regard to self-isolation after travelling. "We all can have an opinion, we can all read different professionals advice, but we are not experts," she says. "We need to follow the experts. We put these people in the position that theyre in with the assumption that theyre qualified, experienced and theyre knowledgeable. If they want me to wear a mask and theres zero negative impact on me, I will 100 per cent wear the mask." kellen.taniguchi@freepress.mb.ca gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca Imagine what it would feel like to see your paycheque for the whole year lying tantalizingly just beyond your reach, exposed to elements that could damage it or destroy it completely. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2020 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Imagine what it would feel like to see your paycheque for the whole year lying tantalizingly just beyond your reach, exposed to elements that could damage it or destroy it completely. Thats the situation farmers are in as the combines start to roll across the province this month. Its no surprise that many find their stress levels rising as harvest begins. Farming is one of those gambles where the operator puts all of his or her cards on the table knowing the house holds all the wild cards weather, markets and politics. Theres no denying it feels pretty good to fill up those bins, but theres a lot of angst involved with getting the crop into storage in good condition. There are so many things that can go wrong and they do. Last fall, thousands of Prairie farmers had to wait out the winter before they could finish the 2019 harvest this past spring. The weather turned wet in the fall just as harvest moved into full swing. Yet it turns out that some of that excess moisture helped nurse this years crop through yet another drier-than-normal summer. In spite of all those delays, and in spite of the fact that most regions of the province have received between below-average precipitation this summer, farmers here are looking at some pretty decent crops. The latest provincial crop report this week shows harvest overall is about five per cent complete. Thats well behind the three-year-average but crops were a little later going into the ground due to the cool spring and the residual harvest. So far, farmers have been mainly focused on harvesting winter cereals, which were sown last fall, spring cereals and peas. Early yield reports are ranking the crop as average to slightly below average. Pastures and forage crops fared a little better this season but the heat is pushing grazing lands into early dormancy, forcing producers to start feeding hay earlier. Farmers in several parts of the province have found grasshoppers feasting on their fields. They thrive in hot, dry conditions and populations have been building. The province is asking farmers to contribute to a provincial grasshopper survey that will help generate a forecast for next year. All things considered however, its so far looking like farmers in Canada will at least have a decent-sized crop to sell. At what price, however, depends on decisions made south of the border. Farmers in the U.S. have been dealing with a different sort of pest: wind. On Aug. 10, derecho winds, which are similar to plow winds, swept across several Midwestern states, causing widespread damage to corn crops. Reuters cites satellite data that shows 52 per cent of the Iowa corn crop was growing on land affected by the derecho that either flattened cornfields or snapped the plants off at their base. The impact cuts into the yield potential for the region by as much as 50 per cent, according to some analysts. Thats on top of droughty conditions that have prevailed this season. Its too soon to say how big a dent this will make in the overall U.S. corn harvest, but it wont have as big an impact on U.S. farm incomes as it might have a few years ago. 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. With a presidential election set for this fall, U.S. farmers are harvesting a special "cash" crop this year. Analysts put the value of U.S. cash payments to farmers at a record $32 billion so far this year, with some analysts predicting it could rise to $40 billion. With farmers and rural Americans a core base of President Donald Trumps support, hes found all kinds of reasons to put money in their pockets. This is bad news for Canadian farmers on two fronts. Firstly, even with production losses due to weather, there will still be ample corn supplies in the U.S., which has a bearish effect on cereal prices generally. Secondly, as U.S. farm incomes become increasingly distanced from market signals, farmers are less likely to modify their production plans. The impacts on supplies and markets could last for years. Laura Rance is vice-president of content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com Former cop among seven sentenced to death for drug trafficking A court in the northern province of Dien Bien on Friday sentenced seven people to death and three others to life imprisonment for trafficking over 52 kg of heroin. Those getting death included two former commune officials Hang A De, 40, and Hang A Giang, 34, and former police officer Sung A Tua, 33, Vietnam News Agency reported. Patrolling anti-drug police officers in Dien Bien arrested Mua A Lenh, 33, for illegally trading 655 grams of heroin in Muong Cha District in May 2019. Expanding their investigation, the police found Lenh and nine others were part of a ring that had illegally transported around 51.6 kg of heroin from Laos into Dien Bien, 500 kilometers west of Hanoi, in October 2018. Lenh was found guilty of "illegal trading and trafficking of narcotic substances" while nine others were charged with "illegal trafficking of narcotic substances." 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. But despite some of the world's toughest drug laws, drug busts remain a frequent occurrence in Vietnam. The Government has created about 15,000 short-term jobs for artisans in Northern Ghana under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP). Under the IPEP, the Northern Development Authority (NDA), the implementing agency, has initiated more than 2,000 projects which have created short-term jobs for the artisans. IPEP is a new development-bottom-up approach initiated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2017 with the aim of making available to deprived communities, basic socio-economic infrastructure to reduce poverty and minimize all forms of inequalities. The Chief Executive Officer of the (NDA), Dr Alhassan Sulemana Anamzoya, made this known during the opening of the 2020 Northern Ghana Development Summit in Bolgatanga last Thursday. The Summit was on the theme: Transforming the economy of Northern Ghana within the context of the 2020 general election and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Anamzoya further explained that in pursuit of the one million dollars per constituency policy, the Ministry of Finance had allocated GH266.760 million to the NDA for development purposes. GCB Bank As we speak now contractors are busily constructing roads, hospitals, school blocks, market centres, Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, boreholes, snakebite centres, bridges, community centres and supplying school furniture across the Northern enclave, he stated. Pwalugu Dam Dr Anamzoya noted that the NDA major development projects facilitated in the Upper East Region included the Pwalugu multipurpose dam. He explained that as of June 2020, community sensitisation and assessment of existing access roads to the project site were being undertaken by a joint team from the Volta River Authority, the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and NDA. He observed that the partnership between the Ghana Water Company Limited and the NDA saw the authority cede two hectares of its land at the Kaladan Park in Tamale to facilitate the swift implementation of this all-important water supply project. CoronaLife Web Series In August, the President, during his visit to the Northern Region, again cut the sod for the commencement of work on the Tamale water supply project touted as the biggest water project in the five regions of the north and the second biggest in the history of Ghana, the CEO said. Come home The CEO appealed to people from the North, both to come home with their respective talents, skills and resources to help develop Northern Ghana. I also urge my fellow Northern Ghanaians at home to be prudent in handling and to be modest in spending resources that are sent to us by our siblings outside the country, either to help them put up their houses or create business opportunities," Dr Anamzoya advised. COVID-19 The Upper East Regional Minister, Ms Tangoba Abayage, stated that studies showed that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would be felt more in northern Ghana because Ghana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was estimated to reduce from 6.8 per cent to 1.5 per cent, while non-oil revenue had been pegged to fall by GH2 billion. Stakeholders in Northern Ghana should be positioned well to influence the political parties to weave our peculiarities into their respective agenda for realising a Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, Ms Abayage noted. Northern Development Plan The Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, who spoke via Zoom, called on indigenes of the five regions of the north to work together to develop a comprehensive Northern Development Plan. This would ensure sustainability and continuation of development projects even when there was a change in government, she said. She urged people from the North to buy into and own the plan such that regardless of the government in power; duty bearers would be compelled to stick to the plan. Mrs Chinery-Hesse was of the view that it was high time indigenes of the north moved from talk shops into action". She observed that if the indigenes of the north were able to accept that responsibility of making duty bearers stick to the plan or agreement, a lot would change in the near future. According to her, there would be a paradigm shift in development such that instead of people travelling from the north to the south for greener pastures, it would now be the other way round. Mrs Chinery-Hesse, who is the first female Chancellor of the University of Ghana, spoke on the topic: Narrowing the North-South inequalities: what needs to be done?" Way forward The Chancellor mentioned the sheanut industry, data on rich resources in the north, value addition to raw materials, generation of hydro power, water harvesting to give the north an advantage in farming, as some of the things that can act as the magic wand in accelerating the development of northern Ghana. She indicated that traditional rulers also had a crucial role to play by creating a congenial atmosphere for private investors to come in. There must also be a codification chieftaincy succession plan to help minimise conflicts which have been the bane of the development of the north, the Chancellor stressed. She also spoke about the need for trade to be boosted between Ghana and the Sahelian regions, with the north playing a key role due to its strategic location to the Sahelian regions. Mrs Chinery-Hesse stated that with an estimated 350 million people living in the Sahelian region, Ghana could not afford to miss out but tap into those opportunities to enrich the country through international trade. Political parties A Council of State Member, Bo-Na Prof Yakubu Nantogmah, spoke on the theme for the summit and called on Northerners to help bring to a halt the situation whereby projects were abandoned when there was a change in government. Bo-Na Nantogmah said Northerners could do that if they prevailed on political parties to agree to a common plan of continuation of projects in a systematic manner, whether it was one political party that was in power or not. He said the challenges of the north started from the colonial era and that the educational system handed down to the country did not provide the Ghanaian and indeed the Northerner the opportunity to critically analyse issues. The old system of education made us to memorise tasks and never allowed us into the area of critical analysis, the Council of State Member further observed. He equally admitted that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had also exacerbated the existing challenges of the north. Event The summit was aimed at promoting dialogue among stakeholders on the important issue of Election 2020 and political parties manifestos in the context of COVID-19 and its impact on northern Ghana, how the issue of inequality persisted amid COVID-19 in northern Ghana and how it can be addressed. It was also aimed at agreeing on specific actions required to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflicts to sustain peace in an election year in northern Ghana. It attracted academia, ministers of state, traditional rulers, queen mothers, development experts, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives from the five regions of the north. The summit was organised by the STAR Ghana Foundation, the NDA, TAMA Foundation Universal and the Northern Development Forum, among other partners. 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 PTI LOS ANGELES: Actor David Arquette hopes that his upcoming film "Scream 5" will bring some kind of "healing" to the franchise fans who are still mourning the death of filmmaker Wes Craven. Hailed as the "Master of Horror", Craven, who died of a brain tumour, had started the franchise with 1996 slasher "Scream", featuring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and Arquette in the lead. The film, which turned out to be a huge blockbuster, spawned three sequels over the years -- "Scream 2" (1997), "Scream 3" (2000) and "Scream 4" (2011). "Scream 5" will be the first film in the franchise to not have Craven behind the camera. Arquette said the new film's directors, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, are huge fans of Craven and they want to make him proud with their work. "They have their hearts in the right place, they want to do something that he'd be proud of. And then the fact that Courteney's coming back and hopefully Neve comes back as well, there's something healing about that, for us to be able to carry on these films that he's done, and just keep telling stories," Arquette told Corpse Club podcast. The actor remembered Craven as "one of the greatest humans" that he ever met. "He was so supportive, he was incredibly smart, soft spoken, he was a bird watcher, which is so funny to learn, he loved music and was really supportive I miss him a lot. It will be hard and we'll think about him a lot. But it will also feel good just to be back in his world that he created," Arquette added. "Scream 5", which has a screenplay from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, will also feature actors Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega. This time, the report states that hackers have started targeting phishing with small businesses in focus. As the software security companies tighten the grip on ransomwares, phishing and other dubious methods carried to extract personal information, hackers too find new ways to make their way into the users mailboxes. Highlighting this is Kasperskys new Q2 2020 report on spam and phishing. For those unaware, phishing is often used to take out personal information that often includes financial credentials such as bank account passwords or payment card details, or login details for social media accounts. This time, the report states that hackers have started targeting phishing with small businesses in focus. Phishers increasingly performed targeted attacks, with most of their focus on small companies. To attract attention, fraudsters forged emails and websites from organizations whose products or services could be purchased by potential victims. In the process of making these fake assets, fraudsters often did not even try to make the site appear authentic. Such targeted phishing attacks can have serious consequences. Once a fraudster has gained access to an employee's mailbox, they can use it to carry out further attacks on the company the employee works for, the rest of its staff, or even its contractors, states the report. Also read: Uber ex-security chief charged with covering up data hack The hackers were able to disguise their communications with unsuspecting users as: Delivery services During the pandemic, delivery companies have been active in emailing the updates on products that are being shipped or getting delayed. Similar mails were being used by hackers along with an attachment to find out the address of a warehouse where they could pick up a shipment that did not reach its destination. Postal services Fraudsters also used messages with a small image of a postal receipt, hoping that the customer will open it and unknowingly down the Noon spyware, as found by Kaspersky. Financial services There were fraud emails offering various benefits and bonuses to customers of credit institutions due to the pandemic. These contained a file with instructions or links to get more details. However, the link could give fraudsters an access to users computers, personal data, or authentication data for various services. Also read: Taiwan accuses Chinese hackers of targeting its citizens data HR services Lastly, the fraudsters also used HR-related emails, which when opened by office employees will download trojan, which is often used for downloading and installing encryptors. The mails were regarding medical leave procedure, news about their dismissal and more. What can you do? Kaspersky has however given some tips on how you can save yourself from such attacks. You can always check the online addresses in unknown or unexpected messages. Not just the ID but users can also see the website that is being opened and redirected towards. In case you are not familiar with the website and not sure about it, do no enter your credentials. If you think that you may have entered your login and password on a fake page, immediately change your password and call your bank or other payment provider if you think your card details were compromised. A Vietnamese man was arrested in Binh Phuoc Province, around 110 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, last month for a 1995 murder for which he is wanted, the municipal police said Friday. Ho Chi Minh Citys Department of Police said on Friday it has taken over the suspect, 61-year-old Le Van Ba, after he was arrested while in hiding in neighboring Binh Phuoc Province in early July. Ba, who has a permanent address in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, is the suspect in a murder on March 30, 1995 and has been on the municipal polices wanted list since then. No information on the mans whereabouts was available for over 25 years until May 2020, when Binh Thanh District Police found evidence that Ba had been living under a new name in Binh Phuoc. Investigators believed Ba had changed his name to Le Van Sinh while on the run and was living in Phu Son Commune, Bu Dang District, Binh Phuoc with his wife of over 20 years. Information acquired by the officers showed Sinh had been leading a quiet life in the rural area and avoided social interactions, spending most of his time on a piece of farmland far from his house. After confirming that Sinh was indeed the wanted murder suspect Le Van Ba through photos and fingerprints, a plan was quickly mapped out to capture the man. On July 8, 2020, officers from Binh Thanh District Police and their colleagues in Bu Dang District coordinated a raid into Bas home in Binh Phuoc and arrested the man. Ba confessed to the murder committed 25 years ago on his way of being transported to Ho Chi Minh City from Binh Phuoc, the officers said. Binh Thanh District Police have handed over Ba to the Criminal Police Division under Ho Chi Minh City Police Department for further legal proceedings. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! David Daleiden slams Kamala Harris VP nomination: 'Everyone should be afraid' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Prominent pro-life activist David Daleiden shared his thoughts Thursday on how the woman who authorized a raid on his home over undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood is now the Democrat Partys vice-presidential nominee. Daleiden, the president of the pro-life investigative organization Center for Medical Progress, spoke with Fox News Tucker Carlson Thursday. He issued a stark warning about how Democrat vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris has a radical disrespect and contempt for the First Amendment. Daleiden discussed his experiences with the California senator when she served as the California attorney general. Carlson began the segment by recalling the moment when Harris first decided to take legal action against Daleiden and CMP after the release of undercover videos in 2015 that purport to expose Planned Parenthood officials willingness to engage in the illegal sale of aborted baby body parts. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Back in March 2016, when she was attorney general of California, Kamala Harris met with several Planned Parenthood executives, Carlson explained. Records show that they conspired to target a journalist called David Daleiden, who was covering Planned Parenthoods role in trafficking fetal body parts. Cops then raided Daleidens home in a violation of the First Amendment, Carlson added. CMP released the videos documenting exchanges between undercover CMP investigators and Planned Parenthood officials beginning in 2015. The videos captured footage of Planned Parenthood officials casually discussing the sale and harvesting of aborted baby body parts. It is a federal crime for any person to profit off of the sale of aborted babies' tissue for research. Kamala Harris decided to target me and make me the first and only case of a criminal enforcement of the California video recording law, Daleiden proclaimed. He proceeded to detail the raid on his home authorized by Harris in April 2016. Kamala Harris sent 11 California DOJ agents into my one-bedroom apartment in southern California to raid my home to seize the means of publishing the videos, Daleiden recalled. They took the means of publishing speech critical of Planned Parenthood and critical of Kamala Harris public patrons. After Daleiden finished telling his story, the Fox News host concluded that Harris used the power of armed law enforcement to crush someone who criticized her donors. Does that make you worry for the country if she becomes the vice president? Carlson asked Daleiden. Daleiden answered in the affirmative. Everyone should be afraid of Kamala Harris radical disrespect and contempt for the First Amendment, Daleiden stressed. In the years following the release of the first video, Daleiden has faced a multitude of legal battles. In early 2016, Daleiden was indicted by a grand jury in Houston, Texas on charges of tampering with a government record, relating to the fake picture ID that Daleiden presented when he visited Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast regional offices. Those charges were later dismissed. In 2017, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who succeeded Harris upon her election to the U.S. Senate, charged Daleiden over his criminal recording of confidential conversations. During his interview with Carlson, Daleiden explained that the actions he and CMP took to film the undercover videos were fully in compliance with the law. Undercover video is something that is widely practiced in the state of California, he said. Its legal and we were scrupulous to follow the law to a T, recording people at open public restaurants, crowded public restaurants, where anybody could be expected to overhear. While Harris has long since moved on from her role as Californias top law enforcement official, Daleiden continues to face legal consequences for his undercover journalism. Ultimately, 14 of the 15 charges filed against Daleiden by Becerra in March 2017 were dropped. However, Daleiden and his lawyers were fined $200,000 by a judge in 2017 for continuing to post undercover video footage as the legal proceedings continued. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge William Orrick, an Obama appointee who also imposed the $200,000 fine on Daleiden and his lawyers, ordered Daleiden, CMP and other pro-life activists to pay more than $1.2 million in damages to Planned Parenthood. Orrick, like Harris, has well-documented ties to the abortion provider. The investigative journalist has filed a lawsuit of his own against Harris, Becerra, Planned Parenthood and others, accusing them of orchestrating a brazen, unprecedented and ongoing political conspiracy to selectively use Californias video recording laws as a political weapon to silence disfavored political speech. Daleiden became the first journalist ever to be criminally prosecuted under Californias recording law because his investigation revealed and he published shock[ing] content that Californias Attorney General and the private party coconspirators wanted to cover up, the lawsuit reads. Defendants seek their pound of flesh from Mr. Daleiden and to chill other journalists from investigating and reporting on that same content. Over the years, Harris has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations from Planned Parenthood and other womens issues lobbying organizations. Nigerias former President, Goodluck Jonathan is leading a team of ECOWAS leaders to Mali where the military has overthrown the elected government of President Ibrahim Keita. The turn of events followed a mutiny on Tuesday by soldiers, who later arrested Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, in what transformed into a coup detat. Keita was forced to resign and to also dissolved the parliament and the government headed by Prime Minister Boubou Cisse. However, AFP reports that Jonathan would be leading the team to Mali on Saturday to find amicable solution to the crisis rocking the West African nation. ECOWAS on Thursday announced that it would dispatch a high-level delegation to ensure the immediate return of constitutional order. It also demanded that Keita be restored as president and warned the junta that it bore responsibility for the safety and security of the detainees. But AFP reports on Friday that Jonathan, who is ECOWAS Special Envoy to Mali, alongside 14 other leaders in the regional bloc, would be in the Malian capital of Bamako on Saturday for peace talks with the junta leaders including Assimi Goita who has declared himself head of the junta. Also, Channels TV quoted a member of the new junta and an ECOWAS source, as saying that the leaders were expected to arrive in the West African country on Saturday. The source described the mission to Bamako as aiming to help the search for solutions, days after mutinying soldiers took over power in Mali. We will receive the ECOWAS delegation with pleasure it is important to talk to our brothers, a junta official in the country told AFP on Friday. Related Delegates from the West African grouping, ECOWAS, met Malis ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and members of the countrys military junta on Saturday in a bid to push for a speedy return to civilian rule following a coup in the troubled nation. Hours after the ECOWAS delegation, headed by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in the Malian capital, Bamako, three members of the group were granted access to Keita. "We have seen President Keita," Jonathan told AFP late Saturday, adding that "the negotiations are going well". Rebel soldiers seized Keita, Malian Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and other senior leaders after a mutiny on Tuesday, dealing another deep blow to a country already struggling with a brutal Islamist insurgency and widespread public discontent over its government. The meeting between the ousted Malian leader and the three ECOWAS delegation members was held at an undisclosed location. No details of the meeting were released. Earlier Saturday, ECOWAS envoys met with Mali's military junta, including new strongman Colonel Assimi Goita. The meeting lasted half-an-hour, according to Malian sources. Mali's neighbours have called for Keita to be reinstated, saying the purpose of the delegation's visit was to help "ensure the immediate return of constitutional order". US suspends military aid to Mali The ECOWAS delegation landed in Bamako just hours after four Malian soldiers were killed in a bomb blast near the Burkina Faso border,underscoring the insecurity in the troubled nation. Adding to the international pressure to return Mali to civilian rule, the US on Friday suspended military aid to the country, scrapping training as well as support of the Mali armed forces. "Let me say categorically there is no further training or support of Malian armed forces full-stop. We have halted everything until such time as we can clarify the situation," the US Sahel envoy J. Peter Pham told journalists. Story continues The US regularly provides training to soldiers in Mali, including several of the officers who led the coup. It also offers intelligence support to France's Barkhane forces, who are fighting jihadist groups in the Sahel region. Crowds celebrate president's ouster, junta thanks them Despite widespread regional and international condemnations, Keita's ouster was celebrated on the streets of the capital, Bamako on Friday with jubilant crowds gathering in the central Independence Square. The demonstrators were mainly supporters of Mali's opposition coalition, M5-RFP, who had demonstrated since June for Keita to step down from power. Although the coalition was not behind Tuesday's coup d'etat, they issued a statement expressing support for the downfall of the government and endorsing the junta's plan to return the country to civilian rule. The M5-RFP welcomes the resignation of President Ibrahima Boubacar Keita, the dissolution of the National Assembly and the government, said the statement. The junta in turn welcomed the coalition's support at Friday's rally in Bamako. "We have come here to thank you, to thank the Malian public for its support. We merely completed the work that you began and we recognise ourselves in your fight," the junta's spokesman, Ismael Wague, told supporters of the M5 movement, UN team meets Keita Earlier Friday, UN human rights officials said they were given access overnight to Keita and other detainees. The UN peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSMA, provided no details on what was said or on the condition of the captives. Junta leaders have promised to oversee a transition to elections within a "reasonable" amount of time. They plan to install a transitional president who may be "either a civilian or a soldier", the junta's spokesman told FRANCE 24 in an interview on Thursday. The junta's spokesman Wague told FRANCE 24 that the soldiers who seized power on Tuesday are in contact with civil society, opposition parties, the majority, everyone, to try to put a transition in place. A council headed by a transitional president will be either a civilian or a soldier, Wague said, vowing that the transition would be "as short as possible". West African mediation The military overthrow has dismayed international and regional powers, who fear it could further destabilise the former French colony and West Africas entire Sahel region. The coup is Mali's second in eight years. A putsch in 2012 helped hasten a takeover of northern Mali by al Qaeda-linked militants, and al Qaeda and Islamic State group affiliates are active in the north and centre of the country. France, the EU, the US, the African Union and the UN Security Council have all condemned the latest military takeover and demanded the release of detained leaders. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS) Appeal in Babri demolition case to be taken after studying judgment says CBI counsel Babri demolition verdict: All you need to know about the key figures Babri Masjid demolition case: Complete trial of BJP leaders by September end, says SC India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 22: The Supreme Court has set a new deadline of September 30 for completing trial and pronouncing verdict in the criminal case against BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti for demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. "Having read the report of Mr. Surendra Kumar Yadav, learned Special Judge, and considering that the proceedings are at the fag end, we grant one month's time, i.e., till September 30, 2020, to complete the proceedings including delivery of judgment," the bench which also comprised justices Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said in its order passed on August 19. This would be the fourth instance of the top court setting a deadline for completion of trial in the case. Bihar assembly election 2020: BJP President JP Nadda begins 2-day virtual strategy meet today There are a total of 32 accused in the case including former deputy prime minister L K Advani, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, BJP leaders M M Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiar and Sadhvi Ritambhara. They have been charged for various offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including promoting enmity between religious groups (section 153A), making statements affecting national integration (section 153B) or which are likely to cause public mischief (section 505). The Babri mosque was demolished in December 1992 by ''kar sevaks'' who claimed that it was built on the site of an ancient Ram temple in Ayodhya. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 16:12 [IST] Sridevi is one actress who has featured in some cult classics. The actor has picked up films that usually find women in challenging situations. She beautifully shows how to overcome problems, rise like a phoenix and walk shoulder to shoulder with men. Whether it's Lamhe, English Vinglish, Mr. India or Mom, Sridevi can beautifully adapt herself into any role with utmost ease. But one of her first Hindi and the most underrated film is Gumrah. screengrab The movie that revolves around Sridevi's character who is arrested in Hong Kong for possession of drugs still sends shiver down our spine. The movie is available on Netflix and I ended up watching all over again. And believe me, it can still scar you. Here's why! 1. It's nothing like Aashiqui and maybe that's the problem screengrab Movies like Aashiqui usually show a lower middle class girl spotted by a famous man and made a star overnight and then there are first world problems like dealing with an alcoholic. Gumraah is on the same lines, Sridevi is rich too but this comes with an agenda and that sets the plot. 2. Airports suddenly don't feel like a safe zone anymore screengrab The place which makes you feel liberated, free and happy makes you doubt about so many things. You are always careful about your luggage and not leaving your hand bag unattended, all thanks to this film. Seeing this film back in the 90s and taking flights used to be a sweaty affair. As a 10-year-old, I used to ensure no one is touching anything thet are not supposed to. 3. You basically stop trusting people, thanks to this movie screengrab Rahul Roy who is a charmer in most of the movies back then shocks you with his presence. He's the one who indulges in the most heinous crime, of transferring drugs from one country to another, and not by himself. The movie shows how he gets friendly with girls, promises to make them rich and famous but has a hidden agenda of getting them unknowingly into peddling drugs. 4. The Jail scenes are terrifying and on point screengrab As a 10 year old , watching scenes where Sridevi and other female inmates are arrested and the kind of treatment they face shakes you up. Infact, even now when you watch the same on Netflix, it makes you think never to get into trouble in that side of the world because you are helpless. 5. Not just within the jail but even jailors misbehaving with inmates is a hair raising experience screengrab You remember Kanika the actress from Hum Saath Saath Hai, well her role is cunning here as well but in a different way. Imagine her donning a police uniform, with blunt cut and beating all the jail inmates. And later in the night hooking up with the other police officer and calling the jail inmate Sridevi to do a threesome with them. Okay then. 6. Travelling to South East Asian countries will never be same again screengrab I remember the first time I went to Thailand, I was mighty careful. And must I add, the behaviour shown in the film is a great awareness program incase you are travellling to these places. These places do take a toll on you if you are not familiar with their language . They are extremely strict with their law and order and have no special discount for tourists as well. In the movie, Sridevi is shown as someone who hesitates to communicate during her jail term in Hong Kong. Her plight in the film makes you want to double check everything before heading out. 7. When Bollywood was churning out rom-coms, Sridevi was experimenting screengrab When SRK was experimenting in negative roles like Baazigar and Darr, Sridevi too was figuring out her feet in a similar genre. She chose not to dance around trees and take up a challenging role. 8. The most underrated film of Sridevi that you should watch on OTT already screengrab It does not come in the top 10 movies of Sridevi but it should. This movie has an underlying message as far as safety and woman power is concerned. A child who is surrounded by luxuries can also face issues, whether its about the missing father or getting stuck in Hong Kong. It shows the struggle of surviving in international waters especially in jail. Sridevi acting in Gumrah is a revelation yet disturbing. P.s you would also spot Soni Razdan is the jail scenes. Actor Karan Tacker was shocked to learn that, mere hours after landing in a new city, he had tested positive for the coronavirus. But much to his relief, he realised that the test was probably false, as he tested negative twice shortly afterwards. He narrated the story to Mumbai Mirror, and said that he had gotten tested in Mumbai before leaving for New Delhi for a professional commitment. He said that his reports arrived only after he landed, and that the hotel staff panicked when they learned that he had tested positive. They didnt even help me find a COVID facility, I had to do everything on my own, he said. Thankfully, I didnt crack under the pressure and decided I needed to be sure and got two more tests done in Delhi from two different labs. I also asked my family to get tested in Mumbai and all the results were negative. Karan also expressed his anger at the Mumbai lab through which he got his test done. I am angry and appalled by the faulty test that was the reason for my family going through so much trauma. The BMC was calling my house as also the medical services while the floors were being sanitised. And it was all happening in Mumbai while I was isolated in Delhi. Since I hadnt met anyone in months except my family and my second result came the same day and was negative, I didnt want to create unnecessary panic by telling people what had happened. But it was terrible and in the last two days I havent slept a wink, the actor said. Also read: Karan Tacker shifts from Mumbai to Lonavala house after five people test Covid-19 positive in his building Previously, several people in Karans building had tested positive for the virus, after which the actor moved to Lonavala. He recently appeared in the Hotstar series Special OPS, and had previously expressed hope that his performance in the show changes his public perception. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Although the Iowa GOP has voiced support for Republican National Committee lawsuits against three county auditors, seeking to invalidate tens of thousands of voters absentee ballot applications they sent to registered voters who have participated in recent elections, not all Republican officials are on board. Auditors in Linn, Johnson and Woodbury counties sent active registered voters absentee ballot request forms with their personal information already filled in. Voters just have to review, sign and return the forms to get ballots in October that they can mail back or drop off, avoiding potential coronavirus-related health dangers at crowded polling places on Election Day, Nov. 3. According to filings, the auditors Joel Miller in Linn County, Travis Weipert in Johnson County and Pat Gill in Woodbury County are among the officials willfully and unilaterally disobeying Iowa election law, RNC Chairwoman Rona McDaniel said. Their actions have destroyed a key mechanism designed to ensure the integrity of absentee voting. The Republican Party of Iowa is proud to stand with other Republican groups in joining this lawsuit to safeguard our absentee voting process and to protect common-sense election laws, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said. His counterpart at the Iowa Democratic Party accused Republicans of trying to rip away vote-by-mail efforts during a global pandemic. Republicans and Donald Trump are trying to suppress voters because they are terrified of being held accountable at the ballot box, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Mark Smith said. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, said election integrity is important to her. So having someone other than the voter put personal information on the absentee ballot request form makes me a little nervous, she said while in Cedar Rapids earlier this week. However, Ernst, a former Montgomery County auditor, called Iowas absentee ballot system very strong. I do have faith in our county auditors, and I know so many of our county auditors, whether theyre Democrats or Republicans, and I think its great that we have a decentralized way of doing our elections still monitored by the Iowa State Code and our secretary of state, Ernst said. We have some really phenomenal auditors across the state that are going to make sure that our elections are safe. When people ask me all across the state, I always say I dont worry about Iowa. Hearings have been scheduled in Linn County District Court on Aug. 27, in Woodbury County on Aug. 28 and Johnson County on Sept. 9. LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, has joined the auditors in opposing the RNC lawsuits. Miller, a Democrat, said he acted within his authority by mailing prepopulated forms to 140,000 registered voters last month. Many of those forms have been returned, and his office has been notifying voters their absentee ballots will be mailed Oct. 5. Weiperts office is sending the forms to 92,000 registered voters, and has received thousands of responses. Johnson County long has been Iowas most Democratic stronghold. Linn County, the states second-largest, has been an important source of Democratic votes in recent elections. In 2016, Trump handily won Iowa by nearly 10 percentage points. He carried Woodbury, 57 percent to 37 percent. He lost Linn to Hillary Clinton, 50 percent to 41 percent, and Johnson, 65 percent to 27 percent. Iowa Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate last month told auditors in an emergency election directive that the forms mailed to voters must be blank to ensure uniformity. His office has not taken any action to block the county mailings. They are one of the most critical ecosystems on our planet, providing a nest for marine life and acting as a haven for beauty and biodiversity in our oceans. Not to mention their ability to protect our coastline. But coral reefs are under attack. And University of Miami coral experts are deploying a host of innovative techniques to save them. They described these strategies in the second virtual Climate Cafe, Building Resilience for Floridas Coral Reefs and Coastlines, a webinar hosted by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. During the webinar, marine science professors Andrew Baker and Diego Lirman outlined the obstacles that coral reefs face today. These include the warming of ocean waters due to climate change, which is fueling coral bleaching events, along with a mysterious illness called stony coral tissue loss disease that is slowly infiltrating the coral species in South Florida. There are also the typical hazards of hurricanes and overfishing that continue to hinder coral reefs. In the last 75 years we have seen coral reefs slide in terms of their health status and perhaps the most dire and pressing threat to coral reefs today is that of climate change, said Baker, professor of marine biology and ecology, who leads the Coral Reef Futures Lab. I think you can argue that more than any other ecosystem on the planet, coral reefs are most threatened by climate change. All these hurdles, Lirman said, led to a recent study that compared Floridas Coral Reef in 1970when about 40 percent of the reef floor was comprised of stony corals (such as brain corals and branching corals)to today, when less than 5 percent of Florida's reef floor contain the same coral. For corals that can live hundreds of years, 30 to 40 years is a very short period of time for this dramatic loss, said Lirman. Therefore, Baker said, it is critical that scientists utilize as many interventions as possible to restore the coral colonies. Baker and Lirman, along with ocean sciences professor Brian Haus and engineering professor Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, recently pooled their efforts to create the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Restoration Hub. Through this $6 million project, which is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the University, the professors and their students will partner with coral experts from across the state to restore 125 acres of reef habitat in Miami-Dade and Broward counties using cutting-edge restoration strategies. These include growing and replanting thousands of corals from the Universitys two offshore nurseriesalong with its land-based hatcheryand juvenile corals from their partners. (Left to right)Professors Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, Brian Haus, Diego Lirman, and Andrew Baker in front of the Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. SUSTAIN tank where they are testing corals' ability to mitigate wave energy. Photo taken in December 2019 before mask requirements were put in place. Photo: TJ Lievonen/University of Miami. Lirmans Benthic Ecology and Coral Restoration lab, along with his Rescue a Reef program, have taken fragmented corals and grown them and replanted them on reefs in Biscayne Bay for years, refining their methods along the way. In recent years, Rescue a Reef has recruited and trained more than 700 local divers and snorkelers to help grow and plant coral fragments, adding needed assistance to the effort, senior research associate Dalton Hesley said. "In the past 12 years, we have restored and replanted over 20,000 corals of more than 100 genotypes, Lirman said. And were not only increasing the abundance or cover of corals, but were also increasing the genotypic diversity which is crucial for the sustainability of these coral reefs. But as part of the new massive project, Lirman said they will be focusing on planting species and genotypes that thrive in warmer oceans. This is what Bakers lab is focused on, and Ph.D. student Liv Williamson described how they are working to identify and cultivate corals that are attuned to warmer temperatures. Its not enough to just replace corals, but to replace them with corals that are not likely to succumb to conditions that those before them did, she said. Due to the acceleration of climate change, the phenomenon of coral bleaching is the largest threat to the species globally, Baker said. A bleaching event happens when unusually warmer temperatures in the water cause a breakdown between the algae, which grows symbiotically on corals and provides nutrients for them. Without the algae, the corals turn white and brittle. And although not all corals die from bleaching, according to Baker, the longer the events last and the hotter the water gets, the more coral can die. Another development Williamson noted, is that their lab is working with a type of symbiotic algae that can withstand hotter temperatures. Therefore, in addition to planting and breeding corals that are more resistant and resilient in warmer water, they are also now growing corals with more heat tolerant algae. And they are inoculating some corals with this algae to help them survive. But Williamson added that one of the best defenses in ecosystems is diversity, so they are also studying the sexual reproduction of corals. When corals spawn once a year, many colonies release eggs and sperm (collectively called gametes) at the same time that fertilize one another to form embryos. Each new embryo has its own unique genotype, creating more diversity among the coral species. Last week, Williamson, Hesley and a team of coral researchers witnessed a spawning event for the first time from staghorn corals they had planted a few years ago through the Rescue a Reef program. This is such exciting news because it means not only that were able plant new corals and create this beautiful new habitat that had been lost before, but that these colonies are contributing new genetic information and new diversity to our reefs that will help sustain them far into the futurehopefully in the face of climate change, she said. And although many Miami residents may not have had the chance to see the coral reefs in person, Lirman said they are instrumental to South Floridas survival, too. Besides their ability to serve as a refuge for marine life, coral reefs also protect our beaches and homes from massive storm surge by weakening the energy of waves before they get to shore. Healthy coral reefs provide the energy mitigation we need to protect our shorelines, he said. The annual value of protection in South Florida alone is close to $700 million from coral reefs, and the value of these healthy natural defenses increases significantly when you have extreme events like hurricanes. To watch a recording of the webinar, click here. To attend the next Climate Cafe, Economic and Societal Impacts of a Changing Climate, on Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 1 to 2 p.m., register here. " " What makes a person not only murder, but murder multiple people over periods of days, weeks and years? D-Keine / Getty Images The Zodiac Killer. John Wayne Gacy. The BTK Killer. Ted Bundy. Son of Sam. Jeffrey Dahmer. The names and pseudonyms of these killers are burned into the collective consciousness of Americans, thanks to massive coverage in newspapers, books, films and TV specials. Many of those who have been captured appeared average -- attractive, successful, active members of the community -- until their crimes were discovered. This kind of killer doesn't just "go crazy" one day and kill a lot of people. He doesn't kill out of greed or jealousy. So what makes a person not only murder, but murder multiple people over periods of days, weeks and years? There's a special name for these types of murderers: serial killers. In this article, we'll learn about what makes them tick. Advertisement The term "serial killer" was coined in the mid-1970s by Robert Ressler, the former director of the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. He chose "serial" because the police in England called these types of murders "crimes in a series" and because of the serial films that he grew up watching. Prior to this, these types of crimes were sometimes known as mass murders or stranger-on-stranger crime. The FBI defines a serial killer as one who murders three or more victims, with "cooling-off" periods between each murder [source: U.S. Code]. This sets them apart from mass murderers, who kill four or more people at the same time (or in a short period of time) in the same place, and spree killers, who murder in multiple locations and within a short period of time. Serial killers usually work alone, kill strangers and kill for the sake of killing (as opposed to crimes of passion). According to a recent FBI study, there have been approximately 400 serial killers in the United States in the past century, with anywhere from 2,526 to 3,860 victims [source: Hickey]. However, there's no way to really know how many serial killers are active at any point in time -- experts have suggested numbers ranging from 50 to 300, but there's no evidence to support them. Serial murders also appear to have increased over the past 30 years. Eighty percent of the 400 serial killers of the past century have emerged since 1950 [source: Vronsky]. Why this is happening is a question of some debate; there is no answer, just as there is no simple answer as to why some people become serial killers. In the next section, we'll look at some classifications of serial killers in use by criminal researchers and profilers so we can begin to understand this phenomenon. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Pakistani President Arif Alvi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that as a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is of great importance to promoting in-depth development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and forging a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a verbal message to Pakistani President Arif Alvi. Xi said he appreciates the fact that Alvi sent a congratulatory letter to the opening of the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, which fully demonstrated that Alvi attaches great importance to and supports the China-Pakistan relationship and construction of the CPEC. China and Pakistan are good brothers and partners who share special friendship, Xi said, adding that political parties from both sides often carry out friendly consultations and constantly build political consensus, which is conducive to steadily advancing the construction of the CPEC as well as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Photo taken on Nov. 18, 2019 shows the expressway section from Havelian to Mansehra under the Karakoram Highway (KKH) Phase Two project in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (Xinhua/Liu Tian) Since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the global fight has fully demonstrated that mutual support, solidarity and cooperation present a sure way for humanity to defeat this novel coronavirus, Xi said. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, jointly promote regional solidarity and cooperation, and safeguard the good momentum of peace and development in the region. Alvi had previously sent a congratulatory message to the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism. He said in the message that building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by Xi profoundly interpreted the true meaning of cooperation, peace and development and reflected the universal aspirations of the people around the world. He thanked China specifically for providing timely medical assistance to Pakistan when it was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said Pakistan will continue to enhance cultural exchanges and mutual trust with China, share common goals with China and make joint efforts to promote regional peace and stability. The CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism was established in 2019 between the CPC and the ruling and major non-ruling parties of Pakistan. On Thursday, the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, organized by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, was held via video link. Vikas Singh, the lawyer representing Sushant Singh Rajputs father in his case against Rhea Chakraborty, has said that Kangana Ranaut is neither Sushants friend nor representative. He said Kangana is basically highlighting the general discrimination. Kangana is not Sushants friend. She is basically highlighting the general discrimination in media, Singh told IANS. He added, The issue that she is raising is correct, but she is not Sushant Singh Rajputs representative and neither is she carrying on his case. She is bringing out a general problem in the industry. Sushant may also have been a victim (of nepotism), but she is not representing him. Woh Sushant ka nahi kar rahi kuch bhi (she isnt doing anything for Sushant). She is only doing her own. Previously, in an interview to Pinkvilla, Vikas Singh had said, Shes trying to further her own agenda and attack people she has a personal issue with to settle her own scores. She seems to be on her own trip. The familys FIR has nothing to do with her claims at all. He had, however, also added, Everyone knows nepotism exists in the industry. Sushant too must have faced discrimination. But that cant be the primary course of investigation in this case. Those can still be contributory factors. but the main case is on how Rhea and her gang tried to completely exploit and finish Sushant. SSRs family and their lawyer have always been very supportive of my struggle https://t.co/jffCsVOqGl Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 21, 2020 Perhaps in response, Kangana, who recently joined Twitter, shared a video of Vikas Singh speaking positively about her. She wrote, SSRs family and their lawyer have always been very supportive of my struggle. KK Singh has filed an FIR against Rhea in Patna, accusing her of abetting Sushants suicide and siphoning off his funds. Sushants case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, while the Enforcement Directorate is conducting its own investigation into allegations of misappropriation of funds against Rhea and her brother, Showik Chakraborty. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As Democrats wrapped up a national convention this week, Julie Chavez Rodriguez was among the staffers behind the scenes. She might have been 120 miles from the Delaware convention site, but the senior adviser to the Biden-Harris campaign was definitely on the inside. The 42-year-old native Californian served on Kamala Harris presidential campaign and, long before that, in the Obama White House. She has been a political insider for a long time. It might be more accurate to say she was born an insider who witnessed history as a member of a U.S. labor union dynasty. The granddaughter of Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers and inspired the Chicano civil rights movement, she also was the daughter of parents who devoted their lives to the union. She grew up amid politics and protests. At 9, she was detained during a boycott and was in the courtroom when a judge dismissed charges against her and her family. After Chavez died in 1993, her father, Arturo Rodriguez, succeeded him as president of the UFW. As is the case with so many great Mexican American political stories, theres a San Antonio connection. Her father was born and has retired here and still works as a consultant for the union as president emeritus. All to say, Chavez Rodriguez doesnt need a genealogy site to research an ancestry embedded in U.S. history. She grew up in La Paz, the UFWs headquarters in California, and her family lived in union housing on the complex, which was once a tuberculosis sanatorium. Today, part of it is a national historic landmark. At 5, she started working. Her sister, three years older, already had a job in a union office. Her father recalls the family at the breakfast table. Julie was all dressed up, and we asked, Julie, where are you going? She said she was going to work, too. She took off and knocked on her Nanas door. Nana was her grandmother, the late Helen Chavez, who ran the UFWs credit union. By 10, Chavez Rodriguez was an experienced picketer and was handing out boycott leaflets as news broke that Chavez was on a hunger strike. Her father said a store customer referenced the fast and told Julie, I hope he dies this time. His voice cracked. When she went back to talk to her Tata, Cesar told her, The next time anybody tells you that, just remember, thats the way some people are. Dont get angry. He advised his granddaughter to say, Im praying for you, Arturo Rodriguez recalled. It helped cement the whole idea of nonviolence. She has learned to fight injustice and hatred in other ways. On the last day of the Democratic convention, she talked about her portfolio. She helps oversee the Biden-Harris campaigns relationships with endorsers and supporters and takes deep dives into data and polling. Shes among those who help figure out where to invest campaign time and resources. Texas Democrats continue to doubt the likelihood of a Biden-Harris investment in the Lone Star State. Its just not going to happen. But Chavez Rodriguez insisted that Texas will be a battleground this time. Its a pathway to victory, but were creating multiple pathways. She meets with the campaigns Latino team to make sure were doing all we can to get the Latino vote. Overall, Latino investment will be historic this cycle. Biden-Harris ads will target Latinos in English and Spanish, and those Spanish-language ads in Texas and Arizona will sound different than those aired in Florida. The campaigns English-language media also will target younger Latino voters. Those nuances matter, she said. Already, the campaign has seen higher contact rates from traditional phone bank outreach. The pandemic might be influencing that. Potential voters who might not have answered a campaign call before the era of stay-home orders are picking up with greater frequency. New work schedules might be giving them more flexibility. Chavez Rodriguez wouldnt entertain her own career goals, post-election, nor what job in a potential Biden-Harris administration would interest her. Like the rest of the staff, her focus is regaining the White House. She ticked off important issues, including the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, comprehensive immigration reform, expansion of the Affordable Care Act and building digital infrastructure in rural areas. Those are my end goals, she said. As the call was ending, Chavez Rodriguez threw out a few more. Building a diverse Cabinet was one of them. Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. To read more from Elaine, become a subscriber. eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Delhi Police arrests ISIS operative New Delhi: The Delhi Police has arrested an alleged ISIS operative with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from central Delhi's Ridge Road area, a senior officer said on Saturday. The accused was arrested on Friday night following a brief exchange of fire. Advertisement Arrest "The accused was arrested after an exchange of fire from Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha said. Fans and critics of the royal family are split after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex voiced her opinion about voting in the upcoming U.S. election. Meghan is using her platform to encourage others to vote and issued a passionate statement during the virtual When All Women Vote #CouchParty on Aug. 20. Meghan Markle | Ben Birchall WPA Pool / Getty Images Meghan Markle has been vocal about politics Meghan and Prince Harry moved to California with their son Archie after taking a step back from the British royal family. Since then, the Duchess of Sussex has become more vocal about politics and social activism. While she has not endorsed a 2020 candidate, Meghan spoke out against current U.S. President Donald Trump even before becoming a member of the royal family. In a 2016 appearance on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Meghan spoke out against Trump. Yes, of course, Trump is divisive, think about female voters alone, right I think it was in 2012 the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points that is a huge number, and with as misogynistic as Trump is, and so vocal about it, thats a huge chunk of it, she said. RELATED: Is Meghan Markle Breaking Royal Protocol If She Votes in the US Election? Meghan Markle is trying to increase voter turnout On Aug. 20, Meghan took part in a virtual event called When All Women Vote #CouchParty. The event was hosted by Glamours Samantha Barry and When We All Vote board chair Valerie Jarrett. When I think about voting and why this is so exceptionally important for all of us, I would frame it as, we vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us, said the Duchess of Sussex during the event. Because thats what community is all about. And thats specifically what this election is all about. I think were only 75 days away from Election Day. That is so very close, and yet there is so much work to be done in that amount of time. In her message, Meghan warned about the importance of the upcoming 2020 election. We all know whats at stake this year, she said. I know it. And all of you certainly know it if youre here on this fun event with this then youre all just as mobilized and just as energized to see the change that we all need and deserve. We vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who will come after us. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, joined our #CouchParty with @samanthabarry, @ValerieJarrett, @YNB, @djdiamondkuts, and @angiemartinez for an inspiring night of strong women pic.twitter.com/p2h7sWcJrB When We All Vote (@WhenWeAllVote) August 21, 2020 She also told potential voters that not voting made them part of the problem. The fight is worth fighting, and we all have to be out there mobilizing At this juncture, if we arent part of the solution, were part of the problem. If youre complacent, youre complicit, she said. This started a debate about her involvement with politics Following Meghans comments, social media flooded with both praises and criticism. Piers Morgan, a known critic of Meghan, tweeted, The Queen must strip the Sussexes of their titles. They cant remain as royals & spout off about foreign elections in such a brazenly partisan way. However, others found Meghans comments to be inspirational. Wow. Thanks Meghan The Duchess of Sussex! This is an important for Americans living Abroad as well. Pls go to http://votefromabroad.org, tweeted former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce A. Heyman. If those attacking #Meghan this morning actually WATCHED the video, theyd see shes simply telling people to vote and take the election seriously. Yes we can all guess who she supports, but does she say it? No. Any excuse to tear her apart. #Misogynoir https://t.co/xRzTQPrw6w Prof Kate Williams (@KateWilliamsme) August 22, 2020 Writer Matt Haig called out hypocrisy surround Meghan and the royal family, tweeting, There are a lot of people in the media who seem to have more problem with Meghan Markle being a person with an opinion than with Prince Andrew being an accused sex offender. While Meghan took a step back from speaking about politics while she was an active member of the royal family, it seems she is committed to her role as a political activist no matter what her detractors say. Ark Encounter gearing up to host massive 2021 Christian music festival lasting 40 days, 40 nights Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis announced Monday that the Ark Encounter will host the world's largest Christian music festivals for 40 days and 40 nights next summer. Billed as 40 Days and 40 Nights of Gospel Music at the Ark, the festival is a collaboration between Abraham Productions and the young earth tourist venue that includes the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter, which is based on the book of Genesis' account of the ark built by Noah and the global flood. The Ark Encounter was built according to the dimensions described in the Bible. Its 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high and is known as the largest timber-frame structure in the world. Gospel music artists will perform live from the 2,500-seat Answers Center at the Ark Encounter, located in Williamstown, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati, Ohio, from Aug. 2, 2021, through Sept. 10, 2021. So far, 60 Christian artists are scheduled to perform during the music festival. Among those listed are several southern gospels acts such as The Hoppers, The Isaacs, Booth Brothers, Karen Peck & New River, Triumphant, The Martins, Greater Vision, Brian Free & Assurance, Lynda Randle, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Jeff & Sheri Easter and Joseph Habedank and others in gospel performers. In addition, several speakers will be attending the event, including Pastors Robert Jeffress, David Jeremiah and Jerry Vines, Johnny Hunt, Tim Hill, C.T. Townsend and Barry Clardy. Ark founder and CEO Ken Ham will also be giving presentations. Attendees will only have to pay the daily admission to the Ark Encounter and will be granted access to all the concerts and speakers as well as explore the museum. The Ark Encounter reopened on June 8 after being closed for nearly three months due to COVID-19 shutdowns. The museum was asked to follow Healthy at Work guidelines given by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Answers in Genesis, the organization that operates the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, put together a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The plan follows guidelines put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as guidelines mandated by the governors office. Delhi Police with an alleged ISIS operative (C) after arresting him last night following an exchange of fire and recovery of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from central Delhi's Ridge Road area, in New Delhi, Saturday. (PTI) New Delhi: A major terror strike was averted with the arrest of a suspected operative of the ISIS, armed with two pressure cooker IEDS, from central Delhi's Ridge Road area following a brief exchange of fire, Delhi Police officials said on Saturday. Mustakeem Khan, alias Abu Yusuf, a resident of a village in Uttar Pradesh's Balarampur district, who was under watch for over a year, planned to carry out a lone wolf strike at a high footfall area in the national capital, said P S Kushwah, DCP (Special Cell). Khan, who was on a motorcycle, was caught on Friday night after a brief exchange of fire on the section of the Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh. The two IEDS he was found with were fully ready and just needed to be activated with a timer, police said. Security was stepped up in the national capital and in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh following the arrest. Khan had planned to strike in the national capital on August 15, but could not do so due to heavy security arrangements, Kushwah said. Khan was to come to Delhi around August 15 to carry out terror strikes Now, he felt the security could be lax so he could come here. But he was nabbed, he told reporters. He planned to use the pressure cooker IEDS in a heavy footfall area of the city, the police official said. After planting IEDs, his plan was to wait for fresh instructions and then the next plan was to carry out fidayeen attacks. But he was not told about when and where the strike was to be carried out. A terror strike has been averted due to this operation," Kushwah added. Khan was under the watch of the security agencies for the last year, the police official told reporters. We had been conducting surveillance on him through sources. We also found he was in touch with ISIS and directly in touch with its commanders. Giving details, he said Khan was first handled by Yusuf-al Hindi who was killed in Syria. After that he was handled by Abu Huzefa, a Pakistani, who was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan. Later, another handler instructed him to carry out "lone wolf" strikes, the police official said. "It is for the same purpose that he had come to Delhi. Besides two pressure cookers IEDs, we also recovered a sophisticated pistol, four cartridges, and the motorcycle. We suspect the motorcycle could be a stolen one, he added The suspected ISIS terrorist had also prepared a fidayeen vest for a suicide attack and had tested smaller devices near the burial ground in his village, police said. Investigations are on to find when he made the pressure cooker IEDs or whether someone gave them to him. A bomb disposal team of the National Security Guard (NSG) reached the spot along with a robot to help pick up a bomb or an IED and a TCV (total containment vessel) vehicle used to defuse a bomb in a controlled environment. Following the arrest, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Hitesh Chandra Awasthi sounded an alert in the state and asked all police officers, especially those in field posting, to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. In addition, security checks were intensified along the Delhi border in Uttar Pradesh's Noida. Vehicles and passengers moving to and from Delhi were being checked at the border, while Gautam Buddh Nagar district was also on alert mode, Noida Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh S said. Senior police officers also assessed security checks in the district bordering Delhi. Operative in police custody A Delhi court on Saturday sent an alleged ISIS operative, arrested with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from central Delhi's Ridge Road area, to eight-day police custody. According to the court sources, the accused was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat and the Delhi Police sought eight days' custody. During in-camera proceedings, the police told the court that custodial interrogation of the accused was required to unearth the larger conspiracy, the sources said. The court allowed the plea and directed them to produce the accused before it on August 30. Beijing: US lawmakers are to debate a bill banning the use of the word "president" to refer to Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, a move designed to highlight the fact he is not democratically elected. Xi is head of state, or literally "state chairman" in Chinese. He is also general secretary of the Communist Party and chairman of the central military commission. China's leader Xi Jinping. Credit:Getty The bill would block the use of federal funds for government documents or communications that refer to Xi as "president". The bill was introduced by Scott Perry, a Republican congressman who has brought forward a spate of bills directed at China. KYODO NEWS - Aug 22, 2020 - 22:15 | All, Coronavirus, Japan Japan has decided to ease entry restrictions for foreign students, imposed to curb the novel coronavirus, possibly within this month, government sources said Saturday. Japan also plans to fully lift the re-entry ban on foreign nationals who hold resident status as early as next month, according to the sources. The restrictions for foreign students will first be eased for those sponsored by the Japanese government and the relaxation is expected to be later expanded to self-supporting international students. Related coverage: Tokyo reports 256 new cases of novel coronavirus FOCUS: Pandemic further marginalizes children in remote areas of Indonesia Mask-wearing during labor to prevent infection stirs debate All foreigners will be required to take polymerase chain reaction tests and prove that they are not infected with the virus when entering Japan, the sources said, adding that they will also be requested to stay in self-isolation for two weeks to monitor their health. Japan currently denies entry from 146 countries and regions. The denial of re-entry for those with resident status has drawn strong criticism particularly from the country's expatriate community, as it effectively prevents them from traveling abroad and returning. Many other countries that have imposed travel bans do not discriminate between citizens and foreign residents in granting re-entry. Most foreign students usually come to Japan in the spring and fall, when the school calendar in the country begins. But many of them could not enter Japan this spring as the government sharply increased the number of countries designated for entry restrictions in early April, in response to the global pandemic. Besides foreign residents, who are allowed to re-enter Japan under certain conditions, the relaxation of the restrictions has so far only applied for those on business trips. The Japanese government has recently decided to accept business travelers from 16 countries, including Thailand and Vietnam. On Saturday, about 1,000 additional cases of the coronavirus were reported across the country, of which 256 were confirmed in Tokyo, surpassing 200 for the third straight day, 134 in Osaka Prefecture and 101 in Kanagawa Prefecture. The nationwide cumulative total now tops 62,500, including about 700 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. The Tokyo government's alert for the pandemic remains at the highest of four levels, meaning "infections are spreading," although some health experts have suggested that a resurgence of infections already hit its peak in late July. With unbounded cynicism, Spanish unions have signed off on a deal closing Nissans three Barcelona factories, directly cutting over 2,500 jobs. A further 20,000 jobs would be lost among subcontractors and supply-chain workers that depend on the auto-plants. After around 100 days of strike action by Nissan workers, the Barcelona factory committeerun by the Podemos-linked Workers Commissions (CC.OO), pro-PSOE (Socialist Party) General Union of Labour (UGT) and the Union of Workers Syndicates (USO) unionscame to an agreement with the Japanese transnational on August 5. The plants are to close by December 31, 2021. The unions universally proclaimed the deal a victory for Nissan workers. Raul Montoya of the USO declared it a great agreement and a success, claiming that it saves thousands of jobs. Miguel Ruiz, spokesperson for the Barcelona factory committee, from the Catalan section of the same union, said it enables workers to avoid traumatic job losses. Nissan Barcelona factory [Credit: Nissan Motors] UGT automobile secretary Jordi Camona called it a good agreement that, for the moment, clears up uncertainty around the future of these jobs. The CCOO released a statement claiming the deal is a balanced agreement that, despite all the difficulties, meets the aspirations of the staff. It does nothing of the sort. The deal merely adds a further year to the ticking time-bomb of mass firings, postponing approximately 25,000 job losses one year, to the end of 2021. As part of the deal, unions agreed to force workers back to work at the Barcelona plant from the end of August, ending three months of strike action. Workers will be encouraged to take voluntary redundancies or early retirement, with the factory committee lauding the supposed concessions they had won for workers opting to do so. Those taking early retirement will be offered payouts on a sliding scale. Older workers aged over 55who would find it difficult to obtain other employmentwill be offered a pre-retirement plan of 90 percent of their salary up to the age of 63, with workers between 50 and 54 years offered 75 to 85 percent of their salary, according to their age. Workers born after 1970, who do not qualify for the early retirement plan, will be offered 60 days of pay for each year that they worked at Nissan if they choose voluntary redundancy. The unions have hung their sell-out deal on the promise of a reindustrialisation plan, which would be a tripartite parity commission between the unions, Nissan and local and national government. Its nominal aim is to encourage other companies to take over the three auto plants in Barcelona and continue production. Nissan has apparently pledged to include a clause in any takeover contract with a new company guaranteeing priority recruitment to their former employees. This worthless fraud will not save the livelihoods of thousands of workers. There is no guarantee that the factories will remain open under different ownership; they are to close on December 31, 2021, takeover or no. The unions have effectively washed their hands of workers, with Nissan employees given little choice but to quietly consent to their dismissal. The unions negotiation framework has been predicated on the supposed inevitability of the factory closures and on sugaring the bitter pill of job losses that they are forcing workers to swallow. Moreover, the approximately 20,000 workers not directly employed by Nissanbut outsourced, involved in the companys supply chain or otherwise dependent on the Barcelona factoryget nothing out of the unions negotiations. About a dozen other companies work within the Nissan factory, contracting approximately 1,500 workers, with a further 70 companies and thousands of other workers indirectly involved in supplying and operating the plants. Protests have already broken out among subcontracted workers, who are threatening to prevent the reopening of the Barcelona plant with an indefinite strike. Around 500 workers at Acciona Facility Services, which runs logistics in the Nissan factory, have threatened industrial action against job losses and their exclusion from negotiations. This came after Acciona informed unions it will bring forward the cancellation of its contract with Nissan, due to end in March 2021, to cut redundancy costs. Acciona has filed a redundancy notice for its 580 employees at the Barcelona facility. Around 300 subcontracted workers also filed a lawsuit claiming that their employment status is an illegal transfer of workers, and that they should be considered full employees of Nissan, receiving the same rights and conditions. Employees at maintenance company Segula and canteen facilities company Tecnove also took part in the legal action. Josep Perez of law firm Collectiu Ronda, which filed suit on behalf of subcontracted workers, said: If they work for Nissan, if they manufacture their vehicles and are subject to the companys rules and whims, they should be recognised for what they are: Nissan workers. To normalise the existence of second-class workers, who can be deprived of their rights on the whim of big companies with multi-billion dollar profits, is to attack the working rights of all. The betrayal of the Nissan workers exposes middle class pseudo-left forces like the Morenoite Corriente Revolucionaria de Trabajadores (CRT, Workers Revolutionary Current) and its website Izquierda Diario, which seek to bolster the unions and demoralize the workers. While making muted tactical criticisms of the UGT, CCOO and USO and the sell-out deal, they made clear their opposition to an independent perspective for the working class. Seeking to channel workers opposition behind a supposedly radical syndicalist left, the CRT chided the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) for failing to openly break with the route map marked out by the majority unions. If the CGT wants to present a different choice to that of the UGT and CCOO, the CRT advised, taking on their policies and being a part of this deal of shame will leave it in a very bad position to represent an alternative direction in future conflicts. The CGT is not alternative leadership for the working class. Its function is to divert workers who are disenchanted with the bigger unions with militant rhetoric. It is no less a creature of the state than its pro-PSOE and pro-Podemos competitors. In bolstering the CGT, the Morenoites seek to sow illusions in the trade unions, concealing their universal transformation over the past four decades, amid the globalisation of production, into a corporatist arm of the state. The energies of these pseudo-left forces are focused on upholding the domination of Podemos and the union bureaucracy and blocking the development of socialist consciousness in the working class. While promoting the unions, the CRT calls for the nationalisation of the Barcelona plants. If such a demand were to be taken up by the capitalist Podemos-PSOE government, it would not usher in a new golden age for workers, but would be accompanied by calls for further cutbacks to make the factory viable. After the 2008 crash, the US government plunged billions of dollars into the auto companies, only to slash wages for new hires by half. The struggle against job cuts can only be carried forward by breaking with the bankrupt national framework of the trade unions and building an international movement in the working class. The nationalisation of plants under workers control requires unifying struggles in Spain with those of workers in Europe and worldwide against the transnational corporations, which shift production from one country to another to maximise profits. This entails building rank-and-file committees of action, independent of the trade unions, as part of a fight for socialism. A cold snap across NSW has closed roads and dropped heavy snow in parts of the south and west with more than 30 centimetres falling on the ski fields since Friday and cold conditions predicted to continue all week. The east coast is being hit by what meteorologists are calling an "Antarctic blob", a powerful weather system bringing damaging winds and snow to elevated areas from Tasmania through Victoria to northern NSW. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rebecca Boettger said Saturday would probably be the coldest day of the week, but Sydney would likely see cold nights in the next few days. "Today will be the coldest day, but the start of next week will see the coldest nights (in Sydney)," she said. Multiple wildfires are burning in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties and several have merged into larger fires. Cal Fire is referring to them collectively as the CZU August Lightning Complex. CZU stands for Cal Fire's San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. Find fire and evacuation updates here and map here. LATEST, Aug. 22, 7:45 p.m. The CZU Lightning Complex did not experience significant growth Saturday, Cal Fire crews announced this evening. The fire is now at 67,000 acres and 5% contained. It started the day at 63,000 acres. "The fires continue to actively burn above the marine layer in the heavy timber and thick undergrowth," Cal Fire said in a statement. The agency cautioned more evacuations and road closures could be possible as dangerous fire conditions return to the forecast through Tuesday. Dry lightning and high winds are possible starting Sunday. One hundred and fifteen structures have been destroyed by the blaze and a further 24,323 are threatened. Seventy-seven thousand people have already evacuated. Aug. 22 5:57 p.m. Some state parks and forests will be closed beginning Sunday because of the weather forecast: All of the Soquel Demonstration State Forest The portion of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park north of Sand Point on Aptos Creek Fire Road to Buzzard Lagoon Road, including trails The portion of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, including Hinkley Basin and Hinkley Basin Fire Road from Sand Point to Olive Springs Road. Aug. 22, 12:18 p.m. The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office says deputies have arrested five suspected looters in the evacuated Fall Creek Drive area. Jose Gandarilla, Susana Luna, Crystal Araujo, Sara Loretz and Crystle Parstch-Lucchesi were all arrested and charged with looting, grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and burglary. According to deputies, the suspects were in two separate cars when caught. One car stopped, and the other tried to flee but ended up in a ditch. "In no way are we leaving these areas unsecured, we are doing our best and will continue to do our best and if you come to victimize our community you will see that," the sheriff's office wrote in a Facebook post. Aug. 22, 10:50 a.m. Santa Cruz County is imploring visitors to stay away from the area as fires in the the CZU August Lightning Complex continue to burn. "Visitors, we will welcome you back to Santa Cruz County soon," the county wrote in a tweet. "But please, DO NOT visit us now. Air quality is poor, ash is everywhere, and were dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe. This is no time for a day at the beach. Thank you." Fire crews gained a small foothold over the fire overnight and hope favorable conditions continue. Aug. 22, 7 a.m. Firefighting crews battled flames in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties through the night and made gains in containing the CZU August Lightning Complex with favorable weather conditions and moderate fire activity. The blaze was 57,000 acres with 2% containment before nightfall. The CZU Complex is now 63,000 acres with 5% containment, Cal Fire officials said Saturday morning. The increase in acreage isn't a result of "intense fire growth," and is instead the outcome of increased firefighters on the ground, mapping the blaze and "getting a better sense of the size and scope of the fire," Cal Fire Deputy Chief Jonathan Cox explained in a 6 a.m. press conference. Cooler temperatures and a deep marine layer slowed the fire's spread and allowed crews to focus on containment, building lines and breaks. "We had a little bit of a change in the weather pattern," said Cal Fire Chief Billy See. "The fire activity was reduced from the previous night." The blaze has destroyed 97 structures and threatens more than 24,000, and officials expect the number of homes lost to increase as more investigation is done in burn areas. Some homes were lost overnight, but details weren't provided on numbers or locations. Google Maps A huge win came last night when crews completed a break on the fire's south edge, between Highway 1 and Highway 9, preventing flames from moving farther south and protecting the communities of Santa Cruz and Capitola. Containment lines were also built in the Pescadero area, and more will be built Saturday. Flames made a run toward Davenport Thursday afternoon, but "fortunately it stayed outside the community," officials said. A similar scenario unfolded in Felton where a spot fire grew to about five acres and crews quickly put it out. The fire made advances in the Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond area yesterday, but "not a big push." The City of Santa Cruz activated its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday in light of the fire and efforts are focused on mitigating fire risk in the city and helping residents prepare their homes. Officials are "optimistic" the blaze won't impact the city and evacuations will be unnecessary. The CZU Complex started as two separate clusters of fires and these have now all mostly merged into one massive raging inferno stretched across the Santa Cruz Mountains. More than 77,000 people have been evacuated, including residents in vast parts of Scotts Valley, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Pescadero and Davenport. (Find evacuation information and updates here.) The CZU Complex has been burning since Sunday when a rash of thunderstorms sparked blazes across Northern California. This weekend similar weather is back in the forecast, with the National Weather Service saying there's a 30% chance of lightning Sunday night into Monday morning. High winds will also be in the mix, and could fan flames and promote rapid fire growth. About 1,100 firefighters are battling the fire. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith said Thursday typically a wildfire of the size burning through the region would have 10 or even 20 times as many firefighters. We are doing absolutely everything we can, he said. The blaze is burning in highly flammable landscape parched after a year marked by low rainfall. It hasn't seen a fire in years. "It's so dry it's something we have not seen historically," said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Mark Brunton. "We're seeing fire we've never seen in the coastal area before, in terms of amount and severity." Brunton said when he was talking to firefighters on the scene, they all shook their heads and said, "We've never seen anything like this." An arm of the blaze raced through Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Tuesday, and officials said Wednesday night that multiple structures were destroyed, including the parks headquarters, historic core and campgrounds. (Read more about damage to Big Basin on SFGATE.) Evacuation centers are open at Half Moon Bay High School, the Santa Cruz County Fairground and the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and risk of spreading the virus in centers, Cal Fire is encouraging evacuees to check with friends and family about staying with them. Go to the Cal Fire incident page for updates, evacuations and road closures. The Associated Press contributed to this story. MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE: Map: See where wildfires are burning in Bay Area CZU Lightning Complex: Fire grows at rate of 700-1,000 acres an hour in Santa Cruz, San Mateo LNU Lightning Complex: 4 dead, nearly 500 homes destroyed in North Bay fires SCU Lightning Complex: Blaze spreads to 230k acres across five counties overnight What to do to keep wildfire smoke out of your house Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will keep strict COVID-19 restrictions in place for another two weeks in Kildare, one of three counties where they were reimposed earlier this month, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said on Friday. Ireland closed or limited business on Aug. 7 in three of its 26 counties, Kildare, Laois and Offaly. A wider spread of the disease since then led to a significant tightening in nationwide restrictions this week. Ireland has reopened its economy at a slower pace than most European Union countries and had one of the lowest number of cases in the bloc until the level of infection grew at the third-highest rate in Europe this week. "The spread of the virus is being suppressed (in the three counties), we all owe them a debt of gratitude ... The number of new cases in Kildare have stabilised and are falling but are nonetheless still high," Donnelly told a news conference. The clusters in Kildare primarily started in food processing plants and accommodation for asylum seekers, many of whom work in the factories. Those outbreaks have been largely brought under control, Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said. Kildare's 14-day cumulative cases per 100,000 of population stood at 200 compared to an average of 27 across the country, twice as high as the local rate when the lockdown was announced. The restrictions, which mean residents can only leave their county in very limited circumstances, were lifted in Laois and Offaly, Donnelly added. Ireland last week boosted grants available to COVID-19-hit firms in the three counties and business minister Leo Varadkar said the government was topping up the grants again to help businesses in Kildare. "The businesses need hard cash now to remain open and hopefully survive into the winter months," County Kildare Chamber Chief Executive Allan Shine told Reuters. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Giles Elgood and Catherine Evans) Wayne State University (WSU) President Roy Wilson published a statement on the schools website in early August announcing pay freezes and layoffs to its staff in the coming year. The statement spelled out several possible solutions to WSUs budgetary crisis being considered by the universitys board of directors. All of the scenarios place the burden of the budget cuts squarely on workers and students. The measures include pay freezes, layoffs, and furloughs to lecturers and other staff members, as well as budget reductions to the universitys various academic departments, and a reduction in the retirement contributions which are provided by the university to its tenured staff. These measures constitute an austerity attack on education professionals and on the quality of education provided to the attendees at the university. This comes on top years of tuition hikes for students over the past decade. WSU is an inner-city college campus whose residents and attendees are mostly young people of a working-class background, many of them commuting to their classes from home. Wayne State University Old Main building Several of the austerity measures announced in Wilsons statement on August 4 had been under consideration since before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States. In other words, the WSU administration is using the crisis to push through long sought after cost-cutting attacks on workers and students. This is most starkly expressed in the situation facing lecturers. In February, 38 percent of lecturers at WSUs College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received notices of non-renewal. At the time, the notices stipulated that while not all of these lecturers would be definitively laid off, all of them would not be teaching this coming semester. The notices also indicated that their salaries, if they got called back to work before the end of the fiscal year, would see a proportionate or partial reduction from whatever it was in their contract at the time. In the meantime, the board of directors would give more consideration to the question of who should be laid off and who should stay. As the WSWS stated at the time, Wayne State University has been subject to ongoing funding crises, which the board of directors has sought to fill through tuition hikes, greater utilization of adjunct faculty, and other regressive measures. Wilsons announcement on August 4 claims that these measures will be implemented temporarily for the fiscal year 2021. However, no suggestion was made that staff members who will be laid off would ever be reinstated at some point in the future whenever the COVID-19 pandemic would presumably be under control. A specific figure on how many people will be laid off has yet to be given. Wilsons announcement simply states that both our preferred budget solution and our contingency budget solution include layoffs, though at very different levels. Ultimately, the degree to which we will need to implement layoffs will be determined by our ability to lower compensation of all employees through pay freezes and furloughs. The operational definition of furloughs in Wilsons announcement is a percentage reduction in work hours and a corresponding reduction in salary. The details of this plan will be settled in the near future through the bargaining process, a reference to negotiations that have yet to be finalized between WSUs board of directors and various unions representing the universitys staff and lecturers. The targeted budget reductions for the college campus was considered, analyzed, and developed by the universitys Budget Planning Council and the Finance Subcommittee. Both of these bodies consist of designees appointed by Wilson himself, other executives of WSU, union bureaucrats, and so-called university stakeholders according to the universitys website, who no doubt include wealthy donors. The class interests which pertain to the members of these bodies who make important decisions affecting workers and students are irreconcilably hostile to the needs of the working class community in metropolitan Detroit. The preferred budget solution which these bourgeois overlords of the university have in mind includes a salary freeze for all employees including tenured professors, a reduction in the administrative division of the budget by 7 percent, and a reduction in college campus expenditures by 5 percent. The schools deans and members of the cabinet have also agreed to take a 5 percent reduction in their salaries, a mostly meaningless gesture made in an attempt to feign solidarity with workers who will be affected by the implementation of this budget solution. Wilson specifically will accept a reduction in his salary of 10 percent, which amounts to $50,000, leaving him with a still overblown salary of $450,000, allowing him to continue a luxurious upper-middle-class lifestyle that he already enjoys. Members of the board of directors of universities generally receive six-figure incomes from their position within the campus hierarchy and have other sources of income which they collect casually, such as the dividends on their stock portfolios. Investors in the US stock market, in particular, have been receiving enormous windfalls during the coronavirus pandemic, which were ensured earlier this spring through the federal governments injection of trillions of dollars into the stock market with the passage of the grossly misnamed CARES Act. The real attitude of the ruling elite towards college educators was on display at WSU in late February of this year, when dozens of protesters held a demonstration on campus in support of the lecturers who had received the notices that their contracts would be allowed to expire this year. The demonstrators at that rally gathered outside of the Faculty/Administration Building to present a petition to Wilson, signed by 800 staff members from WSU and other universities, demanding the reinstatement of the targeted lecturers. Wilson refused to accept the petition in person and ordered campus police to prevent the demonstrators from entering his office. Universities across the country are carrying out similar austerity measures, laying off faculty members and cutting the pay of their employees as they prepare to reopen under the deadly conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Council on Education has predicted that colleges and universities nationwide will experience a $23 billion decline in revenue during the upcoming fiscal year, which will have a devastating impact on their budgets. The University of Wisconsin stands to see a potential collapse in its revenue of $100 million, which will surely lead to a steep drop in its $650 million budget. Missouri Western University announced earlier this summer that it is laying off 25 percent. The University of Hawaii is preparing for a decline in its operational budget for the upcoming year of up to $181 million. Their current budget is $1 billion. Kalbert Young, the official in charge of developing the schools budget solutions, told the universitys board of regents in a meeting, There will be prolonged, possibly perpetual changes to how this university is run. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the vast social crisis facing the working class, which is rooted in class antagonisms that are inherent to the global capitalist mode of production. Part of this social crisis involves the placing of high-quality and higher education increasingly out of reach for the working class, burdening students with loans that might take their entire life to pay off, and attacking the living standards of educators and education workers. All of this demonstrates the urgent need for the independent mobilization of the working class to defend its right to a high-quality education, ensure the social well-being of educators and education workers, and demand the full funding of institutions of higher learning. These objective social needs need to be secured alongside the safety of students and college staff from the deadly illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The Socialist Equality Party is organizing a fight back against the reckless reopening of schools. All educators, school workers, parents, and students who support this initiative should join our Facebook page and contact us today to find out how to join our fight. We will be hosting a national call-in meeting at 3:00 p.m. EDT (12:00 p.m. PDT) on Saturday, August 22, to discuss developments and the way forward. We urge you to make plans today to attend this vital meeting. MOUNT PLEASANT, MI Central Michigan University administration is considering suspending students for attending large parties as COVID-19 cases are spiking in the days since classes resumed. Classes resumed on the CMU campus on Monday, Aug. 17. Some large parties followed. CMU has put a tremendous amount of time into planning for a safe return to campus this fall, which included outlining expectations for our campus community such as requirements to wear face coverings, social distance and avoid large gatherings, the university said in a statement provided by Heather L. Smith, executive director of communications. It is disappointing to see that some of our students are choosing to ignore these expectations. This sort of irresponsible and reckless behavior not only puts our in-person living and learning at risk, it also puts lives at risk. We expect better from our students and are taking swift corrective and disciplinary action, including fines and suspensions, against students who host or participate in these large parties. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services lists 246 cases and nine deaths in Isabella County as of Aug. 20, noting that due to technical difficulties, updated figures werent available for Aug. 21. At 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, a CMU student tweeted video of a large gathering in the parking lot of Deerfield Village Apartments, located just south of the campus. The footage shows police present and breaking up the party. Deerfield Apartments, Mount Pleasant Michigan 08/20/2020 11:30pm pic.twitter.com/sskrFMEMiw Gordon Meier (@gordon_meier) August 21, 2020 The tweeted video has more than 44,000 views as of Friday morning. Read more: Saginaw Township gym fined $2,100 over coronavirus violations New Michigan COVID-19 webpage shows which activities are prohibited where including schools Michigan fines businesses for not following coronavirus safety rules MLives COVID-19 coverage Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, August 22, 2020 09:25 516 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fb09e2 1 National BMKG,strong-wind,high-wave,beach,simeuleu-island,mentawai,Lombok Free The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of possible high waves in several regions of the country as a result of strong winds this weekend. Areas deemed at risk of high waves include places on the west coast of Sumatra, such as Simeulue Island in Aceh and Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra, as well as on the south coast of Java. The islands of Bali and Lombok may also be affected. Waves in the abovementioned areas are predicted to reach a height of 2.5 meters to 4 m, kompas.com reported on Friday. Meanwhile, waves of 1.25 m to 2 m may be seen in eastern parts of the country. The BMKG has called on residents and visitors to be on alert. Read also: BMKG warns of heavy rains, high waves across Indonesia Many Indonesians are enjoying a long weekend thanks to the celebration of Islamic New Year, which fell on Thursday, and an extra day off declared by the government for Friday. Many apparently opted to spend their free time at tourism destinations, including beaches, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Pangandaran Beach on the south coast of West Java, for example, was swamped by hundreds of visitors in the past few days, forcing authorities to monitor them to ensure the implementation of COVID-19 health protocol. (vny) A driver for UPS was arrested on Thursday in connection with a series of shootings along a highway in southwest Oregon that injured one person and unnerved motorists, officials said. The Oregon State Police identified the gunman as Kenneth Ayers, 49, of Roseburg, Ore., a city about 70 miles south of Eugene. The police said he fired at cars from a UPS tractor-trailer on seven separate occasions starting in May. The shootings, which were spread across three counties, ended on Thursday, one day after a woman driving on Interstate 5 was shot. She was treated at a hospital and released, the police said. Officials said they immediately found the tractor-trailer about 60 miles north of the shooting. They did not say what led them to the tractor-trailer. Kangana Ranaut has rubbished reports which quote the late Sushant Singh Rajput's father's lawyer Vikas Singh as saying that she is furthering her own agenda and settling her own scores. Kangana claims that these reports are being spread by the 'movie mafia' media. Kangana tweeted, "Movie mafia Bikau media is at it again, Sushant's lawyer/family never said anything against me, but rumours are being spread, here's what the family lawyer said almost in every interview of his, beware of vulture media." She shared a tweet which features a short clip of Vikas Singh saying, "Kangana is right in saying that she (Rhea Chakraborty) used the opportunity of a vacuum that was created in Sushant's life to take over his life and his affairs completely." Movie mafia Bikau media is at it again, Sushants lawyer/family never said anything against me, but rumours are being spread, heres what the family lawyer said almost in every interview of his, beware of vulture media https://t.co/qOICd7J2Gh Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 22, 2020 Movie mafia Bikau media is at it again, Sushants lawyer/family never said anything against me, but rumours are being spread, heres what the family lawyer said almost in every interview of his, beware of vulture media https://t.co/qOICd7J2Gh Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 22, 2020 Pinkvilla had quoted Vikas as saying, "She's trying to further her own agenda and attack people she has a personal issue with to settle her own scores. She seems to be on her own trip. The family's FIR has nothing to do with her claims at all." ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Family Lawyer Says Kangana Ranaut Is Attacking People To Settle Her Own Score However, in numerous interviews, many of which are even video interviews, Vikas Singh has consistently dismissed the nepotism angle pushed by Kangana in Sushant's case. While agreeing that nepotism is an issue in the industry and it could have been an issue that Sushant faced, he has said that it could not have been the reason for Sushant's suicide. He has also expressed his displeasure with the Mumbai Police pursuing the nepotism angle by taking statements of people in the film industry and not focusing on the real inquiry. A netizen shared a video in which Vikas says that the Mumbai Police used what Kangana said to divert the inquiry. Sushant Singh Rajput lawyer Vikas Singh had slammed @KanganaTeam which derailed the case in the name of Nepotism.#justiceforSushanthSinghRajput pic.twitter.com/Pj52NKWCu1 Arvind Singh (@arvins08singh) August 22, 2020 ALSO READ: Ankita Lokhande Refutes Kangana Ranaut's Claim: 'Aditya Chopra Really Supported Sushant' In a recent IANS interview, Vikas Singh said that Kangana is neither Sushant's friend nor his representative. He further said that the issues she is raising are general problems of the industry and Sushant may have been a victim to nepotism, but Kangana is not doing anything for him. ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut Is Not Sushant's Friend, She Is Not Doing Anything For Him: SSR's Father's Lawyer Earlier, Vikas had said that Kangana had not contacted his client, Sushant's father, K.K. Singh. ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut's Claims Have Nothing To Do With Sushant's Case: Family's Lawyer Vikas Singh Yesterday, after 12 days of a general strike by 1,150 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal against managements efforts to eliminate jobs and impose more oppressive working conditions, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) agreed to a seven-month truce during which the strike will be suspended and all protest actions canceled. This truce marks the final stage in the unions efforts since the beginning of the strike to end it as quickly as possible and betray the demands of the rank and file. The Montreal dockworkers had been without a contract since December 2018. Their strike was part of growing resistance by workers in North America and internationally to the incessant attacks of big business on jobs, worker rights, and public services. Members of CUPE Local 375, the longshoremen, foremen, and maintenance personnel at the Port of Montreal are fighting for a new contract that guarantees job security and an end to current scheduling practices, which force workers to labor 19 days out of every 21. The two major container-shipping operatorsTermont Montreal and Montreal Gateway Terminal (MGT)are demanding a threefold increase in the pace of work during weekend shifts. The Maritime Employers Association (MEA), which oversees contract negotiations at the Port, is calling for job cuts on top of the continuing speedup. The 12-day strike against the Port of Montreal began on August 10 after a 21-month contract dispute in which the unionsCUPE Local 375 and Local 1657 of the International Longshoremens Associationdid everything to avoid a confrontation with the MEA. In three limited strikes in July, the unions ordered a section of their membership to stay on the job to comply with the federal governments essential worker regulations that require them to process grain shipments and shipments bound for Newfoundland. Even after the beginning of the general strike, the union continued to observe the essential worker regulations. It wasnt until early August that CUPE was forced to submit a general strike notice in response to a provocation by the employera 50 percent reduction in wages for night and weekend shifts, and a technical lockout involving the routing of several cargo ships to other ports (including those of New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia). CUPE launched an all-out strike only to defuse the anger of rank-and-file workers while it negotiated a concession-filled contract with management behind the scenes. In defiance of the overwhelming vote of workers in favor of strike action (more than 99 per cent), the union had already proposed a 60-day truce that would have kept the port open during negotiations. But this first offer was rejected by the MEA, which chose to maintain a hard line. On Wednesday, its CEO Martin Tessier threatened to use managers and scabs to move 477 containers on the pretext that they contained goods important to the health and safety of Quebecs economy, citing without further details pharmaceutical and medical products, sugar and perishable goods. CUPE responded, after its usual demagogic denunciations, with utter prostration. On Wednesday evening, it canceled the mass picketing that it had threatened to organize the next day in front of the port with the help of other unions. On Thursday afternoon, it agreed to move containers of controlled products and COVID-19-related cargo and unload a sugar ship. And on Friday, it signed a full-blown sell-out agreement with the MEA. The general strike at the Port of Montreal, the first in 25 years, was having a major impact on the entire economy. The activities of the port, the only container port in Quebec, account for 19,000 direct and indirect jobs in 6,300 companies and generate annual economic output estimated at $2.6 billion. According to the Montreal Port Authority, the labor dispute was preventing the shipment of the equivalent of 90,000 containers, which are currently on the docks or have been diverted to other ports. The Port of Montreal handles close to $100 billion worth of cargo each year, including more than 2 million metric tonnes of iron ore. The shutdown of its operations had already led to a reduction in steel mill production, according to the Mining Association of Canada. The second-largest port in Canada after Vancouver, B.C., it is the countrys main marine gateway for trade with Europe. That is why the Quebec and Canadian ruling class as a whole reacted with anxiety and anger to the port workers strike. On the very day the strike began, five Quebec employers associations signed a joint declaration calling on Ottawa to appoint a mediator and force a return to work. In addition to issues related to US tariffs, supply from China and the health crisis, the signatories wrote, there was the strike at Canadian National, the railway blockades (Wetsuweten), and now the strike at the Port of Montreal. At a press conference that day, the president of the Conseil du patronat (Quebec Employers Federation), Karl Blackburn, said the general strike is very bad news that has immeasurable impacts, blaming the strikers for taking businesses as hostages. For their part, the Quebec and Ontario Economy and Labor ministers sent a joint letter to the federal government asking it to exercise its leadership in the face of the strikean implicit call for back-to-work legislation and criminalizing the strike. Acting as a mouthpiece for big business, Quebec Labor Minister Jean Boulet tweeted Wednesday that the federal government must act immediately to settle the dispute at the Port of Montreal. Federal Labor Minister Filomena Tassi responded to employer pressure with a press release. We will monitor the situation closely and continue to assess how to support ongoing mediation efforts, she wrote. The Trudeau government is relying on the union bureaucracy to impose on its members the dictates of management without government intervention, as was the case in the 2015 railway workers strike at Canadian National (CN). But if CUPE proves unable to impose its sellout truce deal on the rank and file, the Liberals are ready to use the entire repressive apparatus of the state to impose the demands of big business, including through back-to-work legislation as they did to shut down the 2018 strike at Canada Post. Management at the Termont terminal has already used the courts to muzzle workers. It filed a complaint following an altercation with striking workers on July 29 in a Montreal parking lot. A group of workers had confronted Termont executives who crossed the picket lines during the four-day strike at the end of July to do work usually done by workers. According to union leader Michel Murray, tension rose a notch when a scab drove his car into a striker. Nine workers were subsequently arrested and charged with physical and verbal intimidation against management and their security guards. To prevail in their struggle, Port of Montreal workers must make it the spearhead of a mass working-class counteroffensive against capitalist austerity. This strategy is opposed by CUPE and the entire union bureaucracy. Before announcing their sell-out agreement with management on Friday, they had done everything to isolate the strike and channel rank-and-file anger into futile appeals to government mediators and the very employers who are leading the charge on the Montreal dockworkers. Their radio silence on the threat of back-to-work legislation underscored that CUPE never had any intention of waging a genuine struggle to defend the workers interests, which would require the mass mobilization of the working class in defense of jobs, wages, and decent working conditions. Time and again, CUPE and the union bureaucracy as a whole have docilely submitted to anti-democratic strikebreaking legislation, including during the Quebec construction workers strike of 2017, the Ontario college lecturers strike of 2017, and the Canada Post strike in 2018. Against the attempts by the pro-capitalist unions to betray their struggle and impose a new sellout contract, Montreal dockworkers must form an independent rank-and-file strike committee to fight for their demands, including rejection of the truce deal, an end to the use of scabs, no more grueling work schedules and guaranteed jobs for all workers. This committee must make a broad appeal to workers across North America for a common counteroffensive against the big business assault on wages and working conditions, and to guarantee decent and secure jobs for all. An industrial mobilization of the working class must be combined with a political struggle, based on the socialist perspective of a complete reorganization of the economy to meet the social needs of all, not the profits of a tiny minority. All Dane County schools will be required to start classes online this fall for grades 3-12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials ordered Friday. Emergency Order #9, issued by Public Health Madison and Dane County shortly after 5 p.m., requires all county schools to suspend in-person instruction for grades 3-12 due to the age groups inability to meet metrics required to open schools in the fall. Students in kindergarten through second grade will be allowed to return to classrooms with precautions in place if schools choose to do so. The majority of public schools across Dane County have already opted to begin the year with online learning to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, but a number of private schools across the state had planned to begin in-person instruction as early as next week. The Madison School District previously announced plans for an all-online Sept. 8 start to the year and will continue online classes through at least October. As of Aug. 21, Dane County averaged 42 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day. In order to consider reopening grades 3-5 for in-person instruction, the county must sustain a 14-day average at or below 39 cases per day for four consecutive weeks, Public Health Madison and Dane County said. In order to reopen in-person instruction for grades 6-12, the county must sustain a 14-day average at or below 19 cases per day for four consecutive weeks. Moving students in grades 3-12 to virtual learning is not a step we take lightly, as schools provide critical services, and in-person instruction offers unparalleled opportunities and structure for students and parents, said Janel Heinrich, director of Public Health Madison and Dane County. Given our current case count, we believe moving students in grades 3-12 to virtual learning is necessary for the safety of our community. Studies show younger school-age children tend to contract the coronavirus at a much lower rate than older members of the population. But outbreaks of COVID-19 in communities across the country followed school reopenings in August and contributed to the decision made by Dane County officials. As weve seen throughout the country, schools that are opening too quickly particularly with older students are having outbreaks, said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. By allowing K-2 students to return to the classroom with strict precautions and keeping grades 3-12 virtual, we can minimize outbreaks. Many school districts have already made the decision to go virtual for all grades, and we support their choice. Before Fridays order was issued, school districts across Dane County were left to decide whether they would reopen for in-person instruction in the fall. Some had opted for a phased approach to reopening their districts for in-person learning. The Verona School Board voted to keep most of its 5,741 students learning online. As students in grades 3-12 begin the school year online, the approximately $150 million, 590,000-square-foot new Verona High School will be empty come September. The Monona Grove School Board also voted to start the start the school year online. A number of private schools in Dane County, however, have put hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovations and restructuring to allow for in-person learning amid the pandemic, said Jim Bender, president of School Choice Wisconsin. The fact that a number of private schools were opening early next week, and to come down with this order just a few days before, puts an unbelievable burden on the families who planned to have their students in-person at school, Bender said. Unless youre testing the exact same number of people every day, the number of (COVID-19) cases is completely arbitrary to reopening schools safely, he said. Fridays order also updates some childcare requirements, incorporates some aspects of the statewide mask mandate, and makes some additional clarifications. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Djemi Amnifu and Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Sat, August 22, 2020 13:41 516 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066fb739c 1 National East-Nusa-Tenggara,NTT,Montara,MontaraOilSpill,oil-spill,environmental-damage,fishermen Free Friday marks the 11th anniversary of the Montara oil spill, in which hundreds and thousands of barrels of oil spilled into the Timor Sea following an explosion at an offshore rig. Despite more than a decade of suffering the impacts, the affected residents of Timor Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) are still fighting for justice and demanding compensation from rig operator PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Australasia and the Australian government. NTT residents, especially the ones living in West Timor, are demanding that the Australian government immediately compensate more than 200,000 residents that have suffered [from the oil spill]. Some have even passed away, Montara victim advocacy team head, Ferdi Tanoni, said on Friday in Kupang. He added that his team demanded that President Joko Jokowi Widodo to write a letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison regarding the issue. The oil spill occurred on Aug. 21, 2009, following an explosion at the Montara oil rig. For 74 days, gas and oil from the rig gushed in the Timor Sea, approximately 690 kilometers west of Darwin and 250 kilometers southeast of Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara. Ferdi alleged that then-Australian minister for natural resources and energy, Martin Ferguson, had downplayed the environmental impacts of the oil spill. He claimed a report issued by the Australian Governments Montara Commission of Inquiry stated that it found 3,000 to 4,000 barrels of oil were spilled a day. However, [the Australian government] quoted a baseless statement from the rig operator that between 300 and 400 barrels of oil were spilled every day, Ferdi said. Read also: Decade later, justice elusive for Timor farmers impoverished by Montara oil spill It is estimated that the total area affected by the spill was around 90,000 square km, he went on to say. The Australian Conservation Foundation and other environmental groups, Ferdi said, discovered that the oil spill had destroyed the ecosystem in the surrounding area, home to many marine animals and birds. Local organization West Timor Care Foundation has published its documentation on the incident, which had affected the livelihood and health of 300,000 coastal residents in NTT. The spill was also estimated to cause long-term damages to uncharted tropical habitats as well as local tourism and the fishing and pearl farming industries. PTTEP Indonesia general affairs manager Afiat Djajanegara said the company would abide by the laws of the country in which it was operating. The oil company is currently facing a class-action lawsuit in Australia, filed by more than 13,000 seaweed farmers in NTT affected by the oil spill. The farmers demanded that the company compensate them Rp 2.7 trillion (US$182 million) for losses incurred after the incident. Were still waiting for the courts ruling on the lawsuit, Afiat told The Jakarta Post on Friday. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta was not immediately available for comment. Read also: No out-of-court settlement for Montara oil spill: Govt PTTEP previously proposed to the Indonesian government to initiate a $5 million out-of-court settlement through its corporate social responsibility scheme. The government, however, demanded the appointment of an independent assessor to survey the damage caused by the spill in order to get a fair value of the damage. The Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry said the oil company had not agreed to the provision, though PTTEP had stated it would still wait for the ministry to approve such a plan for the settlement. Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister spokesperson Jodi Mahardi was not immediately available for comment on the matter. Pictures of the upcoming Ampere microarchitecture based NVIDIA RTX 3090 graphics card have appeared on the internet with a triple-slot design. Could be priced for $1400 The upcoming NVIDIA RTX 3090 Graphics Card, part of the RTX 3000 series based on Ampere, might feature a triple-slot design as per some photos that have appeared online thanks to Twitter user @GarnetSunset who has also quoted a price of USD 1400 for what could be the top graphics card from the RTX 3000 family. Direct conversion makes this approximately INR 1,05,000 and it could go up to INR 1,25,000. The photographs seem to indicate that NVIDIA is indeed using the new design that was leaked earlier in June this year. The card uses a twin blower design and has a massive heatsink spread all over the PCB. RTX 3090 graphics card The leaked images feature what appears to be the RTX 3090 right next to the older RTX 2080 graphics card. The RTX 3090 is way larger than the RTX 2080 reference graphics card and has a massive thick heatsink which necessitates a triple-slot design. The backplate of the graphics card has the RTX 3090 lettering engraved into it. Also, the front of the graphics card has the letter Config 1 written right above the PCIe contact pins which could indicate that there are multiple designs of the card in the works. NVIDIA is hosting an unveiling event on the 1st of September 2020 for the new RTX 3000-series graphics cards. Several rumours have emerged regarding the RTX 3000 graphics cards and the top of the line RTX 3090 is supposed to use the GA102 GPU which features more than 5200 CUDA cores and apparently will have more than 24GB of GDDR6X memory. 22.08.2020 LISTEN Tali Nates founded the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre (JHGC) in 2008 to foster an understanding of the history of genocide, which happened between 1939 and 1945 and the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed. With a mission to prevent a recurrence of such extreme human rights abuses, Ms. Nates has taken her advocacy to several countries in Africa and beyond. She spoke with Africa Renewals Kingsley Ighobor on JHGCs work, UN partnership, and why Africans must nourish and safeguard democracy. These are excerpts from the interview: Tali Nates, Founder and Executive Director of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre What motivated you to establish the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre? The vision to open a centre of education, memory, and of lessons for humanity started about 12 years ago. My dream was to connect history to today's world. I am a daughter of a Holocaust survivor. My father [Moses Turner] survived four concentration camps; he was saved by Oskar Schindler [Schindler was the German industrialist who saved some 1,200 Jews]. I grew up listening to stories of the Holocaust. I grew up with my father's voice saying, People, government and communities have choices they must make; we need to learn from history. He died when I was young but I carried on his message. I studied history, lectured in a university and worked with NGOs [non-governmental organisations]. How did Johannesburg come into the picture? The city of Johannesburg partnered with us in 2010 and turned my dream into reality. I wanted a genocide centre in South Africa because the country is still struggling with a difficult and painful history of oppression and colonialism. Racism is still a huge issue here. It's an entry point to the other histories of suffering, of oppression, or struggles that have happened or are happening in faraway placesacross the world. From that entry point one can learn about, say, the history of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. What motivated you to establish the Centre? Learning about past extreme human rights abuses is important so that such abuses may be avoided in the future. How do you explain xenophobia perpetrated by some people in South Africa? If you look at the genocide in Europe, between 1939 and 1945, which we call the Holocaust of the Jews, you learn about the stages of genocide , which include stereotyping, discrimination, dehumanization and perpetration and you learn about the consequences of bad laws, or propaganda, of a totalitarian state, which happen when a democracy fails. You can learn lessons from the history of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, or of colonialism. You are then able to connect such history to today's reality. So, we try to create an understanding to prevent us from being bystanders. Rather, we must be social activists for change. What impact are you making with your awareness-raising activities? Before the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people, including students, visited the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre. Schools used to bring their students and teachers daily for exhibitions, discussions, conferences, and plays and films. When people come to the Centre, they feel they are in a safe space to raise human rights issues, issues regarding, for example, people with disabilities, specifically in South Africa. We had a disaster a few years ago when 144 mentally ill patients died in our [South Africas] facilities. That was a tragedy. What did we do? We created a safe space for the families of the 144 individuals to commemorate their loved ones, to learn about the rights of people with disabilities and to connect with history regarding what happened to people with disabilities during Nazi Germanyhow they were targeted, treated and murdered. More than 200,000 were murdered by the Nazis. Why is it important to learn the history of the Holocaust and the genocide in Rwanda? How are you able to work amid the pandemic? South Africa went into a strict lockdown on 26th March for five weeks. Our centre was immediately closed to the public. We have moved to the digital world. We are organizing webinars weekly that attract diverse communities from around the world but also from South Africa. We are offering online teaching through Zoom, Google or Microsoft Teams, or other formats. Many people lack access to the internet in South Africa. Therefore, we are recording audio notes, short storiesthree minutes, two minutesand sending them on WhatsApp to students in more than 200 schools in the country. We are using podcasts to speak about refugees, xenophobia, vulnerable children, gender-based violence and other things. We want those engaging with our lessons to understand that they cannot be bystanders, that there are issues in our societies that need all of us to stand up and do something. For example, although we are a museum, because people are currently hungry, we opened our centre to collect food and toiletries for distribution to those in need. Abuses often result from a desire by some to protect identitiesreligion, race, tribe, and so on. Do you see any fault lines in Africa today? In our beloved continent we see growing tensions around religion and language. We see other fault lines around political views, ethnic identities and gendergender-based violence is on the rise with the lockdowns. All of us must play a role in safeguarding Africas values of ubuntu, of peace and tolerance. We are working with our sister centres in Cape Town and Durban, and with partners at the Kigali Genocide Memorial [Rwanda] to promote these values around Africa. We have a youth leadership programme called the Change Makers Leadership Programme in many countries, which is aimed at strengthening our youth to stand up against violent extremism and the other fault lines we recognize. We train youth leaders and we also train the trainers such as teachers, facilitators, professors, librarians, and so on, to teach our values in schools. We worked, for example, in Yola, Nigeria, in the north east, with UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] and the American University of Nigeria to train facilitators to look at role models, at our values, at our own difficult history in Africa and in Nigeria, and learn lessons so as not to repeat the mistakes that were made. How are you working with the United Nations? Do you target individuals who foment troubles in countries? As an educational non-political NGO, we cannot reach all the key players such as the politicians and those who are already extreme. But we work with people who escaped from rebel groups. For example, in Yola, Nigeria, we had the honour to work with some of the girls who were released from Boko Haram captivity in 2018. In other places, we worked with former child soldiers who needed rehabilitation. Do you partner with governments or pan-African institutions such as the Africa Union? Absolutely. We should not ever try to work alone. In each country, we work with different partners. In the Gambia, for example, we worked with the Ministry of Education. In Mozambique, we were fortunate to partner with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. In Mauritius, we worked with the ministry responsible for children. We work with international and continental organizations. For example, we work with Aegis Trust [which works to prevent genocide] in Rwanda and in Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, and so on. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.un.org/coronavirus If Africans cannot help one another as their brothers' keepers, who is going to help them for free? Heaven only helps those that help themselves. Prayers, incarnations and belief empower and strengthen your nerves to be strong and durable to lift yourself up. There are different ways of pulling yourself out of poverty, stretching out your hands for handouts when you waste ten times as much energy throwing good money after bad money is nothing but just folly. Africans are still laundering trillions of foreign currencies out of the Continent. Even when getting billions back from past looted funds, they still beg for millions in charities. There is no free lunch anywhere, you must be willing to give something in Return. Preferably what they dictated, not what you want. It is a Disadvantageous Relationship because of imbalance exercise of negotiating powers between masters and serfs or servants. African mentality of a white knight coming to their rescue must change in order to gain Economic Independence. The world pursues its self interest in exchange for Charity that makes some, certainly not most feel good. They see slave labor as necessary evil that can be mitigated by charity or aid. This is why Foreign countries always threaten to cut Foreign Aids off if we do not bend to their wishes or follow the direction of their fingers. We have to ask ourselves at what point are Africans going to understand that Charity only comes after Profit, not before Profit. Some people do not realize that even free samples are teasers to get you addicted. Once your taste buds are hooked, you patronize more forever as Africans. Every Foreign Investor works in his own interest just as any African seeking fortune. What we see as a big deal or fortune is crumbs to them compared to the Fortune Bounty they seek in Africa. The same businesses that employed you knew full well that you do not have legal papers, do so to pay you less and call authorities to deport you when they do not want to pay after working your hearts out! When you are willing to sell your country out of self-interest you are blinded into cognitive dissonance by Self-hate indifferent to realities and the welfare of your fellow citizens. Some Africans have decided it is better to borrow their Countries out of existence on everything Foreign, than to depend on their local talents and resources. After all, if they import contracts, they will be reallocated to the countries they sold their souls to. There is no way a man who borrows to feed and shelter himself would not beg forever. Some Nigerian businessmen staff their factories, schools and other companies with foreigners that work Africans like slaves in their own countries. They pay less educated and skilled foreigners more than they pay Africans. Since these African owners are treating local workers as cheap labor, foreign companies get the green light to do the same or worse. It is very disturbing that in this day and age after political Independence in African countries, we still cannot differentiate between legal and illegal mining because the same leaders are behind both without accurate accountability of what is leaving our Continent. Yet, we expect Foreign Investments in our favor. The new generation have never learned the courage of our liberation fighters as young activists against colonial powers. Those that come to Africa are fortune hunters looking for trillions in profits while those Africans that seek fortunes outside hardly make a million or may break even after expenses with credit cards debts. The difference is clear to blind men except when intoxicated by Branding and Window shopping for goods that can be made and perfected with practice at home since Independence. Everything that glitters is not gold. P&ID and Enron are only two of the prominent International duper companies that have shady business influence in Africa and have sued in overseas courts asking for billions of dollars for projects they did not perform. While Enron defraud other developing countries, P&ID specialize in Nigeria. P&ID's $9 Billion scheme was masterminded by a late Michael Mick Quinn (p&id) Process and Industrial Developments Ltd Chairman. Indeed, operations these shell companies do not have the technical capacity to accomplish in Nigeria, Ghana, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/enron-faces-bribery-charges-1.10909 81. It usually takes a developing country's insiders like the Attorney General, Finance Minister and/or the Central Bank Governor to defraud their own country from their Foreign Reserves. No matter how much income we have, no rich African country can ever import itself out of Poverty. It is illogical to cry or beg for Foreign Everything asking for jobs, loans, goods and services from used to discarded materials instead of borrowing sense from your heads. Banks make their money, pay their staff and others expenses from loans, and borrowers. Even those targeted African countries with attractive Reserves are asking for Loan Forgiveness. Some lenders laugh in Chinese at the jokers. All the pleading to forgive Paris Loans, nko. For whia? You may not like some ideology or differ in respect of a few positions Imperials take. But you cannot deny that they depend on the poor for surplus, disposable labor and low wages. It creates millionaires and billionaires faster. Indeed many poor people accept it as the risk of feeding their families. If you think it is only poor folks that accept it, wonder about highly trained and talented Africans fleeing and those willing to risk jails overseas for money laundering, cut off from seized money to avoid going there to defend themselves or doing hard labor for prison wages when the money they are caught with could be judiciously put to good projects at home. On the other hand, we must also understand that Africa is making some progress and our younger generations are creating sources of income. The problem is that the wheels of progress are not turning as fast as the wheels of regression. As soon as people of goodwill create and make conscientious efforts leaping two or three steps forward, forces of evil drive us back and export many of our gains. Alex Morse and Joe Kennedy both want to turn the page to a new generation of Democrats, suggesting that entrenched incumbents sometimes just tend to coast. Who should have the real clout on Capitol Hill? "It's not those members of Congress who have been there 30 or 40 years," Morse, 31, said Friday in a telephone interview. "I am running against somebody who's been in elective office in Massachusetts for 47 years," Rep. Kennedy, 39, said Thursday, rattling off the extent of his opponent's career in politics. "I think by all accounts, he was pretty much a figure of the political establishment." Morse, the four-term mayor of Holyoke in western Massachusetts, is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, a 30-year incumbent who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in the state's Sept. 1 Democratic primary. And Kennedy, a four-term member of the House from outside Boston, is running against Democratic Sen. Edward Markey, whose first congressional oath of office in 1977 took place before Kennedy was born. Yet Morse and Kennedy find themselves in opposite corners of today's Democratic moment, a political interchange that is confusing with its mixed paths of generational challenges and ideological purity tests. Morse has the full backing of the liberal groups that have helped knock off a handful of veteran Democratic incumbents in the past two years, paving the way to Congress for a younger, more diverse array of lawmakers. Most of the same groups have rallied behind Markey, despite his being a 74-year-old White man, after he forged an ideological alliance with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., whose upset primary win in June 2018 served as a bolt of lightning for these far-left liberals. That's left Kennedy running defensively at times, as if he is the establishment incumbent. The endorsement he received Thursday from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who cited her family's 60 years of ties to the Kennedys, delivered a much-needed jolt but also reinforced the idea that, despite his youth and inexperience, Kennedy was not an insurgent. A confluence of events has created a moment for a Georgia pastor to take a Senate seat away from warring Republicans Victories by Morse and Markey would be heralded by the Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party as a sign that it was on the march and that the liberal movement was defined by ideological purity and not by age. Wins by Neal, 71, and Kennedy would suggest that being a familiar figure is still the best thing in politics. And there also is the possibility of a split verdict, in which both 30-somethings or both 70-somethings win, in which case experience, of the lack of it, would be seen as the driving factor for voters. The outcomes will do little to determine which party controls Congress, as the winner of each primary is all but certain to win the general election in a blue stronghold. But Massachusetts has an outsize influence on the national Democratic Party. Its House delegation has produced two House speakers since the early 1960s. The current crop includes Neal's powerful gavel and also Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, a Pelosi confidant who chairs the influential Rules Committee. In the Senate, every Democrat elected from Massachusetts in the past 70 years - two Kennedys, John F. Kerry, Paul Tsongas and Sen. Elizabeth Warren - has run for president. Except for Markey. Markey has suffered from a perception that he lacks the fire and ambition. He's just as likely to spend the weekend in the Washington area as he is back home, definitely not charging around the country pushing his agenda. "A United States senator from Massachusetts has an enormous opportunity to go out there and use that political power to push an agenda and to help people," Kennedy told The Washington Post's Dave Weigel in an interview in Worcester, Mass., this past week. "And I don't think the senator has done what the people in Massachusetts, in our country, really need." Markey, rather than bowing out last year when Kennedy announced his challenge, doubled down on his alliance with Ocasio-Cortez and the Green New Deal climate legislation they co-wrote. As he pulled closer in the race and, in some public polls moved ahead, Markey grew confident enough to start taking shots at the Kennedy mythology. First, in a debate this month, he accused Kennedy's father, former congressman Joe Kennedy II, of funding super PAC ads against Markey. And then a three-minute web video, produced by the Sunrise Movement, made Markey out to be one of the most powerful figures of the past 40 years on Capitol Hill, touting his work on a range of issues including nuclear disarmament and climate change. It ended with Markey turning a famous phrase from John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address inside out. "With all due respect, it's time to start asking what your country can do for you," Markey said. Joe Kennedy convened a news conference Monday to defend his family's legacy, highlight votes of Markey's on racial justice that do not fit today's political times and accused the incumbent of not doing much in Congress. "He's asking you to trust that he can lead a movement that he has never been a part of. He's telling you that he deserves a mantle that he has not earned," Kennedy said at the news conference. In western Massachusetts, Neal has grown tired of such attacks from Morse, an openly gay politician who was elected mayor at age 22. As the Ways and Means chairman, Neal never fails to tout his work on the more than $2 trillion Cares Act, the coronavirus relief package, as an example of what it means to deliver, for the nation and the district, and that Morse announced that he would have opposed the bill. "It is the most irresponsible position that a candidate for Congress could have taken," Neal said during Monday's debate. "Elizabeth Warren voted for the Cares Act. Edward J. Markey voted for the Cares Act." In Republican Alaska, GOP incumbents face strongest challenges in decades amid the coronavirus pandemic In the interview, Morse called parts of the legislation worthy but said there was a "larger point about not getting what you don't fight for," suggesting that Pelosi and Neal need to "grow a backbone" and fight Republicans harder in negotiations. He uses Neal's national prominence against the incumbent, saying that he no longer shows up to participate in town hall meetings with constituents. Morse claims his internal polls show a tightening race, even after revelations that as an adjunct professor at the nearby University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he had sexual relationships with students. He has maintained that the relationships were consensual, violated no college policy and is cooperating with an internal review. He has alleged that a group of college Democrats close to Neal ran a "coordinated political attack" on him that was homophobic in nature. Morse says he has had a surge in fundraising and drawn more support from around the country. "People understand the national implications of this race," he said. Kennedy is less certain about how to draw insight from his state this summer. "As objective as I can be in this race, as a candidate, I think that the lines in this race are messy," he said. Lurong Chen, senior economist and Lydia Ruddy, director of communications in Jakarta for the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia Digital connectivity is essential to support e-commerce in the ASEAN. Southeast and East Asia together have the worlds fastest-growing online market with an overall size of $72 billion in 2018, and e-commerce is the most dynamic sector in the region with a projected annual growth rate of 25-35 per cent per year. In 2019, Southeast Asias internet economy including e-commerce, online media, online travelling, and ride-hailing all representing a market with gross merchandise value exceeding $100 billion, according to a report by Google and Temasek. From 2018 to 2023, the annual growth rate of e-commerce revenue in the ASEAN is projected to be four times as much as that of regional GDP. To realise the ASEANs potential in the digital economy, improving digital connectivity is key, for which one should take into consideration free flows of data with trust, logistics to facilitate free flows of goods and services, connectivity to facilitate cash flows, and seamless links between cyberspace and the physical parts of e-commerce networks. Connectivity for free flows of data with trust is made up of two parts physical infrastructure and trust. Overall, the blocs physical internet infrastructure looks satisfactory when compared to the world average. However, the development of ICT-related infrastructure is uneven with large development gaps between and within countries. For example, network coverage, measured by internet penetration, is very uneven and ranges from 81 per cent in Singapore to 22 per cent in Laos. Likewise, development of 4G networks, access to electricity, average internet connection speeds, and affordability also range widely in the ASEAN. Trust, which is very much dependent on good governance, is even more critical for free flows of data with trust. In the region, the policy regime is underdeveloped and fragmented across countries. So far, ASEAN countries have no common position on regulating cross-border data flows, and some are far more advanced in domestic rule-setting. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore have recently passed new laws. Thailand is considering such rules, and the remainder have no personal data protection laws or regulations. Reaching consensus on data governance to facilitate ASEAN digital connectivity is difficult, but not impossible. With reference to the policy regime on free trade, we have proposed a policy framework for the free flow of data that is composed of five pillars of policy instruments. These are policies for liberalisation and facilitation; measures to correct or mitigate market failure; policies to reconcile values and social concerns with economic efficiency; efforts to accommodate data flows and data-related businesses in the domestic policy regime; and strategic trade and investment policies. This sheds new light on international collaboration on rule setting to promote free flow of data with trust. Economic connectivity Logistics are also critical for e-commerce. Good logistics can save costs on doing business on- and offline. This means additional efforts to improve both physical connectivity and trade-supporting services are needed. Improving services is at least as important as building infrastructure in many aspects from speed and accuracy to transparency and reliability. Service efficiency will save trade costs and increase credibility and reliability, and therefore promote online business activities. E-commerce depends also on financial connectivity. In 2018, digital payments in the ASEAN reached $73 billion. The size is expected to double in three to five years. For e-commerce to succeed, there must be an online means of payment for goods and services. Currently, various payment solutions for online business coexist in the Asian market such as cash-on-delivery, prepay, credit cards, debit cards, e-banking, mobile payment, smartcards, and e-wallets. By 2023, about two-thirds of all users will make digital payments. However, in the ASEAN there are wide gaps between countries readiness to adopt and use e-payment systems, due mainly to differences in regulatory and policy environments and of innovative products and services. Ensuring a strong future for e-commerce must address several interrelated challenges with e-payment systems including security, privacy, creditability, reliability, and efficiency. Building and maintaining e-payment systems is a resource-intensive project, which could be a challenge for countries whose domestic banking and financial sectors are still in the early stages of development. Moreover, difficulties in changing mindsets and policy resistance could also be obstacles to digital adoption. Policy efforts at the regional level, such as establishing industrial standards and harmonising regulations, could help the industry realise economies of scale and support its development. Extra effort is needed to streamline connections between networks of different countries and coordinate interactions amongst the three functioning networks (information, logistics, and cash flows). Seamless links between the virtual and physical elements are vital to the functioning of the whole digital ecosystem of the economy, and the establishment of international rules and regulations will enhance the market drivers and strengthen such connectivity. The region needs substantial efforts on rules and regulations to support digital connectivity, policy action plans to let new technologies and business models serve for inclusiveness, and the combination of countries national strategies and regional cooperation. This calls for multilayer cooperation in publicprivate partnerships (PPP), inter-institutional work, sub-regional cooperation, and government department agreements. Establish and prioritise There are five main policy recommendations we believe can drive the ASEANs digital transformation. First is to increase supply of public goods to improve connectivity infrastructure. The public sector should lead in building infrastructure, but the private sectors involvement will be equally important to ensure the financial sustainability of projects. All related policy instruments will apply including PPPs, intergovernmental cooperation, foreign investment, and so on. The second recommendation is to collaborate on regional rule-setting for digital connectivity, with priority to support the free flow of data with trust. The related regulations will cover traditional trade issues as well as new issues including cross-border information flow, privacy protection, data localisation, and source codes disclosure. Third is to establish a digital-friendly environment that ensures free movement and accuracy of information; fairness in access to information; protection of consumers and producers; security of payments; and free trade and investment, and thus fair competition. Next is to promote value-added services to increase the quality of connectivity in terms of speed, accuracy, transparency, reliability, and security. In particular, institutional efforts are necessary to advance service sector liberalisation and support the digital inclusion of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. The final recommendation is to prioritise new technologies that can improve the smartphone economy and internet financial innovation, especially new apps that support the growing m-commerce as in, e-commerce based on smartphones and related devices. Going to college for the first time is supposed to be about discovering who you are and figuring out who you want to be in the future. This year, those attending college for the first time and even those students returning to Illinois College are coming back to a campus designed to teach students while trying to maintain healthy practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Things like social distancing, the use of face masks and guest restrictions are in place at the school. Even the move-in process was different, with only new students and a few upper classmen on campus heading into the first week and upper classmen making a staggered return to campus in coming weeks. Because of precautions put in place by the school, several students said they arent really concerned about the virus. Chase Blanquart, a Belleville freshman, said this wasnt how he predicted his first year would begin, but he wont let it stop him from enjoying his freshmen year. I dont have any real worries, Blanquart said. I feel they are doing what is necessary to keep us all healthy. The college is requiring that face masks be worn in all common areas and outdoors when social distancing cant be maintained. They are not required inside a students dorm room. Students also will be required to monitor their temperature and any symptoms of illness and check in daily using a mobile app. The school also is asking students who have plans to travel to report their plans to the school prior to departure; traveling students could be required to quarantine when they return. IC also has increased its cleaning campus-wide and, in addition to mask mandates, has other standards in place that officials hope will limit the spread of the virus. Students now are permitted to visit each other in common areas and outside, but the school has limited entry to dorm rooms to those who live in them. Non-students are not permitted on campus and the school has asked all personnel who can continue to work remotely to do so to limit the number of people on campus. Freshman Lauren Godfrey of New Berlin said coming to college during the pandemic is a little intimidating. Though she said shes not worried about catching the virus herself, she wouldnt want to potentially infect someone else. I think IC is taking good precautions to protect us Im afraid of some other students being inconsiderate, not wearing masks to protect other people, Godfrey said. They could go somewhere and get it and bring it back to campus. I feel like we are on edge, waiting for the next pin to drop. Freshman Skylar Arthalony of Ashland said it was a little scary coming to campus, where there are a lot more people around than the recent normal, but she didnt want to miss attending her first year of college in person. I didnt want to do my first year online by myself, Arthalony said. I just wish it would go away and I know they are doing their best to keep it contained and not have it spread around. Freshman Garrett Austin of Vandalia said he isnt too concerned about the possibility of getting sick on campus with all the precautions that have been put into place. Most schools are closed, so Im just happy we are open, Austin said. Ill do pretty much whatever they say to stay on campus. I dont want to go home if they move to remote learning. Freshman Anthony McCuller of Los Angeles also is happy the school is open, he said. Everything is shut down in California, so hes happy to heed precautions in Illinois, he said. It is different than what I thought my first year of college would be like, but I know they are trying to keep us safe, McCuller said. Sophomore Kendall McCalla of Milford said she has seen some of the behind-the-scenes work the staff has been doing to make the return to campus possible. As a group leader, she is responsible for helping instruct incoming freshmen and new students on policies for the year, she said. Coming back has been really complicated there were a lot of meetings to make this year happen for us, McCalla said. If everyone follows the rules, this will work. Sunseekers returning from low-risk holiday islands could be exempt from quarantine as part of a review of the travel corridor scheme, it has emerged. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said ministers are examining the possibility of regional travel corridors which could allow quarantine-free flights from destinations such as the Canaries or Balearics. The plans are due to be discussed by ministers as part of an upcoming review of travel corridors, which could also lead to the first trials of airport coronavirus tests. However, Mr Shapps warned the Government will need accurate infection rate data from island destinations before officials can green-light the proposals. Sunseekers returning from low-risk holiday islands (such as the Canaries, pictured) could be exempt from quarantine as part of a review of the travel corridor scheme, it has emerged Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said ministers are examining the possibility of regional travel corridors which could allow quarantine-free flights from destinations such as the Canaries (pictured) or Balearics A man in a protective mask sells cookies on the beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain It came as 20,000 British holidaymakers faced a rush to escape Croatia yesterday (Dubrovnik Airport pictured) following the decision to add the country to the quarantine list, along with Austria and Trinidad and Tobago From 4am on Saturday travellers arriving to the UK from Croatia (Split airport pictured) will have to self-isolate for 14 days after a spike in coronavirus cases led to the British government removing Croatia from its safe travel list Mr Shapps (pictured) warned the Government will need accurate infection rate data from island destinations before officials can green-light the proposals Asked whether Britons might soon be able to go on holiday to the Canaries, he told BBC Breakfast: I think there is a case for regionalisation. I think its harder to do within a country - people say, with France for example, why dont you just do this region and not the other? The answer is its quite easy to travel about the country so were not able to do it like that. Where there are islands, that is something we are looking at. Of course, then you get down to how good a level of detail youve got about individual islands which might be part of another country with a landmass somewhere else. Those are things that were looking at in the review, along with how we could test at airports, were also looking at how you could do regionalisation effectively. The prospect of regional corridors will be welcomed by airline and airport bosses who describe the quarantine rule as a blunt tool that fails to take into account the relatively low level of cases in specific regions of restricted countries. Are easyJet, RyanAir and Jet2 flights still operating? easyJet The airline will continue flights to Croatia. Customers who don't want to travel due to the quarantine measures will be offered a credit note for the cost of their booking, or the option to swap their flights without an admin fee. Jet2 Jet2 will not stop flights to Croatia. Anyone scheduled to fly before August 30 can move their trip with no added admin cost. The airline will issue advise to those with trips booked for August 31 onwards at a later date. Ryanair Ryanair will not stop its flights to Croatia and those wishing to move their trip could incur an admin fee. Advertisement It came as 20,000 British holidaymakers faced a rush to escape Croatia yesterday following the decision to add the country to the quarantine list, along with Austria and Trinidad and Tobago. From 4am on Saturday travellers arriving to the UK from the Mediterranean country will have to self-isolate for 14 days after a spike in coronavirus cases led to the British government removing Croatia from its safe travel list. At London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 on Friday evening, British Airways flights arriving from the Croatian city of Dubrovnik and the capital Zagreb were among the last to arrive in the UK before the quarantine deadline. Adam and Katie Marlow, from Buckinghamshire, were forced to drive a hire car three hours from the coastal city of Zadar to Zagreb to catch a new flight home instead of returning on Saturday. The couple decided to come back earlier than planned due to 33-year-old Ms Marlow's pregnancy and her need to return to work on Monday. They said their new flights costs around 300, while the care hire was another 100. Asked about the Government's handling of the travel corridor rules, Mr Marlow, 37, who works for a financial company, said: 'With most of the changes I support everything they do, I would say though that they should publish the criteria for where the cases are. Travellers exit Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 on August 22. As of Saturday morning at 4am, travellers arriving in England from Austria, Croatia, and Trinidad and Tobago were required to quarantine themselves for 14 days Tourists wearing face masks wait at Split International Airport in Split, Croatia, yesterday. Steve Laws, 53, a company director from Thame in Oxfordshire, blasted the Government's actions as 'shambolic' Adam and Katie Marlow, from Buckinghamshire, were forced to drive a hire car three hours from the coastal city of Zadar to Zagreb to catch a new flight home instead of returning on Saturday. Pictured, crowds of people on the beach in Split yesterday Tourists enjoy the Sunday market in Drome, a French department in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region Wearing a face mask is mandatory in the market in France- a popular destination for visiting tourists Some eager tourists haven't let potential quarantine on their return spoil their holidays as crowds were pictured wandering through a market in Drome Face mask-clad visitors browsed the stalls in the market in Drome while following the coronavirus rules 'Then we could have kept have an eye on it... and we could have maybe made a different decision and maybe an earlier decision and it might have cost us a bit less money.' Mrs Marlow, a sales manager who is seven months pregnant, added: 'Completely understand why they are doing it, but it would be good to have a bit more warning, because we only had 24 hours notice. That's all we had.' West Yorkshire couple Liam and Jodie paid some 800 in a desperate attempt get home from Pula via Munich. Liam told The Evening Standard: 'There wasn't an alternative. There are no flights from Pula to the UK on Fridays, only a flight from Zagreb to London runs, but obviously that was fully booked.' A resident walks along a street in the village of Carrascal del Rio, Segovia. The area is one of the villages being isolated for 14 days after a spike in cases Cantalejo (pictured) is being isolated for 14 days - from 22 August - after 59 coronavirus positive cases were recorded A Civil Guard officer stops a rider as he controls the exit and entry in the village of Cantalejo after the area was isolated Meanwhile Steve Laws, 53, a company director from Thame in Oxfordshire, blasted the Government's actions as 'shambolic'. He spent around 2,000 to return from his holiday eight days early with his wife and three children. 'There are zero checks at immigration,' he said on Friday night. 'The process was a complete farce. 'We are obeying the Government's rules in good faith and there's absolutely no evidence the Government is monitoring in any way who is coming into the country,' he claimed. Passengers wearing face masks as they arrive at Heathrow Airport after a flight from Dubrovnik, Croatia, landed yesterday Holidaymakers took to social media to vent their frustration at the government's quarantine rules - with some sharing the extreme measures they took to get home Thomas Maguire, 61, a sales manager from Northern Ireland, was due to fly back on Sunday, but returned to beat the quarantine deadline due to the impact it would have on his family. He branded the rule change a 'complete shambles', saying he had spent nearly 400 on a flight he hoped to recoup through insurance. 'Why they decided to do it the way they have done it, it's not in support of any scientific evidence... that I'm safer today than I would be tomorrow,' he said. Meanwhile Cristiano Torti, 41, spent around 1,500 to fly his wife and two young children home six days earlier than planned. He said his family lost around 500 from the original return flights, but did not want to quarantine for two weeks at home. Meanwhile, flights to Portugal have risen sixfold, but hotels have slashed prices as Britons plan a late summer getaway now the country is back on the UK's 'green list' 'It would have been a nightmare, I have two young children that drive me crazy at the best of times,' he joked. 'My wife and I both work from home, so it would have very difficult with them at home. No flights? How to travel home from Croatia by train British holidaymakers in Croatia were limited in their options for getting home to beat the quarantine with very few direct flights available on Friday. They could book a flight with a stopover on the way back to the UK, but that meant a journey time more akin to a transatlantic jaunt than a short-haul European getaway. But those who do not mind a long trek could opt to shun planes altogether and travel the whole way home via the railways. A quick search online will bring up possible routes, timetables and prices, so there could well be a number of Britons unexpectedly discovering parts of Europe by train over the coming hours. One potential option, taking around 20 hours, is to board a train in Croatia's capital, Zagreb, and travel through Villach and Salzburg in Austria, Munich in Germany, and on to Paris to catch the Eurostar to London. Another option would be to leave Zagreb and travel to London via Brussels. There is also the possibility of leaving Croatia and travelling through part of northern Italy - Trieste, Venice and Milan - and on to the French capital before the final leg of the journey across the Channel to London. With train journeys from Zagreb to London taking in the region of 20 to 25 hours, holidaymakers would need to have set out on their European railway adventure by now to guarantee being home by 4am on Saturday. Advertisement 'Another consequence would have been my eldest child missing a bit of school.' Mr Torti, a developer from Oxfordshire, added: 'Had we not had children I think we might have just waited it out... but with two young children at home it wasn't feasible.' A 'gutted' Mr Torti said he had been aware of the risk of travel rules changing, but added: 'I do wonder though if the Government could be a bit more selective. 'So for example I understand that there are certain hotspots in Croatia where the case numbers were quite high, so perhaps they could have selective on those travelling from those specific hotspots. 'On the other hand people would have found a way around that.' He added: 'We've lost a lot of of money, between the accommodation, the flights, and the knock-on effects: the care hire, the airport parking, I kind of wish we'd stayed home to be honest despite the miserable British weather.' Others opted to stay in Croatia and face the quarantine when they get home. Driving teacher Beccy Williams said: 'I feel bad that my pupils won't get their driving lessons until after September 14, but my son is having so much fun with his friends here that it's worth it.' While holidaymakers rushing home from Croatia suffered, Portugal saw a dramatic increase in holiday bookings today. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced quarantine will not be required on return to the UK from Portugal yesterday, leaving travel companies expecting a surge in bookings over the coming days. The country is traditionally one of British holidaymakers' most popular destinations, attracting 2.1 million visitors a year, but was banned during the lockdown. But with the doors opened and a Bank Holiday at the end of the month, airlines are looking to take advantage of soaring demand. Aviation data analysts Cirium reported 719 flights between the UK and Portugal before pupils return to school next month, with a total seat capacity of nearly 128,000. Jet2 announced it was putting on additional flights with thousands of extra seats to meet the surge in interest in trips to Portugal. Average fare prices to Faro - the airport used by holidaymakers heading to the Algarve - rocketed from just 35 to 190 in the hours after Mr Shapps' announcement. One website showed a BA flight fare from London to Faro had jumped from 90 to 580 - with a claim it had been reduced from 594 - in a day. Google searches by MailOnline also showed one BA round trip from London to Faro, leaving this Saturday - the day the quarantine rule is lifted for Portugal - and returning next Saturday - costing 1,069. While holidaymakers rushing home from Croatia suffered, Portugal saw a dramatic increase in online searches for trips Average fare prices to Faro - the airport used by holidaymakers heading to the Algarve - rocketed from just 35 to 190. Pictured: A Google price chart showing how prices on flights to Faro on Sunday have rocketed Flights from London to Lisbon on Saturday have also rocketed, from around 50 to 181 Prices from London to Faro have also spiked for travel this Sunday, while flights to Lisbon, another popular city break destination, have also rocketed since the announcement, from around 55 to 185, according to Google. One exasperated holiday-hopeful said on Twitter: 'And instantly the holidays prices go up to Portugal!' Yorkshire couple pay 800 to travel home from northern Croatia via Munich to beat the quarantine deadline Liam and Jodie, a couple from Keighley, West Yorkshire, paid about 800 to travel home from northern Croatia via Munich, in order to beat the quarantine deadline, after finding it impossible to book a direct flight in time. Liam and Jodie from Keighley, West Yorkshire, who are travelling home from Croatia via Munich to avoid the quarantine 'There wasn't an alternative. There are no flights from Pula to the UK on Fridays, only a flight from Zagreb to London runs, but obviously that was fully booked,' Liam said. 'The only (other) flights available were with stops in Spain through Ryanair, but then we would have to quarantine anyway,' he added. Liam, a mechanical assembly engineer, said he had started a new job recently so 'didn't want to miss another two weeks work'. He added that they had tried to make the most of their trip despite 'the distraction of not knowing what's going to happen', and were treating their visit to Munich as a 'city break we got as an extra'. Advertisement In a bid to meet growing demand, Jet2 said it had put on extra flights to the country from Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted and Manchester. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: 'Customers are responding to the welcome change in government advice by booking their much-needed holidays in the Portuguese sunshine, and we are responding to that by adding more flights and seats. 'We want our customers to enjoy their well-deserved holidays, and our decision to act quickly and add even more capacity to Faro ensures they will have plenty of choice. 'With flights and holidays operating to Faro, in addition to Madeira, we are thrilled to be offering customers two fantastic options in Portugal when they're looking to book their well-deserved holiday away from the gloom. 'With a fantastic choice of flights and holidays, not to mention fantastic deals and free child places available, those looking to get away can take advantage of great choice and value. 'We have been busy looking after customers and independent travel agents during these uncertain times. 'As a result of this, customers know they can trust us deliver and that's our absolute focus for everyone travelling with us delivering our award-winning customer service and package holidays you can trust.' However, Portuguese hotel companies, desperate to fill rooms after a summer of lost takings, have kept prices low in a bid to attract sun-seeking tourists. Only 32.6 per cent of the Algarve's hotel rooms were booked last month, the worst rate ever for the month of July, according to data seen by the Telegraph. One hotel in Madeira is available for 90 a night next week, but typically costs between 91 and 146 for similar dates. Likewise, another is going for just 84 a night, compared to between 121 and 151. Travel expert Simon Calder told Good Morning Britain prices for flights from Croatia to Britain are now 'going through the roof' as people scramble to get home. The cheapest direct service from Zagreb to Heathrow yesterday was 286 on British Airways, while a Croatia Airlines flight between the two airports was 496. The cheapest flight with a change that would get back before 4am was 230 with Eurowings, via Stuttgart. There were also KLM flights via Amsterdam, but this would involve quarantining - with the Netherlands already off the air bridges list. A British mother holidaying in Croatia said she would not cut short her trip despite the new quarantine forcing her son to miss his first week of school. Jennie Dock's 11-year-old son Cass Robertson-Dock will be in self-isolation when his new school starts back, after Croatia was removed from the UK's list of air bridges. But Ms Dock, who is on holiday with friend Elle Mitchell, told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'We're both lucky in that we can both work from home, both work remotely. 'Cass was year six last year, so he did manage to get in for around six weeks or so at the end, which he really enjoyed. So, yeah, it's unfortunate he's going to miss the first week, but he's a bright boy and he'll catch up, I'm not worried about it.' British Airways has laid on an extra flight from Zagreb to London Heathrow with seats costing 275. Holiday firm Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said it will resume its flights and holidays programme to Faro, in Portugal's Algarve, from Monday This is more than six times higher than the BA equivalent flight on the Friday four weeks from now, which currently costs only 42. An equivalent flight on the Friday two weeks from now is only 45. Mr Calder urged people looking at flights with changes to avoid going via Paris or Amsterdam because they would also then have to quarantine. Despite the easing of some restrictions, industry leaders warned of dark times ahead. Christopher Snelling of the Airport Operators' Association said: 'The removal of the quarantine for Portugal is welcome, but the re-introduction of blanket quarantine measures to a further tranche of nations reinforces the significant and continuing challenge facing the aviation industry. Air passengers arrive at London Heathrow Airport this morning wearing face masks Crowds of people are pictured in Crikvenica on the northern Adriatic coast on August 13 'Our airports are facing pressures that were unimaginable six months ago and the Government must work urgently with the industry to introduce regional travel corridors to low-risk areas and agree financial measures that support our airports, who have already lost over 2billion since the start of the pandemic.' Portugal has seen the number of coronavirus cases drop by 45 per cent over the past month, with 14.4 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days - well below the government's threshold of 20 cases. It comes as Mr Shapps warned holidaymakers to 'only travel if you content to unexpectedly quarantine', after he himself was caught out, as Austria, Croatia and Trinidad were added to Britain's no-go list. Referencing his own experience, in which he was left facing a two week quarantine when his department suddenly added Spain to the quarantine list in July, Mr Shapps warned any air bridge could be axed at short notice. In a tweet in which he announced Croatia, Austria and Trinidad would be added to the Government's 'red list', and Portugal taken off, Mr Shapps said: 'Data shows we need to remove Croatia, Austria and Trinidad & Tobago from our list of #coronavirus Travel Corridors to keep infection rates DOWN. 'If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. 'Data also shows we can now add Portugal to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. 'As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)' Portuguese travel chiefs welcomed the move as 'useful for all those who travel between Portugal and the United Kingdom'. In a tweet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Portugal, said: 'This decision is proof of the good outcome of intense bilateral work. 'It allowed for an understanding that the situation in the country has always been under control, with Portugal standing as one of the European countries with more tests, fewer deaths and fewer hospitalisations.' Meanwhile, consumer group Which? said the change in rules for Portugal was 'likely to come too late to help many struggling holiday companies'. Which? Travel editor Rory Boland told the BBC that the government had 'now made it clear that countries can be removed or added from the travel corridor list at a moment's notice'. He said: 'That policy currently makes it too risky for anyone who is not able to quarantine for 14 days on return to travel anywhere abroad. 'Yet, those holidaymakers who want to heed the government warning to not undertake non-essential travel to Spain, France and now Croatia and Austria are finding it increasingly difficult to claim a refund. He added: 'The addition of Portugal is likely to come too late to help many struggling holiday companies who are at the point of collapse, as summer trips have already been cancelled.' Following the announcement, holiday firm Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said it will resume its flights and holidays programme to Faro, in Portugal's Algarve, from Monday. A sign at Heathrow today warns about self-isolating if they have visited a certain country Passengers push their luggage through the arrivals at London Heathrow Airport this morning People wait for planes at Split Airport in Croatia yesterday as they try to get home quickly Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago were added to the 'red' list due to rising numbers of Covid cases. Croatia's total over seven days a metric closely watched by Downing Street has risen to 27.4 per 100,000 people. Britons who arrive back in the UK after the 4am deadline will have to spend 14 days under stricter measures than many faced in lockdown, as they are not even allowed to go outside for exercise or food shopping. Croatia's ambassador to the UK said it was 'a regret' that the UK Government did not implement regional quarantine rules rather than removing the entire country from its quarantine exemption list. Igor Pokaz told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'What we are trying to do in our constant dialogue with the British Government on this particular measure of quarantine is to somehow see whether it would be possible, something that other countries do, to have a more nuanced approach. 'So we regret that it was not possible for the UK Government to consider a regional approach, because in Croatia we have, as I said, witnessed these spikes in certain areas - for example in Zagreb in the capital and maybe among the young population. 'But in Dubrovnik, its surroundings and the islands there were very, very few cases. And I deliberately mention Dubrovnik and the islands as that is where most of the British tourists go. 'And Dubrovnik has its own international airport and is naturally secluded from the rest of the country. 'Germany, as I said, has introduced this model, and has introduced measures for only two of the Croatian counties and we have 20 counties in Croatia.' Mathura: Thirteen people, including a bhagwatacharya, were booked for cheating people after a compliant was lodged against them by the secretary of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, Mathura, police said on Friday. According to the FIR registered in Govind Nagar police station, the 13 people allegedly formed a trust with a name similar to Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust in order to misguide people and take their money. The complainant was filed by secretary of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, Mathura, Kapil Sharma, police said. The accused persons allegedly formed a trust with the name Sri Krishna Janmabhumi Nirman Nyas to mislead people and collect donations for construction activity in Sri Krishna Janmasthan. However, it is Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust which has been renovating the area since 1944, FIR filed by Sharma said. The police has registered the FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 419 (cheating by impersonation). While all those on CNN and MSNBC were gushing with relief that Joe Biden got through his acceptance speech without any glaring gaffes except the nonsensical final line, conservatives were gobsmacked by the sheer vacuousness of it. There are numerous excellent columns that accurately take the speech apart for its banality: Al Perrota at The Stream, John Nolte's at Breitbart, Daniel Greenfield at Frontpage, Michael Goodwin at N.Y. Post, Deborah Heine at American Greatness she notes that Biden again repeated the lie that Trump praised neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. His running mate, Kamala Harris, used the lie as well, and they both know, as does every member of the media, that it is not true. As DiploMad noted, "Joe goes low and slow." The DNC and their toadies in the media are only too happy to go low, as Michelle and Barack Obama certainly did in their convention speeches. So dark and gloomy were the speakers at this virtual convention, one would think the United States was on the verge of being free and full of opportunities, which is exactly what they hope to prevent. No, no, no...no liberty for Americans. No equality of opportunity; there must be mandated equality of outcomes, as if that has worked anywhere in the world, wherever socialism has been imposed on human beings. That truism has been lost on Harris, Bernie Sanders, and the rest of the radicals who are pulling Biden's strings. They are all in on the socialism they mean to foist upon all Americans. But was Joe's speech broadcast to us live, and just as delivered? He was not in front of a live audience; he was behind a podium on a bare stage with all the flags and colorful background added digitally using the same technique blue-screen that TV weathermen use to stand in front of a weather map. He was clearly reading every word from the teleprompter. At least we know he can still read; he garbles some words, but he appeared to read it competently. But did he read the whole speech from start to finish, 25 minutes, without any of his (in)famous flubs? Not likely. Even with skilled presenters, it is standard practice with prerecorded speeches and interviews to piece together multiple takes and trim out the mistakes, using an amazing editing tool that renders invisible all the edits removing pauses, umms, flubs, etc. from an interview or a speech, and to seamlessly piece together multiple takes of the speech. The tool goes by various names depending on the film editing program: "Morph Cut" in Adobe's Premiere Pro, "Flow" in Apple's Final Cut Pro X, and "Smooth Cut" in BlackMagic Design's DaVinci Resolve. Here's a description of how it works in DaVinci Resolve. Was this technique used to stitch together a seemingly coherent acceptance speech? It's difficult to believe that it would not have been. It's a near certainty that the speech was pieced together from numerous takes to edit out all his flubs made even while he's reading from a teleprompter. In short, Biden's speech was most likely some elementary Hollywood magic just as phony as his hair, his teeth, and his "moderation." Will the relatively few American people who watched what was an agreed upon snoozefest be fooled by the likely technical wizardry it took to make Biden seem sentient? Some of them will, but CNN's Van Jones admitted that if he got through it without a major meltdown, he and his fellow Dems were primed to praise it as glorious and magnificent, which they did. Magnificent it was not. It was shallow gobbledygook about light and dark light good, dark bad. Deep and thoughtful it was not, any more than Jill Biden's little talk about love was anything but gooey and trivial. If enough Americans fall for this claptrap, the country truly is lost, but hopefully they are not that dumb. Most Americans know well enough that it is the Constitution that guarantees the freedoms we take for granted but that the left despises. The Democrats have successfully abrogated the First Amendment; free speech is now effectively banned on college campuses and in the mainstream press. They hope to eviscerate the Second Amendment. Their platform includes defunding the police, the abolition of cash bail, abolition of prisons and ICE, open borders, free everything for all immigrants, none of whom would be deemed illegal. They would be given living wages, free college tuition, free health care, benefits not available to America's poor and homeless. The left, per Cloward-Piven's prescription for the destruction of America as founded, means to bankrupt us beyond the twenty-one trillion in debt we have at this moment in time. Joe's phony, massively edited insubstantial speech should be a warning to us all: a vote for Biden/Harris is well and truly a vote for the end of America. Biden, in his diminished state, is a tool of the radical left, who are delighted by his mental infirmity. For them, it is their ticket to ride, to attain the power over us all that they covet. Image credit: Screen shot taken from a camera aimed at a television set, processed with BeCasso. China's Gaofen-7 satellite put into service PLA Daily Source: Xinhuanet Editor: Chen Zhuo 2020-08-21 00:09:00 BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The China National Space Administration announced on Thursday that the Gaofen-7 Earth observation satellite has been put into service, representing significant progress for the country's surveying and mapping capabilities. Launched on Nov. 3, 2019, Gaofen-7 is China's first civil-use optical transmission 3D surveying and mapping satellite that reaches the sub-meter level. Equipped with two line-scan cameras and a laser altimeter, the satellite can provide 1:10,000 scale satellite 3D mapping for users in China and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. During in-orbit tests, satellite functions such as the monitoring of geographical conditions, agricultural surveys, and road constructions have been verified, said Zhang Kejian, head of the administration. In May, using data from the Gaofen-7 and Ziyuan III satellites, scientists drew a 1:10,000 scale topographic map for surveyors to measure the height of Mount Qomolangma. Since the Gaofen project began in 2010, China has had an increasingly clearer view of the planet. According to the administration, data from the Gaofen series of satellites have been used in more than 20 industries across the country. Images captured by the Gaofen-2 satellite were used to help monitor the construction work of two makeshift hospitals, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan, in Wuhan, after the COVID-19 outbreak. Gaofen-3 has contributed to the monitoring of the flood situation along Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, in the eastern province of Jiangxi. With Gaofen satellite data, researchers also conducted ecological environment investigations for poor areas in the northwestern province of Gansu. "Gaofen-7 will further meet the needs of users in basic mapping, global geographic information, monitoring, and evaluation in urban and rural construction, etc.," said Zhang. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In the face of risks and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 epidemic, plant diseases and insect pests since the beginning of the year, China has made every effort to facilitate agricultural production and ensure stable production and supply of grain and non-staple food. After overcoming the adverse effects of regional drought, warm winter, late spring coldness, as well as wheat diseases and insect pests during the first half of the year, China reaped another bumper summer grain harvest. Chinas summer grain output reached a record high of 142.8 billion kg this year, 1.21 billion kg more than that of the previous year. This years summer grain harvest has witnessed a higher quality of grain, with the proportion of first and second-grade wheat increasing and the planting area of strong gluten and weak gluten wheat accounting for 35.8 percent of the nations total wheat planting area, which represents a year-on-year increase of 2.8 percentage points. So far, China has basically finished early rice harvest and seen a clear upward trend in output. Farmers gather grain with a harvester at Taiping village, Quanzhou, Southeast Chinas Fujian Province on July 20. Photo by Kang Qingping/Peoples Daily Online China has stepped up efforts to promote an increase in the yield of early rice to ensure food security this year. Early rice production has exhibited three features, according to Pan Wenbo, head of crop production department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Firstly, the planting area of early rice increased by about 313,333 hectares, reversing the downward trend in the past seven years, Pan noted. The floods in south China did not change the general trend of output increase, he added. Besides, the planting area of high-quality early rice accounted for 46.2 percent of the nations total, 2 percentage points higher than that in the previous year, according to Pan. Pan also pointed out that the sown area of autumn grain has increased steadily, and the crops in the fields are growing well, laying a good foundation for a bumper grain harvest throughout the year. Non-staple food and grain supply have always been a main concern of people, especially in this year when floods have aroused great attention to agricultural production and food security in the society. Overall, China has guaranteed adequate supplies of grain and non-staple foods with stable prices. Workers at a grain purchasing site test, weigh, and then store away wheat in Zhangji township, Xuzhou, East Chinas Jiangsu Province on June 8. Photo by Sun Jingxian/Peoples Daily Online From January to June, the average monthly price of rice, wheat and corn in the market fairs stood at 242.48 yuan (about $35.06) per 100 kg, which was at the same level as that of the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). At the same time, the total output of winter and spring vegetables was 170 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2 percent, suggested data from the MARA, which indicated that the average minimum purchase price for 30 major types of vegetables had fallen by 8.4 percent year on year during the first half of the year. The price of fruits also had also dropped after a rise during the first six months of the year, when the average price of six types of fruits at wholesale markets fell by 13.4 percent from that of the same period last year. Recently, floods have caused certain impacts on agricultural production in some areas, but the impacts are limited and temporary, Pan said. Various areas in China have strengthened the deployment of agricultural machinery to ensure that the early rice harvest could be completely smoothly and the late rice be planted in a timely manner, according to Pan. At the same time, they have promptly drained water in the fields and grown crops with relatively short growth periods to promote the recovery of production after the disaster and reduce losses, Pan disclosed. As of August 5, Chinas government wheat purchases in major production areas stood at over 42.8 million tons this summer, down about 9.38 million tons year on year, according to data released by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration on August 12. Photo taken on Feb. 5 shows the agricultural and sideline products in a store in Wudu district, Longnan, Northwest Chinas Gansu Province. Photo by Li Xuchun/Peoples Daily Online Market survey suggests that many farmers are reluctant to sell wheat this year, while they used to be very active in selling grain after the crops had just been reaped in previous years. Market-oriented purchase has made framers more sensitive to the market, which means they now prefer selling grain in a more balanced way throughout the year to selling all the products in a specific period of time of the year, noted Shang Jinsuo, head of a grain storage facility in Baixiang county, North Chinas Hebei Province. The selling period has thus become longer as many farmers choose to store the grain and then sell it according to market demands to maximize their income, Shang added. Experts believe that farmers have stronger awareness of risks against the backdrop of normalized epidemic prevention and control. The amount of grain stored by farmers in the main production areas has increased compared with the previous years, according to a survey conducted by the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. China is totally self-sufficient in rice and wheat supply and the self-sufficiency rate of major grain exceeded 95 percent, said Li Guoxiang, researcher at the Rural Development Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, adding that wheat supply is not only ensured, but has a surplus every year. Annual grain output in the country has remained stable at more than 650 billion kg for five consecutive years, and the national grain reserves are relatively sufficient, Li pointed out. Protests that were historic in Belarus for their size and duration broke out after the Aug. 9 presidential election, which election officials say handed Mr. Lukashenko a sixth term in office in a landslide. Protesters say the official results are fraudulent and are calling for Mr. Lukashenko to resign. The police responded harshly in the first days of the protests, arresting thousands of people and harshly beating many. But the police crackdown only widened the scope of the protests, and anti-government strikes have been called at some of the countrys main factories, former bases of support for Mr. Lukashenko. Some police have posted videos of themselves burning their uniforms and quitting. In an enormous show of defiance, an estimated 200,000 protesters rallied last weekend in the capital, Minsk. But Mr. Lukashenko has been unbowed, insisting the protests against him threaten Belaruss very existence, and the question now is whether protesters turn out in similar numbers again amid veiled threats of violence against them. Mr. Lukashenkos main election challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has called for another major show of opposition at a protest this Sunday. One of Minsks most popular nightlife districts was atypically empty on Saturday evening as many of the capitals youth prepared for what could be a key day in the movement against Mr. Lukashenko. We are closer than ever to our dream, Ms. Tikhanovskaya said in a video message from Lithuania, where she took refuge after the election. Some previous presidential challengers in Belarus have been jailed for years. Marilane Carter, pastors wife who went missing, likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning: police Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Authorities said that the woman found in a vehicle who is believed to be Marilane Carter, the wife of Pastor Adam Carter who went missing in early August after struggling mentally, died from asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Information gathered from family members concerning her mental and emotional state during her final communications along with facts gathered from the scene have led investigators to believe that Marilane Carter drove the vehicle into the container and in doing so caused her demise, said the Crittenden County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday, according to Fox 4. A positive identification of the body is still pending but a woman was found inside Carters vehicle, along with her purse and credit cards, in a shipping container in a West Memphis, Arkansas, field near the Mississippi River. The Crittenden County Sheriffs Office said the ignition was in the run position and theres evidence the engine had been running inside the container, leading them to their initial cause of death. Authorities do not suspect foul play. The Overland Park Police Department said the 36-year-old pastors wife, who graduated from Samford Universitys Beeson Divinity School and was a mother of three young children, was last seen by her family around 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 1. She left her home that day to go to Birmingham, where her parents and sister live, al.com reported. In a message posted to Facebook on Aug. 5, Marilane Carters brother-in-law, Paul Carter, said she had been considering getting psychiatric help when she left. Over this past weekend (August 1st & 2nd), Marilane has been desiring to receive psychiatric help. She has not been seen since Saturday evening and has not been heard from since Sunday evening. She was last heard from in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Her intent was to get to Birmingham, Alabama. She was driving her 2011 dark grey GMC Acadia with Kansas plates 194 LFY, Paul Carter wrote. Police first tracked her to Rolla, Missouri, where Carter stopped at a McDonalds, then she checked in to a hotel in West Plains, Missouri Fox 4 reported. Carter stayed there for just over two hours before checking out. She later stopped at a convenience store in Hazen, Arkansas, then she traveled east to West Memphis where she was recorded on a gas station surveillance camera on Aug. 2. Police said over the weekend, family members traveled to West Memphis to help search the Mississippi River and the surrounding area. They would eventually leave without success but her uncle stayed behind to continue looking. On Tuesday, he was reportedly driving and walking around the area where Carters phone last pinged when he came across three big shipping containers in a field. The door on one of the containers was open and when he looked inside, he found Carters vehicle with a body in the drivers seat. In a tribute to her sister, McKenzie wrote that "Marilane's faith in the Lord was always very important to her. Honestly, I don't know what any of us would do without that right now. She clung to her faith to the very end. The only way we can have peace in this is because we know she is safe with Jesus, and He makes all things new." In what is a big win for anti-terror forces, Delhi Police's Special Cell arrested an ISIS operative in Dhaula Kuan area after exchanging fire, as per a TNN report. Reuters The operative's name is Abdul Yusuf Khan, who hails from UP. He was taken into custody near Ridge Road between Dhaula Kuan and Karol Bagh. Police confiscated a pistol from him. PTI Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weighing approximately 15 kilogrammes. Khan was travelling on his TVS Apache motorbike when he was intercepted by the police. Reuters The ISIS operative was arrested along with IEDs that were in his possession, Pramod Singh Kushwaha, Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Delhi Police Special Cell, said. #WATCH Delhi: National Security Guard (NSG) commandos deployed near Buddha Jayanti Park in Ridge Road area, from where one ISIS operative was arrested with Improvised Explosive Device, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/9n7KGfOXZC ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 Security forces have been deployed near the Buddha Jayanti Park in Ridge Road area from where the ISIS operative was arrested. The operative has now been brought to the Delhi Police Special Cell office in Lodhi Colony. Delhi: The ISIS operative arrested today by Delhi Police Special Cell after an exchange of fire at Dhaula Kuan, has been brought to Special Cell Office in Lodhi Colony. pic.twitter.com/Yveqfkhb5o ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 Commandoes from the National Security Guard and sniffer dogs have been pressed into action to comb the entire area from where the Islamic State operative was nabbed. Delhi: One ISIS operative arrested with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by Delhi Police Special Cell earlier today, after an exchange of fire at Dhaula Kuan; visuals from the incident site. pic.twitter.com/gGjsptIs5s ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 The police claim Khan was a lone wolf operative who had on his own planned an attack in the national capital. The couple called X and Y have known each other for 62 years. Theyve been married for the last 48 years. Now, just a couple years shy of a 50th anniversary, the Nova Scotia pair, each now in their early 80s, has reached a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. He wants to die; she doesnt want to let him. Its torn their relationship apart. X has moved out his wife, Y, doesnt know where he is. They cross paths in the legal sense in courthouses, where Y has filed an injunction to prevent X from going through with an assisted suicide. They communicate through injunctions, stays and appeals. They have names, of course, but Nova Scotia Justice Peter Rosinski chose not to use them in his decision this week to dismiss Ys injunction. Ys lawyers filed an immediate appeal on that decision. At stake in Rosinskis courthouse is a possible precedent that reaches into all Canadians Charter rights. Can one person prevent another from having access to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), when the latter has been found qualified under the law to be eligible? This is the first time that question has been put to the courts. In June 2016, Canada passed federal legislation that allows eligible Canadian adults to request MAID. This was in response to a Supreme Court decision that found that parts of the Criminal Code that prohibited MAID ran afoul of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That paved the way for people like X to request a physician-assisted suicide, providing certain criteria are met. The key questions in Xs case, Rosinski said in the decision, are whether X has the capacity to make decisions regarding the MAID process, and whether he suffers from a grievous and irremediable medical condition that renders his death reasonably foreseeable. The judges decision was yes on both counts. The document cites assessments by doctors in which, X, who has stage 3 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) a serious and incurable disease says that he is sick and has been getting worse over the last several months. Aside from shortness of breath and fatigue, COPD has also been associated with heart problems, strokes and cognitive decline. His chronic breathlessness means he suffers extreme fatigue and is unable to do activities previously important to him. All of that causes him severe mental and physical suffering. I have lost my sense of purpose, he told one doctor. That doctor, on assessing X, reported him to be down to 122 pounds from his normal 155 pounds, the decision says. It took him three minutes to walk 15 metres during a test, reported the doctor, and he was breathless following the walk. He finds it intolerable and extremely stressful to be so short of breath and fatigue throughout his day, and unable to function in the way that he wants to. He wants to avoid a painful death, another doctor is quoted as saying. He seemed to have checked all the boxes. He began the process April 24, 2020. He has been seen, all told, by seven clinicians for assessment. Five of them said he met all the criteria for MAID. One said X did not have the capacity to make decisions regarding MAID, and that his disease was not a grievous and irremediable medical condition. Another, a respirologist, commented that the phrase foreseeable future in the law was ambiguous, but that, I do not see that (he) will die from his lungs in the next year. Those reservations notwithstanding, X was deemed eligible for MAID, and was scheduled to have that procedure on July 20. Before that happened, however his wife, Y, intervened. She loves him tremendously and has been his partner in life for 50 years and cant bear to see him put to death based on a delusional misunderstanding about his actual health condition, said Hugh Scher, a Toronto health and human rights lawyer representing Y. Through Scher, Y sought an injunction, on the premises that X did not meet the criteria for MAID; in particular, that he did not have the capacity to make decisions on his assisted suicide, and that his death was not reasonably foreseeable. Papers filed to the court by Scher quote Y, relating instances of hypochondria, delusional conduct and irresponsible handling of money. In one case, his wife says, in 2017, X gave $10,000 to a young man who had been charged with murder, later receiving only $3,000 in repayment. In another instance in 2018, said Y, her husband was called daily by another young man who asked for fairly small amounts of money. This man was the son of an acquaintance who, Y said, had asked X not to get involved. Near the end of the year, Y discovered these transactions on their bank statement, totalling $12,000. According to Ys affidavit, when confronted, X agreed that he had not known how large the amount was. Those same papers argue that X would not die in the foreseeable future, citing the assessment of the respirologist, who said he didnt foresee X dying in the next year. The real issue in the case is whether or not this gentleman indeed meets the legal requirements for an assisted death or not, said Scher. Does he have the capacity? And does he meet the requirements of having a grievous and irremediable condition that means that his death is reasonably foreseeable? And the answer to that, according to the multiple medical experts, and according to the experience of his wife, is that he doesnt. Fundamentally, said Scher, the case raises the issue, for the first time, about the need for judicial oversight and intervention in MAID cases. To his mind, the law requires a process for review and adjudication of these cases. As a result, Xs death was put on hold until his case works it way through a series of injunctions and appeals. In denying his wifes injunction, Rosinski noted that court dates for a full hearing on Xs case would be at the very earliest late fall of 2020, or as late as spring of 2021. Further delay entails further suffering for X, said Rosinski in his decision. I conclude he would suffer irreparable harm if the injunction (to halt Xs MAID) is granted. On balance, the harm he would suffer is significantly greater than what his wife would suffer. This is uncharted territory to have somebody go to court to try and stop somebody from having access to MAID when they have been found to be eligible under the law, said Jocelyn Downie. Shes a professor and the James Palmer Chair in Public Policy and Law at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in Halifax. To me, its straightforward in law and what the answer should be, which is: No, a third party doesnt get to go to court and prevent somebody from having access to something that the Supreme Court of Canada said we have a Charter right to access. Although it seems straightforward, said Downie, the problem is that this situation has been untested in court. And until that happens, there remains doubt in the minds of clinicians who cant risk criminal liability. With the injunction Downey said, the onus is on Y to establish an irreparable harm. In Ys case, the irreparable harm is that if her injunction fails, her husband will be dead. But her husband is making the case that to go on living would be worse. There are two harms going on. One is, he is by definition experiencing intolerable suffering, because thats a criteria for eligibility for MAID. And the second is that hes at risk of losing capacity at some point while waiting for the trial and if he loses capacity he will not have access to MAID, Downey said. That scenario is familiar to many Nova Scotians. It was at the heart of the Audrey Parker decision to die earlier than she really wanted. In 2015, 57-year-old Audrey Parker, a former ballroom dancer and makeup artist, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, which had spread to her bones and brain. She decided to end her life on her own terms. For Parker, that meant an assisted death, surrounded by her friends and family. She was assessed and qualified for MAID. Ideally, she had said, she would have liked to spend Christmas 2018 with those friends and family before her death. But the law also contains a caveat, called late-stage consent. Under that portion of the law, the patient must be able to be lucid enough to consent to their own death immediately before a clinician administers the drugs to end their life. If they are not able to do so, they cannot receive an assisted death. And that created a problem for Parker. She was worried that if she waited too long, she would not be able to give late-stage consent. In the end, she gave up that last Christmas and opted to end her life on November 1, 2018. She spent the last several weeks of her life campaigning for a change to the particular part of the law. The law has forced me to play a cruel game of chicken, she said in a video posted posthumously. I would like nothing more than to make it to Christmas. But if I become incompetent along the way, I will lose out on my choice of a beautiful, peaceful and best of all, pain-free death. No one should have to make a decision like this. People like me who have already been assessed and approved are dying earlier than necessary, because of this poorly thought-out law. On February 24, 2020, the Canadian government introduced a new bill recommending changes to the Criminal Code conditions on MAID. Those changes would have included the potential for a waiver of the late-stage consent portion of the law. Its known as Audreys Amendment. It means Audrey Parker would have been free to choose the ideal date of her own death. The changes would also mean that people who have extreme suffering, but are not expected to die, would be able to receive MAID. That bill, Bill C-7, made it through a second reading, but between coronavirus shutdowns and, currently, the proroguing of Parliament, it has yet to become law. At this point, its too late to apply to Xs case. At the very least, his death will be delayed until an August 26 hearing. Potentially, pending appeals, it could be months longer. Any delay at this point is: A, unconstitutional, B, inhumane, and quite frankly, its just prolonging his suffering, said Helen Long, CEO of Dying with Dignity Canada. To her mind, the choice to have an assisted death is a Charter-protected decision between a person and his clinicians, and should not be played out in court. She believes that X, having satisfied the criteria for accessing MAID, should be able to move ahead with his procedure, rather than having his plans derailed. She said Xs case highlights the importance of having, and documenting, end-of-life discussions, making sure families are all on the same page regarding and individuals wishes. We often hear from family members who, initially it can be difficult to understand and have the conversation about an assisted death, she said. But at the end of the day, it comes back to that individuals right, that individuals choice and that individuals pain and suffering. So while it can be difficult to agree with or understand the choice, it should absolutely be respected. SM Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1 Read more about: TURNING THE RASPBERRY PI 4 INTO A MINI SERVER -- Since the Raspberry Pi 4 came out last year, we now have an excellent candidate to base the mini server on. The faster processor and option for up to 8GB of RAM opens up more possibilities for what you can do with it, including now being more than capable as a general Linux desktop system, so with all that in mind, I'd like to introduce the NODE Mini Server version 3. Your browser does not support the video tag. - Youtube Mirror - Project Source Files - Editable PCB Files PARTS - Raspberry Pi 4 - Pololu USB 2.0 Type-C Connector Breakout - USB-C Male Plug Breakout Board - Micro HDMI Male Component (Wedge Type https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32648810091.html) - Male USB 3.0 Plug (692112030100) - Female USB 3.0 Connector (48405-0003) - 25x7mm 5V Fan (JST XH 2-Pin connector) - 10pin 100mm 1mm Pitch Flex Cable - 20pin 50mm 0.5mm Pitch Flex Cable - USB3 to mSATA SSD Adapter (Smooth Underside) - Male USB 3.0 Plug (692112030100) - mSATA Solid State Drive (up to 2TB) - HDMI Type A Connector (47151-1001) - 2x 10pin 1mm Pitch Connector - (52271-1079) - 20pin 0.5mm Pitch Connector (52746-2071) - 20pin 0.5 Pitch Connector (20FLZT-SM1-TF) - Micro SD SMT socket (Generic) - Top Cover PCB (88x88mm 1.6mm thick) - Male USB3 PCB (7x14mm 2mm thick) - Female USB3 PCB (19x14mm 1.6mm thick) - HDMI-A PCB (21x24mm 1.6mm thick) - Micro HDMI PCB (14x18mm 1mm) - Micro SD PCB (52.8mm x 49.2mm 0.8mm thick) - 5x M2.5 x 6mm Countersunk Screws - 4x M2 x 20mm Countersunk Screws - 4x M2 x 6mm x 3.5mm Brass Threaded Insert - 4x M2.5 x 10mm Screws (for securing fans) - 4x M2.5 hex nuts DESIGN Like the previous versions, one of the main goals here is to package the Raspberry Pi in a form factor that makes it a little bit more useful as a regular mini server or computer. That means putting it all in a neat box, with all the ports on one side. Compared to the previous version, I decided to simplify the concept further, so everything is encased in a 92x92mm enclosure, with a thickness not much larger than the Pi itself at 26mm or about 1 inch. The case comprises of a single 3D printed piece, with a top cover made from a custom PCB. This has 4 brass threaded inserts soldered into the corners, giving us a simple way to secure everything together via some long screws. Stick some rubber feet on the bottom, and you have a really simple, sleek computer that is fairly easy to recreate. It's small enough to power on, and leave running in the background. MODULARITY Something I tried really hard on this time around is to add as much modularity as possible. Some of you'll be happy to hear that this version requires no modifications to the actual Pi itself, and this is achieved with a range of custom pluggable adapter boards I made. Firstly, in order to get the USB-C power port, and one of the HDMI ports on the back of the case, you now simply have to plug in the adapters, and add a 3D printed frame to hold everything together. It's worth noting that the HDMI adapter works fine, though I can't confirm it works up to 4K, as I don't have a 4K display to test on. I know digital video signals can be a bit finnicky sometimes, so that's an area that needs more testing. Another add-on option is an mSATA SSD, which connects to the USB 3 port, allowing for faster transfer speeds. What's cool here is that you can now optionally boot directly from the SSD if you want. These USB3 to mSATA adaptors are easy to find on Ebay etc, but be aware they're not all the same. You'll need the one with the smooth underside. Speaking of boot options, I have also designed a micro SD extender board, giving you access to the micro SD card underneath the computer without having to take everything apart. This also moves the card away from any potential heat problems on the board that can sometimes cause failures. Depending on what you're using the mini server for, you may require more or less heat management, especially if you'e slamming the Pi and using the SSD, which both generate a bit of heat. Again, here there are various options. On mine I have 2 fans running whenever the server is on. I've designed other frames for holding 1 fan or no fans too - it all depends on what you're doing. You could hook up a transistor and set the fans to only come on when the CPU core temperature reaches a certain level. Finally, the look of the device itself is also customizable. Since the case is 3D printed, you can choose whatever filament color you want, and there are a bunch of different soldermask color options for the top cover. You could 3D print that top cover too, and just glue it in, though it won't have as good heat resistance, or look as polished as the PCB. USES Something like this would be ideal for the nacent decentralized web, where the users own and run these systems themselves. These devices allow the users to run inexpensive nodes that create the P2P infrastructure to store and distribute data through these networks. Crypto nodes, other blockchain based systems, seed servers, data distribution like IPFS and Dat, and decentralized social network servers for protocols such as Scuttlebutt, for example are all good use cases. Other always-on stuff like setting up your own VPN, or a general Linux VPS work really well too. Media servers and network attached storage are another good candidate, as well as self-hosting applications like running websites, email servers, chat servers, and general data storage. And like I mentioned a few times, the increased CPU speed and RAM options mean now we truly have a candidate for a mini Linux desktop system too, and all at a pretty low price. OPEN SOURCE Like the previous versions, all the files and a list of the components are available at the top of the page if you want to build your own. I'm going to probably sell some dev kits with all the parts unsoldered and unassembled, so if you've got the skills to put one together, print your own case and test everything out, that could be helpful. It might not be available for a few weeks, but keep an eye on the shop. This will be a small run, aimed at the early adopters and tinkerers. I'm also fully open to other people selling kits or premade servers on their own sites. I think that'd be a great way to build this up as an open standard that others can develop and iterate on. NEXT STEPS Like the other projects, I want to set up a dedicated website when I get the time, as a central hub for how to make these, and showcasing any addons or extras other people make. If you do start selling these, let me know and I can add the links to the site once it's up and running. Another thing I've been thinking about is how this kind of design could work well as a stackable, multi Pi server system, for a really tiny home lab. Since the bottom of the case is open, you could, say, stack 3 of these on top of each other, removing the covers from all but the top one, so the fans circulate air from the bottom, through all the Pis and out the top. Alright, that's it for today, I hope you found this interesting, please consider sharing this if you think others will enjoy it. As always, thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next video. -- This project first appeared in NODE Vol 02, our new indepedent 180 page zine, packed with all sorts of open hardware and decentralized software projects. Pick up a hard copy, or download for free from the zine page. https://N-O-D-E.net/zine/ -- BY NODE Almost exactly three years after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston, the region is once again bracing for a week of tropical uncertainty, as two separate systems approach the Gulf of Mexico and threaten the Texas coast. Tropical Storm Marco threaded a needle between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba on Saturday, allowing its center to remain over open waters and strengthen as it enters the Gulf. That gave local forecasters confidence the storm would barrel more directly north, skirting Houston and East Texas in the direction of Louisiana and maybe even Mississippi, by the time it makes landfall Monday or Tuesday. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Laura continued its march westward across Puerto Rico. Meteorologists are watching to see whether islands such as the Dominican Republic and Cuba can keep that system disorganized before it reaches the warm waters of the Gulf, where it can intensify quickly. Less is known about that storms track, which could pose a greater threat to the Houston region later next week. This lends credence to a more northerly track (for Marco), toward the northern Gulf of Mexico coast," said Eric Berger, a meteorologist who runs the popular Space City Weather blog. "If you're panic buying for Tropical Storm Marco, Houston, you're doing it wrong. Most likely scenario now is moderate to minimal impacts. Laura, later next week, may be a different story. Emphasis on 'may.' Texas Flood Map and Tracker: See which parts of Houston are most at risk of flooding Saturday forecasts for both storms at times included Houston in their cones, or potential paths. Kent Prochazka, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service since 1993, said he has never seen Houston in two cones at the same time in his career. All the way through Tuesday, you need to be focused on Marco, Prochazka said. After Tuesday, you need to be worried about Laura. Still, the forecasts are early and much remains uncertain. While confidence is growing about Marco's track, the predictions and storms themselves are subject to change. There are too many what ifs to go through, but know the facts and impacts are subject to substantial changes in the coming days both on the positive side and negative side, the National Weather Service wrote in a Saturday forecast. There were some additional reasons for optimism Saturday. Marco is expected to hit strong winds that could stifle its growth or weaken the system back to a tropical storm before it makes landfall. And if Laura follows closely in its wake, it would have less warm water to draw energy from. The Fujiwhara Effect: What would happen if two storms met in the Gulf of Mexico? Collectively, the two storms have put nearly the entire Gulf Coast on notice. If both systems were to strengthen into hurricanes simultaneously, it would mark the first time in recorded history that two hurricanes share the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical storms have shared the Gulf just twice before. In 1933, Hurricane 8 (storms were not named back then) made landfall in deep South Texas as a major hurricane, while Hurricane 11 struck Floridas east coast and weakened into a tropical storm before it reached the Gulf. The storms overlapped for four hours. In 1959, Tropical Storm Beulah made landfall in Mexico, and a tropical storm in the eastern Gulf crossed Florida before intensifying in the Atlantic Ocean, where it became Hurricane 3. Prepping for the worst: Hurricane season in a pandemic? With an oil crash? Local officials spent Saturday monitoring and preparing for the storms and asking residents to do the same. Houston will activate its Office of Emergency Management on Monday morning, consolidating decision-makers in one building on North Shepherd Drive until the storms pass. Harris County moved up to what it calls Level 3 readiness, though the county is already at Level 1 the highest level for the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesnt have a clear outcome right now, and its certainly going to go on for a few days, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said of the storms. Although there was some concern that two storms could complicate evacuation routes, Hidalgo and George Buenik, the citys director of homeland security, both said the Texas routes would send the regions residents north to Dallas or west to San Antonio, not east toward Louisiana. It remained far too early to tell whether such evacuations would be needed, and more clarity in the forecasts is expected Sunday. Residents can subscribe to Houstons emergency alerts at houstonemergency.org/alerts. For Harris Countys, text MARCO to 888777. For live coverage of rainfall location and intensity, continuously updated flooding alerts and street closures, visit the Houston Chronicle's Texas Flood Map and Tracker. New Mutants breaks curse, hits the big screens Like a sleeping giant coming out of hibernation, the cinematic world is finally starting to awake from its slumber. Some countries, including Thailand, have had their cinemas open for a few weeks now. Other countries including Australia and the United States have some cinemas open while others remain closed in lockdown areas. By David Griffiths Saturday 22 August 2020, 11:00AM The cinemas that have already opened have been drip-fed smaller-release films while Russell Crowes Unhinged being the first film with a notable star at the helm to make its way into cinemas. Of course that all changes next week with Christopher Nolans Tenet hitting cinemas, but while all the focus has been on the Nolan epic the film that has had many comic book fans is the eventual arrival of the latest film in The X-Men franchise, The New Mutants, which also opens in selected cinemas on August 28. The film has had a rocky past. It was originally slated for release in 2018 but then got held up by Disneys takeover of Twentieth Century Fox and then had a COVID-19 date change as well. But finally the film lands next week and comic book fans right around the world can take a massive sigh of relief. Of course one of those fans is the films director, Josh Boone, whose love of the X-Men inspired him to want to make the film. I finished making The Fault In Our Stars for Fox and I knew that they had the X-Men franchise which I had loved since I was a kid, Boone told the audience recently at the Comic-Con At Home fan event recently. My best friend and I had loved this Demon Bear saga that they had done with the comics because it kind of mixed genres a little with dark fantasy, horror and superhero comics, which I had never really seen anything like that before and it looked so different to anything I had seen in the indie comics that I had been reading for years. Certainly the trailer for The New Mutants hints that Boone has captured that crossover of genres very well with the film, with many people commenting on the fact that the trailer shows the films true horror side and that is something that Boone had dreamed about bringing to the screen even before he was a filmmaker. I remember sitting in my apartment in LA before I was even making films and I had a stack of New Mutant comics there, he continues. And I was like one day maybe but it really wasnt working out. But I really thought it would eventually, and ultimately it was the mixing of all those genres that really made this something that I wanted to do. Of course one of the other reasons that fans are so excited about being able to finally see The New Mutants is because they are dying to see Game Of Thrones favourite Maisie Williams in one of the first big roles outside of the series that made her famous. I was just so excited, Williams says when asked about what it was like stepping into a new franchise and getting to play a character as quiet and reserved as Rahne Sinclair. I was really thrilled to be able to play someone like Rahne because I have always seen myself as that kind of character. I think she is very uncomfortable in her own skin, she says delving deeper into her character. She wants to speak up and say how she feels but she is constantly treading lightly. You know when I played Arya Stark I always had to be so commanding and own the room. I had to be brave and strong and that is kind of exhausting and I dont feel like doing that all the time. So it was actually really lovely being able to play Rahne, who is really just sitting, watching and listening, and she only really comes to life when she is with Danni but in the group she is much quiet and keeps to herself And I mean the whole X-Men fanbase have just been incredible, or I guess the New Mutants family, if they are the same thing. They have been really welcoming though and I guess this whole superhero world is totally bonkers but I am glad to be back again, she said. The New Mutants opens in Phuket cinemas on August 28. The film has yet to be classified. David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus 21.08.2020 LISTEN Arguably, no politician in Ghana has been subjected to so many personal attacks, calumnies, vilifications, vicious lies and malicious propaganda like John Mahama. It is rumoured that one of the first of such direct attacks was meted out to him by a young man (name withheld) in Bole during John Mahamas time as a Member of Parliament. Like the case is with most people perceived to be in privileged positions in our society, anytime John Mahama visited Bole, young men will throng to him asking for financial assistance for all manner of things. The story has it that on this fateful day, this young man upon spotting John Mahamas vehicle started walking towards it. The driver, upon seeing him, pressed the buttons to roll up the windows ostensibly, to stop the young man from making any contact with John Mahama. But before the windows could fully roll up, the young man had reached the vehicle. Exasperated by what the driver had done, the young man directed his vitriolic spleen at John Mahama disgorging mouthfuls of unprintable expletives. The befuddled Mahama just looked on and allowed the young man to vent it all. Onlookers thought that the young mans behaviour was rather offensive and called for his head. But no, the affable John Mahama will not have them attack the young man not under his watch, and never. John, who was by this time out of his car, simply smiled and plodded on. At the national level, a lot of unfounded allegations have been poured at him mostly with the sole aim of impugning and maligning his person and character. Take for example the well-thought-out and carefully calibrated friends-and-family-government tag thrown at him while he was President. It is a fact that with the notable exception of Mrs Joyce Bawah (the then Deputy Minister of Transport), no one in Johns government was related to him to have qualified him or her as a family member. And yet, the persistence and consistency with which the labelling was done meant that even SOME of his family members started believing that there was (perhaps) some truth in the cacophony. Without aiming to give the recent Tracey-Mzbel hogwash the attention it doesnt deserve, it cannot go unmentioned that it is yet another of those vicious allegations perpetrated by a bunch of vile and malicious opportunists who seek nothing but the desecration of Mahamas person. And yet, on the sand dunes of morality, the same people who are feeding this chalice with the poison, cannot possibly stand upright lest they get consumed by the whirlwinds of their moral turpitude. Contrastingly, unlike the noisy neighbours in glass houses who have made it their second nature to throw stones, John Mahama appears to chart a different path. For example, in the not-too-distant past, social media was agog with leaked videos of no mean person than our own National Security Minister (Mr Albert Kan Dapaah) gyrating in front of a camera in his pyjamas like a headless chicken (in what has been referred to as Pyjamagate). Unlike the case is with the Tracey-Mzbel duck soup (where listeners OR viewers are left to surmise who the so-called papa no is), in Pyjamagate, we saw everything fiilifiili. That notwithstanding, Mahamas admonitions to his large followers in the heat of pyjamagate was (and still is) to let sleeping dogs lie. In private and in public, he joined in the call to make molehills out of what was evidently one colossus of a mountain. Like Jesus in John 8:7, he goaded those who were making the noise about Mr Dapaahs apparent indiscretions and escapades to cast the very first stone if they knew they were without sin. Silence followed. And that was how he joined in killing the story because we understood that as fallible humans, weve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Despite all the repulsive and unconscionable attacks directed at His Excellency John Mahamas, he has been consistent in doing one thing: letting it all simmer away. It is one characteristic of John Mahama many have come to admire over the years and one worth-emulating (in my estimation) by those in the putrefied and fetid waters of Ghanaian politics. John Mahamas poise and good deportment while wrapped up in the whirlwinds of character assassinations in our political space is certainly admirable. In a country where we are increasingly majoring in minors and minoring in majors, it is refreshing to observe that John Mahama is different. In a country where we are increasingly vindictive and hating our own, it is refreshing to see that John Mahama has chosen to exonerate even in the face of extreme provocation. In a country where our national discourse prioritizes personalities over policies (to alleviate poverty, malnutrition, access to quality education, domestic abuse, rape, access to potable water, and access to good quality infrastructure), isnt it refreshing that John Mahama chooses to focus on issues rather than on personalities? If there is anything that is deleterious to the development of Ghana and the Ghanaian people, it certainly is poverty, malnutrition, access to quality education, access to potable water and access to good quality (transport) infrastructure to help reduce transport-related deaths. The last time I checked, deaths resulting from road traffic accidents alone claimed well over 7,000 Ghanaians in 2018. That is far more than the dreaded Coronavirus has claimed and can, touch wood, claim. That surely ought to be one of the issues filling our airwaves and media platforms not hearsays and gossips. Dr Sheriff Adam Idriss-Yahya With just 35 hours notice given to return to the UK to avoid the need to self-isolate for 14 days, holidaymakers in Austria and Croatia are seeing air fares soar while availability is increasingly scarce. At 5pm on Thursday, the transport secretary tweeted that the two central European nations together with Trinidad & Tobago had lost their quarantine exemption. Anyone wishing to avoid two weeks at home must be back in the UK by 4am on Saturday. It is not sufficient to have crossed the border out of either of these countries. Immediately, demand for the few flights out of Croatia on Friday surged. The two scheduled flights from the capital, Zagreb, to London Heathrow quickly sold out even with Croatia Airlines charging 476 one way. Overnight, British Airways laid on an extra service on the route. The flight is on sale at 275. Some holidaymakers in the north of the country are heading for Venice, from where Ryanair is charging 275 for flights to Stansted and British Airways has an evening flight for 574 to Heathrow. The afternoon flight on Ryanair from Venice to East Midlands, however, is currently under 100. Options for travellers in the centre and south of Croatia are more limited. Many of the connecting flights on offer are via airports in countries that are on the UK governments no-go list, such as Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle and transferring at one of these will itself trigger the requirement to quarantine. The same applies for many flights from Austria. While nonstops from Vienna to the UK have sold out, there are options from Munich at a price. The lowest fare from the Bavarian capital to Heathrow is currently 425 on Lufthansa. In contrast, with quarantine lifted for arrivals from Portugal from 4am on Saturday, flights on Friday are expected to be largely empty. Arrivals ahead of the 4am mark will need to self-isolate for two weeks. Most flights from Faro to London airports on Friday evening are being sold at under 50. The global death toll from the new coronavirus has surpassed 800,000, according to an AFP count on Saturday, with numerous countries ramping up restrictions in an effort to battle an eruption of new cases. Western Europe, particularly Spain, Italy Germany and France, has been hit with infection levels not seen in many months, sparking fears of a fully-fledged second wave. And in Asia, South Korea became the latest country to announce it would boost restrictions to try to stem a new outbreak, after largely bringing the virus under control. Across the world, the number of deaths has doubled to just over 800,000 since June 6, with 100,000 fatalities in the last 17 days alone, while more than 23 million cases have been reported. Latin America is the region the most affected, while more than half the global fatalities have been reported in the hardest-hit United States, Brazil, Mexico and India. The surging numbers come after the UN health agency said Friday that the world should be able to rein in the pandemic in less than two years. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to draw favourable comparisons with the flu pandemic of 1918 which cost the lives of as many as 50 million people. "We have a disadvantage of globalisation, closeness, connectedness, but an advantage of better technology, so we hope to finish this pandemic before less than two years," he said. "(By) utilising the available tools to the maximum and hoping that we can have additional tools like vaccines, I think we can finish it in a shorter time than the 1918 flu." The WHO also recommended children over 12 years old now wear masks in the same situations as adults as the use of face coverings helps stop the virus spread. - 'Very precarious stage' - With no usable vaccine yet available, the most prominent tool governments have at their disposal is to confine their populations or enforce social distancing. South Korea announced ramped up restrictions on Saturday, after 332 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours -- the highest daily figure since early March. Story continues "We are at a very precarious stage where we could see the beginning of a nationwide second wave," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing. The expanded measures include restrictions on gatherings and activities including professional sports, which will be played behind closed doors again, while beaches nationwide will close. - 'Don't feel invincible' - Italy -- once the European epicentre of the virus -- said Saturday it had registered more than 1,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, the highest level since the end of a punishing lockdown in May. The story is similar across Spain, Germany and France. The Rome region also said it had recorded a record number of cases in the past 24 hours, a rise health officials blamed on people returning from holiday. Most of those infected are young people who are not showing symptoms, the Italian capital's health official Alessio D'Amato said, warning them to stay at home. "Don't feel invincible," he urged them. In Germany, a university launched a series of pop concerts under coronavirus conditions, hoping the mass experiment with 2,000 people can determine whether large events can safely resume. - 'Coronavirus catastrophe?' - Elsewhere, Lebanon launched two weeks of measures on Friday including nighttime curfews, as the country is still dealing with the fallout from a huge explosion in Beirut that killed scores of people. "What now? On top of this disaster, a coronavirus catastrophe?" said 55-year-old Roxane Moukarzel. Officials fear Lebanon's fragile health system would struggle to cope with a further spike in COVID-19 cases, especially after some hospitals near the port were damaged in the explosion. The Americas have borne the brunt of the virus in health terms, accounting for more than half of the world's fatalities. "We lead the world in deaths," Joe Biden said Thursday while accepting the nomination to be the Democratic party's candidate in the US presidential election. The country has seen 176,332 deaths out of 5.7 million infections. He said he would implement a national plan to fight the pandemic on his first day in office if elected in November. New daily US cases have been trending down for weeks -- but experts are unsure if Americans will have the discipline to bring the epidemic under control. Latin American countries are counting the wider costs of the pandemic -- the region is not only suffering the most deaths, but also an expansion of criminal activity and rising poverty. But the WHO said the pandemic appeared to be stabilising in Brazil, and any reversal of its rampant spread in the vast country would be "a success for the world". burs-acb/jm Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon exits the Manhattan Federal Court on 20 August 2020 in the Manhattan borough of New York City: (2020 Getty Images) Donald Trumps former campaign chairman Steve Bannon joked about fraud at a We Build the Wall fundraising event, in a clip that has resurfaced the day after his arrest. Mr Bannon was indicted on Thursday, alongside three others, for allegedly funnelling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the We Build the Wall online fundraising campaign to the founder of the organisation, Brian Kolfage, who was among those charged. We Build the Wall started as a GoFundMe campaign in 2018, and was created to help raise money from public funding to go directly towards building the the US-Mexico border wall at a time when the president was struggling with Congress. Acting US attorney Audrey Strauss confirmed on Thursday that Mr Bannon was arrested while aboard a 150-foot yacht in the Long Island Sound, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). In a clip that was uploaded to Twitter on Friday by Buzzfeed reporter Ryan Mac, Mr Bannon can be seen joking about Mr Kolfage taking money from the campaign during a fundraising WALL-A-THON. He... he just tweeted it out pic.twitter.com/Y9inRj5dfP Ryan Mac (@RMac18) August 21, 2020 Were off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. Were on the million dollar yacht, Mr Bannon joked, before later clarifying that they were co-hosting the event in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The Trump administrations former White House chief strategist then puts his hand on Mr Kolfages shoulder and jokes: Brian Kolfage, he took all that money from Build the Wall. On Thursday, Mr Bannon denied all the charges against him, and claimed that this entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall, as he left federal court in Manhattan, New York. He has been accused of taking $1m (764,855) from the campaign funnelled through a nonprofit organisation under his control and of using hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover personal expenses. Story continues Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Kolfage, a US Air Force veteran, covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 (267,669) in funds raised by We Build the Wall. In a separate clip from 2018 that was uploaded to Twitter on Thursday by CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski, Donald Trump Jr praised the We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign and Mr Kolfage. Brian thanks so much for all your sacrifices, doing this and showing really what capitalisms all about, he said. This is private enterprise at its finest. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else. Donald Trump Jr. praised We Build The Wall and Brian Kolfage at a 2018 event: This is private enterprise at its finest. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else. What you guys are doing is amazing. pic.twitter.com/hOL25JoZPI andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) August 20, 2020 What you guys are doing is pretty amazing. Started from a grassroots effort and its just doing some wonderful things for an important issue. In reaction to the arrests on Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement, where she attempted to distance the president from the campaign and Mr Bannon. As everyone knows, President Trump has no involvement in this project and felt it was only being done in order to showboat, and perhaps raise funds, she said. A follow up statement from the White House read: President Trump has not been involved with Steve Bannon since the campaign and the early part of the administration, and he does not know the people involved with this project. Mr Trump commented on the situation himself later on Thursday, saying: I feel very badly, and adding: I havent been dealing with him for a long period of time as most of the people in this room know. He was involved in our campaign ... and for a small part of the administration, very early on. Havent been dealing with him at all. Read more Karma is a b****: Roger Stone responds to Steve Bannons arrest 'We quickly learned that as our community has grown, so too have the cracks that many vulnerable people fall through,' said Brian Cafferty, a GAA volunteer during the COVID crisis. Brian shared his COVD story, and the community response involving the Geraldines in Blackrock. 'Our volunteers did what they had to do. Quickly the stories emerged, people living alone over 70, a real outdoors person, but that wasn't allowed, it was as if someone had cut off their legs.' 'As their stories got sadder and sadder, there was a common thread developing, a shortage of flour or toilet rolls was a worry, but not having anyone to talk to about it was even worse.' He added: 'Many of these older residents no longer have the support system around them they needed to face a challenge like COVID. Coupled with this we found they were incredibly proud, and felt they could do without rather than impose on others.' 'The sad reality was that these were people we knew. I was at school with their children, and I know those children are scattered not just to the four corners of Ireland, but across the world. I know they are now a generation older, but I never stopped to think what that actually meant. They are the same person I knew 30 years ago, but their circumstances have changed, as have their needs.' He added that 'if anything good comes out of COVID, it might just be the increase sense of community. Not only the willingness of those fortunate enough to be in a position to help, but perhaps also making it OK to ask for help.' Volunteering was a 'real eye opener' he said, adding: 'At a time when our roads are congested with runners, walkers and cyclists, we should remember that there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching out and lifting people up.' Co-Ordinator Mary Deery praised the 'unbelievable dedication' of volunteers from all walks of life, including the GAA, during the pandemic response. 'We are very fortunate to have a great network of groups we can activate if a second wave occurs. But it is older people living at home alone, who can be invisible during times like this, who we need to identify in the community,' said Mary. 'For people like this, their dependency may have increased as a result of COVID, and we are in a generation now when families aren't necessarily living closeby, so we need to make sure they don't get left behind.' Underpinning the entire community response in Louth was 'underlying grief and sadness for those who lost their lives,' said Mary. 'The grief that people will most likely carry with them for the rest of their lives if they weren't with their loved ones as they passed, and maybe couldn't even get to a funeral.' The psychological impact of the crisis is yet to fully emerge, she added, saying that volunteers working at the contact centre dealt with 'some very harrowing calls at times' which they had to manage despite their distressing nature. Volunteers too were operating, in some cases, at personal risk, not knowing the full impact of a virus which had been entirely unheard of just a few months before. Hyderabad, Aug 22 : In the highest single-day jump, Telangana on Saturday reported 2,474 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the state's tally to over one lakh. With the new cases, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the state rose to 1,01,865. Telangana became the ninth state in the country to cross the one-lakh-mark. Seven more people succumbed to the virus during the last 24 hours ending Friday 8 p.m, taking the death toll to 744. Health officials said the fatality rate in the state stood at 0.73 per cent against the national average of 1.89 per cent. Out of the total fatalities, 53.87 per cent had comorbidities. According to a media bulletin issued by the office of the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, the number of cases declined in Greater Hyderabad but rose sharply in districts. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported 447 new cases against 473 the previous day. Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy district abutting GHMC reported 149 and 201 cases respectively. Sangareddy, another district bordering the state capital, saw 72 new cases. Outside GHMC and surrounding districts, Nizamabad was the worst affected district with 153 new cases followed by Khammam with 125 cases, Warangal Urban with 123 cases and Nalgonda with 122 cases. Siddipet reported 92 new cases and Karimnagar reported 75 new cases while 91 samples tested positive in Jagtiyal. Officials said 79 cases were reported from Peddapalli, 63 from Suryapet, 59 from Jogulamba Gadwal and 52 from Rajanna Sircilla. During the last 24 hours, authorities conducted a record 43,095 tests. This is the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak that the state has conducted over 40,000 tests. The number of tests conducted in the state so far rose to 8,91,173. The samples tested per million population mounted to 24,004 against a daily testing target of 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day. The results of 1,239 samples were awaited. A total of 16 government and 23 private laboratories are conducting RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TRUENAT types of tests while there are 1,076 rapid antigen tests centres. However, the authorities have not been providing breakup of the tests. During the last 24 hours, 1,768 people recovered from Covid, taking the total number of recoveries to 78,735. The state's recovery rate stands at 77.29 per cent against the national average of 74.30 per cent. The number of active cases in the state stands at 22,386 including 15,931 who were in home/institutional isolation. Age-wise Covid positive details show that 65.9 per cent of those tested positive were in the age group of 21-50 years. Terming this as a susceptible age group, authorities have urged them not to go out unless absolutely necessary. They were advised to strictly exercise precautions like wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing. Among Covid positive, 24.4 per cent are above 51 years of age. About 10 per cent were aged below 20 years. Officials said 65.10 per cent of those tested positive were male while the remaining 34.90 per cent were female. Out of 20,396 beds in government-run hospitals, 18,007 beds were vacant. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) By Ken Leslie August 21, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - While I was absent from this esteemed blog focusing on other things, an extremely dangerous situation started to develop and I found myself reaching for the keyboard again. If some of my previous writings were a bit alarmist, the tone was motivated by a genuine angst before an unfeeling and unstoppable machine of conquest and destruction the likes of which the world had never seen. And angst it isanybody with an ounce of common sense can see that the World is hurtling towards some kind of catastrophe. Whether this occurs in a year or five is less relevant. The point is that we are witnessing a process of rapid implosion of the current global system and are not able to see what will replace it. There is no compelling vision of the futurea universal vessel of hope that would transport us across the turbulent waters of fundamental change. This time I am not anxious but resigned. Resignation does not imply learned helplessnessunlike most people around me I am grateful for the ability to be aware of the danger and to articulate what I see as the truth without fear or self-censorship. Oh, and if the post sounds like a rant, thats because it is one. Some academics (ideologues?) such as Steven Pinker have argued that things are much better than they were a 100 years agoat least in terms of deaths caused by wars and other hard indicators of well-being. Although it pains me to say that Pinker could be correct, this essay is not about progress but about the approach of the ultimate regressthe unavoidable and ultimately catastrophic clash between the West and the East. A couple of months ago I was writing about the danger of NATO hordes closing in on Moscow from the Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics only to realize that unless a miracle happens, in a few months, Russia will be completely surrounded by enemies. The only exceptionsNorway at the extreme North and Azerbaijan at the extreme South are less relevant at the moment but as we have seen recently, these countries too are being subjected to accelerated weaponizationjust yesterday, a Russian diplomat was detained in Norway and Azerbaijan is involved in a tense standoff with a (supposed) ally of Russia. The fracturing and occupation of the post-Soviet space that began in 1991 is almost complete. More or less willingly, the former Warsaw pact and buffer states of Eastern Europe joined the criminal alliance that is NATO and over the last 30 years gradually prepared for the coming war against Russia. When did it all begin? The blueprint for the current mechanism was established by the Nazi Germany which narrowed the distance between itself and the Soviet Union over a few years. Moreover, the political mechanism behind the new Drang (the European Union) was designed in 1944 by Hitlers economic experts (and put into practice by the founder of the CIA, William Donovan). It should be noted that on his way to the USSR, Hitler had to pacify a few countries including Poland, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. This time around, the whole West is united in its enmity towards Russia (economic links notwithstanding) and ALL European countries with the exception of Serbia and Byelorussia have placed themselves willingly in the anti-Russian camp. This is not to say that the majority of people in those countries hate Russia (in many they do) but that the governing cliques and military juntas inside various NATO satrapies are ready to contribute to the joint effort to bring freedom and democracy to the benighted Rus. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Of these two pariahs, the Serbs, despite their love of Russia are doomed by geography and by the privilege of being the only nation to have a piece of their country (Kosovo and Metohija) taken away, of being bombed by the combined forces of the West for 78 days and having a quarter of a million of their number cruelly expelled from their homeland in Srpska Krajina (currently occupied by Croatia). Exhausted and surrounded by enemies, the Serbs can do little to stop the clock ticking towards the Armageddon. This leaves Byelorussia, the only post-Soviet country that has not flirted with overt Russophobia and whose president showed many signs of real independence of mind vis-a-vis the West. Alexander Lukashenkos personal bravery is not in question. In the midst of the NATO bombing in 1999, he visited Belgrade and declared himself openly pro-Serb. He signed the accession to the Union State between his country and Russia that same year. He was somebody who wanted to preserve the positive legacy of the Soviet Union and his unwillingness to toe the EU line (pro-German democracy at home and anti-Russian posture abroad) earned him the sobriquet of the last European dictator. But then, things started to go wrong, especially after the Nazi takeover of the Ukraine in 2014. Lukashenko might have started to feel isolated and between Western pressure and ossification of his quasi-socialist system (nothing wrong with it in principle), he began to turn against his only genuine allyRussia. The reasons for this U turn are complex but at this moment also irrelevant. Whatever the cause of the cooling of the relations between Russia and Byelorussia, the consequences are dire and are fast becoming catastrophic. To understand the gravity of the situation, we should be able to see the Gestaltthe whole of the current geopolitical situation and its trends. That a global conflict between the West and the East is in the offing there is no doubt. Not only has Russia been targeted since the mid-1990s, but the total war on China and Iran declared by Trump and his Jesuitical agents provocateurs confirms absolutely that we are facing something unprecedented. I need to remind the reader that nothing like this was even remotely possible only 30 years ago. The brazenness and sheer bloodthirst of the new Operation Barbarossa with its global ambitions dwarfs any conquests known to history. What boggles the mind is how successful it has been. No bromides about how strong Russia is, how well its coping (I repeatcoping) with the cruel sanctions by the West will suffice this time. No empty hope that somehow the miserable quisling statelets from the Balkans to the Baltics will experience a Zen-like enlightenment and disobey their Western masters. No false hope that the push towards Russias borders can somehow be reversed and no end in sight to the total war waged by the combined West (a dire temporary reconciliation of a resurgent Roman Catholicism, neutered Protestantism and newly respectable Zionism). From this point on, there is no going back. The distance between Moscow and the closest point in the Ukraine is 440 km (as crow flies). In the case of Byelorussia, it is 410 km. Although symbolic, this advance would be hugely important for the would-be conquerors as it is for Russia. Starting with Orsha in Byelorussia, the path to Moscow leads through Smolensk, Vyazma and Mozhaysktowns that experienced so much suffering in WWII because they were on the road to Moscow. But what about the suffering of Byelorussia? It was probably the worst-suffering Soviet republic with an unknown number of people killed or sent of to Germany as slave labour and uncountable number of villages and towns destroyed. None of this matters in the upside-down Western world view in which black is white and white is black. It is a world in which the close descendants of the worst war criminals in history are now the unofficial rulers of Europe together with their Gallic poodles and Anglo-Saxon frenemies, while the nation which bore the brunt of the cruellest genocide ever is being attacked by those same criminals againas if two Vernichtungskriege in 30 years werent enough. Many will point out that we are already at war and this would be true. The threat of a nuclear conflict has prompted Western strategists to think of alternative ways of destroying their opponents. We are talking about a broad-spectrum effort which includes political, economic, intelligence, cultural, psychological, religious and military components. By weaving these different strands into a single coordinated strategy, the West is hoping (and succeeding) in getting closer to Moscow every day without igniting a global nuclear war. This time however, it is different. Not only has the West crossed Russias geopolitical red lines, it has given notice that it will stop at nothing until Russia is defeated and destroyed. They are skilfully neutralising Russias nuclear deterrent by inflicting a thousand cuts from all sides without suffering any harm themselves. Two days ago, a Russian major general was killed by Americas proxies in Syria while delivering food to the people of Idlib. Today, Alexey Navalny is in a coma after an alleged poisoning attempt. The quickening is palpable but no event demonstrates the current danger better than the attempted colour revolution in Byelorussia which is unfolding as we speak. The genius of the Western destruction-mongers lies not in their ingenuity and creativity but in their understanding of the lower reaches of human nature (in this respect they have no peer). They know how to exploit weaknesses such as greed, envy and ego and especially peoples susceptibility to vices. Moreover, these agents of darkness know that most people are frightened, helpless, largely ignorant and easily swayed and distracted. With this knowledge and an inexhaustible source of money, the West has settled on a winning scheme of peaceful conquest which has brought it all the way from the Atlantic coast to the gates of Moscow after 30 years of colour revolutions, coups and open war. I need to stress the importance and success of this boiling frog strategy. There is nothing new or surprising in their latest move on Lukashenkothe same combination of underground CIA-funded networks from Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics and incompetent opposition which is transformed into a plausible democratic alternative overnight. Nazi-linked symbols, Russophobic vultures such as the buzzard-faced Bernard Henri-Levi circling above the scene, invented ancient roots Its all there. But that is not why Im writing. Throughout my years as a keen observer of the latest (and last) Drang, I have been fascinated by the patterns of behaviour (on a geopolitical level) which seem to come straight out of a history book to describe the period circa 1940. While the Western juggernaut hurtles through space, the decorum of partnership is maintained to the very last moment. Even though a few lonely voices are screaming that the war is inevitable and that Russia must neutralise any further advances by the new Nazis, most people are distracted by COVID, Joe Bidens dementia and other nonsense. This could be cowardice but could also be wisdom in the face of an inevitable tragedy. Even the tone of the Russian diplomacy is slowly changingas it did in the autumn of 1940 following the cooling of German-Soviet relations. The ever measured and moderate Sergei Lavrov (like Vyacheslav Molotov before him) has started describing the international situation in more realistic terms using noticeably harsher language. Nevertheless, unless Russia does something very quickly, it will find itself completely surrounded and unable to defend itself as it did in 1941hypersonic weapons notwithstanding. However, the most fascinating aspect of this latest escalation is the fact that another colour revolution could be attempted at all and that Russia is still unable to assert itself in its neighbourhood, if only in order to save itself. Unable is perhaps too strong a word. What I mean is that unlike the West which is achieving its geopolitical goals without shedding blood and even without suffering any significant economic damage (no, Russian countersanctions have not crippled Germany or France), the Russians know that any attempts to stop and reverse the Western push will cost them dearlyprimarily in terms of further isolation from all Western countries (already, Russian diplomats are being detained and expelled throughout the EU, as if in anticipation of the Byelorussian endgame). The Western planners know that Russia can survive on its own but they also know that it cant survive for long if deprived of the oxygen of international exchangethe feeling that it belongs to the family of European nations. No Eurasian ideology can ever replace the esteem in which Europe has been held by Russian intellectuals. While I see this pronounced inferiority complex as Russias curse, I have to acknowledge it in order to explain president Putins attempts to get various EU countries on his side. It is not so much about economy but about Russias eternal yearning to prove itself worthy of European standards despite the fact that it was Europe that has been attacking Russia relentlessly and is guilty of crippling it possibly beyond healing. Hope springs eternal. And yet, president Putin must be aware of the dirty double-dealing game the EU is playing (I am giving the villain du jour a miss this time) by leaning on the United States to re-establish its hegemony over the Eurasian, African and Middle-Eastern space while lecturing Putin and Lukashenko on the merits of democracy. There is something deeply hypocriticalnot to say Jesuiticalabout EUs posture. It is doing everything in its power to isolate and weaken Russia while offering carrots such as Nord stream 2. This is much more pernicious than the open enmity of Trump and his crude supremacism because it offers the deeply unpleasant EU block an opportunity to play a good cop towards Russia at no cost to itself. Compared with the USs Berserker-like attack on anything and everything, the EU appears reasonable and ready for a compromise by comparisonbut this is only a dangerous illusion. While the EU is wholeheartedly supporting the new Maidan (relying on the nazified pockets in the West of Byelorussia and the usual pro-Western suspects), it has the temerity to issue warnings to Putin not to meddle and to Lukashenko not to oppress. This coming from a president who has been perpetrating mass violence on the peaceful demonstrators in the centre of Paris for over a year. Even worse, Angela Merkel who is initiating a more muscular foreign policy under the guidance of expansionist hawks who are champing at the bit to replace her (Annegret whatever and Ursula I dont care) dares lecture Russia on interfering in other countries affairsafter her illustrious predecessors. the CDU crypto-Nazis Kohl, Kinkel and Genscher destroyed Yugoslavia (only for Russian top partnyor Gerhardt Schroder to finish the job by sending German bombers, spies and military trainers to Serbia in 1999). And yet, all Russia can do is appeal meekly to the EU in the hope that the Ukrainian scenario will not recur. Promises of military help given to Lukashenko are almost worthless in the light of the cumulative EUs responsewhich would be nothing short of traumatic. The proof of this is the complete support by Germany for the Ukrainian regime notwithstanding its dirty role in overthrowing Yanukovich and undermining the Minsk accords. So, what am I trying to say? The moment of reckoning has arrived. Despite the heroic battle by President Putin and his comrades to buy time and delay the inevitable, the time for procrastination and appeasement has passed. Russia must choose between a difficult but sustainable future and no future at all. The Western offensive has destroyed all buffers between Russia and its enemies and although this might not mean much militarily, it has a vast symbolic value. If Byelorussia goes, Russia remains geopolitically isolated like never before. Furthermore, its enemies, far from collapsing as many have been predicting, are strong and more united than ever despite various internecine squabbles. This is not to say that Russia is at the deaths door. On the contrary, it is precisely because it is so resilient and forward-looking that its enemies are compelled to ramp up the pressure. Even if Lukashenko survives the current jeopardy, he will cease to be a relevant political factor in years to come. The weakening of his rule (however clumsy and obsolescent) can mean only one thingthe infiltration of the Byelorussian political life by various pro-Western agents of influence who will find it easy to corrupt and disrupt by dipping into NEDs and USAIDs seemingly inexhaustible coffers. The moment Russia intervenes in the affairs of Minsk in any detectable way, it will be subjected to a barrage of hatred, military threats and punitive measures that have not been seen before. President Putin has an unenviable choiceact sub rosa (like he has been doing in the Donbass) and watch Byelorussia slowly descend into an orgy of anti-Russian madness or intervene openly and risk alienating the EU further, at a time when the fate of the lifeline pipeline crucially depends on EUs goodwill and willingness to antagonise Trump (a perfect good cop, bad cop scenario played by the USA and EU). All of this is clear to president Putin and his cabinet and I have no doubt that they are burning midnight oil trying to think of the best ways to counter the Western aggression. Yet, history still holds valuable lessons. Stung by what he saw as the betrayal by the British and the French, Joseph Stalin signed a non-aggression treaty with Hitler in order to delay the inevitable. The period of collaboration involved the USSR shipping oil to Germany, oil which would later power German tanks on the road to Stalingrad. Although he did buy enough time to execute some important war preparations, Stalin waited far too long. Months after having received reports of German reconnaissance planes overflying Byelorussia and Ukraine, Stalin refused to believe that Hitler would betray him and ascribed the anti-German panic to the agents of Winston Churchill. Yet, this time he was horribly wrong and his error cost the USSR millions of lives and billions in damage. None of the subsequent amazing victories of the Soviet arms would quite wash away the bitter taste of Stalins epic blunder of 1941. The historical lesson I was alluding to is simple yet devilishly hard to implement because it is two-tailed. In other words, the possibility of a deadly miscalculation stretches equally in both temporal directions away from the point that represents a timely decision. In other words, given the huge stakes that are involved, making a correct decision is well-nigh impossible. And although the choice can be defended post-hoc, especially if it results in a victory, we can never know if a better decision could not have been made. Like Stalin, Putin is facing the Scylla and Charybdis of time, only I would argue that he is facing an even more difficult decision. For all its weaknesses, the Soviet Union was much larger than its successor state and possessed by far the largest armed forces in the world (to say nothing about the reserves of raw materials and workforce). The factor that probably decided its fate was a relative weakness of the fifth column inside the country and the ability of the security services to neutralise pro-German networks operating inside the country. President Putin has entered the twilight zone in which the smallest mistake can cost him everything. I dont envy him but pray for his wisdom and Russias preparedness. Of course, circumstances have changed dramatically and todays warfare bears scant resemblance to the mass movement of army fronts across thousands of kilometres of chernozem and steppe. These days, the crude manoeuvring of armoured columns has been replaced by silent software attacks on a states currency system and infrastructure, covert takeovers and sabotage of its assets, denial of open and free intercourse with other countries, replacement of the indigenous values and goals by the foreign dogma and suborning of its institutions to will of the Empire. This new form of warfare requires sophistication and intercontinental co-ordination. Occasionally, we are made aware of the bloopers of the Western intelligence services and their silly attempts to blame Russia for all their ills, but make no mistake! The cumulative effect of their misdeeds has been a complete homogenisation of the European space along the Russophobic lines prescribed by the behind-the-scene bosses. Let me put it this way: If tomorrow the USA and the EU were to declare a war on Russia, do you believe that any of the Slav vassals would openly defy the clarion call? Again, let me give you a couple of examples from history. When NATO bombed Serbia, not a single country refused to participate in this egregious war crime and the honour of defying the black criminal cabal of Brussels belongs to a few heroic soldiers from Greece, Spain and France. With Iraq it was different in that Germany and France did not feel sufficiently incentivised to participate in what they saw as a neocon-inspired Anglo-Saxon adventure (for which they have been lauded no end). To pre-empt the possibility of future betrayal by its vassals, the US has shifted to a new strategy which seeks to weaken Russia (or China) without having to mobilise military coalitions of the willing. The war is being fought in small, almost invisible increments which do not require absolute allegiance to the cause and payment in blood. The new army consists of spies, computer and finance specialists, thinktank ideologues, NGO activists, security experts and other assorted ghouls whose victories are not measured in square kilometres of conquered territory or body counts but in fractions of a percent of damage caused to the currency, prestige or freedom of action of the enemy. This leaves a lot of space for plausible deniability and the maintenance of the business as usual posture while the deadly blows are administered below the waterline. It also bamboozles the ordinary people into thinking that the war could never happen. It can and it will. Another consequence will be accelerated squeezing and neutralisation of the semi-impotent Serbia and the final Gleichschaltung of the Eastern wing of NATO in preparation for a more muscular phase of the war. This will involve transferring more troops and missiles to the East (but always under the retaliation threshold), closing down of Russias embassies and consulates in Europe while pretending to oppose the United States, closing down financing channels and media outlets, making life miserable for Russian citizens and businessmen abroad plus hundreds more nasty tricks. In many ways, the strategy of sustained pressure is more dangerous than open conflict because it sucks out hope from the people of the affected countrythe hope that they will be treated as equals by the cultured West. A similar tactic has been used against China but China is in a much better economic position to withstand such pressures. The fall of Lukashenko and old Byelorussia can mean only one thingan intensified total war which Russia will have to face totally isolated. If Russias last real ally (yes, thats what he is) can be removed with such ease, Russia cannot hope to attract and keep long-term allies and neutral partners. This is only partly Russias fault. The power aligned against it is unprecedented in history and I am praying that Russia will be able to overcome the forces of evil again. One piece of good news thoughthe dissolute Jesuitical warmonger Bannon has been arrested for fraudfinally showing the Chinese the fruits of a Christian education. Notes: Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny arrives in Germany after alleged poisoning - Shutterstock Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being treated in a Berlin hospital for a suspected poisoning, after landing in Germany on Saturday morning on an emergency flight from Siberia. Supporters believe Mr Navalny - a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president - was poisoned, a claim disputed by Russian medical officials. Accompanied by his wife Yulia Navalnaya, Mr Navalny was transferred by air ambulance from Omsk in Siberia and landed in Berlins Tegel Airport at 8:30am on Saturday morning, German media reported. He was later transferred to the Berlins Charite Hospital, Germanys largest university clinic. Mr Navalny is currently in an induced coma and breathing through a ventilator. Doctors have described his condition as stable, according to local reports. Russian doctors dispute any evidence of poisoning, instead saying Mr Navalny was admitted to hospital suffering from a metabolic disorder. Navalny fell ill and lost consciousness on a Moscow-bound flight from Tomsk, where he is believed to have consumed a poisoned cup of tea in the Siberian citys airport. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Omsk, in southwestern Siberia. The Omsk Ministry of Health put out a statement late on Saturday saying no toxins were found in Mr Navalny's system, besides alcohol and caffeine. Following tests, "we can say with certainty that no oxybutyrates, barbiturates, strychnine, or synthetic poisons were found. Alcohol and caffeine were found in urine samples, a statement read. Mr Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh rejected earlier reports that he had been drinking the day before he was hospitalised. The regional ministry said it stood ready to cooperate with foreign doctors or provide other assistance. On Saturday afternoon, doctors at Berlins Charite Hospital said Mr Navalny was undergoing a series of extensive tests. German Bundeswehr paramedics at the clinic after Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny arrived at Charite clinic in Berlin - Shutterstock An extensive medical diagnosis is currently being carried out. After completing the examinations and after consulting the family, the treating doctors will comment on the disease and further treatment steps, the Charite University Medical Centre said on Saturday. Story continues "The examinations will take some time." Mr Navalny's allies have said they feared authorities in Russia might try to cover up clues as to how he fell ill. The Russian government denies any involvement. The doctors in Omsk said on Saturday they were ready to share all information they have with the German clinic. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is believed to have been a prominent supporter behind the move to bring Mr Navalny to Germany. Late on Saturday, German president Frank-Walter Steinemeier said he was relieved that Mr Navalny was being "treated in a hospital and by doctors who enjoy the trust of the family". Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, called for an investigation into his illness. Mr Raab tweeted: Relieved that Alexei Navalny has been flown to Germany to receive the critical medical treatment that he needs. I wish him a swift recovery. It is vital that there is a full and transparent investigation into his poisoning. Russian doctors initially opposed any attempt to relocate Mr Navalny, saying the patient was too ill to be transported. They later relented after German doctors said his health condition should not prevent the transfer. The deputy head physician of the Omsk clinic, Anatoly Kalinichenko, disputed the earlier opposition to Mr Navalnys transportation, saying: "We have no objection to a transfer to another hospital". Yesterday morning, Ms Yarmysh confirmed on Twitter that Mr Navalny had boarded a plane in Siberia and would be heading to the German capital. "Many thanks to everyone for their support. The struggle for Alexei's life and health is just beginning and there is a long way to go, but at least the first step has been taken," she said. Mrs Navalnya thanked his supporters, writing on Instagram: "Without your support, we wouldn't have been able to take him!" Mr Navalny was flown to Berlin by German NGO Cinema For Peace, with Russian authorities giving permission for the dissidents transfer late on Friday. The NGO was responsible for a similar transfer by ambulance plane from Moscow to Berlin in 2018 of Kremlin critic Pyotr Verilov, a member of protest punk band Pussy Riot. Verilov also suffered from a suspected poisoning. Mr Navalny has been a thorn in the Kremlin's side for more than a decade, exposing what he says is high-level graft and mobilising crowds of young protesters. He has been repeatedly detained for organising public meetings and rallies and sued over his investigations into corruption. He was barred from running in a presidential election in 2018. Today, residents and guests of Sochi were warned about the threat of tornadoes over the Black Sea from Magri to Vesely, the Krasnodar Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring informed. The press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory recommended citizens not to leave buildings with no need to when the wind intensifies, Yuga.ru portal reports. Its strange timing to see Melbourne bustling as the backdrop to Nines new drama when the reality is anything other. Maybe Halifax: Retribution is the reminder we need that some things are worth fighting for. After all, Jane Halifax (Rebecca Gibney) has rebounded, nearly 20 years after she left our screens. But the city is under siege of a different kind in Nines fictional thriller, as a lone sniper is taking out citizens with a high power rifle. Heading up a task force is returning US cop Tom Saracen (Anthony LaPaglia) who turns to Jane Halifax, now a Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Melbourne University, to consult. Jane is also parent to step-daughter Zoe (Mavournee Hazel) and happily ensconced with partner Ben (Craig Hall) who is against her returning to criminal work. But against her better judgment she assists Tom and his Operation Stingray team, comprising Det. Senior Sgts. Nick Tanner (Rick Donald) and Mila Bronski (Ming-Zhu Hii) plus Unsworn Officer Kip Lee (Mark Coles Smith) (is it just me or is their headquarters interior modelled on the former Channel Seven home at Pyrmont?). Across the opening telemovie, written by producer Roger Simpson and directed by Mark Joffe, the victim toll rises. But could there be links to the past, when a note is sent warning of Retribution? Jane becomes more embedded in the hunt, while there are further complications on the homefront. A free-spirited Mandy (Claudia Karvan) arrives on the scene, although just how is something of a spoiler. The overall shift from telemovies to series format is achieved with considerable confidence, and Gibney looks better than ever as a mature forensic psychiatrist. Mavournee Hazel and Karvan both uphold the strong female performances. Its good to see a diverse force at work too. The guest stars are also none too shabby, from the likes of John Waters, Justin Rosniak and, in episode two, Jacqueline McKenzie reprising a former Halifax role. Special mention to Geoffery Hall ACS for his photography of Melbourne, with plenty of eagle eye access to the CBD. Overall the show looks slick and contemporary. But its also the plotting that makes this a strong starter, cleverly juggling the personal curve balls for Jane with the cat and mouse killer pursuit. Episode 2 maintains the pace, giving me confidence this will be an enjoyable ride. Welcome back. Halifax: Retribution airs 8:45pm Tuesday on Nine. PHILIPSBURG:--- On august 20th 2020 the police of Sint Maarten KPSM send out a press release, requesting information about the whereabouts of the Arina KLYGUINA, a Canadian citizen who went missing since August 17th, 2020. We would like to inform the public that Ms. KLYGUINA appeared at the police station in Philipsburg on Saturday afternoon at about 02.00 pm. She informed the officers that she is in good health and left the family residence on the 27th due to a misunderstanding with her partner. Ms. KLYGUINA also explained to the police officers, that she is staying with a family friend at the moment and will be in contact with her partner in the near future. The police of Sint Maarten KPSM would like to thank the community of St. Maarten for their assistance in locating Ms. KLYGUINA. KPSM Press Release. India has the 'best' COVID-19 recovery rate of about 75 per cent, which is improving every day, and the "lowest" mortality rate of 1.87 per cent in the world, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday. IMAGE: Health workers congratulate 1,000th patient COVID-19 recovered and discharged from Kaushalya Hospital in Thane on Thursday. Photograph: Anil Shinde/ANI Photo After inaugurating a 10-bed make-shift hospital of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Ghaziabad near Delhi, he said India began formulating its strategy against coronavirus from January 8 as soon as the world came to know about the outbreak of the disease. Vardhan said 'many intelligent people, scientists and naysayers' had estimated that India, with a population of about 135 crore, will see 300 million COVID-19 cases and about 5-6 million people will die by July-August, and the country's healthcare system was 'incapable' to combat the disease. "However, I am happy to say that in the eighth month of the battle, India has the best recovery rate of 75 per cent and against an estimate of 300 million affected we have not even reached 3 million cases." "In fact, 2.2 million patients have recovered and gone home and another seven lakh are going to be cured very soon," he said. The minister said these successes were achieved due to the 'coordinated' efforts with the participation of everyone -- the government and the people. India has the lowest mortality rate of 1.87 per cent in the world, he said, adding the recovery rate was improved every day. "We started with only one testing laboratory in Pune but we scaled up our diagnostic capabilities and strengthened our testing capacity. "Today, India has 1,511 testing labs for COVID-19 and on Friday we tested over one million samples... that was about 10.23 lakh samples," the minister said. In such a little time, 15,000 dedicated COVID care hospitals with 15 lakh beds were set up across the country and if the quarantine facilities are added to it there are 25 lakh beds, Vardhan said. The minister congratulated the NDRF for its contribution in the COVID-19 battle as well as in disaster management. In a statement, the NDRF said the hospital inaugurated by the minister is located at its eighth battalion camp in Ghaziabad and has been developed in collaboration with CSIR's constituent laboratory called the Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee. "The makeshift hospital is designed to provide a primary health facility with safety, security and a comfortable living environment." "This fully air-conditioned pre-fabricated makeshift hospital is equipped with various modern facilities like paramonitors, defibrillators and ECG machines," the NDRF said. The hospital is planned to serve in disaster stage including for use in a long pandemic or emergency situations, it said. NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said the force is planning 'to procure all its disaster response equipment and tools from the Defence Research and Development Organisation and CSIR to promote the Make in India campaign'. The force was raised in 2006 and has its 12 battalions, comprising about 13,000 personnel, based at various locations in the country. Pizzas are one of America's favorite comfort food. This is the reason why in almost every corner, you will see a pizza place serve slices of different flavors. However, not all pizza places are the same, as some serve pizzas that will make you crave for more. Here are some of the top pizzerias in America: Apizza Scholl's in Portland, Oregon American towns are known to have popular pizza places with arcade games, but one of the best in the Portland legend, Apizza Scholl's. Scholl's offer thin crust, the ends are puff and flavorful while the bottom is sturdy. Each slice oozes with cheese, more than what you expect on a pizza that is so refined in taste. Emilia's in Berkeley, California Emilia serves the best pizza in California four nights a week. This pizzeria can be described as a coal oven type, even though the owner, Kevin Freilich, is cooking in a gas oven that runs much hotter than most ovens. The crust of the pizza is supple and flavorful, with a blend of fresh and aged cheeses. Also Read: Marijuana Pizzas And Sauce Now Available In Some States If you wish to dine out, Emilia's has a tiny space, so there is only room for one table in the place. The pizzeria is normally a takeout operation. You will need to call in advance to reserve a spot if you want to eat at the pizzeria. Good Pie in Las Vegas Las Vegas is not only known for its bright lights and amazing architecture, but it is also known to serve one of the best pizzas in the country. Good Pie is a tiny pizzeria that is located in the back of a strip mall on the outskirts of Las Vegas' downtown. The pizzas are generously cheesed and have tangy sauce, and it is thick enough to appeal to Sicilian lovers while being on the thin-crust side. Pequod's in Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the home of deep-dish pizza, and one pizzeria that serves it best is Pequod's. The pizza has a thick, spongy crust with lots of flavors. The top is oozing with cheese and sauce that balances out the thick chunks of sausage and other ingredients. There is also the caramelized rim of burnt cheese around the edge that goes all the way down to the side of the pan. Pizza Brain in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pizza Brain opened in 2012, and it was touted as the first "Pizza Museum." The owner, Brian Dwyer, has a massive collection of pizza memorabilia, reminding people who fun pizza is and how it is tied to both communities and popular culture. Pizza Brian serves golden brown pizza crust from a brick oven. They also do artisan takes on the classics, but there is also a seasonal menu available. Some of their most playful flavors were lamb curry, Bahn mi pies, lowcountry boil-themed pizzas with andouille sausage shrimp, purred potatoes, and sweet corn. Razza in Jersey City, New Jersey Razza is a charming neighborhood place that serves one of the best pizza in the country. Razza has a wood-burning oven in the dining room, making the pizza taste as good as possible as it is cooked in perfect crisp with a tender, flavorful crumb and toppings that you will definitely crave for. The pizzeria is also the home of the best pepperoni in the state. Related Article: America's Favorite Pizza Topping: Find Out Which Meat Landed The No. 1 Spot! @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This time last year while Drogheda was in midst of hosting Ireland's largest Festival ever and the streets were alive with the sound of music, the tapping of feet and thousands of tourist descending on our town for what was a magical time two sisters were planning their own new venture on West Street. Ann Marie McKenna and Denise Mc Kenna were able to take the brave step of opening their own dream business Wool Works in October. Soon the pitter patter of Christmas shoppers would descend on the town and the girls got off to a great start. Fast forward a few months and the girls supported by co workers Sarah Monaghan and Edel Healy were excited that from the comfort their shop front they would be able to watch Drogheda's St Patrick's Day Parade pass by for the first time in 20 odd years. And when the Drogheda Festival's Committee launched a Window Dressing Competition in conjunction with Drogheda BID's for the big day the girls were delighted to get into the spirit of things. Little did any of us know what was to come with the Covid 19 Pandemic and all St Patrick's Day festivities would have to be cancelled and our country would be in lockdown. Thankfully their efforts were not to go to waste as the competition was the one thing that went ahead. So when it came down to adjudicate for the prize the judges were delighted to select a new business like Wool Works as the winner. Last week members of the Drogheda's Festival's Committee and Drogheda BIDS represented by Town Manager Trevor Brennan paid the girls a visit to award them with their Perpetual Trophy and prize money of 350. The girls were over the moon to have their efforts rewarded especially with some stiff competition from well established businesses, notably The Irish Cancer Society and The Design Gallery. While lockdown forced many businesses to shut down the girls were lucky to be able to adapt their business to help provided essential masks to frontline workers not just in Ireland but in the UK and US. They even had a request from an Irish ex pat in Australia to make a mask for her mother in Dublin. It's a shop well worth visiting as the Committee were very impressed with fabulous array of vibrant masks, which have become compulsory as we reach the next stage of reopening our businesses. So why no pop your head in and say hello to the girls and check out their cool and crafty shop. PARIS (AP) New flareups of COVID-19 are disrupting the peak summer vacation season across much of Europe, where authorities in some countries are reimposing restrictions on travelers, closing nightclubs again, banning fireworks displays and expanding mask orders even in chic resort areas. Unfortunately, this virus doesnt play ball, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News. The surges have spread alarm across Europe, which suffered mightily during the spring but appeared in recent months to have largely tamed the coronavirus in ways that the U.S., with its vaunted scientific prowess and the extra time to prepare, cannot seem to manage. The continents hardest-hit countries, Britain, Italy, France and Spain, have recorded about 140,000 deaths in all. In addition to clubs and alcohol-fueled street parties, large family gatherings usually abounding with hugs and kisses -- have been cited as a source of new outbreaks in several European countries. A new public awareness campaign by Spains Canary Islands depicts a family gathering for a grandfathers birthday, with people taking off masks and embracing. The grandfather ends up in a hospital bed with COVID-19. In France, thousands of vacationing Britons scrambled to return home Friday to avoid having to self-quarantine for 14 days following Britains decision to reimpose restrictions on France because of a resurgence of infections there. Ferries added extra trips back to England, and trains were running out of space. Some of the toughest new measures were announced in Spain, which has recorded almost 50,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. Health Minister Salvador Illa, after an emergency meeting with regional leaders, said nightclubs nationwide were ordered to close. Visits to nursing homes will be limited to one person a day for each resident for only one hour. We can't be undisciplined, Illa said. In Italy, also faced with a surge of cases, seaside towns announced new restrictions, including bans on fireworks at beaches. The moves came just ahead of Italys biggest summer holiday, Ferragosto, which millions of Italians celebrate at the seashore, in the mountains or on trips abroad. The mayor of Anzio banned all overnight access to the beach, while San Felice Circeo, a popular weekend getaway for Romans, ordered masks worn outdoors. On the chic island of Capri, an order requiring masks outdoors from evening to nearly dawn was expanded by the mayor to the entire day. Story continues Masks also are now also required in the streets of Amalfi, a picturesque coastal tourist town. With some of Italys 200-plus infection clusters traced to patrons of crowded seaside dance clubs, the governor of Calabria, the region that forms the toe of Italy, ordered such nightspots closed. Italy's Health Ministry said 574 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Friday the highest daily number since May 28. The outbreaks and new restrictions in Europe shouldnt come as a surprise, said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington. Even the smallest chink in the armor can lead to an outbreak if youre not careful, Michaud said. In no country have we approached herd immunity, and we dont have a vaccine. In Greece, authorities strongly recommended people wear masks for a week indoors and out in public areas after returning from domestic vacation destinations with a high COVID-19 incidence. Gatherings of more than nine people were prohibited on two popular Greek resort islands, Paros and Antiparos, and a ban on restaurants, bars and nightclubs operating after midnight was expanded to more parts of the country, including Athens. The steps came as Greece recorded its second-highest daily infection numbers -- 254 new cases. In France, amid growing fears of a second spike of contagion, the head of the countrys national health service said Paris and Marseille have been declared at-risk zones. The situation is deteriorating from week to week, the official, Jerome Salomon, said on France Inter radio. The British government said it was compelled to impose the quarantine requirement on people returning from France in light of a 66% increase in infections in France in the past week. The requirement applied to anyone returning after 4 a.m. on Saturday. Philip Alston, who was looking after three cats for a French couple in Paris, reluctantly decided to return to Britain. Fortunately, they said in the case of this happening, they had a stand-by helper, he said before boarding a Eurostar train to London. So Im really upset because I was having a good time looking after the cats and exploring Paris. The quarantine decision is a big blow to Frances tourism industry, which relies heavily on travelers from Britain. There also were worrisome developments in other parts of the world: --Indias death toll overtook Britain's to become the fourth-highest in the world, with another single-day record increase in cases Friday. The number of dead hit more 48,000, behind the United States, with over 167,000; Brazil, with more than 105,000; and Mexico, with over 55,000. --New Zealands government extended a lockdown of its largest city, Auckland, for 12 more days as it tries to stamp out its first domestic outbreak in more than three months, involving 30 people. Until the cluster was discovered Tuesday, New Zealand had gone 102 days with no reports of infections spreading in the community. The only known cases involved travelers arriving from abroad. --A man in his 20 became the youngest person to die of the coronavirus in Australia. He was among 14 new deaths and 372 new infections reported by Victoria state health officials in an outbreak centered in Melbourne. In Toronto, health officials said as many as 550 people may have been exposed to COVID-19 at a strip club last week and urged them to quarantine themselves for 14 days. ___ D'Emilio reported from Rome and Crary from New York. AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson contributed from Washington state. Plate of Origin contestant Chrys Hong has revealed her heartbreaking stage-four cancer diagnosis. The 30-year-old Sydney DJ explained to The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, that she is battling terminal colon cancer that has spread to her bones, liver and lymphatic system. Chrys told the publication that before being diagnosed, she thought nothing of her on-and-off stomach pain, putting it down to feeling nervous during filming, but eventually sought medical help. Cancer shock: Plate of Origin contestant Chrys Hong, 30, revealed her heartbreaking stage -four colon cancer diagnosis on Saturday She said she was eventually convinced by her sister to seek medical help, but the two doctors and a specialist she initially consulted dismissed her symptoms. It was only after visiting a third doctor, who ran several tests, that she was told she needed to go to hospital immediately. 'The next day he called me back and said: "This is really serious, we have to put you in the hospital," Chrys recalled. The cancer spread to her lymphatic system, bones and her liver, which she said the doctors were unable to operate on. Dismissing the pain: Chrys, who will appear on Channel Seven's Plate of Origin with her friend Mandy Chai, explained that she thought nothing of her on-and-off stomach pain, putting it down to feeling nervous during filming. Pictured left is Mandy, and right is Chrys She told the publication that was put on chemotherapy, but had to stop after three rounds because her body was not coping with it. The amateur cook said she is now on a targeted treatment that is less abrasive. Despite the life-changing news, Chrys proved her resilience by continuing filming and finishing the series. Treatment: The 30-year-old Sydney DJ, who goes by the name DJ Kitty Coda, was told of her cancer diagnosis after visiting a third GP. The cancer spread to her lymphatic system, bones and liver, and she is now receiving targeted treatment. Pictured is Chrys at a DJ gig 'Who said cancer patients can't cook,' she defiantly said, adding that it was important for her to complete filming and not give up. Chrys hopes to inspire young people to listen to their bodies and take their health seriously. 'I'm not saying that all GPs are bad, but there are some GPs who don't take responsibility like others. Always trust yourself and get a second opinion,' she urged. Not giving up! Despite the life-changing news, Chrys proved her resilience by continuing filming and finishing the series. 'Who said cancer patients can't cook,' she defiantly said, adding that it was important for her to complete filming Chrys is set to appear on Channel Seven's new cooking show Plate of Origin with her friend Mandy Chai. Plate of Origin will be hosted and judged by Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel. Plate of Origin will premiere on Channel Seven on Sunday, August 30 at 7pm ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Anchorage high school student has been arrested on accusations he threatened students and staff with a gun during multiple online classes, officials said. The Dimond High School student attended several online learning sessions and disrupted them, police said. He made threatening gestures with a gun and used profane language before he was removed from the classrooms, said Anchorage School District spokesman Alan Brown. The school district notified school-based police officers about the threats last Thursday, police said. The suspect was then identified and arrested, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Charges were forwarded to the Department of Juvenile Justice, police said. The teen was not publicly identified because of his age. These types of online disruptions during any ASD online class setting are completely unacceptable and essentially cheat students out of learning, Brown said. Separately, two other teens were arrested after they a gun to threaten an elementary school staff member, Brown said. Schools in Anchorage started the year online because of the coronavirus pandemic. Alaska reported 73 newly confirmed cases on Friday and there have been 5,403 confirmed in the state since March. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. THE NUMBER of patients waiting for appointments and procedures at Limerick hospitals has soared since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, new figures show. Monthly figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund show there were 53,518 patients waiting for an appointment, inpatient procedure or surgery at University Hospital Limerick, St Johns Hospital, and Croom Hospital, this July. This was an 11.8% hike on figures in February when there were 47,296 patients on a waiting list between the three hospitals. In July 2019, there were 47,946 patients on a waiting list in Limerick. There are 4,104 inpatients and 49,414 outpatients on waiting lists in Limerick, an increase of 1,008 and 5,214 since the start of the pandemic, respectively. A total of 20,109 outpatients have been waiting for more than a year for an appointment at UHL - almost half the number of people on a waiting list at the Dooradoyle hospital. The areas most negatively affected outpatient waiting lists at UHL are ENT [ears, nose, throat] with 6,267, ophthalmology with 4,988, and dermatology with 4,772. There were 7,051 outpatients waiting for orthopaedic appointments in Croom, 2,974 of whom have been waiting for more than 18 months. On March 6, just days before the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus a pandemic, the UL Hospitals Group announced that all outpatient appointments were to be cancelled. This was after six Covid-19 cases were confirmed at UHL. Since, the UL Hospitals Group, alongside all hospital groups, put in place restrictive measures for outpatients and inpatients. The UL Hospitals Group told the Leader that the pandemic has had a considerable impact on health services within their six facilities across the Mid-West. A spokesperson said that it is prioritising sickest patients first. Hospitals across Ireland suspended almost all elective activity in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, the spokesperson said, adding that they have gradually begun to resume clinics and procedures in a number of specialities. We are conscious that the unfortunate but necessary suspension of so much scheduled work has been difficult on our patients, especially those patients who had already been waiting a long time for their outpatient appointment or procedure. The hospital group has made a considerable investment virtual and telephone appointments, with around 16,000 outpatient attendances seen by consultants virtually. That is almost half of the 32,632 appointments seen in that period. The number of attendances has been 66% of the total attendances seen in the corresponding period in 2019. For more Limerick news click here Brad Pitt returned to Malta on Monday afternoon a married man after exchanging vows with Angelina Jolie in a hush-hush wedding ceremony on the grounds of their sprawling French estate. The 50-year-old actor sported a raffish orange hat as assistants ushered him from the steps of his private jet to a waiting car moments after he touched down on the Mediterranean island. Brad is currently in Malta to shoot forthcoming World War II film By The Sea with his new wife, who writes and directs what will be their first collaboration since 2005 hit Mr & Mrs Smith where their off-screen romance began. Scroll down for videos The Maltese Falcon: Brad Pitt touches down on the Mediterranean island to start work on forthcoming film By The Sea, his second collaboration with new wife Angelina Jolie and the first since 2005 hit Mr & Mrs. Smith The area is in lockdown after the couple paid local businesses to close up shop to provide them with complete privacy as they start filming. They have also reportedly rented out 12 villas around Mgarr ix-Xini Bay for eveyone who is working on the movie, setting them back a cool $230,000. Local Noel Vella tells Radar Online: 'I heard they rented all the villas in the area for everyone. It [is] a very nice area. Each villa was built by Sicilian architects in the 1970s. It's very beautiful. 'It's also quite expensive and unique. It's built in an area where no one can build anything around it. It's about 100 feet from the sea. They're exclusive.' The couple exchanged vows at their Chateau Miraval estate on August 23 in front of their six children Maddox, 13, Pax, 10, Zahara, nine, Shiloh, eight and six-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Local reports suggest. Speaking to Hello!, a friend revealed the children played an active part in the service, which was conducted away from the media spotlight: 'All the children helped to write the vows and asked their parents to make promises to each other. 'Brad and Angelina wanted the ceremony to be both simple and personal.' He's off: The Hollywood actor is shepherded from the steps of his private jet to a waiting car shortly after touching down The couple exchanged custom wedding rings from jeweller Robert Procop, who created Angelina's stunning engagement ring, an estimated 16-carat, emerald-cut diamond worth approximately $500,000. A source today told MailOnline that the couple decided to marry at the stunning estate they bought in 2011 after Angelina made a promise to her later mother wed in France - and also to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the filming of Mr & Mrs Smith. 'Angelina promised her mother before she died that she'd get married in France. They were extremely close and this is Angie's way of honouring her,' the insider tells MailOnline. Terra firma: Brad's jet idles on the private runway after taking him to Malta on Monday According to inside sources, Ange also paid tribute to her mom Marcheline Bertrand by donning a piece of sentimental jewellery. Alongside this, the timing of the ceremony was 'not some happy accident' as it was 'deliberately chosen to commemorate the milestone of the 10th anniversary of filming of Mr and Mrs Smith, according to the source, who said that their son Maddox was 'particularly excited' and had been a 'powerful driver' for the two to marry. 'It was a small locket with a photo of her mother inside it. She had a veil and Brad gasped when he lifted it because she looked so stunning.' Brad's parents, Bill and Jane Pitt, were in attendance, along with the groom's brother, Doug Pitt, sister Julie Pitt and her two children, though Ange's father Jon Voight was not present. Representative Image (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Chanda Devi speaks with a smile. One that belies the tension about her 1 acre farm in Majhaulia village of Bihars Muzaffarpur district being ravaged by floods. Income has almost halved because she had to sell the eggplants, potatoes and okra she grew at lower rates during the lockdown. Then there is the monthly instalment of 2,000 toward repaying a 50,000 loan she had taken from her self-help group (SHG) to set up a box-sized kirana shop. Kahin na kahin se toh minus karna padega, says the 30-year-old. She will have to cut some other expenses to ensure she does not default on her instalment. Devi is determined to not let these challenges get to her. She had started working in agriculture as an 18-year-old newly married woman who needed to push her family out of penury. She joined an SHG in 2012 to take a loan of 20,000 and get back their farm that was mortgaged with the local money lender. My husband is not really a self-starter. He is better at doing something he is asked to do, says Devi, who wakes up at the crack of dawn, feeds the cows, sweeps and mops her home, cooks for the family, works in the field for over 6 hours, attends meetings at the SHG and the Farmers Producer Company (FPC) she is part of, returns home to cook, wash clothes and take care of her elderly mother-in-law. She finishes all the domestic chores alone, without any help from her two sons, her brother-in-law or her husband, the latter only helping her in the farm. I started working only because I had no other option to get my family out of financial difficulty. But I have always wanted to be independent, she says. Times have been tough again, and I know that my work and my income are essential to keep my family afloat. A 2018 Harvard Business Review report states that globally, for every 10 percent increase in women working, there is a 5 percent increase in wages, including for men, since the overall productivity levels of the regions with better female labour force participation (FLFP) increase. 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 Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here The International Labour Organization (ILO), in global policy guidance notes for its Decent Work Agenda to empower rural women in 2019, said that productive employment and good quality jobs for women in rural areas not only contributes to inclusive and sustainable economic growth, but also enhances the effectiveness of poverty reduction and food security initiatives, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Yet, in India, when the economy slows down and jobs start disappearing, womens livelihoods have often been the first to be hit. The 2020 World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap report ranks India at 149 out of 153 countries when it comes to economic participation and opportunity for women. According to the report, only 35 percent of the financial gap between women and men has been covered. Rural women particularly fall out of the workforce at a much sharper rate than urban women. Data from the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) indicates that FLFP in rural areas fell from 33.3 percent in 2004-05 to 19.7 percent in 2018-19. This is a sharper fall compared to rural men, whos participation fell from 55.5 percent to 55.1 percent in the same period, or urban women, whose participation fell from 17.8 percent to 16.1 percent. First, parents or husbands determine norms around education and jobs women can access, the hours for which they can work. Second, the conditioning is such that girls often imbibe these mindsets much more deeply than boys. Our studies have found that when there is a job scarcity, more women actually respond by saying that the jobs should go to the men instead of them, says Soumya Kapoor Mehta, an economist who heads the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy (IWWAGE), a non-profit supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A survey of 5,000 workers across 12 states conducted by the Azim Premji University (APU) between April and May found that 71 percent rural women casual workers lost their livelihoods during the lockdown, compared to 59 percent of men. The proportion stood at 45 percent each for self-employed men and women in rural areas. The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate issues, so much so that the slight uptick seen in the FLFP for the first time in over a decade, from 18.2 in 2017-18 to 19.7 in 2018-19, might not sustain and is not considered a significant enough gain by experts compared to the rate at which labour participation has fallen over the years. Economists also believe that the burden of unpaid care work would fall disproportionately on women due to the pandemic, especially with children and other family members spending more time at home. This is likely to add to the already lopsided load, whichaccording to an Oxfam India report as of Januarystood at 291 minutes of daily unpaid domestic chores for rural women, compared to 32 minutes for men. Many women in rural areas might retreat further into their homes now, as their families would expect that fulfilling domestic duties would be their primary responsibility, says Nalini Gulati, country economist for the India programme of the International Growth Centre (IGC), who believes that women should receive social recognition for care work. She also points out that women were the de-facto head of the family and in-charge of farmlands when the men of the house migrated to cities for work, but since the latter have come back to the villages, they will have to be absorbed in agriculture and non-farm jobs. States do not have gender disaggregated data for the returning migrants. So a lot depends on what happens to job opportunities for men. It is in that context that we have to view what happens with the female labour force and opportunities for them, and not in isolation, Gulati explains. That said, workforce participation of rural women has primarily been driven by need. The sudden income shock created by the pandemic could also lead to reengaging women in the economy because distressed households are looking at ways to increase income levels, believes Rosa Abraham, research fellow at the Centre for Sustainable Employment at APU. It is practical to have a gendered lens to policy-making right now, because people are desperate for work. Policy that provides for work will find takers in the economy, and a lot of these takers are going to be women, she says. Economists believe that a gendered approach would involve a set of holistic measures, ranging from pay parity to more formal recognition of work done by women. Education-Employment Trade-Off There is a U-shaped pattern between increasing numbers of rural women getting access to education and still not joining the paid workforce. Mehta of IWWAGE explains that the majority of women are unpaid workers who assist with household enterprises or agricultural work, and the ones in non-public casual work are often engaged in precarious or vulnerable jobs. The women who get educated seek careers outside of these sectors, but are constrained by the lack of availability of jobs that would be commensurate to their education. Rural women also want part-time jobs so that they are able to accommodate their household chores. Those kinds of roles are not available across geographies at the district level. So women end up taking odd jobs in the informal sector, because flexible options in the formal sector are just not created in rural India, she says. While women are usually restricted from migrating to nearby towns and cities to access skill training and jobs, the government can create support infrastructure to help them access these opportunities, adds Kanika Kingra, senior policy and advocacy manager at IWWAGE. This would include hostels for girls, tackling issues around mobility and safety, creating creches and child care centres, she says. Gulati points out that even as the majority of rural women are engaged in agriculture, they often do not get access to credit facilities, subsidies or even agricultural tools because of lack of asset ownership. Most of the land is registered in the name of male farmers, she says. According to an Indiaspend report in 2019, only 13 percent of women own the land they till. The government, on its part, is banking heavily on organising women into SHGs to empower them. Community-building is essential to helping women get the confidence to step out of their homes and work. The National Rural Livelihoods Mission [NRLM] has mobilised about 6.8 crore women with a capitalisation support of 10,200 crore so far, says Alka Upadhyay, additional secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development. Cultivating community leaders would also help the government reach the most marginalised people effectively, believes Nikita Wadhwa, programme coordinator for Collective Impact Partnership, an initiative that supports local women who undertake leadership roles by helping others in their community. They work closely with decision makers to ensure that women can access government schemes and policies meant to empower them, and work to address systemic barriers and gaps, she says. Kumaribai Jamakatan, 51, is one such tribal woman from Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra. Women in the area depend mostly on selling mahua flowers, or forest produce like tendu leaves and bamboo. While the latter could not be carried out during the lockdown, the market price for mahua fell from 30 per kg to 15 or 18 per kg. This caused a lot of mental anguish as many women did not even have money to run their households. So I ensured that I connected with them regularly to address their issues, and make them aware of all the social security benefits they can avail, be it free gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Yojana, or 500 in their Jan Dhan accounts, she says. The SHGs are not able to meet and training sessions have stopped, but we women ensure we keep each others morale high. Women who run their own enterprises in villages barely earn half the revenue as their male counterparts, Mehta of IWWAGE says. She does not make enough because she does not have networks to connect to markets or access information on products, training etc, she says. There needs to be marketability around what these MSMEs are creating. Governments can be encouraged to make a certain proportion of their procurement through women-led enterprises. Abraham of APU agrees that government support to decentralised community institutions can empower women socially and economically. Kerala, for example, provides extensive credit to women-led businesses under Kudumbashree [community organisation of neighbourhood groups]. Other states could look at creating similar channels to provide more funding and resources to rural women entrepreneurs, she says. In its 2020-21 budgetary outlay, Kerala earmarked 1,509 crore for women-related programmes. This was 7.3 percent of the overall budget, an increase from 4 percent the previous year. It is under Kudumbashree that Jayashree (who uses only her first name) found a livelihood with a steady income, along with 25 other women, at an apparel park established with the help of the Nedumpana gram panchayat in the Kollam district of Kerala. Initially, they ran into losses to the tune of 3.5 lakh because of low margins, difficulty in marketing their products and delays in payments. Then, three years ago, the government supported them with procurement orders for stitching uniforms for the Kochi Metro and the state lotteries department, apart from orders from state hospitals. The government orders helped each of us get a stable income of up to 15,000 per month, she says. During Covid-19, the women set up sewing machines at home and stitched over 1 lakh masks each for gram panchayats and government departments, and another 1 lakh for the Karunya Community Pharmacy, the state-run retail chain that provides medicines at affordable prices. Jayashree explains that the women are paid per unit of clothing they stitch, and each of them was able to earn at least 30,000 through these Covid-19-related orders. We never say no to any job order that comes our way. Even if we cannot do it ourselves, we pass it on to the smaller women-run stitching units so that they also earn a livelihood, she says. Women must help each other. Playing to the Strengths The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the governments flagship rural jobs programme that provides 100 days of work per household with minimum wages, has allayed the job distress for many migrant workers. Experts suggest that job cards can be provided to more women under this scheme so that they do not lose out on work in a competitive labour market that now includes returning migrants. Abraham of APU says that lessons from MGNREGA can be applied to other sectors predominantly employing rural women, including the health sector. For one, the jobs programme has equal wages for men and women. Otherwise, the wage disparity between men and women in rural areas is steep, where womens incomes could be as low as half as that of men. The MGNREGA has also streamlined payments through post office and bank accounts, although there are still delays in compensation, Abraham says. Some of these best practices could be adopted with respect to anganwadi and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), where the money often does not trickle down to the grassroots. Chinmayee Barik, a nurse with the medical mobile unit of the Tata Steel Rural Development Society in Jajpur district of Odisha, says ASHAs have been at the frontline of collecting data on Covid-19 response and tracking migrants, which is then processed by her team. Their responsibilities have increased two-fold, and they are at a health risk, but are paid a meagre 6,000 per month. They need to be compensated properly, she says. Kingra of IWWAGE says the government must refocus on its strengths in the care economy and formalise the employment of the millions of ASHA and anganwadi workers. In the Covid-19 context, the demand for such workers has increased. They should be recognised as part of the formal workforce with competitive wages and incentives like health insurance. Abraham suggests that the government could invest in social security in the form of universal basic services in the health and education sectors, which employ a lot of rural women. This, she says, will have multiplier effects in the economy, whether it is building up health or school infrastructure. So these sectors could absorb more women. She also points out that it is important to understand a typical womans work day and the metrics of measurement should not overlook the different forms of care work. If we have to assess womens participation in the economy, domestic work could be statistically taken into consideration. This article first appeared in Forbes India here. More than half of Spanish companies reopen after closing at height of pandemic Health care workers conduct temperature and pulse rate of a resident at Khar during Covid-19 pandemic in Mumbai. (Photo by Satish Bate/ HT Photo) Even as India continues to grapple with the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the recoveries from the disease surged past to 2.22 million. The country's Covid-19 tally on Saturday night crossed the 3 million-mark, just 16 days after it crossed the 2 million-mark, data from states and union territories showed. Globally, India is the third worst-hit nation from the pandemic. India may overtake Brazil sometime in the next two weeks if the cases continue to grow at the same pace. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage Meanwhile, the global coronavirus tally has gone up to 22,864,873, with the highest number of cases (5,621,035) reported from the United States followed by Brazil (3,532,330), according to Johns Hopkins Universitys tally. The deadly infection has so far claimed 797,871 lives worldwide. Follow latest updates on Covid-19 here When Janice Nimura came across Emily Blackwell in the Sophie Smith collection at Smith College in 2015, she was intrigued and looking to fall in love with a project. Emily led her to Elizabeth, the older Blackwell sister, who in 1849 became the first woman in the U.S. to get a medical degree (Emily was the third). In January, Norton will publish The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Womenand Women to Medicine. It felt like an arranged marriage, Nimura says of writing the story of the Blackwells. I wasnt swept off my feet, but felt if I committed, the love would grow. Their story resonated with things I wanted to spend time with. The Blackwell sisters became her personal hobby horse, she says. I imagined them sitting on my stoop waiting to be invited inside. Nimura says she wanted to rescue the sisters from the well-scrubbed idea of them, noting that their story was complex and they were complicated women. If you look for Elizabeth Blackwell, you find childrens books or nothing, she says. The sisters were American, but born in Bristol, England (Elizabeth in 1821; Emily in 1826), into a progressive, feminist, antislavery family, the two girls among nine siblings. Their lives spanned the 19th century, and they interacted with everyone of any importance in the century. Together, in 1857, they founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, the first hospital for and staffed by women. It was a challenge for women to establish legitimacy in the medical field, to define themselves, Nimura says. Its a great story, because the past is not always pretty. The sisters, for example, were not suffragettes. They believed women had to liberate themselves. Elizabeth advanced education for girls, but also had a strong investment in Christian morality and opposed both prostitution and contraceptives. But these were 19th-century border-crossing women, Nimura emphasizes. Emily had a female partner, also a doctor; they were hard-core careerists. Nimura admits that the Blackwell sisters project was terrifying. She was confident, she says, in writing her first bookDaughters of the Samurai (Norton, 2015), the story of five young women sent by the Japanese government to the U.S. in 1871 to learn Western waysbecause it was a story no one was familiar with and she had a personal connection (Nimuras husband is Japanese and shes lived in Japan). With the Blackwells, she felt exposed, she says, emphasizing, I am not a historian, but an independent scholar. After she found the sisters in 2015, Nimura says she sat with them, did a proposal a year later, and sat with that. She handed in the first draft to Rob McQuilkin, her agent at the literary agency Massie & McQuilkin, in the fall of 2016. It was a knockout proposal, McQuilkin says. A complex subject, but Janice didnt make it obvious that it was complicated. The confidence was on the page, sure-footed in scholarship and prose. What Nimura has done, McQuilkin says, is introduce the women to the present. Elizabeth, he says, was not interested in public health, but in making a point. Emily liked the service; she liked treating patients. The Blackwells are an example of teamwork; they relied on each other as political allies as well as sisters. Everyone wanted the book when it went out on submission, McQuilkin tells me. There were 10 bidders, but The Doctors Blackwell went to Norton executive editor Alane Mason, who had worked with Nimura on Samurai. Alane was an under-bidder, McQuilkin says (calling the deal a nice six figures), but Janice had partnered well at Norton, and it was an arcane subject. Alane knew she would bring it home. He also believes its a good time for a book highlighting women: despite womens achievements, sexism has continued. The summer of 2017 was the summer of the nasty woman (as Donald Trump had called Hillary Clinton during a presidential debate in 2016). Nimura, too, thought it was a good time for a story about complicated women. And Nimura can claim prescience: Trump is currently using the word nasty to refer to another complicated woman, Joe Bidens running mate, Kamala Harris. Mason, meanwhile, had been nagging Nimura to find another subject after publishing Samurai in 2015, and she says that as soon as she saw the proposal for The Doctors Blackwell, she wanted it. To make the sisters human, to overcome the formality of their photos was not easy. These women were not perfect, Mason says, adding that Nimura did a magnificent job. She considers Nimura the ideal author. She should write a guide for authors on how to behave through the editorial process, Mason says. Shes so easy to work with: savvy, wonderful, dedicated, and her research is fantastic and original. No one knew the story of the first women doctors. When you think medicine, you think male, white coats. It was monumental to crack this. I have my own attachment to the Blackwell sisters. I was born at Womens Infirmary, delivered by a woman doctor who was legendary in local circles and ran for mayor of New York City on the Communist Party ticket in the 1950s. Thank you, ladies. Advertisement A plane carrying Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning left for a German hospital on Saturday. Images taken from the tarmac of an airport in the Siberian city of Omsk show Navalny being lifted into a private air ambulance - which was chartered to to fly him to Berlin's Charite hospital for treatment. The flight could then be seen taking off just after 8am local time and was expected to take about five hours. Navalny's personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva this morning confirmed that he had been put into an 'artificial' coma in a bid to stop his 'very deep convulsions. She believes a 'poison or some toxic agent' must have caused Navalny's extreme condition and said a 'metabolic changes' - the cause cited by Russian doctors - could not have lead to his brain damage. A video at the hospital in Omsk showed an ambulance with its rear doors opened as the unconscious Navalny was loaded in by medics wearing masks. More footage showed the ambulance entering Omsk airport ahead of a five and half hour flight to Berlin. The private air ambulance was chartered by German NGO Cinema for Peace. Navalny, a 44-year-old politician and corruption investigator who is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's fiercest critics, was admitted to an intensive care unit in Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison - and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. Dr Vasilyeva said she went to the hospital in Siberia but was barred from visiting him. She told Radio 4's Today Programme: 'They didn't allow nobody except Yulia, his wife, and his brother to come to him and visit him. So that's why I didn't see him but I spoke to his doctors and at least they described the whole clinical picture and I understood all about his health, about his condition now and it's not very good news. She added: 'So he's in a coma. He's in coma number two and some toxic agent, some toxic substance, that I think [...] only some poison or some toxic agent can influence in such a way that it damages the brain.' She said he suffers from a 'convulsive syndrome' and his coma is 'artificial' to prevent 'very deep convulsions'. She went on: 'What can lead to this condition? Only some toxic substance. Russian doctors didn't say anything about it. They said it is only metabolic changes and carbohydrate changes. But all doctors can understand that no damage and changes of the metabolic system can lead to damage of the brain.' She hopes that German doctors will be able to help Navalny. She said: 'If he was in Germany at the moment of his case, maybe they could have understood quickly what the substance is. But now they can treat him based on his symptoms and his disease.' When German specialists first arrived on a plane equipped with advanced medical equipment Friday morning at his family's behest, Navalny's physicians in Omsk said he was too unstable to move. Navalny's supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. Medical specialists carry Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on a stretcher into an ambulance on their way to an airport before his medical evacuation to Germany in Omsk, Russia Members of staff handle an isolation capsule outside the emergency department of the Charite hospital where Navalny has been transferred The ambulance that was carrying Navalny leaves the Berlin Charite Hospital after dropping off Navalny on Saturday Jaka Bizilj, founder of Cinema For Peace, speaks to the media outside the Charite Hospital where Russian politician Alexei Navalny is being treated. The private air ambulance that took Navalny to Germany was chartered by Cinema for Peace An ambulance which is believed to be carrying Navalny arrives at the Charite hospital in Berlin where he will receive further treatment Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the Russian opposition figure, arrived at the hospital today. He husband will receive further treatment there A plane carrying Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (pictured being lifted onto the plane) who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning left for a German hospital on Saturday The plane could be seen taking off from an airport in the Siberian city of Omsk (pictured) just after 8am local time Navalny's spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, confirmed the departure on Twitter. The flight to Berlin (pictured) was expected to take about five hours Navalny was loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher before being driven to the airport. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison Alexei Navalny remain in a coma in a Russian hospital after allies say he was poisoned with a 'deadly' substance that was slipped into his cup of tea (pictured drinking it) Navalny's personal doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva (pictured) this morning confirmed that he has been put into an 'artificial' coma in a bid to stop his 'very deep convulsions German police officers stand in front of the emergency entrance of the Charite hospital where Alexei Navalny is expected to arrive in Berlin, Germany Dr Vasilyeva hopes that German doctors will be able to help Navalny. She said: 'If he was in Germany at the moment of his case, maybe they could have understood quickly what the substance is. But now they can treat him based on his symptoms and his disease.' Pictured: Police outside the hospital where Navalny will arrive The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organized the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. After their ruling, the German medics were marched into a nearby car and kicked out of the hospital. Navalny's family were told they must take responsibility for any consequences of moving the gravely-ill anti-corruption campaigner to Germany. Earlier today his wife begged President Vladimir Putin to release her comatose husband amid claims of a cover-up by Russian doctors who said he has a heart disease. Navalny's wife Yulia, begged arch-rival Vladimir Putin to allow him to leave the country for treatment after he fell into a coma. Yulia, who has been barred from seeing her husband since he fell unconscious on a flight from Siberia to Moscow yesterday, said it is vital he is taken to Germany for specialist treatment. Alexander Murakhovsky, the hospital's head doctor, has flatly denied claims that Navalny was poisoned - saying he is suffering from a heart condition caused by low blood sugar. He also said that 'industrial chemicals' were found on his hands and clothes, but did not say what they were. Medics at the hospital insist they are more than capable of treating the condition, even as pictures laid bare the grim interior of the Soviet-era building. An ambulance carrying Alexei Navalny enters Omsk airport in Russia in the early hours of Saturday after he was suspected to have been poisoned Yulia Navalny, wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei, has begged arch-rival Vladimir Putin to allow her husband to be taken out of the country for treatment after he fell into a coma amid suspicion he was poisoned with toxins mixed into his tea Doctors at the hospital where Putin critic Alexei Navalny is being treated say that no trace of poison has been found in his body - though a chemical was found on his clothes and hands Yulia, in a letter to Putin, said it is vital her husband is flown out of the country to be treated by specialists - as pictures revealed the filthy interior of the hospital where he is being treated Navalny was taken to Ormsk hospital, in Siberia, yesterday after he fell unconscious on a flight. Since then the hospital has been flooded by security guards and Russian police (pictured) Medics at the hospital, who insist Navalny was not poisoned and is suffering a metabolic condition caused by low blood sugar, insist they are more than capable of treating his condition - even as pictures revealed the grim conditions (left and right) Images showed paint peeling from the walls, signs of water damage, rusted sinks and doors, an unclean toilet and parts of the building covered in plywood. Another image showed two Russian security personnel in suits marching down a dimly-lit corridor towards a masked doctor coming in the opposite direction. Yulia, Navalny's wife, accused the Kremlin of forcing doctors to delay the evacuation until all traces of poison have disappeared from her husband's body, making it impossible to prove that he was attacked. The Kremlin has denied involvement, insisting that the decision to keep Navalny in Russia was a 'purely a medical decision'. Kira Yarmysh, his press secretary, said doctors and the Kremlin had both agreed to the move but at 9.45am - 15 minutes before the evacuation plane arrived - medics suddenly changed their minds. 'Until now, doctors have said that they are ready to authorize transportation,' she tweeted early Friday. 'That is why we organized it in the shortest possible time. An air ambulance was chartered from Germany to Ormsk on Friday to take Navalny to Berlin for treatment, but doctors denied permission for him to travel at the last moment Ivan Zhadnov, director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said anyone coming into contact with him is being told to wear a hazmat suit due to 'deadly dangerous' substance Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, (pictured outside hospital today) accused the Kremlin of making a second attempt on his life after refusing to let him leave the country How Alexei Navalny has been punished for defying Putin 2011: Navalny is arrested and jailed for 15 days for 'defying an official' after leading protests in Moscow 2012: Jailed for 15 days after leading an anti-Putin protest in the wake of presidential elections. His apartment is subsequently raided, and some of his private emails posted online 2013: Put on trial for embezzlement, amid claims he tried to steal wood from a state-owned company. He is convicted and sentenced to five years, but allowed out on bail. The conviction is subsequently overturned 2014: Placed under house arrest, again charged with embezzlement alongside brother Oleg. Again, the conviction is overturned 2017: He is re-convicted in the first corruption case, and ordered to repay millions of rubles of compensation in the second While leaving his office, a pro-Kremlin activist throws green disinfectant dye in his face, partially blinding him 2018: Arrested twice for leading protests against presidential elections he was barred from running in. Jailed for a total of 50 days in jail 2019: Arrested and jailed for a total of 40 days for leading protests during Moscow Duma elections. While in jail he was rushed to hospital, suffering from what medics called an allergic reaction. Others believe he was poisoned 2020: Navalny is rushed unconscious to hospital and placed on a ventilator after falling ill on a flight. His allies say he was poisoned Advertisement 'Now, at the last moment, doctors are not giving permission. This decision, of course, was not made by them, but by the Kremlin.' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said German doctors who arrived on Friday had been invited to join Russian doctors treating Navalny. Speaking on a conference call, Peskov said it was still unclear what caused Navalny to fall ill while flying back to Moscow from Siberia on Thursday morning. Medics later suggested that Navalny's blood pressure was low, and that traces of chemicals had been found on his fingers and clothes - without saying what chemicals they were. Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putin's most threatening political rival, became gravely ill after falling suddenly sick on a plane from Tomsk to Moscow. His aides and family believe his tea was spiked with an unidentified 'toxic poison' at Tomsk airport before his flight. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Omsk and he was rushed to hospital. Hospital chiefs today indicated his condition was too grave to be moved either to another Russian hospital or - as his family and aides wish - onto an air ambulance due to arrive from Germany. His press secretary Kira Yarmysh said: 'The ban on transporting Alexei means a direct threat to his life. 'It is deadly to remain in the Omsk hospital without equipment and without a diagnosis in the current situation.' She said Putin's deputy chief of staff and spokesman Dmitry Peskov had promised to allow Navalny to be moved if needed. 'Yesterday Peskov promised to provide help in treating Navalny and in transporting him to a different clinic. 'Today doctors are refusing to give permission for his transportation.' She warned: 'Navalny's life now depends on the fact that the chief physician of the intensive care unit has refused to 'bear responsibility' - by allowing him to be moved, ideally abroad, in a well equipped flying intensive care unit.' Navalny fell sick on a plane which was forced to make an emergency landing as fellow passengers heard him screaming in pain, before he was taken unconscious into an ambulance Police officers detain a protester as he comes to support Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in front of the building of the Federal Security Service in Moscow A protester stands in front of a police officer holding a poster reading 'Putin stop poisoning people!' during a picket in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Anatoly Kalinichenko, deputy chief doctor of the hospital, speaks to members of the media who have been camped out there for two days awaiting news of Putin's rival Yulia Navalny, the campaigner's wife and mother of his two children, added that she believes the delay in transport is to allow the toxin to reduce to levels that would be undetectable after he is moved. That means his supporters will never be able to confirm that he was poisoned, or what he was poisoned with. Zhdanov added: 'All relevant documents have been submitted. 'There was an application from a family member, consent from a clinic in Germany and documents for transportation (by air ambulance). 'The clinic's decision is inexplicable and monstrous.' He said: 'The doctors have now locked themselves up in the chief doctor's office. 'No-one is allowed to see them.' Navalny's camp say they are not being given proper details of his condition and have demanded he is allowed onto the air ambulance and flown to Berlin. The chief doctor in Omsk, Alexander Murakovsky, denied any knowledge of a poison in Navalny's body, saying tests are underway and will take two more days. 'We cannot allow for the patient to be transported even under the responsibility of relatives unless the patient's clinical condition is stable,' he said. 'His current state causes our concern in relation to transportation.' If he was moved 'anything can happen including the saddest thing possible'. Navalny has been campaigning against corruption at Russian state-owned companies since 2008, and vowed to oppose Putin at the 2018 election but was banned from running Omsk transport police spokeswoman Yulia Shwartz refused to confirm a deadly substance had been found. 'The analysis is still ongoing and so far we do not have any results.' Russia has dispatched intensive care specialists, neurophysiologists and anaesthetists were sent to Omsk from two top Moscow clinics, the Pirogov Medical and Surgical Centre and the Burdenko Centre of Neurosurgery. Navalny's wife Yulia flew yesterday to be at his hospital amid claims that relatives were not being given the full facts of his condition. German chancellor Angela Merkel offered treatment in Germany for the Putin foe. 'I hope that he can recover and... he can receive from us all the help and medical support needed,' she said. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov wished Navalny a 'speedy recovery' and said the Kremlin. Would help secure him treatment abroad if needed. He claimed the poisoning allegations were 'only assumptions' until tests proved otherwise. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said Navalny had 'hundreds of enemies including some hardened individuals', pointing to his anti-corruption investigations that attract millions of views online. Tourism braces for risky winter spell By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s): Notwithstanding the risk of infections, tourism authorities are seeking approvals for the reopening of the countrys international airport in a bid to kick-start the industry for the winter season. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told the Business Times on Friday that while there will be a small risk they will be seeking approval from the health authorities for which they will be submitting a proposal next week to reopen the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for foreign travellers. Authorities are looking at strictly enforcing the health regulations adopted in the country by ensuring that repeated COVID-19 testing will be carried out while a tourist is on holiday. He noted that since the European winter season is due from November, Sri Lanka is hoping to attract visitors to the country during this period. Authorities are encouraging group travel with some of the initial travellers likely to be investors and the business tourist, the minister said. In addition, Mr. Ranatunga pointed out that they want to bring down those people who are working from home in European countries and as they would like to do so while on holiday as well. Other types of travellers they hope to bring down are those interested in obtaining Ayurveda medicine as medical tourists. In this respect, the Minister said they are in discussion with European embassies and other UN agencies as well. Minister Ranatunga noted that once schools do open in due course they hope to obtain the necessary approvals to reopen the airport as well. In the meantime, the minister also said they were seeking to establish one board for all the different state-run tourism institutions headed by a single Chairman. This would mean repealing the Tourism Act of 2005 and going back to the period when the government tourism institutions were established under the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. New Delhi: A Dassault Aviation-Reliance Group joint venture which was formed with a purpose to execute significant offsets for the Rs. 58,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal, plans to build and supply military combat aircraft on a "worldwide basis". As per a exclusive story on Economic Times, Reliance Aero, which was incorporated in April 2015 by the Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Group, will hold 51 per cent of the share in the joint venture with Dassault holding the rest, according to a clearance application filed before Competition Commission of India. The joint venture was announced in October. The Rafale fighter jet deal entails an offsets component money that has to be invested by the company into the Indian defence and aerospace sector of over Rs 25,000 crore. While a part of the offsets will go towards technology acquisition by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), a major chunk will go into setting up of manufacturing facilities in India. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed on Saturday that many of the documents from PhilHealths Ilocos region office were saved after a massive roof leak, but records stored in soaked computers have yet to be checked. It appears that many of the records have been saved but the computer hardware and equipment were exposed to rainwater leaks, Guevarra, who heads the task force investigating alleged corruption and irregularities in PhilHealth, said in a statement. We will know the extent of the damage and its impact on the ongoing investigations once the computer system is run again, he added. Guevarra said he immediately ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to protect and preserve all records from PhilHealths office in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, as well in other regions. PhilHealth Regional Vice President Alberto Manduriao in a statement on Friday assured that all the documents are intact and accounted for following the incident on Wednesday which was caught on video. He also dismissed senators speculations that the ceiling leaks could be an attempt to destroy evidence. We have always been cooperative in all probes by authorities and our office is open to any investigation, Manduriao said. READ: PhilHealth office denies sabotage, says all documents intact after water leak Guevarra said NBI personnel inspected the PhilHealth office and noted something odd. The NBI agents noticed that the rain gutters of the building were clogged and saw a piece of cloth stuck in the opening of the drain pipe, Guevarra said, without offering any conclusion. While PhilHealth attributes the leak to a heavy downpour, Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson said it does not appear to be from natural causes. He said he got information that the building was supposed to be newly occupied, and that the leaks affected an inventory of documents at the IT and accounting departments. "A video of the incident shows the ceiling was new. How come there was a leak?" Lacson said. He added that those behind the coverup efforts may share the same fate as the PhilHealth executives who were grilled in congressional hearings. Lacson earlier said they have gathered "more than enough" evidence to recommend the filing of complaints against several PhilHealth officials for misappropriating funds through the controversial interim reimbursement mechanism. PhilHealth has since suspended the cash advance scheme to review its implementation, but its officials have denied pocketing billions of pesos through the system. Lawmakers are sending their findings to the task force led by the Justice Department. Press Release August 22, 2020 Gatchalian on classrooms as isolation facilities: better for LGUs to have own evacuation centers While the Department of Education (DepEd) has allowed the use of 17,910 classrooms in the National Capital Region (NCR) as isolation and quarantine facilities, Senator Win Gatchalian said that a permanent evacuation center in every city and municipality should be part of the country's efforts to 'build back better' from the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Republic Act No. 10821 or the Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act mandates that the use of classrooms as evacuation centers shall only be a last resort and only for a brief period, Gatchalian observed that Local Government Units (LGUs) still end up using classrooms to provide temporary shelter to displaced persons during calamities. According to the lawmaker, the continued use of classrooms as evacuation or isolation facilities does not contribute to the building of safe schools and the efforts to embed a culture of safety in the basic education system under the new normal. This practice is also not sustainable and could delay the resumption of classes in the aftermath of disasters. Gatchalian recalled that when the Taal Volcano erupted early this year, the DepEd reported that the use of 3,083 classrooms prevented 18,314 students from immediately returning to school. Gatchalian also emphasized that the vulnerability of the Philippines to natural disasters adds urgency for municipalities and cities to have their own permanent evacuation center, which is the objective of Senate Bill No. 747 or the "Evacuation Center Act," which the senator filed. Under the proposed measure, these evacuation centers will provide immediate and temporary evacuation for people who have been evacuated or displaced due to typhoons, floods, storm surges, drought, fire, and the outbreak of diseases and illnesses. Since the construction of permanent evacuation centers in all local government units at the same time is not feasible, the bill mandates the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and LGUs to identify areas that will be given the highest priority. To ease the pressure on the use of classrooms in areas where it will be difficult to have new evacuation centers, the bill also gives the option of constructing additional facilities in schools. Gatchalian added that when public health emergencies or disease outbreaks occur, these centers can be used to provide additional bed capacity or serve as isolation facilities. He pointed to the example of how the COVID-19 pandemic is straining the healthcare system. As of August 19, 82 percent of ward beds, 69 percent of isolation beds, and 66 percent of intensive care unit beds in NCR are occupied. "Dahil madalas nakakaranas ang ating bansa ng mga sakuna kung saan kailangan nating ilikas ang mga naapektuhang mamamayan, kailangang pagsikapan din nating magkaroon ng permanenteng evacuation center ang bawat lungsod at munisipalidad sa bansa. Hindi lamang nito patatatagin ang kakayahan ng ating mga lokal na pamahalaan na rumesponde sa mga sakuna, makatutulong din ito upang maiwasan natin ang paggamit sa mga silid aralan at masiguro nating mas mabilis makakabalik ang ating mga mag-aaral pagkatapos ng isang sakuna," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. Economic policy meets success when it lifts millions out of poverty. By that measure, India is now at the scariest point on the pendulum. In a brutal warning, the World Bank confirmed that the Indian subcontinent may reverse the gains made on poverty over the past two decades. Half of Indias population remains vulnerable, with consumption precariously close to the poverty line, and could slip back into poverty any moment. Thanks to the pandemic-led economic slowdown, we may swing wildly from achievement to failure in a small fraction of time. Until recently, India was not only a growth superstar, but also saw its poverty rate declining at the fastest pace everfrom 58% in FY12 to 37% in FY18. By one private estimate, just 84 million were poor as of 2017, down from 270 million in 2011. So whats going wrong? According to the World Bank, the adverse economic impact of the lockdowns was mainly on the informal sector that employs poorer households, which are at the risk of income and job losses. Globally too, the pandemic is sparing none, having driven about 100 million back into extreme poverty, up from 60 million estimated earlier. Worryingly, the number could rise to even alarming levels if the pandemic drags on. The good news is that countries arent entirely powerless, including India, which can avert the damage with necessary government interventions. While measures for migrants via the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and others are commendable, much more needs to be done for the urban poor. Thats because none of the six national social assistance programs are portable and offer benefits only to state residents. The government should reassess subsidies, borrow capital without fear, generate non-tax revenue to channel more funds towards projects that create jobs and spend meaningfully on healthcare and education. Crises and pandemics are rarely kind to any country and hence the government should walk that extra mile. As they say, poverty, like affluence, becomes its own sort of inheritance and must be avoided at all costs. Correction: An earlier version of this article about the U.S. Postal Service incorrectly said that American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein sought a meeting with new postmaster general Louis DeJoy in June. DeJoy was the one who arranged the meeting, which took place in July. The article also mischaracterized Dimondsteins top priorities as of June. Although he was concerned about the coronavirus pandemics toll on the postal workforce, as the article noted, he was most concerned that DeJoy might embrace proposals to privatize the Postal Service and that he might serve the political interests of President Trump, according to the APWU. The union also said that, contrary to the article, Dimondstein wasnt focused on personal protective equipment or the need for a plan for the upcoming election. In addition, the article said the APWU is the Postal Services largest union. The National Association of Letter Carriers is the largest. This version has been corrected. VACAVILLE, Calif. - When he closes his eyes at night, Hank Hanson hears sirens in his dreams -- a byproduct of living nearly 30 years in the wildfire-prone wilderness of Northern California between San Francisco and Sacramento. But about 1 a.m. Wednesday, Hanson knew he wasnt dreaming when he looked to the hills above his home. The ridge line, where he and his wife in daylight tracked the suns shifting seasonal paths, was lit up as if someone had strung lights across it and plugged it in. It started pouring toward us like a waterfall, Hanson, 81, said. The fire was one of the more than 500 wildfires ignited across California this week from what state firefighting officials are calling a lightning siege summer thunderstorms that produce little or no rain but have prompted nearly 12,000 lightening strikes across sun-scorched terrain. More than 13,700 firefighters are battling the blazes, the most severe of which are focused in Northern California west of the state capital in Sacramento and east of the San Francisco Bay. The extraordinary reach of the flames has pushed firefighting resources to the point we have not seen in recent history, said Shana Jones, chief of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. With firefighting crews stretched thin, there was no evacuation warning for Hanson and his neighbours. Luckily, Hanson was awake because his electricity was out and the stifling 95-degree (35C) temperature prevented him from sleeping. He quickly woke up his wife, and the two raced in their diesel truck down the road. The air rang with car horns as people desperately tried to wake up their neighbours. Hanson and his wife made it to a hotel room in the nearby community of Fairfield, grateful they were alive. They found out later that their house was destroyed by the fire. The house was really two houses. The first was a small redwood home originally built in Vacaville in the 1930s but later moved to the property. Hanson, who owned a business that made patio enclosures, bought the property in 1974. He spent weekends there for the next 17 years, planting walnut, peach, fig and eucalyptus trees. In 1991, he completed a 3,000 square-foot (279-square-meter) addition to that house. It had a wine cellar, indoor and outdoor pools plus three fireplaces. The fires this week have grown quickly and, collectively, have destroyed nearly 700 homes and other structures across the state. Most of the homes that were levelled were burned by the fire that took Hansons home, the so-called LNU Lightning Complex fire. Its the second-largest wildfire in state history and has burned more than 490 square miles (1,270 square kilometres). Hanson said he is treating the fire as an adventure and talks excitedly when describing his harrowing escape . But his voice catches when he talks about the house, especially when he says he wont rebuild. I worked on it for 30 years. It was pretty nice, he said. I wouldnt want to do it on a lesser scale, and I dont got time to top the old one. Hanson said he plans to turn the lot into a park and a campground for himself and his friends for the next few years. But first, he had some shopping to do. His tomatoes, surprisingly, did not burn. He bought some hoses and plans to return to the ranch in an attempt to water them, assuming the deer havent eaten them first. They escaped the whole deal, he said. About the only thing I have left in the world is tomatoes. ___ Beam reported from Sacramento, California. US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will visit Lithuania and Russia next week for talks on Belarus amid post-election unrest in the ex-Soviet state, officials said Saturday. The number two US diplomat will meet Lithuania's foreign and defence ministers "to discuss the situation in Belarus, bilateral relations, NATO and defence issues", the Baltic state's foreign ministry said. Biegun will then visit Moscow on Tuesday and Wednesday, a Russian diplomatic source told news agency Interfax. NATO and EU member Lithuania has given shelter to Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled after a disputed presidential election on August 9. It has also sought to consolidate international support for protests in its eastern neighbour against President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule, after he claimed a landslide victory in the ballot. Vygaudas Usackas, a former EU ambassador to Russia, told AFP that Biegun's visit to the region "can be seen as readiness to play a role in resolution of the Belarusian crisis, including vis-a-vis Moscow". Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 13:09:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Wednesday he hopes the United States and China will build a "collaborative" relationship amid worsening bilateral relations. "It's obviously a very important relationship, the relationship between the United States and China. China still plays a important role in our supply chain. We also have stores and clubs and e-commerce investment in China," Doug McMillon said in his appearance at Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "It is our hope that these countries will work together, this administration and in years to come, to find ways to have a collaborative relationship," he added. "We want to be able to do business in China. I know a lot of American businesses and farmers and others want to as well." Despite the decrease in unemployment, a slow job growth and further spread of COVID-19 have cast shadows on U.S. recovery pace. Walmart has hired roughly 500,000 people since mid-March, but many of those roles are temporary. McMillon also called on the government to support small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. "A lot of those people lost jobs. They've got to have jobs to go back to. We need Congress to come together to figure out what steps needed to be taken so small businesses are protected," he added. The company has more than 400 stores and clubs in China, and has been building e-commerce operations there since the end of 2010. According to the earnings Walmart shared on Tuesday, the retailer's profit spiked 79 percent in the three months through June as more customers ordered goods online while riding out the COVID-19 pandemic from home. Enditem Popular Telugu actors such as Jr NTR, Rana Daggubati and Allu Arjun among others took to Twitter on Saturday to wish actor Chiranjeevi on his 64th birthday. The actors fans have been trending the hashtag HBD Megastar Chiranjeevi since Friday. Wishing THE MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets garu a very Happy Birthday. May you celebrate many such joyous birthdays in the years to come sir (sic), Jr. NTR tweeted. Wishing THE MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets Garu a Very Happy Birthday. May you celebrate many such joyous birthdays in the years to come sir Jr NTR (@tarak9999) August 22, 2020 Rana Daggubati wrote: THE MEGASTAR. Happy birthday sir! Have the best one (sic). He also shared a picture with Chiranjeevi. THE MEGASTAR Happy birthday sir!! Have the best one!! #HBDMegastarChiranjeeevi pic.twitter.com/6vrnyXhKFh Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) August 22, 2020 Allu Arjun wrote: Many many happy returns of the day to our one & only MEGASTAR. My heart is always filled with respect, love & gratitude. My true Acharya is many ways (sic). Many many Happy returns of the day to our one & only MEGA STAR . My heart is always filled with respect , love & gratitude . My true Acharya is many ways . #HBDMegastarChiranjeevi pic.twitter.com/2TD9juEAJg Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) August 22, 2020 Mahesh Babu tweeted: Wishing you a very Happy Birthday @KChiruTweets garu! Youve been an inspiration to an entire generation and will continue to be! Great health and happiness to you always (sic). Wishing you a very Happy Birthday @KChiruTweets garu! You've been an inspiration to an entire generation and will continue to be! Great health and happiness to you always sir pic.twitter.com/S7XpdFRWoM Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) August 22, 2020 Varun Tej tweeted: Happy birthday Megastar! I feel so lucky and blessed to have you by my side. Thank you so much for inspiring me and a lot more. Love you to the moon and back! My Acharya (sic). Happy birthday Megastar! I feel so lucky and blessed to have you by my side.. Thank you so much for inspiring me and a lot more. Love you to the moon and back! My Acharya!!!@KChiruTweets #HBDMegastarChiranjeevi pic.twitter.com/zYcH4S2b3m Varun Tej Konidela (@IAmVarunTej) August 22, 2020 Sai Dharam Tej wrote: The movies he made make him a Megastar of cinema. The way he showers love and compassion, the way he takes care and organizes his family, the way he shows his concern towards the society makes him the Numero Uno Megastar for me (sic). The movies he made makes him a Mega Star of cinema. The way he showers love and compassion, the way he takes care and organizes his family, the way he shows his concern towards the society makes him the Numero Uno Mega Star for me @KChiruTweets #HBDMegastarChiranjeevi pic.twitter.com/99EjqU6Aa1 Sai Dharam Tej (@IamSaiDharamTej) August 21, 2020 Also read: Rhea Chakrabortys WhatsApp chats with Mahesh Bhatt on day Sushant Singh Rajput died reveal filmmaker tried calling her On the career front, Chiranjeevi will be next seen on screen in Telugu film Acharya. As per reports, Acharya will be about a middle-aged Naxalite-turned-social reformer who launches a fight against the Endowments Department over misappropriation and embezzlement of temple funds and donations. Acharya marks the maiden collaboration of Chiranjeevi and director Koratala Siva, best known for helming films such as Mirchi, Srimanthudu, Bharat Ane Nenu and Janatha Garage. The film originally was supposed to mark Trishas return to Telugu filmdom after many years. However, she opted out of the project due to creative differences. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Seeking to wriggle out of the FATF's grey list, Pakistan has imposed tough financial sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Dawood Ibrahim, by ordering the seizure of all of their properties and freezing of bank accounts, a media report said on Saturday. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic. The government issued two notifications on August 18 announcing sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar, and underworld don Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India's most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The Pakistan government has proscribed 88 leaders and members of terrorist groups, in compliance with the new list issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently, Pakistani daily The News reported. The notifications announced sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), JeM, Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, al-Qaeda, and others. The government ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable properties of these outfits and individuals, and freezing of their bank accounts, the report said. These terrorists have been barred from transferring money through financial institutions, purchasing of arms and travelling abroad, it said. The notifications ratified a complete ban on all leaders and members of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hiding in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas. The paper reported that Saeed, Azhar, Mullah Fazlullah (alias Mullah Radio), Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Hakeem Murad, wanted by Interpol, Noor Wali Mehsud, Fazal Raheem Shah of Uzbekistan Liberation Movement, Taliban leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Ibrahim and his associates were on the list. The notifications said that leadership of the defunct TTP, and other organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, JeM, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tariq Geedar group of TTP, Harkatul Mujahideen, Al Rasheed Trust, Al Akhtar Trust, Tanzim Jaish-al Mohajireen Ansar, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Tanzim Khutba Imam Bukhari, Rabita Trust Lahore, Revival of Islamic Heritage Society of Pakistan, Al-Haramain Foundation Islamabad, Harkat Jihad Al Islami, Islami Jihad Group, Uzbekistan Islami Tehreek, Daesh of Iraq, Emirates of Tanzim Qafqaz working against Russia, and Abdul Haq of Uyghurs of Islamic Freedom Movement of China have been banned. Though various sanctions were in place against almost all of those listed by the UNSC, the government through the new notifications consolidated and documented the previously announced measures, the report said. The UNSC Sanctions Committee deals with sanctions on entities and individuals declared as terrorists. All states, including Pakistan, are bound to implement the sanctions which include assets freeze, an arms embargo, and travel ban. It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the grey list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF. On August 12, Pakistan Parliament's lower house passed four bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF after the government and the Opposition reached a consensus. The legislation was part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF's grey list to the white list. In its third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in the "grey list" as Islamabad failed to check the flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu. With Pakistan's continuation in the 'grey list', it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB, and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial situation. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility that the global body may put the country in the 'Black List' along with North Korea and Iran. The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. Also Read: WHO hopes COVID-19 pandemic will end in 'less than 2 years' Also Read: Delhi Police arrests alleged ISIS terrorist with IEDs from Dhaulan Kuan area A former make-up consultant has revealed how she makes large sums of cash by playing video games online. Natalie Acquisto, 26, from Perth, tried various jobs before deciding to make a change and turn her passion for gaming into a career. The South African born star shot to fame as 'NatChats', her online gaming name, and is now earning big bucks in a typically male-dominated industry. Scroll down for video Natalie Acquisto, 26, (pictured) who goes by 'NatChats, left her job as a makeup consultant in Perth to become a professional gamer Ms Acquisto said she had gained 20,000 followers after just three months and became Australia's only partnered streamer with Facebook gaming She is now followed by more than 300,000 people who pay to watch her play Call of Duty and Fortnite. Ms Acquisto said she was surprised when her career took off so quickly. 'It really did grow to somewhere I never thought it would be. I think it was scary to turn it full time (so soon) because it can also go very horribly wrong,' Ms Acquisto told the West. The South African born star broke into the male-dominated industry and now thousands pay to watch her game She is now followed by more than 300,000 people who watch her playing online games Call of Duty and Fortnite Despite gaining thousands of new fans, not everyone is happy about her decision to follow such an unusual career path. Her dad, a typical old-school Italian man, always told her not to play games and urged her to pursue a more traditional career. 'It's very hard to explain to an older generation, they are just so set that you be an accountant. But generations are evolving. It's 2020 there are new forms of income, new forms of technology, new jobs being created,' she said. Instead of making money through gaming conventions or through competitions or paid partnerships, streamers make money through interactions with fans. The 26-year-old makes money while playing games from the comfort of her home (pictured) Ms Aquisito makes her money from fans watching her play online. 'So let's say I'm playing a game and I do something really funny. There is a little star option and one cent is one star. So if someone sends you 100 stars, that's $1 ... but you are earning in US dollars, so the conversion to Australian cha-ching,' Acquisto said. She also sells merchandise, and makes money off subscribers who pay $7 a month, although Facebook takes 30 per cent of the monthly earnings. With around 700 subscribers, the 26-year-old gamer is making an estimated $41,000 a year plus donations. She is also paid between $10 to hundreds of dollars per video per day. With around 700 subscribers, the 26-year-old gamer is making an estimated $41,000 a year plus donations Former Army Special Forces Officer Charged in Russian Espionage Conspiracy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 21, 2020 Former Green Beret Allegedly Conspired to Provide National Defense Information to Russian Intelligence A Gainesville, Virginia, man was arrested today for conspiring with Russian intelligence operatives to provide them with United States national defense information. According to court documents, from December 1996 to January 2011, Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, a former member of the U.S. Army, allegedly conspired with agents of a Russian intelligence service. During that time, Debbins periodically visited Russia and met with Russian intelligence agents. In 1997, Debbins was assigned a code name by Russian intelligence agents and signed a statement attesting that he wanted to serve Russia. "Two espionage arrests in the past week Ma in Hawaii and now Debbins in Virginia demonstrate that we must remain vigilant against espionage from our two most malicious adversaries Russia and China," said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "Debbins violated his oath as a U.S. Army officer, betrayed the Special Forces and endangered our country's national security by revealing classified information to Russian intelligence officers, providing details of his unit, and identifying Special Forces team members for Russian intelligence to try to recruit as a spy. Our country put its highest trust in this defendant, and he took that trust and weaponized it against the United States." "Our military is tasked with the awesome responsibility of protecting our nation from its adversaries, and its service members make incredible sacrifices in service of that duty," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "When service members collude to provide classified information to our foreign adversaries, they betray the oaths they swore to their country and their fellow service members. As this indictment reflects, we will be steadfast and dogged in holding such individuals accountable." "The facts alleged in this case are a shocking betrayal by a former Army officer of his fellow soldiers and his country," said Alan E. Kohler, Jr., FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division. "Debbins is accused of giving Russian intelligence officers sensitive information about the units in which he once served and also providing the names of other service members so Russia could try to recruit them. These actions cannot stand and the FBI will aggressively pursue such cases." "According to the allegations, Mr. Debbins knowingly provided information to self-proclaimed members of Russia's Intelligence Service, the GRU," said James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, the American people and his fellow service men and women should have been able to trust Debbins with secrets and information. Debbins allegedly fell very short of that and exploited his role in the military and his fellow service members to benefit one of our top adversaries for years. Today's charges are another example of the dedicated and unrelenting efforts of the FBI and our partners, domestic and international, to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who violate this sacred trust and place our national security at risk." Over the course of the conspiracy, Debbins allegedly provided the Russian intelligence agents with information that he obtained as a member of the U.S. Army, including information about his chemical and Special Forces units. In 2008, after leaving active duty service, Debbins disclosed to the Russian intelligence agents classified information about his previous activities while deployed with the Special Forces. Debbins also provided the Russian intelligence agents with the names of, and information about, his former Special Forces team members so that the agents could evaluate whether to approach the team members to see if they would cooperate with the Russian intelligence service. Debbins is charged with conspiring to provide United States national defense information to agents of a foreign government. If convicted, Debbins faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director of FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler and James L. Trump, and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Terwilliger greatly appreciate the assistance of the FBI's Minneapolis Field Office, and Army Counterintelligence, along with the United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police and MI5. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Attachment(s): Download indictment_-_u.s._v._peter_rafael_dzibinski_debbins_.pdf Topic(s): Counterintelligence and Export Control National Security Component(s): National Security Division (NSD) USAO - Virginia, Eastern Press Release Number: 20-812 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address S Kumaresan By Express News Service CHENNAI: With Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu scheduled for next year, the ruling AIADMK team is taking a leaf out of the BJPs book to rev up its meme campaign portraying DMK president MK Stalin as a dunce and a lightweight. The saffron party, an ally of the AIADMK, famously succeeded in painting and mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a pappu (small boy) in the run-up to the 2014 parliamentary elections. Gandhi has been unable to completely shake it off even seven years later. The AIADMKs plan has been to highlight Stalins gaffes, in the hope of accomplishing a similar effect. To this end, the ruling partys IT wing, with some support from the BJP, have been promoting hashtags such as #ThathiStalin (dunce Stalin) and #Sudalai Parithabangal (Sudalai tragedies, Sudalai being a mocking name for Stalin) on social media platforms for several months now. The AIADMK campaign focuses on two weaknesses of Stalin. First, his gaffes in public fora, often captured on video. Second, his limited abilities as an extemporaneous public speaker. The IT wings have collected videos of his gaffes and worked hard to make them viral on Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp through thousands of social media users affiliated to the parties. With this, they aim to portray him as a joker. To highlight his limitations as a public speaker, they call him thundu seetu (chit of paper), mocking his tendency to refer to notes while speaking. Aspire Swaminathan, coordinator of AIADMK IT wing, defends the strategy on the ground that it reflects a popular view of Stalin. "Not just AIADMK cadres, even the general public considers Stalin to be unfit for the Chief Ministerial post. This is evident from the fact that though we uploaded videos of his gaffes, it is the public that is making them," he claimed. "The campaign against Stalin will continue." The party will also be introducing new hashtags like "Kayavar TV" (AIADMKs YouTube channel named mocking the DMKs Kalaignar TV), "Arikkai Arumugam" (person who keeps making announcements) and "Whatsapp bench" to spread its messages against the DMK and Stalin. Interestingly, the BJP claimed to have little to do with this campaign. We have no specific role in this. But, it is common to retweet and share the messages of AIADMK and others if they are relevant to our party, ANS Prasad, State BJP media president said. However, DMK cadres claim to be unperturbed by such campaigns. Pudukkottai MM Abdulla, a state functionary of the DMK IT wing, said they were not any cause of concern to the party. Such campaigns won't yield results. The party had done an internal assessment of this and found there was no harm caused to its leaders, he said. However, this suggests the DMK was concerned enough to run such an assessment. Nonetheless, Abdulla claimed that the people of TN had rejected such smear campaigns. A similar effort was made during the last parliamentary polls by the AIADMK-BJP alliance and they failed. The people know our leader Stalins capabilities. His track record as Chennai Mayor, municipal administration minister and deputy chief minister speaks volumes, he said. Some of Stalin's gaffes Last month, radio presenter Craig 'Huggy' Huggins announced the tragic death of his mother Joyce, who passed away from COVID-19 while at a nursing home. The Melbourne-based star paid tribute to his mother in an interview with The Daily Telegraph's Stellar magazine on Sunday. 'I wasn't able to visit and hug my mother in her final hours, or tell her face-to-face of my love for her,' he told the publication. Heartbreaking: Australian radio host Craig 'Huggy' Huggins paid tribute to his late mother Joyce who died from coronavirus last month (both pictured) 'And given the limit of 10, my own children couldn't attend Nan's funeral,' he continued. 'For months, we have witnessed people behaving irresponsibly with the rules that have been handed down to curb this insidious virus, so I knew that mine and Mum's message had to make people react immediately.' The Gold 104.3 presenter explained how he leaned on the support of his listeners. Craig shared the devastating news of his mother's passing on July 28. 'Through Gold 104.3, I've always felt that you and I have had that sort of relationship where we can tell each other anything,' he said. 'So I want to tell you that I'm finishing early today. In fact, I'm going home right now. Sadly I've just received a call to let me know that my elderly mum Joyce has passed away at a nursing home with COVID-19.' Her final hours: 'I wasn't able to visit and hug my mother in her final hours, or tell her face-to-face of my love for her,' he told Stellar magazine He continued: 'There's no need to ring me, I know your thoughts are with me and my family.' Craig then urged listeners to wear protective 'face masks, social distance and do the right thing' as the pandemic continues to intensify. 'I just want to ask you to be careful. Wear your mask, social distance and do the right thing. Many people don't know anyone that's had the virus, but now you do, Huggy's mum. Stay safe and and I'll be back in a new few days,' he said. He said on his radio show: 'So I want to tell you that I'm finishing early today. In fact, I'm going home right now. Sadly I've just received a call to let me know that my elderly mum Joyce has passed away at a nursing home with COVID-19' Victoria reported 182 new COVID-19 infections and 13 additional fatalities on Saturday, taking the national death toll to 485. There are 610 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 36 battling the virus in intensive care and 22 on a ventilator. The new figures come after the state reported 179 cases on Friday, its lowest daily increase in more than five weeks when 177 infections were reported on July 13. Personal attacks mar 9th parliaments first day of business By Our Lobby correspondent Sandun Jayawardana View(s): View(s): A day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered the Governments policy statement, Fridays first debate of the ninth Parliament failed to make a mark, with MPs veering off topics and at times, launching personal attacks against each other. There was, however, much back and forth over the Presidents statement during his speech the day before that the Government intended to swiftly abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The Opposition called on the Government to clarify these remarks as to whether they meant the Government intended to keep positive elements of 19A or whether it intended to do away with the amendment altogether. In a significant move, the task of kicking off the debate fell on newly elected Matara district Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Nipuna Ranawaka. Mr Ranawaka is the nephew of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He topped the preferential vote list from Matara at the August 5 Parliamentary election. The 29-year-old, one of the youngest MPs in the new legislature, used his speech to thank the voters of Matara for electing him to Parliament and extend his support to the objectives set out by President Rajapaksa in his Policy Statement, including strengthening local industries, providing more employment opportunities for youth and abolishing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena pointed out that a large number of young MPs have been elected to the new legislature and added that both the President and Prime Minister were keen to see them develop as proficient lawmakers. The Opposition meanwhile, demanded that the Government clarifies its stance with regard to the 19th Amendment. Chief Opposition Whip and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kandy district MP Lakshman Kiriella, pointed out that many of those in the Government, who represented the Opposition then, voted in 2015 to approve the very amendment which they are now criticising with much vehemence. We only had about 45 MPs in the Government. The Opposition helped us to achieve the two-thirds majority required to approve the 19th Amendment. Why are they suddenly now trying to abolish it? Mr Kiriella further questioned whether the Governments stance on abolishing 19A meant that it intended to also do away with the independent commissions established under it. The President also spoke about one country, one law. How does he intend to go about doing that? Does that mean the Government will abolish the various personal laws such as Kandyan Law, Thesawalamai Law and Muslim Law? These laws are hundreds of years old. It is not practical to abolish them all, he remarked. Though elected by a sweeping majority last November, President Rajapaksa could not call an election to form a Government as 19A tied his hands and prevented him from dissolving Parliament until it had completed 4 years of its term, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said. The 19th Amendment left the country in a mess. It muzzled the President and tied his hands. The ridiculous Commissions appointed under 19A further muddled matters. The President will soon present a clear mechanism to abolish the 19th Amendment. Former President Maithripala Sirisena also spoke during the debate. However, Mr Sirisena, who was instrumental in ensuring the passage of 19A only to later become one of its most ardent critics, largely avoided the topic. Beyond stating that lawmakers have so far failed to approve a Constitution that was suitable to the country, the former President largely avoided the subject, preferring instead to speak about food security. While the 1978 Constitution was outdated and a new Constitution was needed to better protect the rights of all communities, the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) will oppose any attempt to again centralise power in the hands of a single individual, JJB Gampaha district MP Vijitha Herath insisted. It is true that 19A has its flaws, but it was thanks to the independent Election Commission that was established under it that recent elections have been largely peaceful and free of the violence, Mr Herath noted, adding that they will staunchly oppose any attempt to do away with independent commissions. Galle district SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara meanwhile, told Parliament that as many as 126 government institutions out of 434, or 29 percent of all institutions, come under the purview of members of the Rajapaksa family. The President and Prime Minister are from the same family. Chamal and Namal Rajapaksa are Cabinet Ministers while Shashindra Rajapaksa is a State Minister. Nipuna Ranawaka is a District Coordinating Committee Chairman. Mr Nanayakkara pointed out that Mahinda Rajapaksa holds three different Cabinet portfolios Buddha Sasana, Finance, Housing and Urban Development, with 66 different institutions coming under him. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa meanwhile, has 23 institutions under him as Minister of Defence, though the 19th Amendment prohibits the President from holding a ministerial portfolio. Chamal Rajapaksa holds 17 institutions in his capacity as a Cabinet Minister and State Minister while his son Shashindra holds six as a State Minister. Namal Rajapaksa also holds seven institutions. The MP added that seven institutions such as the Board of Investment, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and Sri Lanka Telecom come under the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force headed by Basil Rajapaksa. In contrast, there is one State Minister for Ports and Shipping, who is not a Rajapaksa family member, who does not have a single institution gazetted under him, he further observed. Mr Nanayakkara questioned whether the developments meant the Sahodara Samagama of the Rajapaksas was back in full force. The speech prompted State Minister Nimal Lanza to launch an ugly personal attack on Mr Nanayakkara, to which the latter replied with similar unseemly remarks, resulting in the first real heated exchange of the new Parliament. The debate, which began at 9.30 a.m., concluded at 4.30 p.m. with the Statement of Government Policy being approved without a vote. Other posts this week Aside from the posts of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson of Committees, the following MPs were also confirmed in their posts this week. Sajith Premadasa has been recognized by the Speaker as the Leader of the Opposition in the 9th Parliament. Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena and Johnston Fernando meanwhile, assumed duties as Leader of the House and Chief Government Whip respectively. SJB Kandy district MP Lakshman Kiriella has been appointed Chief Opposition Whip. MPs Dilan Perera and Jayantha Katagoda have been appointed as Deputy Government Whips of Parliament. In addition to this, MPs Jagath Pushpakumara, Mohamed Muzammil and Asanka Navaratne have been appointed as Assistant Government Whips.These posts have been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. No UNP or OPP names yet No MP from either the UNP or Our Power of People (OPP) took oaths as MPs this week to fill the two national list seats allocated to the parties as they are yet to nominate names to those seats. Meanwhile, Ratnapura district SLPP MP Premalal Jayasekara too is yet to take oaths as an MP. He has been sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court for a murder committed in 2015. Mr Jayasekara has appealed against his guilty verdict. Parliaments Serjeant-at-Arms has informed the Commissioner General of Prisons to make arrangements for Mr Jayasekara to attend Parliament. Stepping into role of Speaker Born on October 10, 1945 in Makandura, Matara, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is a senior politician with more than 30 years experience in politics. He had his primary education at Thelijjavila Central College and Rahula College, Matara. He obtained his first degree from the University of Colombo and also received specialized training in Management from the Institute of Management, Chandigarh, India. He first entered Parliament by winning the Hakmana by-election in 1983 representing the UNP. He was one of two Government MPs to vote against the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which came about as a result of the signing of the 1987 Indo-Lanka agreement, leading to him being removed from the UNP for violating party rules. He later joined a breakaway faction of the UNP, the DUNF, before joining the SLFP in 2015. Mr Abeywardena has served as Chairman of the Southern Provincial Council (1993/94) and also as Chief Minister of the same Provincial Council from 1994 to 2001. He has also held a number of Ministries such as Health, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, Irrigation and Rural Development, Industry and Commerce, Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture. KITCHENER After years of struggling to meet Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) guidelines, local community radio station CKWR 98.5 FM has secured a seven-year broadcast licence renewal from the federal regulatory body. The fate of the Kitchener-based stations broadcast licence was uncertain after repeated acts of noncompliance, including insufficient Canadian content, late implementation of the National Public Alerting System, and failure to submit annual financial reports to the CRTC as far back as 2001. We were confident we had done everything we could do, and were cautiously optimistic the CRTC would see the hard work weve put in, said Burgess Marskell, vice-chair of the stations board of directors, of the seven-year renewal. We cant lose sight of the fact they will be keeping an eye on us, and if we were to start showing signs of falling back into that significant noncompliance that has plagued us in the last few years, that could cause serious problems. In late 2018 the station a cultural mainstay in Waterloo Region for more than 45 years received a short-term renewal that extended from Jan. 1, 2019, to the end of this month to give station management time to address its problems. The new licence extends from Sept. 1, 2020, to Aug. 31, 2027. CKWR had a history of noncompliance going back nearly two decades. In 2008, the station failed to submit annual reports to the CRTC for 2001, 2002 and 2004. In 2013 it was revealed that CKWR again failed to submit financial reports from 2008 to 2010. It received short-term licence renewals in both instances. The station has also failed to broadcast the necessary amount of Canadian content as required by the CRTC. During a weeklong audit in October 2016, commission staff estimated Canadian musical content accounted for only 3.3 per cent of the total broadcast time, well short of the required 10 per cent. Over the past two years management has taken steps to fix the underlying problems, including replacing most of its leadership group, firing its bookkeeper, and putting renewed emphasis on staff training. As part of its new licence, the CRTC has several requirements: at least 10 per cent of all musical selections broadcast during ethnic programming periods must be dedicated to Canadian selections. 23 hours of programming each broadcast week must be dedicated to ethnic programs. at least 19 hours of programming each broadcast week must be dedicated to third-language programs. the station must provide programming directed to a minimum of eight distinct ethnic groups in at least six different languages each broadcast week. The station offers more than 40 shows in 14 languages, including Indian, African, Polish, German, Italian, Chinese, blues, jazz, rock-and-roll, classical and religious programming. With the licence issue now behind it, the station can move forward with an eye on future sustainability a goal that took a hit when COVID-19 forced the station to lock its doors in March and required on-the-fly training for its hosts to learn how to record and upload their shows from home. Peter Beacock, board chair of CKWR, said the station lost nearly 70 per cent of its advertising revenue within just a few short days in March as advertisers called to pull their ads from the air to try and save money. The station is working to bring those advertisers back. Next month, upgrades to the broadcast antenna should help boost the signal as far as Wingham to the north, west to Woodstock or London, and south almost as far as Hamilton. The station is also preparing to launch new fundraising campaigns to help keep the station running, and to possibly upgrade to digital broadcast technology. It would be such a tragedy to lose this precious, precious station, said Beacock. Id like to thank our listeners, without them none of this would matter, added Marskell. James Jackson is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on business and technology for the Record. Reach him via email: jjackson@therecord.com Read more about: President Ghani urged the Taliban to lay down its arms and commence the proposed intra-Afghan peace talks. At least 14 security forces have been killed in three attacks across Afghanistan, as violence keeps the country in its grasp and the start of the peace talks remains delayed. At least nine security forces were killed and one wounded when the Taliban attacked a checkpoint in the northern Takhar province on Saturday, the police chief spokesman for the province said. Taliban attacks in the northeastern province of Badakhshan also left four security forces dead, that provinces spokesman said. Three magnetic bomb explosions in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed one and wounded at least four people, including a civilian, the citys police spokesman said. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack in Kabul which has recently seen a surge in sticky bomb explosions, which were regularly being attached to security forces vehicles. On Friday, the Afghan National Army (ANA) said in a statement at least 114 Taliban fighters were killed in air and ground offensives in the past 24 hours. 200819090658843 A delay in the prisoners release programme has delayed the start of highly expected intra-Afghan peace talks. The Taliban repeatedly said it will not enter into peace talks with the government until the remaining Taliban prisoners are freed. Kabul has released 80 of a remaining group of 400 Taliban prisoners after securing the approval of a traditional grand assembly on August 9. Following the initial release, Australia and France officially asked Kabul not to let out Taliban prisoners convicted of killing their citizens. Afghan authorities say diplomatic efforts are under way to agree to a compromise with both nations. The government has already released 4,680 Taliban prisoners, while the armed group says it has kept its side of the deal with the United States by releasing 1,000 pro-government prisoners. On Thursday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urged the Taliban to lay down its arms and commence the proposed intra-Afghan peace talks. A new book of selfies! Kim Kardashian reveals her ultimate wedding gift to Kanye West in KUWTK finale It wasn't exactly original but Kim Kardashian was certain that Kanye West would like it. The 33-year-old announced she'd found the perfect wedding gift for her groom in Monday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians finale - a new book of selfies. As taking pictures of herself in provocative poses and clothes and then posting them to her social media seems to be her 'thing,' the gesture was not terribly surprising. Scroll down for video Special gift: Kim Kardashian revealed she'd made a very special and intimate wedding gift for Kanye West in Monday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians finale - a new book of selfies Kim - who also compiled a selfie book for Kanye's birthday on June 8 and for Valentine's Day - completed the latest tome as she got her hair and make-up done two hours before the ceremony. She proudly showed it off to her sisters Khloe and Kourtney, who also have been known to post a selfie or two. 'I love to make selfie books for Kanye,' Kim gushed on the E! show. 'And for his birthday I made him a selfie book and he loved it. 'I hope he likes it': The 33-year-old was probably worrying needlessly as her groom Kanye certainly enjoyed the first two selfie tomes she'd compiled for him Fast work: Kim completed the latest book of self-portraits while she was getting her hair and make-up done for wedding in Florence, Italy 'So for our wedding I made him a new one. I hope he likes it.' Kim's Instagram page is a virtual work of art from single shots to three-way frames, and some more candid photos too. One revealing snap showed Kim taking a selfie at the gym while the mirror reflected back her hourglass figure in white leggings and top along with a waist-cinching corset. Setting the precedence: Kim told her sisters, 'For his birthday I made him a selfie book and he loved it' More to love: Kim also compiled a book of selfies for Kanye's Valentine's Day present Another from a few months ago showed Kim with her blonde-highlighted hair showing off her post-baby figure in a clingy white swimsuit. Kim is also planning to publish a 352-page book made up of some of her best selfies in April of next year. She got the idea after she compiled the first collection of self-portraits for Kanye, which was his Valentine's Day present. White hot: Kim loves to post selfies of herself in provocative poses and no doubt she included something like this in Kanye's wedding gift It's a cinch: The reality star showed off her hourglass figure in this selfie taken at the gym Visit Extra for more 'It ended up turning out so cool that we come up with this idea to do a book, a selfie book,' Kim said. 'And so, I'm going to make some super-racy. I mean, every girl takes full pictures of their [rear] in the mirror... I might share some of them.' Giving the public a piece: Kim is also planning to publish a 352-page book made up of some of her best selfies in April of next year Elizabeth Njoroge, the founder of Ghetto Classics orchestra program for children from impoverished areas of Kenya, is hopeful that the forthcoming Kenya Ni Yetu show will unite Kenyans. Speaking to Classic 105, she said she was excited to be part of the virtual concert set for August 29 from 8 pm. I was very keen to be a part of it. Its a wonderful idea and something we can do as Kenyans to bring people together in these trying times, she said. Its a wonderful expression of who we are as Kenyans to come together through music. Speaking on the impact of the pandemic on music, Elizabeth said the industry has been hit hard. Our existence is our audience. We bring people together in celebration to share our art. Weve had to find ways and some are through an online platform, she said. We are teaching in smaller groups, because of social distancing rules, she added. Kenya ni Yetu virtual concert is sponsored by Stanbic Bank and the Media Council of Kenya. It will feature music acts such as Eric Wainaina, Sauti Sol, Elizabeth Njoroge, Susan Owiyo, Samidoh, Hart_the band, Sir Elvis and Redfourth choir among others. Reggae icon Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage will be the international guest artiste. The inaugural and official launch of these productions will be aired on a digital platform to reach huge masses that have access to a phone with Internet connectivity. The concert will also be on all TV stations, including Kiss TV, NTV, K24, KTN and Citizen TV as well as on yetulive.com. All Radio Africa radio stations will also broadcast the concert. If Vahap Sarac and his wife cant find affordable health insurance for their family soon, theyre considering sending their young daughters to live with their grandparents in Estonia. Sarac was furloughed from his job as a banquet captain at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago when COVID-19 hit in mid-March, after working there for more than 30 years. The health insurance coverage he has through his job is scheduled to end Oct. 1. Estonia has a far lower rate of deaths from COVID-19 than the U.S. and near-universal health coverage. We dont want to separate from our kids, said Sarac, 55 of Chicagos Albany Park neighborhood. But he worries about his children, especially his 1-year-old whose lungs werent fully developed at birth. This virus is very risky for her. He also worries that if someone in his family gets sick and has to be hospitalized whatever in 30 years Ive saved for their colleges for them, for retirement, everything will be wiped out by those hospital bills. Across Chicago and the country, many people have a new concern on their ever-growing list of worries during the pandemic: a lack of health insurance. An estimated 186,000 Illinois workers may have become uninsured because of job losses between February and May, according to a report from consumer health care advocacy organization Families USA. The group said the pandemic and resulting job cuts have caused the greatest health insurance losses in American history. The group estimates that across the country, 5.4 million laid-off workers became uninsured between February and May -- a far higher number than the 3.9 million adults who lost coverage from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession. In Illinois, the situation isnt as dire as in some other states because of programs available here. But advocates are concerned that some people may remain uninsured because they dont understand their options. Still others who dont qualify for Medicaid may forgo health insurance because they cant afford even low-cost plans. People who dont have health insurance dont get the care they need, or dont get it in a timely (way) or they get care and then get clobbered by medical bills that they cant afford to pay, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. Its always a scary thing. People dont like being uninsured, but I think right now theres an even higher element of fear. Workers in certain industries, such as travel and hospitality, have been particularly hard-hit. UNITE HERE Local 1, which represents workers at 51 hotels in the city, says some 7,000 Chicago hotel workers who remain laid off due to the pandemic risk losing their health insurance soon. Their coverage is through a fund dependent almost entirely on employer contributions that is set to run out of money by the end of September. Hilton, Saracs employer, said in a statement that it is doing everything to ensure that as many hotel employees as possible continue to receive temporary health benefits during the pandemic, but, Unfortunately, the economic impact of the pandemic means these temporary benefits cannot be sustained indefinitely. Illinois residents who lose their jobs have a number of options to stay insured. They are generally eligible for COBRA, which allows them to keep their previous insurance but requires them to pay for the full cost of it, without their previous employers contributions. Normally, people have 60 days after they lose their jobs to sign up for COBRA, but the federal government has extended that window until after the national emergency of COVID-19 ends. People who dont choose COBRA right away can sign up for it later, if they have medical problems, and get coverage for medical issues that already occurred. But COBRA is financially out of reach for many people. The average annual cost of job-based health coverage in 2019, including both the employee and employer contributions, was $7,188 a year for a single person and $20,576 for a family of four, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Many Illinois residents who lose their jobs may also qualify for Medicaid, which Illinois chose to expand under the Affordable Care Act. Before that expansion, Medicaid was open only to low-income people with disabilities, children or certain other circumstances. Now, in Illinois, its available to adults without children or disabilities, with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or up to $1,467 a month for an individual. People who lose their employer-sponsored insurance also can choose plans from the Obamacare marketplace at Healthcare.gov. Based on their incomes, many people qualify for tax credits to offset the often high costs of those plans. But some area residents, like Carmella Carothers, 41 of Chicagos Austin community, dont think any of those options will work for them. Carothers worked at the JW Marriott Chicago as a banquet server before being laid off in early March. With unemployment insurance benefits, she makes too much to qualify for Medicaid. But she cant afford COBRA or a subsidized plan from the marketplace. One hundred dollars a month is a lot when youre on a fixed income, Carothers said. Carothers plan, at the moment, is to forgo insurance and visit federally qualified health centers if she needs care. The centers, which are scattered throughout the city and receive federal funding, may charge patients for services on a sliding scale based on their ability to pay. Centers in the Chicago area include those that are part of Access Community Health Network and Erie Family Health Centers. But Carothers plan wont help her if she gets sick and needs to be hospitalized. Its a scary, scary thing, Carothers said. I hate to have to choose between paying my rent and food and health insurance. It can be difficult to determine how many Illinois workers who lose their jobs will become uninsured. Some will enroll in Medicaid, Obamacare exchange plans, short-term coverage or get new insurance through their spouses jobs. A May analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that 846,000 Illinois residents had lost their job-based health insurance, but more than half of those people were eligible for Medicaid and another quarter were eligible for subsidies through the Obamacare exchange. Its unknown how many of those people will sign up for those programs. There are still a lot of reasons why people fall through the cracks, said Stephani Becker, associate director for health care justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law in Chicago. Kaiser estimated 178,000 of those 846,000 Illinois residents who lost their insurance were not eligible for Medicaid or subsidies because of their incomes, citizenship status or other reasons. Families USA has pegged that number at 186,000, though thats an estimate based on past patterns of unemployment and insurance coverage. The situation has left people scrambling. About 487,000 people nationwide signed up for Obamacare exchange plans from the end of last year to May because they lost their previous insurance -- a 46% year-over-year increase, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In Illinois, the number of people on Medicaid managed care has been climbing, from 2.1 million in March to 2.4 million in July. That increase is likely due, in part, to a new federal law that prohibits states from cutting off peoples Medicaid coverage during the pandemic. But it may also be because more people are losing their jobs, said John Hoffman, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in an email. Some Illinois health insurance brokers also say theyre seeing more business from consumers whove lost their jobs and health insurance. Normally, during the summer, broker Alexandra Eidenberg gets about one new client a week looking for an individual plan. Lately, shes been seeing about 10 to 15 new clients a week, she said. Its a really intense time with this virus, said Eidenberg, who is president and owner of The Insurance People in Skokie. Everyone is getting laid off and furloughed and needs to recalibrate their insurance. Amy Scher, 47 of Highland Park, reached out to Eidenberg after she unexpectedly lost her insurance earlier this year. In a case of terrible timing, Scher, who works in account management market research, left her job in March to start a new one. But with COVID-19 surging, her new employer rescinded the offer and her previous employer instituted a hiring freeze and could not bring her back. Scher and her husband considered signing up for COBRA, but it was too expensive. Instead, Eidenberg helped them choose an exchange plan for themselves and sign their 10-year-old daughter up for All Kids, a state and federally funded health insurance program for Illinois children whose parents meet certain income requirements. Low monthly premiums and co-payments some families typically pay for the All Kids program have been suspended during COVID-19. We were so scared every day, Scher said. My daughter would want to go on a bike ride and I would say, No, no bike ride, Scher said, explaining that she wasnt sure which doctors would take her daughters new coverage. I was just so nervous for us to do anything that required any kind of big risk. Still, Scher knows she was lucky. Everyone in her family stayed relatively healthy, and her previous company hired her back after a couple of months. Many other Illinois families continue to face difficult choices. Adrian Aguirre, of Oak Forest, lost his familys health insurance several months ago after he was furloughed from his job as a server and bartender at the Omni Chicago Hotel. Aguirre, 45, had worked at the hotel for more than 20 years. Aguirre is exploring his options for new insurance but hoping his employer will call him back to work. His son has stopped going to his physical therapy appointments, and he estimates that his wife, who is diabetic, has about a months worth of medication left. He said theyll likely have to pull money from their savings to keep paying for her medication. It worries me, he said, because youre thinking every day, What if you get sick? What happens? What do you do? Gov. J.B. Pritzkers graduated-rate income tax: Heres what you need to know Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Once the global headquarters of General Electric, the 66-acre property in Fairfield is now housing Sacred Heart University students quarantined due to COVID-19. The schools guest house on Easton Turnpike is being used to quarantine students coming from states on Gov. Ned Lamonts travel advisory list. Once the rest of the students arrive next week, those who test positive for the coronavirus or have been exposed will also self-isolate there for 14 days if they are unable to return to their familys home. Other Connecticut colleges plan to follow a similar process by quarantining students in a specific building or area. At the University of Connecticut, at least 30 students have been quarantined for either testing positive for the coronavirus or having been exposed. The school announced Wednesday four new positive cases. There are eight on-campus students and three living off-campus who have tested positive for the coronavirus. There are also two COVID-19 cases among faculty and staff. Stephanie Reitz, a UConn spokeswoman, said the school has set aside space in residence halls where those who become sick can recover and receive care. She said there is also space for students who believe they have been exposed to the virus to self-quarantine while they await test results. Some UConn students have also been removed from campus housing as the school investigates a dorm party that may have violated COVID-19 safety measures. At least one UConn student says the safety precautions have not been taken seriously since the campus reopened last weekend. As an overarching theme, the precautions themselves are reasonable, but its the student bodys lack of following them thats the problem, freshman Luke Udell told Hearst Connecticut Media. Although its been less than a week, Udell wonders if having students on campus was the right move. UConn is doing what it can to make us safe, but the best solution would have been for us to not be on campus at all, he said. Some schools nationwide like the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame have suspended in-person classes after spikes of coronavirus cases. But schools in Connecticut say switching to remote learning will likely be a decision made in coordination with the local or state health departments. For now, most Connecticut schools are still awaiting students to arrive for the semester. A spokesman for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities which includes Western Connecticut in Danbury and Southern Connecticut in New Haven said all of their schools submitted detailed plans about how they would handle possible cases. In general, the universities have set aside at least 10 percent of residence hall space to accommodate residential students who need to quarantine, said Leigh Appleby, director of communications for the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities. The universities also have contact tracing programs in place to mitigate the spread on campus. For example, Western Connecticut State University has a detailed plan for what happens if someone tests positive. According to its plan, the school has cleared out a residence hall, Fairfield Hall, to accommodate those who need to be isolated or quarantined. The layout of the building allows for the safe, physical separation of the two groups, the plan reads. The university is encouraging students who test positive to isolate at home. Fairfield Hall is reserved for those with demonstrated and/or documented hardship. Those isolated in the facility will be monitored daily through telemedicine visits administered by WCSUs Health Services Department. The university is seeking an agency to conduct the observations on weekends. Southern Connecticut State University also has reserved facilities for COVID-positive students needing to isolate. According to the plan, SCSU has designated 36 units to house students who need to be quarantined. The units which can each house up to four students with two students per bathroom have a total capacity for 144. If additional space is needed, Residential Life will work with the COVID-19 coordinator to determine how to meet the need, the plans reads. Students will not share a bedroom space or bathroom if their health condition warrants private accommodations. At the University of Bridgeport, all residential students will be tested as they move onto campus or are required to provide a negative test result within 14 days of arrival. Additionally, all faculty and staff who work directly with students will be required to test on campus, or provide a negative test result. Like most colleges, UB will test 10 percent of the campus population each week. At UConns Stamford campus, capacity at student residences which is usually capped at 450 is now limited to 265. Students have been placed in a precautionary quarantine before classes begin Aug. 31 and all students have been tested for COVID-19. Students also take a daily symptom survey. Those without symptoms are able to leave their residence to pick up meals from designated dining halls, and engage in limited outdoor activities with other members of their designated family pods beginning Thursday. Staff writer Peter Yankowski contributed to this story. Babatunde Olusola a student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso who was arrested for using a parody account of former President Goodluck Jonathan has put out a disclaimer that his release had nothing to do with the Human Rights Lawyer and Activist Abdul Mahmud. In a series of tweet, Shola who goes by the name @jayyth3dope on twitter denied having any link with Mahmud @Great Oracle whom he described as a twitter lawyer . He tweeted; DISCLAIMER AGAINST THE MONSTROUS LIES OF A TWITTER LAWYER CALLED GREAT ORACLE Firstly, I dont know the Twitter lawyer called Great Oracle until I saw this Tweet this morning, but I just discovered that he was the same person who propagated the MONSTROUS LIE of my release even though I was still in detention. The Twitter lawyer said he got involved in my case using back channel. How can someone be involved in my case without my knowledge?. He almost accused Mahmud of bringing up frivolous charges such as he hacking into Jonathans website which he never knew we existed. On the apology that the former President demanded from him he said, This Twitter lawyer said he asked me to apologise to GEJ. Very funny. Some guys through another lawyer who was involved in my case asked me to apologise to GEJ. However, I received sound legal advice from @TopeAkinyode who advised me against it. According to him he was aware the apology would mean an admission of guilt which can definitely be used against me in evidence. I should be the one getting an apology from whosoever, he added. He thanked Omoyele Sowore and his lawyer Tope Akinyode for championing the cause for his release and a host of others who participated in the FreeShola campaign. Meanwhile mixed reactions have continued to trail Sholas disclaimers as Nigerians using different hashtags like #GreatOracle, #Interpol have bared their minds on how they feel about the saga. While some argued that not having knowledge of a back channel negotiation does not mean that it did not happen, while some are of the opinion that Mahmud was only working in favor of Jonathan. Some of the tweets below; Someone should advise that young man calling Great Oracle Twitter Lawyer pic.twitter.com/x3B8ODRmxs Daddy Jaden (@IamDaddyJaden) August 22, 2020 That you are unaware that The Great Oracle was working behind the scenes to effect your release, doesnt invalidate his efforts Youre clearly an irritant, but the laws of the land most be respected even for irritants for urself. Enjoy your free speech But if e set, na u go run https://t.co/XmqnVW2vXC Uchenna (@Demoore90210) August 22, 2020 You are grateful to Sowore for helping you and Sowore is grateful to great Oracle for helping him to help you. Its not too convoluted to understand, maybe you should just off your mic. https://t.co/fQNB0xaCWJ pic.twitter.com/xfKCUelj5F O..G ? (@Ckatchtwits) August 22, 2020 @jayyth3dope well it obvious here that @AbdulMahmud01 the Great Oracle actually aided your release which you have no idea about and sowore thanked him in his tweet ,Shola even if your mental state have been tampered with being and ingrate isnt the next action https://t.co/XvNG2ItkwS pic.twitter.com/YQv0nNqfre Amb Adeyefa Moses (@AdeyefaMoses) August 22, 2020 So people are complaining that the shola guy is still speaking about his arrest? They expect him to lay low and move on? Do you know what it means to be wrongfully detained for 90 days in a Nigerian jail with hardened criminals? And youre angry the boy is still complaining? pic.twitter.com/6efo8TaYzx Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) August 22, 2020 GEJ supporters who spent the last 5 years condemning illegality,injustice, subversion of due process under Buhari have made a U-turn today. They are busy twisting and turning the narrative to justify the detention of Shola. From Interpol to hacking website to redefining parody Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) August 22, 2020 Defending one politician over something you would have called another a dictator, evil, vile, unforgiving and so many unprintable names is hypocritical. You dont need to do that. No one should be in jail for 90 days over a parody account. Stop lying and twisting the story. Dr. Dipo Awojide (@OgbeniDipo) August 22, 2020 Sholas lawyer Tope Akinyode in his reaction said, one time, Great Oracle tweeted of Solas release, as one of the lawyers representing Sola, I knew that wasnt true. So, I visited Sola in detention and he asked me to issue a disclaimer which I respectfully did. Solas right of privacy was clearly breached but social media influnzers are jubillating over the illagilty because the issue pertains to Ex President Goodluck Jonathan. This mediocrity must just stop, he added. On August 12, when Shola was release Sowore had tweeted pictures showing himself and Shola while he thanked Mahmud who is reported to be his lawyer as well as the Tope Akinyode who was the council representing Shola. Kanye West running for president sounds both like a dream and a joke. A dream because as surreal as it sounds, a pop culture icon is raring to change the country (as dubious as that sounds for many). A joke because someone connected to the Kardashian clan is going to be the President and Kim, the first lady, really? This is in no way a judgement -- it just sounds a tad funny, especially when the rest of the Kardashian family themselves do not seem to support the idea at all. In fact, we believe the scales tip more towards the feeling that this is a joke. On the one hand, it's not as if the Kardashians and kanye are poster first family material. But then, since this is America, it would not be the first time someone who is not as competent as he is deemed popular is placed on the ivory seat. On the other hand, Kanye West's bid may be futile not because he's a famous icon outside the political realm, but because he is already showing how incompetent he is this early. He has not even gotten into debates yet but it is already apparent that either he's acting like he does not know what he is doing or he just doing things as he please, ending up in him being ridiculed. The fact that his bid is being rejected in individual states is a clear sign that he is running in such a wrong time. It seems that he did not have his candidacy planned out. His team is committing one error after another, cementing the idea that Kanye is doing all these for any reason other than truly becoming the president. To seek attention? To put Biden out? For a PR stunt? Who knows? In a span of two days, West was kicked out from the ballot in five states that did not wish to overlook his lateness, insufficient valid signatures and the likes. These five states are Illinois, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, West did not file on time, and the state refused to overlook that. After all, if you want to run the country, the least you can do is show up on time when needed. In Ohio, the information and signature on West's nominating petition, as well as the signature on his statement of candidacy, did not match the signatures found on petitions circulated. How can he or his team be so lousy when they are keen to become the most powerful man in the U.S. and probably the whole world? This week, Kanye filed his candidacy in several other states, including but not limited to Louisiana, Minnesota, Tennesee and Virginia. News still has to come in whether he will be allowed to appear on the ballot in all of them. As early as now, it is seems that he will face some issues in Virginia. Seven out of the 13 electors that West submitted shared to Intelligencer that they did not know they were signing up to cast electoral votes on his behalf. They did not even know that the signed notarized paperwork is related to West's presidential bid at all! "Is this a joke?, one of the electors, Ilisa Stillman, said when sought for comment. "Holy guacamole," she replied when she found out it is not. "I'm certainly not supporting Kanye West." It is impossible for other electors not to feel this way, especially when they have never thought that the rapper would run. Nowhere has a presidential hopeful been this lousy and careless like Kanye West. If this keeps up, people should not even bother pondering why he's running because it is apparent that he does not know what he is doing. Even if he has a nice crystal platform, he cannot just go around doing this his own way without minding protocol. The abovementioned are some of the reasons why Kanye West should drop his bid. Not that it looks like it is going anywhere, but dropping it can make him concentrate more on better and more fruitful endeavours -- like getting his and Kim Kardashian's relationship on the right track once more. READ MORE: Kristen Dunst Ruined Kanye West 2020 Presidential Bid With JUST One Question Joseph James DeAngelo known as the Golden State Killer looks on during the second day of victim impact statements at the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse on August 19, 2020 SANTIAGO MEJIA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Former police officer Joseph DeAngelo, 74, was handed down 11 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole on Friday for 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 kidnapping-related charges. "The defendant deserves no mercy," Judge Michael Bowman said after delivering the ruling, which is the maximum allowed and also includes another life sentence and eight years. The sentencing comes after a week of harrowing statements from survivors and victims' families. "I've listened to all your statements. Each one of them," DeAngelo said before sentencing. "And I'm truly sorry to everyone I hurt. Thank you, your honor." The sentencing took place at Sacramento State University, where spectators were spaced according to Covid-19 prevention guidelines; DeAngelo heard the sentencing masked, as did the rest of the courtroom. There was also a temperature check administered to all attendants. Read more from Rolling Stone: The lingering mysteries of Charles Manson DeAngelo pleaded guilty to all crimes attributed to the serial murderer/rapist known as the Golden State Killer in June in an effort to avoid the death penalty; he also admitted to dozens of rapes he cannot be charged with due to the statute of limitations. DeAngelo's crimes were committed in the Seventies and Eighties across six California counties, whose District Attorneys all addressed the court before sentencing. "Over four decades, that's a long to wait for justice to be served," Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said during her statement. "Finally, we have arrived at that day." She then stressed the courage of DeAngelo's victims, who came forward this past week to tell the court about the "trauma" and "pain" he inflicted. She also praised retired detective Paul Holes, who was on the GSK's trail since the Nineties up until his arrest. Ventura District Attorney Gregory D. Totten and Tulare County DA Tim Ward also spoke to the bravery of the survivors, while Santa Barbra District Attorney Joyce Dudley implored victims' family and friends to remember how their loved ones lived not just how they died. Story continues Read more from Rolling Stone: "The Buddy Holly Story" deluxe soundtrack is now available Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer took the podium to deliver a darker message, telling the assemblage: "As he was destroying your lives he got to be on his boat, blow out birthday candles, hold his granddaughterbut in the back of his mind he knew, he knew we were coming for him." Calling DeAngelo a "devil," he added "you made it personal and it was personal for me. I honestly believe this person, this beast deserves the ultimate punishment of death." Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert counted down the thousands of days since DeAngelo's crime spree began and how Sacramento citizens who were alive during his reign of terror are still just that: terrified. At the end of her statement, she turned to DeAngelo directly, telling him that neither she nor anyone related to the case will allow him to seek better treatment in prison to fool the department of corrections into thinking he is a feeble old man. The statement was met with applause, as the man's recent displays of age have been hotly contested. DeAngelo's family members also delivered written statements to the court. "I feel moved toward writing this so that my brother Joe will know that my love for him will never go away," DeAngelo's sister said in a statement, blaming their military father and his abuse in part for her brother's crimes. She also expressed remorse for his victims. DeAngelo's niece then addressed the court via a statement, saying DeAngelo proved a stable father figure for her when her own proved abusive. "I'm thankful I had him in my life; I wouldn't be here today," she wrote. "I personally feel like there's someone inside him that I do not know," wrote another niece. Their names were not given. The previous week of victim statements included a written statement from DeAngelo's ex-wife, Sharon Huddle. "I will never be the same person," she wrote (via CCN). "I now live every day with the knowledge of how he attacked and severely damaged hundreds of innocent people's lives and murdered 13 innocent people who were loved and have now been missed for 40 years or more." A victim's daughter told the court, "Monsters were real. The boogeyman had broken into my house," while a victim who was raped by DeAngelo at age 15 said: "Finally the end of this trauma is here He's a horrible man. And now none of us has to worry about him anymore" (via the Washington Post). Read more from Rolling Stone: The true cost of losing restaurants DeAngelo was arrested in April of 2018 on the strength of DNA evidence found using databases established for genealogical research. Also suspected of being the East Area Rapist, the Original Night Stalker and the Visalia Ransacker, the GSK had been accused of least 12 murders, 50 rapes and 100 burglaries in California between 1974 and 1986. A former police officer, DeAngelo was fired in 1979 for stealing dog repellant and a hammer an ominous clue to his many crimes. DeAngelo's sentencing follows close on the heels of the premiere of an HBO documentary centering on DeAngelo and his victims: "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," a six-part series based on late crime writer Michelle McNamara's 2018 book by the same name. McNamara coined the name "the Golden State Killer" and spent years trying to track him down, but died in 2016 before could finish her book or find out the serial killer's identity. The book, finished by friends and family, came out in 2018, just a few months before DeAngelo was arrested. Related Articles By Stefanie Eschenbacher ECATEPEC, Mexico (Reuters) - Standing in a graveyard on the outskirts of Mexico City decked out in a cowboy hat to cover his rugged features from the sun, guitar player Eberardo Vargas this week had fewer funerals to play at than he has for most of the coronavirus pandemic. Even as Mexico passes a grim new milestone in its battle with the pandemic - 60,000 fatalities - signs of relief are beginning to emerge in the country that has registered more dead than any other bar the United States and Brazil. Vargas, 49, said May, June and July were the busiest months he could recall as a musician as mourners in the municipality of Ecatepec northeast of Mexico City paid him and his band to hear favorite songs of lost loved-ones during their last goodbyes. But that demand has eased lately as public life gradually returns to normal in the sprawling Mexican capital, prompting the government to declare this week that the coronavirus scourge is in "sustained decline" in Mexico. "We sometimes had 10 or 15 performances a day at the peak of the pandemic, but it's come down," said Vargas, who had little to do at the Ecatepec graveyard for much of Friday. "Now, it's more like three, or sometimes five." Deaths due to coronavirus are on track to hit their lowest weekly total for two months, and new cases have eased since reaching a record daily number at the start of August. "Our whole band used to wait here, there was always work," said Vargas. "Now, we take turns because it's become so quiet." Still, the health ministry on Saturday reported 644 additional fatalities, taking the total to 60,254. Earlier in the pandemic, Mexico's coronavirus czar and Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell had cast a figure of 60,000 dead as a "catastrophic" outcome. Despite signs of improvement, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday there was no cause for complacency. Story continues "This week we lost some momentum in the trend of falling number of infections and hospitalizations," she said. UNDERESTIMATION While Lopez-Gatell said his "catastrophic" remarks were taken out of context and has hailed Mexico's crisis management, analysts offer a more critical appraisal of the country where testing for the virus has been among the lowest worldwide. By focusing on the sickest patients, Mexico has logged a far higher proportion of infected people per test than most countries - almost one in every two. "The scale of the pandemic is clearly underestimated," Mike Ryan, a senior World Health Organization official, told a Friday news conference in Geneva. That is stirring concern that Mexico could be vulnerable to a resurgence in the virus as it reopens more and more of the economy to support battered livelihoods. This week, impoverished Ecatepec was among municipalities to loosen some restrictions imposed against the pandemic as they try to recover from the hit that shaved off more than 17% of Mexican gross domestic product in the second quarter. At the graveyard, a boy washed his face mask in rain water collected for flower arrangements, while feral dogs, their ribs protruding from hunger, scavenged for food among garbage. Maria de Jesus, a seller of potato chips and hot sauce at the entrance, believed the bump in funeral services has passed. At the peak of the pandemic, families were given half-hour slots to accommodate as many as 14 funerals a day, said Diana Angelica Almazan Avila, a local official. Since then, there have been four days with no official deaths in the municipality. "It was such a surprise," she said. "We couldn't believe it when there wasn't a single death." (Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Abraham Gonzalez, Raul Cortes Fernandez and Drazen Jorgic in Mexico City, and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; editing by Diane Craft) Will Christopher Nolan be cinema's knight in shining armour? His new $225m thriller Tenet is released here next Wednesday, giving moribund multiplexes a welcome shot in the arm. Pre-sales have been good, and other studios will be watching keenly to see whether Tenet achieves any box-office momentum. Nolan, meanwhile, and Warner Brothers are to be congratulated for sticking to their 2020 cinema release plans, and opening in Europe and elsewhere a week before America. Nolan has stubbornly resisted any suggestion of a streamed release: he shot his film mainly on 70mm stock, and Tenet's booming score and large-scale action sequences cry out for the biggest stage. All the same, a cinema release is a brave move, because social distancing and public wariness are going to make turning a profit difficult. The film itself? It's typical Nolan fare: a sprawling, high-octane thriller full of big ideas, jaw-dropping set-pieces and baffling scientific undercurrents. John David Washington stars as a spy of sorts who ends up infiltrating the inner circle of a Russian criminal (Kenneth Branagh) honing a weapon that may destroy all humanity. As ever, the director mixes blockbuster spectacle with wordy metaphysical chin-stroking, and Tenet boasts genuinely breathtaking moments. Whether it's a broad enough crowd-pleaser to single-handedly resurrect the culture of cinema-going is doubtful, however, because Tenet is no Die Hard; it's laden down with science, paradox and endless tricksy plot twists. But then that's what Nolan uniquely does: use the canvas of mainstream action cinema to create auteurish, ambitious, deeply personal films. Expand Close 2017 film Dunkirk / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 2017 film Dunkirk Read More He has often been compared to Stanley Kubrick, but Nolan's career arc could also be likened to Alfred Hitchcock's. Like Hitch, he learnt about film from the ground up, working as a script reader and cameraman before graduating to commercial directing. In other words, he understands the film-making process from start to finish, and has used his mastery of it to create extraordinary movies. Hitchcock used genre pictures to explore dark psychological themes, and Nolan has been similarly successful in creating hit commercial films with high artistic merit. His instinct for visual storytelling seems innate. He was just seven years old when he began shooting short films with his action figures on his father's Super 8. Growing up, he was entranced by the films of Ridley Scott, by Star Wars and Kubrick's 2001, and he and his younger brother and future scriptwriter Jonathan created stop-motion sci-fi animations using sets made from clay and toilet rolls. Young Christopher had a vision but, in 1990s England, he struggled to make a breakthrough. After studying English at University College London, Nolan spent a couple of years making corporate videos and industrial films. He began shooting his own short films, and in the mid-90s tried to get a feature called Larry Mahoney off the ground. He failed, and would later complain about the UK being "a very clubby kind of place - [I] never had any support whatsoever from the British film industry". Maybe so, but he didn't need it. After winning praise on both sides of the Atlantic for his debut feature Following, a dark tale of unhealthy obsession, Nolan moved to California and caused a bigger splash with Memento (2000). The recurring themes of time, grief and regret were present in an accomplished thriller that unsettled its audience by tinkering with chronology. Guy Pearce played Leonard Shelby, a man whose crippling amnesia hampers his search for the man who killed his wife. Among Memento's many fans was Steven Soderbergh, who convinced Warner Brothers to recruit the untried Englishman to direct Insomnia, an icky big-budget thriller starring Al Pacino as an LA cop sent to Alaska to investigate a murder. A remake of a Norwegian thriller, Insomnia was for many critics an improvement on the original. It made money too, and Nolan now had a rising reputation and an in with Warners. Expand Close Robert Pattinson and John David Washington in Tenet / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robert Pattinson and John David Washington in Tenet Video of the Day They were wary when he approached them with an idea for rebooting the Batman franchise, which had been left in tatters at the end of the 1990s by Joel Schumacher and co. Instead of giving us another version of the fully formed Batman, Nolan proposed an origins story along the lines of Richard Donner's Superman. But his palate would me much darker, with dread rather than humour the prevailing emotion. He ended up making a trilogy that would challenge the long-standing notion that superhero films had to be dumb. Batman Begins (2005) set the scene magnificently, casting Christian Bale as the young and impetuous Gotham billionaire Bruce Wayne, who must learn to channel his anger over his parents' murder as he confronts those responsible. Nolan's decision to shoot on location and avoid CGI effects gave the film an appealing grittiness, grounding a well-worn story and making it believable. Better things would come with Dark Knight (2008), an astonishingly adept and ambitious epic that fused the dark designs of Frank Miller's graphic novels and the bravura action sequences of Michael Mann's Heat to create one of the best films of that decade. One could certainly argue that had it not been a superhero movie, it might have won Best Picture at the 81st Academy Awards instead of Slumdog Millionaire, which has not dated quite as well. The Dark Knight was pure cinema, from Christian Bale's skyscraper-haunting Batman to Heath Ledger's terrifyingly vacuous Joker, who at one point leaned his head from of a fast-moving car and stuck his tongue out, like a sated dog. This was no mere comic strip, and the society violently imploding at the heart of Nolan's film was unmistakably America. Though full of arresting moments, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) was not as good. It would be forever associated with a mass shooting during a screening in Colorado: life meeting art in the most unpleasant way. Thereafter, Nolan withdrew from the Batman franchise to concentrate on more personal projects. For all their bravura images and effects, I'm not a fan of Nolan's more metaphysical works, like Inception and Interstellar. In the former film, released in 2010, Leonardo DiCaprio played a futuristic thief who enters people's dreams to steal valuable information but is himself haunted by dreams of his dead wife. And in the latter, which went heavy on the astrophysics, Matthew McConaughey was shot through a wormhole in a desperate attempt to find a new home for humanity. For all their pyrotechnical brilliance, these movies have too much intellectual buttressing, too little in the way of actual human drama, to remain upright. Like that magnificent sequence in Inception where a Parisian street slowly implodes, these films collapse under the weight of their own theorising; they are visually arresting, but the centre cannot hold. Expand Close Deeply personal films: Christopher Nolan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Deeply personal films: Christopher Nolan My favourite Nolan film of all is Dunkirk, his 2017 epic in which he used real boats, planes, sea and beaches to tell the story of the miracle rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from northern France. Filmed in glorious 70mm, his near wordless film was a gripping, brilliantly edited white-knuckle ride which placed you on that beach and made you duck in your cinema seat every time a Messerschmitt dived. Dunkirk was pure cinema, and evoked as well as any film has the meaningless horror of war. Nolan had dreamt up the idea many years before, while on a ferry crossing to France. As he watched the passing waves, he thought about the ragtag flotilla that had forded the channel in 1940 and wondered how best their story might be cinematically told. CGI would not do, and the event would only be done justice by actual boats and planes, real locations, everything done in camera. But he was only 21, with just a string of shorts to his credit: in order to shoot Dunkirk he would have to learn how to make movies first. He seems to have figured that out. There are a number of rising young stars in Hollywood, who have impressed fans with their talent and versatility. Jacob Elordi is one such star, an actor who has appeared in several high-profile movies. Elordi rose to fame after acting in the hit Netflix film, The Kissing Booth. With the films sequel newly available on the streaming platform and with the third installment in post-production, it is likely that Elordi will remain in the headlines for a while to come. Still, based on a recent admission from Elordi, many fans have started to suspect that the young actor is less-than-thrilled with his work in the hit franchise. How did Jacob Elordi get started in acting? RELATED: How Did Zendaya and Jacob Elordi Meet? Elordi was born in Australia in 1997. Raised alongside three older sisters, Elordi became interested in acting at a very young age, displaying a natural flair for entertaining others. His charm and good looks enabled him to easily gain access to roles in movies, and when he was still a young child, Elordi began working in Hollywood films. Elordis first big movie role was in the 2017 film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Even though he was only an extra, his experience working on the movie helped to inflame his passion for acting even further. Fortunately for Elordi, he wouldnt have to wait too much longer before he started to experience true stardom. In 2018, the Netflix film The Kissing Booth dropped, starring Jacob Elordi and Joey King. Elordi became an immediate sensation. Jacob Elordi became a breakout star in The Kissing Booth Jacob Elordi | CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images The Kissing Booth is a romantic comedy that centers on a shy young teen, played by Joey King, and her budding romance with the school bad boy, played by Elordi. The movie was a big hit for the Netflix platform, with thousands of young fans pressing play to enjoy the sweet, funny romance. It was so successful, in fact, that Netflix immediately began plans for a second and third film in the franchise. Elordi began enjoying the fruits of Hollywood stardom and started to gain access to juicier roles. In early 2019, Elordi began appearing in the HBO series Euphoria, a much more serious project that featured copious amounts of drug use, sexual content, teenage trauma, and identity issues. Elordi has received critical acclaim for his work in the series, with viewers praising his ability to play a high school athlete with deep-rooted insecurities. Is Jacob Elordi ashamed of being in The Kissing Booth franchise? The Kissing Booth 2 debuted on Netflix in late July, 2020. Viewers eagerly tuned in to the latest franchise installment, but it seems as though not every member of the cast was as enthused about the project as fans were. In fact, when Jacob Elordi was asked by a reporter what he thought about the film, Elordi stated that he hasnt even watched it: I havent seen it. Youve seen more than I have. I dont know if Im allowed to say that, but I havent. Elordis The Kissing Booth co-star, Joey King, took to social media to slam Elordi for his admission. Jacob watched it. Hes capping, King tweeted. King deleted her tweet not long after she posted it, but it still left fans wondering. Certainly, a quick peek at Elordis Instagram page reveals many photos and posts about Euphoria and no real mention of his work in The Kissing Booth franchise. It is very possible that Elordi isnt exactly thrilled with the franchise in general, and is simply doing his contractual duty by continuing to appear in the films. Police used pepper spray in clashes with protesters in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 21 ahead of the Republican National Convention. Local media reported protesters gathered in Charlotte to oppose the convention taking place in the city. Republican delegates began to arrive in the city on August 20. In this footage, police with bicycles can be seen telling protesters to disperse. Later, a police officer can be seen spraying a canister towards protesters. The uploader then speaks to the camera, saying: I took pepper spray right to the eye. In a statement on Twitter, Charlotte Police said: Officers were assaulted on Trade Street and North Tryon Street. Multiple arrests have been made. Pepper spray was used to keep the crowd from interfering with arrests that were taking place. Credit: Queen City Nerve via Storyful Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chair of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is used to the rage of women. In July, he opened a Pandoras box on the Istanbul Convention, an international accord that combats violence against women and domestic violence, by saying that its ratification had been a mistake. The debate that followed has taken thousands of women across the country to the streets, resulted in several online campaigns and created a crack in the ruling party on the future of the convention. Next, the AKP heavyweight turned an accusing finger to the countrys 3 million-plus single population. Invited to speak at a conference of Turkeys civil servants union, MEMUR-SEN, Kurtulmus lauded the family as the strong foundation and the stem cell of the Turkish nation. Undermining the family is one of the most cunning [means] to destroy a nation, he said. Strong individualism, coupled with hedonistic trends have put dynamite in the foundations of the family. [Those individualists] who live alone and see marriage as unnecessary are among the main problems we see now against the family and its values. His portrayal of people who live alone and have no intention of marrying as hedonistic and troublesome have spurred hundreds of witty rejoinders on social media. But the butt of the jokes was on Devlet Bahceli, chair of the Nationalist Movement Party and a confirmed bachelor at the age of 71. Being left out of the Cabinet seems to have taken its toll [on Kurtulmus] who has not realized that his words may end up targeting [his partys] small ally, tweeted Haluk Ilicak, a former ambassador. Others have called upon Bahceli to block Kurtulmus, mocking the remarks with the hashtag #therootofmytroubles. Faced with ridicule, Kurtulmus hastened to explain himself through a wave of statements to favored columnists and TV channels. My words were taken out of context. I have many friends who live alone and it is unthinkable that I [criticize] them, he told Murat Celik of Posta, adding that he expressed a nostalgia for larger families and that what he meant with singles was single parents or people with alternative lifestyles. In a statement to the semi-official Anadolu News Agency, he spat fire at attempts to undermine the family or pit men and women against each other a thinly veiled reference to the Istanbul Convention that he called earlier as a front of the LGBT lobbies. Family and family values have been at the heart of the social, cultural and economic policies of the AKP ever since its foundation in 2001. The partys program underlines that the party prioritizes policies related to the family that it sees as the foundation of Turkish society. The party members general take on women leans on womens role within the family rather than as an individual a belief demonstrated by the fact that the government changed the name of Women and Family Affairs Ministry to Family and Social Services Ministry in 2011 and then merged it with the Ministry of Labor in 2018. Government members regularly tout statements on marital bliss and sacred motherhood, often dissing women who are neither married nor have children. In 2015, Mehmet Muezzinoglu, then-minister of health, said women should put no careers except motherhood at the center of their lives. In 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to women who refused to embrace motherhood as unnatural and incomplete. In January, the president chided the new generation for not getting married until they are in their 30s or not getting married at all, though the average age of marriage in Turkey is still 24.8 for women and 27.8 for men; the number of people who marry after age 30 increased 15% between 2012 and 2018. The presidents remarks created trending topics on social media, where online humorists joked about unmarried men and women secretly meeting at singles bars or reminding the president that his own daughter Sumeyye, vice chairman of womens rights group KADEM that upholds the Istanbul Convention, married after 30. Others quipped about a spinsters tax. Like most conservative parties around the world, the AKPs ideal woman is one who is married early in life, has three children and holds a job that will not undermine her responsibility and role in the family, Seyda Taluk, a political communications expert and the author of How to Win Elections, told Al-Monitor. The AKP owes a good deal of its power to women who have voted for him and worked as soldiers in the party ranks at each and every election. The party has also taken conservative women out of the house, allowed headscarves to be worn at universities, and nominated women in parliament and in decision-making positions. But the stance of some party members and cronies on a number of issues the Istanbul Convention, role of women as homemakers, insistence on patience in marriage simply no longer sit well with its female members and supporters. The biggest flashpoint is currently to do with the Istanbul Convention, which was signed by Turkey in 2011. Erdogan who is expected to have the last word on whether to stay in the convention or not has yet to do so, though he said last week that Turkey needed to create and strengthen its own legal framework against violence. On Aug. 20, daily Hurriyet reported that Turkey would seek to propose some changes to the conventions Article 4 and Article 6, which refer to gender and sexual orientation. Following a party meeting Aug. 18, AKP spokesman Omer Celik said that the assessment of the issue was ongoing and that the government was listening to all sides, except those who express their opinions by insulting women. He was referring to arch-conservative columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak, who called the supporters of the Istanbul Convention prostitutes." Dilipak was slapped with lawsuits both from KADEM and AKP womens branches. The columnist finally sent an open letter of apology to the president, saying his remarks targeted the LGBT community and not female activists. We want to empower women and protect the family we do not think these two are mutually exclusive, Celik said. AKP women have flexed their muscle and they were heard, said Can Selcuki, general manager of Istanbul Economics Research and a pollster who coined the term restless conservatives to refer to those looking for leadership in other places than the AKP. They have participated in one of the lengthwise movements, as women of all walks of life took to the streets against violence and femicides. Asked how the tensions between the AKPs female supporters and the partys old guard will play out mid-term, Selcuki replied that he was not sure that the young female conservatives vote would leave the AKP and go to one of the new parties founded by Ali Babacan or Ahmet Davutoglu. At the end of the day, they still believe that they can search their rights through the AKP, he said. Lori - Reuters Apologising publicly for the first time for crimes their lawyers insisted for months they didn't commit, "Full House" star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were sentenced to prison Friday for using their wealth and privilege to cheat their daughters' way into the college of their choice. The two-month prison sentence for Loughlin and five-month term for Giannulli bring to a close the legal saga for the highest-profile parents ensnared in the college admissions bribery scheme - a scandal that rocked the U.S. educational system and laid bare the lengths some wealthy parents will go to get their kids into elite universities. Fighting back tears, Loughlin told the judge her actions "helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society" and pledged to do everything in her power to use her experience as a "catalyst to do good." Her lawyer said she began volunteering with special needs students at an elementary school. "I made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process and in doing so I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass," Loughlin, 56, said during the hearing held via videoconference because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hours before in a separate hearing, Giannulli, whose Mossimo clothing had long been a Target brand until recently, told the judge he "deeply" regrets the harm to his daughters, wife and others. "I take full responsibility for my conduct. I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward, with the lessons I've learned from this experience," Giannulli, 57, said in a stoic statement. In her lawyer's own words, Loughlin became the "undisputed face of the national scandal" thanks to her fame. Her arrest shattered her clean image and destroyed her acting career. "Lori lost the acting career she spent 40 years building," attorney BJ Trach said. "She has become intertwined with the college admissions scandal." Story continues Attorneys for the couple described them as devoted parents motivated by a love for their children. Trach alluded to bullying endured by their daughters, including Olivia Jade Giannulli _ a social media star who has a popular YouTube channel _ since the charges were made public. The bullying forced the family to hire security for their daughters, Trach said. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton expressed outrage at the couple's greed, calling Loughlin's life "charmed" and a "fairytale," with success and plentiful wealth. "Yet you stand before me a convicted felon and for what? For the inexplicable desire to grasp even more," Gorton said. Both Loughlin and Giannulli were ordered to surrender Nov. 19. Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare has joined members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to praise the President, Nana Akufo-Addo for implementing the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy. According to her, it is a smart economic investment the government has made since it came into power. Three years on, 1.2 million future leaders have been secured with Free SHS. Recently, I heard Mr. Mahama advising that we should stop talking about social investments and discuss real investments. Free SHS is the smart economic investment and we need four more years to do more, she said at the official launch of the NPP manifesto at Cape Coast in the Central Region today, Saturday, August 22, 2020. Abena Asare, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Atiwa East, further applauded the government for providing jobs for 100,000 unemployed graduates. She stated that Under the tenure of Mr. Mahama, the dignity and self-respect of our youth had been so undermined by incompetent leadership that some graduates formed the Unemployment Graduates Association. Through NABCo, we have created the opportunity for 100,000 graduates, to prepare them now for the future to make them resourceful to make value for themselves and wealth for Ghana. The Free SHS program has become a controversial subject in Ghanas political discussions with some members of the NPP accusing John Mahama of hypocrisy in claiming that the idea is laudable and was initiated by his administration. The former President, on Saturday, August 2020, during a visit to the Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Abukari II debunked claims that he will abolish the Free SHS programme being implemented by the governing NPP if he comes to power. Free Senior High School education has come to stay. If anybody tells you that I, John Dramani Mahama, son of E.A Mahama will abolish Free SHS when I come, tell the person he is a bloody liar. What I am against is the poor implementation of the Free SHS which is creating great inconvenience for the parents, for the students and for the teachers and the point I have made is that we can make it better. If this government had followed our plan of continuing with the 200 new Senior High Schools that we were building, we will not have the current situation that we have in our Free SHS plan, said John Mahama. But members of the governing NPP have taken him on, accusing him of only making such statements to win the votes of Ghanaians come December. ---citinewsroom Countries also emphasised the need to address the current crisis through dialogue aiming to promptly restore the constitutional order and prevent the West African nation from being engulfed by waves of violence, uncertainty and divisions. The upheaval to overthrow the President and Government in Mali has triggered fears about exacerbating the lingering political, economic and social crisis in the country. The situation in Mali has become tense since early July when the June 5 Movement Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP) launched large-scale protests demanding President Ibrahim Boubacar Keitas resignation, considering this a prerequisite for all future political negotiations. Despite efforts by regional organisations and the international community to implement mediation measures, the situation in the African nation has continued to proceed complicatedly, with tensions reaching their pinnacle as President Keita and other senior government officials were arrested by a group of mutinous soldiers. The troops, proclaimed as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), announced the seizure of power in Mali and said it will conduct a general election in the near future. Army Colonel Assimi Goita introduced himself as the leader of the upheaval and the CNSP. Despite denying any connection with the group of mutinous soldiers participating in the overthrow of the government, the opposition movement M5-RFP declared that it would cooperate with the military government to promote a roadmap for political transition. Leaders in West Africa are concerned that the dangers behind the political crisis in Mali could pose a security threat to the region. This semi-desert and landlocked country is being used by terrorist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) as a springboard to attack neighbouring countries. World powers fear the post-coup chaos in Mali could undermine military campaigns against Islamist militants in the Sahel region, which are being deployed by France and its allies in coordination with the G5 Sahel forces. Presidents of five West African nations of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana and Niger have pushed diplomatic efforts to end the crisis in Mali and prevent the country from following the same path of failure of unrest and divisions as it did after the 2012 coup. The upheaval in Mali encountered strong criticism and opposition from the international community. The United Nations, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the Economic Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS) and other significant powers called on the coup participants to comply with the constitutional order and release the Malian leaders. ECOWAS stated that it would take all necessary measures to restore the constitutional order in Mali, including the closure of the land and air borders with Mali and the imposition of sanctions on those participating in the upheaval. This regional organisation said it would temporarily exclude Mali from its policy-making bodies. To put pressure on the mutinous troops in Mali, President of South Africa and AU Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the unconstitutional government change in Mali, calling for the immediate return of Mali to the civilian regime and demanding that troops return to their barracks. The AU Chairperson recommended that the people of Mali, political parties and civil society abide by the rule of law, as well as engage in peaceful dialogue to address current challenges. Stability in Mali as well as the fight against terrorism is a top priority that is being promoted by countries in the region and the international community. Mali will decend into riots if the situation is not quickly stabilised. Member countries of the United Nations Security Council have emphasised the importance of restoring constitutional order and complying with the 2015 Mali Peace Accord, while calling on the parties concerned to refrain from using forces and to promote dialogue in search of a peaceful political solution in line with Malis Constitution and laws, aiming to prevent the African country from being caught up in a new spiral of violence. Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed a law barring government schools from excluding girls, who fall pregnant, from attending lessons. Teachers are also no longer allowed to cane pupils, under amendments to the Education Act, which became law on Saturday. The new law also says that no pupil shall be excluded from school for non-payment of school fees. Prior to the amendments of the law, school authorities could expel a girl for falling pregnant but spare the boy responsible for the same pregnancy, which was seen as discriminatory against the girl-child. The educationists welcomed the amendments as progressive. Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Cain Mathema, said he was excited that the President had signed the new law. The President has just signed the law and we will fully enforce the provisions for the furtherance of education in the country. We believe the Act is a progressive legislation, he said. Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta)s Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, said they fully supported the provisions of the Act as it was consistent with modern society. He said corporal punishment engendered a violent society and it was refreshing that it was removed while the outlawing of the exclusion of pregnant pupils helped in the furtherance of the rights of the girl-child. As Zimta, we fully participated in the crafting of that law. Most of what we raised have been included. We abhor the use of corporal punishment because it is an old-fashioned tool of instilling discipline, he said. It has the effect of engendering a violent society. We also support any measure meant to safeguard the interests and rights of the girl-child. One such provision is outlawing the exclusion of those that fall pregnant. This is what other societies have embraced and we fully support the provision. The Secretary-General, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, however, said that while the law would protect the rights of girls, there were fears that some people could take advantage of that. He also said there should be more consultation on the issue of corporal punishment as pupils could engage in illicit behaviour, knowing that they would not be punished. READ ALSO: There should have been more consultation on these measures, especially on corporal punishment. Pupils and students may end up abusing drugs, knowing they will not be punished, he said. In terms of the Act, any disciplinary policy shall not permit any treatment, which does not respect the human dignity of a pupil. School authorities are now required to draw up a disciplinary policy in accordance with standards set out in regulations prescribed by the minister. Advertisements The new law also allows the minister to fix school fees, taking into consideration the location and status of a given school. (Xinhua/NAN) There are other things going on that need to be considered: Gage Roads has announced an impressive new brewery at the A Shed in Fremantle Harbour, signifying a potential rebirth of the area. The government intends to move the Port to Kwinana. Main Roads intends to remove the old Fremantle Traffic Bridge and spend $230 million on two new bridges (one for rail and one mainly for cars). Most people would be excited by the prospect of a new microbrewery looking out over the harbour, especially one with a childrens play area. But what will we be looking at the monumental cranes, ships and container mountains of a working port, or a mini-Gold Coast of residential apartment towers blinding us with reflected sunlight? The best outcome is probably a balance of the two. It seems like a no-brainer that the main port servicing Perth should be in a dedicated industrial area, with room for future expansion. However, if it is economically possible, it would be wonderful for Fremantle Port to remain as a useful working secondary port, perhaps servicing specialised areas. City of Fremantle councillor Hannah Fitzhardinge makes the important point that the size of the port area is some 180 hectares of land (1.8 million square metres), sandwiching the river. This is a massive amount of land in the centre of a city. If all, or most, of Fremantle Ports business was to move to Kwinana, the vacant land mass needs to be integrated into Fremantle. Loading This is the key project for the future, and community and expert consultation should start now, before secondary decisions are made. Planning a 180-hectare city within a city will take a while. It is also an opportunity to create something special there is plenty of space on this ocean and river peninsula. In addition to a working secondary port, and the usual commercial and density residential, my wish list includes a central park/city forest, and a sporting complex catering for multiple community sports, with a waterside stadium to bring more excitement to the Port City. This leads to the question of bridges. The old Fremantle Traffic Bridge is a heritage-listed timber icon, built in 1939. It is an architecturally unique, honest structure that serves as the entrance to Fremantle, and connector to North Fremantle. To some, it is a rickety old bridge that needs to be scrapped. To many others, it is rich in history, beauty and meaning. The problem is that the old bridge needs significant maintenance works and is no longer suitable for bearing heavy loads. In addition, the adjacent rail bridge currently needs to service both passenger and freight trains. An existing plan is to retain the old traffic bridge and build a new road bridge between the existing two bridges. However, Main Roads has now decided that the old bridge is unsafe and uneconomic (without providing supporting data or explanations to the public), and that it needs to build a new bridge (for vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedestrians) as well as a new passenger rail bridge. Main Roads contends that there isnt enough space between the existing bridges on the northern side (30 metres) to execute its plans, so the old bridge has to go. This is Main Roads $230 million Swan River Crossings plan for the area: Main Roads' plan for Fremantle Traffic Bridge. Credit:Main Roads WA Main Roads belated community consultation on this pivotal project is limited to window dressing such as visual elements and heritage interpretation. This is bureaucratic code for stay out of it and let the experts do their jobs. But they are experts on roads, not place-making. The red stub on the right of the map is the sad remains of the old bridge, after its heritage has been Interpreted. Ironically, Main Roads argues that greater connectivity and recognising heritage are key benefits of the plan. This is hard to swallow, given they are the benefits of keeping the old Traffic Bridge. Main Roads has not publicly released any substantive information in its community consultation stage that actually allows the community or other stakeholders to have a clue. It is impossible to judge whether the singular plan put forward is justified, or whether better alternatives are achievable. Main Roads has confirmed the bridge costs approximately $400,000 per year for inspections, monitoring, maintenance and emergency repairs. Main Roads also states it would need to repair and replace the rapidly deteriorating bridge deck with a concrete and steel deck at an estimated cost of $44 million. This leaves the question of whether the deck would need replacement if heavy vehicle traffic is removed. Another key issue for Main Roads is river safety, which is fair enough. The old bridge is apparently hard for boats to navigate, with poor clearance. According to the Department of Transports boating guide, the clearance heights are as follows: Fremantle Rail: 8.1 to 8.2m Fremantle Traffic: 6.7 to 7.3m Stirling: 7.4m Looking at Google, the distance between navigation channel pylons is about: Fremantle Rail: 25m Fremantle Traffic: 15m If the vertical and horizontal clearance in Fremantle Bridges two navigation channels is inadequate, then an appealing solution that has been mooted is to remove a full section from the middle of the bridge and replace it with a suspended pedestrian and cycle path at a slightly higher elevation (given Stirling Bridge is less than one metre higher). This could potentially span the 54-metre width of the existing navigation channels. It would create the space needed for boats while retaining the majority of the heritage structure and, importantly, keeping it as a connected and cohesive bridge across the river. Subject to the hard realities of budgets and engineering, here is another vision: Dont build a new rail bridge. We already have one, and the main port is probably moving to Kwinana anyway. If we do really need one, place it on the spacious west side of the existing railway. Dont demolish the historic traffic bridge. Almost everyone loves it. Apportion $100 million or so to re-purpose it for people instead, so it becomes a tourism generator. Think the Green Line, Perths version of New York Citys famous High Line. Loading It could be a sustainable transport corridor, avoiding the need for Main Roads to build new pedestrian and cycle paths. It could be re-imagined with grass, trees, live music, food trucks, dolphin-spotting, mini-festivals. Even extend the green corridor into Fremantle proper so you can walk from Mojos to The Naval Store to Gage Roads Brewery. It could be amazing. Use the remaining $130 million or so to just build an interesting and inspiring new road bridge. Now its just a road bridge, hey presto, it can fit between the existing two bridges. But lets talk about the elephants in the room. Coming up with a suitable plan for the bridges is highly complicated, for many reasons. Even looked at in isolation, it should not be rushed, and the community should be deeply involved. Then there is the fact that the bridges are to connect some 180 hectares of inner-city land that has not even been planned yet. This is cart-before-the-horse on an epic scale, and is almost guaranteed to create a $230 million outcome that is not fit for future-purpose. There is a petition out for those who would like to slow things down, so the job can be done properly. Fremantle and North Fremantle retain the gritty, exciting reality of being industrial hubs. They have the heritage, old buildings and structures from the dawn of Perth, when our ancestors arrived by boat and built this city up. People participating in the event are encouraged to paint one finger with nail polish to encourage people to talk about the issue , one in 29 children (or one in every class) experiences Men across the country will be sporting a colourful look on their fingernails for the first two weeks of September as the the Polished Man campaign kicks off to raise awareness of violence against children. Participants, who will wear nail polish on one of their fingers, include AFL player Chris Judd, Logie award winner Gyton Grantley from Underbelly, Aria award winner Dan Sultan and Tripple M's Anthony 'Lehmo' Lehmann. Grantley, who began to show his support a little earlier than required, told Daily Mail Australia: 'I'm already sporting a nice kind of pink with blue sparkles on top'. Scroll down for video Underbelly's Gyton Grantley and AFL star Chris Judd are two of the ambassadors for the Polished Man campaign who will wear nail polish on one finger from September 1-15 to raise awareness of Child abuse 'I've been wearing it everyday and that's the great thing about the campaign - you don't often see nail polish on a man and it definitely prompts the question of why you're wearing it from others and that results in the exclamation of why and really brings the campaign to life.' The campaign is largely focused on getting men to participate as approximately 90 per cent of all violence committed against children is perpetrated by men. As a result, the campaign aims to encourage men to challenge their mates on 'what it means to be a man' and to not accept violence, as well as painting one fingernail to represent the one-in-five children globally who experience violence. The idea sprung from the founder and CEO of social change advocacy group YGAP, Elliot Costello, who met 10-year-old Thea while in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last year. The idea sprung from the founder and CEO of social change advocacy group YGAP, Elliot Costello (left) who met 10-year-old Thea (right) while in Cambodia last year Thea was rescued from a safe house by Hagar International after suffering from abuse there. She and Elliot (right) became friends during his stay and before he left she painted his nails (left) Thea suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of a paedophile for two years while at a 'safe house' where she was taken after her father passed away. She was eventually rescued by Hagar International and upon meeting Mr Costello who was working alongside the organisation, built a strong relationship with him. The inspiration for the Polished Man campaign came the day before Elliot left Cambodia, when Thea drew a love heart on his hand and painted his fingernails. Grantley revealed that his decision to become an ambassador for the campaign came from his exposure to similar experiences. The campaign asks men to paint one fingernail to represent the one-in-five children globally who experience violence 'I've done charity work in Thailand for World Vision and I've also worked in the slums of Nairobi in Kenya for Oasis Africa, so I've done work for children over there and seen quite in depth some of the experiences they've been through,' Grantley said. 'More importantly it's in our own backyard and basically one in 29 children, or one kid in every class is being abused and we might not be aware of it or know it. 'What's important is to raise more awareness and encourage more conversations amongst ourselves, to bring the subject more light.' The mechanics and salesmen at Heritage Motors in Maitland have also decided to take part in the charity event The workers held a barbecue for staff and clients to raise money and will have their nails painted for the fortnight One group of men who are proud to be displaying their colourful fingernails over the next fortnight are the mechanics from Heritage Motors in Maitland. The Service Operations Manager, Rob Reeve, told Daily Mail Australia that everyone from the salesmen to the tow-truck drivers have painted their nails bright pink and purple. 'Matt the tow-truck driver came up with the idea to get involved and it just snowballed from there and everyone got involved - the salesmen, all the service staff, the whole dealership got behind it,' he said. In Australia, one in 29 children - or one child in ever classroom - experiences some form of abuse The campaign is largely focused on getting men to participate as approximately 90 per cent of all violence committed against children is perpetrated by men 'They are all young fellas and they just want to say not to that sort of behaviour.' The Motor group kicked off the event by throwing a barbecue for staff and clients in which the proceeds were donated to the charity. 'I think once they started to do it everyone was egging each other on and they seemed to enjoy it actually, I'm a bit worried,' Mr Reeve jested. Funds raised during the Polished Man campaign will contribute to preventative measures to address violence against children He added: 'I was serving on the front counter and I've only got one nail done and someone noticed and said "did you bruise it?" ' I tell them the reason why and they get involved. It becomes a focus and talking point for people and it has certainly boosted the awareness around people so far because they've asked a lot of questions.' Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam attends a press conference in Hong Kong, south China, Aug. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) As the support from the central government has boosted its testing capacity, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will start a massive screening for COVID-19 on Sept. 1. All asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged no less than six can participate in the testing. As the support from the central government has boosted its testing capacity, Hong Kong will start a massive screening for COVID-19 on Sept. 1 and aims to complete the testing in no more than two weeks in an effort to rein in the severe epidemic situation. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced the plan on Friday at a press conference. The HKSAR government said earlier that the large-scale testing that may cover millions of people in Hong Kong will be conducted for free and on a voluntary basis. All asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged no less than six can participate in the testing, Secretary for the Civil Service of the HKSAR government Patrick Nip said, adding that the process is scheduled to last seven days and can be prolonged to no more than two weeks. The HKSAR government will set up testing stations in all 18 districts of Hong Kong where trained medical staff will collect samples of deep throat saliva or nasopharyngeal swab, Nip said, stressing that personal information of the participants will be well protected and will not be transferred out of Hong Kong. Lam said the testing scheme would not be possible if there were no support from the central government. Members of the nucleic acid testing team which was established by the central government to assist the HKSAR government in launching the virus testing arrived in Hong Kong on Aug. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) A 60-strong nucleic acid testing team was established by the central government to assist the HKSAR government in launching the virus testing. After the first 10 team members came to Hong Kong at the beginning of August, the other 50 also arrived here on Friday afternoon. Besides, three national-level testing institutions have also helped enhance Hong Kong's testing capacity significantly. Hong Kong has seen a new round of COVID-19 infections in communities since the beginning of July. With 27 additional cases reported on Friday, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 4,600, and a large proportion of the infections were found over the past weeks. The resurgence of new cases has made medical resources overstretched and the virus testing capacity far from enough. Given the situation, the central government has spared no efforts to help Hong Kong brave the challenges. Lam said with the assistance of the central government, Hong Kong will add utmost 1,000 hospital beds in the AsiaWorld-Expo and will strive to put the medical facilities into use in a couple of weeks, and a new two-storied temporary hospital that can provide more than 800 beds will also be erected adjacent to the expo in four months. Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR government Sophia Chan said Hong Kong will also request the central government for support in the COVID-19 vaccine. "With the full support of the central government, we are confident that we can combat the virus with a view to enabling people to resume their normal daily lives as soon as possible," an HKSAR government spokesperson said in a statement. Qiu Hong, deputy head of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said Friday that the central government cares about the well-being of Hong Kong compatriots and she hopes the epidemic can be curbed as soon as possible so that Hong Kong residents can resume their normal lives. Looking ahead, Lam said that the HKSAR government will work to rebuild the economy upon the easing of the epidemic, including introducing the health code system to facilitate mainland-Hong Kong travels and pushing forward the work related to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Seeking to wriggle out of the FATF's grey list, has imposed tough financial sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, and Dawood Ibrahim, by ordering the seizure of all of their properties and freezing of bank accounts, a media report said on Saturday. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic. The government issued two notifications on August 18 announcing sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar, and underworld don Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India's most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The government has proscribed 88 leaders and members of terrorist groups, in compliance with the new list issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently, Pakistani daily The News reported. The notifications announced sanctions on key figures of terror outfits such as the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), JeM, Taliban, Daesh, Haqqani Group, al-Qaeda, and The government ordered the seizure of all movable and immovable properties of these outfits and individuals, and freezing of their bank accounts, the report said. These terrorists have been barred from transferring money through financial institutions, purchasing of arms and travelling abroad, it said. The notifications ratified a complete ban on all leaders and members of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hiding in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas. The paper reported that Saeed, Azhar, Mullah Fazlullah (alias Mullah Radio), Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Hakeem Murad, wanted by Interpol, Noor Wali Mehsud, Fazal Raheem Shah of Uzbekistan Liberation Movement, Taliban leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Ibrahim and his associates were on the list. The notifications said that leadership of the defunct TTP, and other organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, JeM, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tariq Geedar group of TTP, Harkatul Mujahideen, Al Rasheed Trust, Al Akhtar Trust, Tanzim Jaish-al Mohajireen Ansar, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Tanzim Khutba Imam Bukhari, Rabita Trust Lahore, Revival of Islamic Heritage Society of Pakistan, Al-Haramain Foundation Islamabad, Harkat Jihad Al Islami, Islami Jihad Group, Uzbekistan Islami Tehreek, Daesh of Iraq, Emirates of Tanzim Qafqaz working against Russia, and Abdul Haq of Uyghurs of Islamic Freedom Movement of China have been banned. Though various sanctions were in place against almost all of those listed by the UNSC, the government through the new notifications consolidated and documented the previously announced measures, the report said. The UNSC Sanctions Committee deals with sanctions on entities and individuals declared as terrorists. All states, including Pakistan, are bound to implement the sanctions which include assets freeze, an arms embargo, and travel ban. It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the grey list of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog On August 12, Pakistan Parliament's lower house passed four bills related to the tough conditions set by the after the government and the Opposition reached a consensus. The legislation was part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the FATF's grey list to the white list. In its third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June, the decided to keep Pakistan in the "grey list" as Islamabad failed to check the flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu. With Pakistan's continuation in the 'grey list', it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB, and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial situation. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility that the global body may put the country in the 'Black List' along with North Korea and Iran. The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the financial system. The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. (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.) Southeast Asian tech startups raised less money in the first half of 2020 According to the latest report by Singapore-based venture capital firm Cento Ventures, Southeast Asian tech startups raised $5.6 billion of investments in the first half of 2020, down 13 per cent from the year earlier. This is less steep than the 16 per cent drop in India and the 21 per cent decline in the EU. Meanwhile, North America witnessed an 8 per cent decline in the given period. The COVID-19 pandemic has dragged down deal activity globally but investors continued to fund growth-stage startups in areas that benefit from online activity. In Southeast Asia, investments of $10-50 million, typically known as Series B and C financing, totalled a record of $.2 billion in the first half, up 25 per cent from a year ago. "All things considered, Southeast Asia held up surprisingly well," Dmitry Levit, a partner at Cento Ventures, said in an interview with Bloomberg. He noted that growth in $10-150 million deals and the proliferation of $100 million companies seem to be the two powerful developments in the region in recent years. Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Gojek wrapped up a $1.2 billion investment in March. In May, Singapore's Ninja Van raised $279 million from backers including France's GeoPOst SA, scoring one of Southeast Asia's largest startup investments since the pandemic. Meanwhile, Vietnamese e-commerce platform Tiki wrapped up a $130 million investment from private equity fund Northstar Group, making the e-commerce operator one of the top five funded startups in Southeast Asia in the period. German automaker Volkswagen has begun regular production of the ID.4 compact SUV, the second model in a planned family of electric vehicles that will be built and sold around the world, the company said. The ID family is the linchpin of the VW brand's ambitious plan to build 1.5 million electric vehicles a year by 2025. The broader VW Group has said it will spend nearly $40 billion by 2024 to ramp up electric vehicle production in Europe, China and the United States. U.S. production in Chattanooga, Tennessee, near VW's existing factory, is slated for 2022. Rival General Motors Co has said it expects to build 1 million EVs a year by 2025, mainly in China and the United States. The ID.4 and its companion, the ID.3 hatchback, are built on a dedicated EV platform that Volkswagen calls MEB. The same platform will be shared with Ford Motor Co as part of a broader collaboration with the U.S. automaker. Ford has said it plans to build at least one new EV in Europe on the MEB platform and is considering a second variant. Also Watch: Initial production of the ID.4 has begun at VW's plant in Zwickau, Germany, which was converted to build electric vehicles exclusively at a cost of $1.4 billion. Preproduction of the ID.4 already also started near Shanghai. How this ISIS operative from Mangaluru lured her victims and converted them to Islam ISIS operative with IEDs arrested after encounter with Delhi Police India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 22: A suspected Islamic State operative has been arrested in Delhi following an encounter with the police. Delhi terror encounter: Suspected ISIS terrorist arrested, NSG conducts search | Oneindia News Deputy Commissioner Pramod Singh Kushwaha said that the operatives was arrested with Improvised Explosive Devices by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. He said that the arrest took place following an exchange of fire at Dhaula Kuan. The arrested operative has been identified as Abu Yusuf. The arrest comes just days after the National Investigation Agency arrested Abdur Rehman, a Bengaluru based doctor. ISIS operative concealed IED in pressure cooker, planned lone wolf attack in Delhi Dr. Abdur Rehman was arrested last week from Bengaluru and taken to New Delhi by the NIA on Friday on a transit remand. Rehman had travelled to Dubai along with two of his friends. He had obtained a six month UAE visa, following which he travelled to Dubai. From there, he secretly travelled to Syria. Sources tell OneIndia that it was after this, he may have decided to join the ISIS. US dismisses near universal opposition to its demand and says a 30-day countdown for the sancitons snapback has begun. The United States was further isolated on Friday over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran, with 13 countries on the 15-member United Nations Security Council expressing their opposition and arguing that Washingtons move is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal that it quit two years ago. In the 24 hours since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he triggered a 30-day countdown to a return of UN sanctions on Iran including an arms embargo long-time allies the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Belgium as well as China, Russia, Vietnam, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Indonesia, Estonia and Tunisia have already written letters in opposition, Reuters news agency reported. The US has accused Iran of breaching a 2015 deal with world powers that aimed to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief. But US President Donald Trump described it as the worst deal ever and quit in 2018. Diplomats said Russia, China and many other countries are unlikely to reimpose the sanctions on Iran. Pompeo again warned Russia and China against that on Friday, threatening US action if they refuse to reimpose the UN measures on Iran. The Trump administration on Friday dismissed the near universal opposition to its demand and declared that a 30-day countdown for the snapback of penalties had begun. We dont need anyones permission, US special envoy for Iran Brian Hook told reporters in a briefing on Friday. Iran is in violation of its voluntary nuclear commitments. The condition has been met to initiate snapback. And so we have now started to initiate snapback. He said that whether people support or oppose what were doing is not material, adding that today is day one of the 30-day process. The US acted on Thursday after the Security Council resoundingly rejected its bid last week to extend an arms embargo on Iran beyond its expiration in October. Only the Dominican Republic joined Washington in voting yes. Irans Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi immediately rejected the US move, which he said was doomed to failure. The Dominican Republic has not yet written to the council to state its position on the sanctions snapback push. Under the process Washington says it has triggered, it appears all UN sanctions should be reimposed at midnight or 00:00 GMT (8pm New York time) on September 19 just days before Trump is due to address world leaders at the UN General Assembly, the annual meeting that will be largely virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. Irans UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanch said the US move was doomed to failure [Mike Segar/Pool via Reuters] What now? A 2015 Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal states that if no council member has put forward a draft resolution to extend sanctions relief on Iran within 10 days of a noncompliance complaint, then the bodys president shall do so within the remaining 20 days. The US would be able to veto this, giving it a cleaner argument that sanctions on Iran have to be reimposed. However, the 2015 resolution also says the council would take into account the views of the states involved. Given the strong opposition, some diplomats say the council president Indonesia for August and Niger for September would not have to put up a draft text. Faced with this very strong view of a majority of Security Council members that the snapback process has not been triggered, as the presidency they are not bound to introduce the draft resolution, UN Security Council diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Pompeo and Hook signalled that Washington expects Indonesia or Niger to put a text to a vote. Another US option is to put forward the draft itself or ask the Dominican Republic to do so. The US argues that it can trigger the sanctions snapback process because the 2015 Security Council resolution still names it as a nuclear deal participant. However, in a joint letter to the Security Council on Thursday hours after the US submitted its complaint, the UK, Germany and France said: Any decisions and actions which would be taken based on this procedure or on its possible outcome would also be devoid of any legal effect. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres distanced himself from the showdown in the Security Council. Security Council members will need to interpret their own resolution, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. Its not the Secretary-General. Flash The United States and the European Union (EU) on Friday announced a tariff agreement on lobsters and other products in a bid to increase trans-Atlantic market access, calling "the first U.S.-EU negotiated reductions in duties in more than two decades." Under the agreement, the EU will eliminate tariffs on imports of U.S. live and frozen lobster products for five years, retroactive to begin Aug. 1, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). U.S. exports of these products to the EU amounted to over $111 million in 2017. As part of the agreement, the United States will reduce by 50 percent its tariff rates on certain products exported by the EU worth an average annual trade value of $160 million, retroactive to Aug. 1. These products include certain prepared meals, certain crystal glassware, surface preparations, propellant powders, cigarette lighters and lighter parts. "As part of improving EU-US relations, this mutually beneficial agreement will bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union," USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a joint statement. "We intend for this package of tariff reductions to mark just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade," they said. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former U.S. trade negotiator, on Friday said that these mini-tariff deals seem to be all about "catching up with lost market access due to our trade wars and sitting on the sidelines as others do preferential deals." "There's so much more we could and should be doing with the EU on trade beyond lobsters," she tweeted. The tariff agreement comes as trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU over aircraft subsidies and digital service taxes have intensified in recent months. After World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on aircraft subsidies last year, the United States had levied additional tariffs on $7.5 billion of European goods. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Bangladesh: Janata Bank scandal and Prothom Alos tendentious journalism - A (...) by Subhash Kumar Sengupta* Time and again removal of existing chairman and instead appointment of a new one in state-owned Bank has now become a fashion or tradition in Bangladesh. In the relatively recent past (2011), following widely discussed hallmark scandal, the government terminated the whole Board of Sonali Bank. However, the chairman of the Basic Bank was given the opportunity (in 2014) to resign from his post. On the other hand, the government has acquitted Jamaluddin Ahmed (in 2020), ex-chairman of Janata Bank, without any opportunity to give resignation. The Daily Prothom Alo carried a news on 29 July 2020. It highlighted the loans, given away to the Anontex Group and the Crescent Group from the Janata Bank, leading to default loans and as a result, Janata Bank is in a most vulnerable condition among the state-owned Banks in Bangladesh. It alleged that the loan was sanctioned during the tenure of Prof. Abul Barkat as chairman an amount, causing blockage of nearly Tk. 9000 crores in these two groups. Immediately after that news on 29 July, Prof. Abul Barkat vehemently remonstrated this ignominious news against him and sent a small 6-point written protest- a rejoinder- to Prothom Alo on the same day. In his rejoinder, Barkat explicitly stated that being appointed by the government for 5 years from September 2009- September 2014 he performed the responsibility as chairman of the Board of Directors of Janata Bank Ltd. In this context, he mentioned that responsibility of the Board of Directors and Management of Bank are not the same. Confidently protesting Barkat further said, during his tenure, no such loans were sanctioned in the name of Anontex Group or Crescent group. As he thinks, this unsubstantiated, untrue and fully false report after six years of his Chairmanship from The Janata Bank Board. He termed the news as an ill-motivated one, reflecting yellow journalism. Prof. Barkat, in his rejoinder, stated categorically that the report was derogatory for his social dignity, sincerity, honesty and prestige. He strongly protested and condemned it. As a responsible citizen, he politely urged to form an investigation/inquiry committee comprising responsible persons to unveil the real truth of the whole incident. Quite surprising, nearly a week later on 6 August 2020 Prothom Alo published a truncated part of the protest/rejoinder of Barkat with a statement of the respective correspondent again repeating the content of his news which he made earlier. Consequently, Barkat again sent a 6-point detailed and clear rejoinder to Prothom Alo, mentioning his strong stand against this report. On 10 August 2020, however, Prothom Alo published the protest of Barkat in very brief maintaining their ego as usual. On the contrary, enlightened circle, intellectuals and many people of common parlance in Bangladesh are very much anguished reading this heart-rending news in Prothom Alo implicating Dr Barkat. Many of them believe that there is not a single grain of truth in the said news that reflects totally false and a malicious plot against Barkat. All-through, purely a progressive, humane, and apolitical personality (to our knowledge he is not a member of any political party), during his Chairmanship in the Janata Bank, Barkat was respected by the employees and officers of the Bank because of his most impartial outlook and search for the truth. He always guarded the interest of ordinary employees. He made the service of the casual employees permanent who were casual for long between 10 and 25 years, and some were on the verge of retirement age. He formed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund from which he gave financial assistance to many distressed people all over the country. He honoured gallant freedom fighters and donated money to them (Kakan Bibi, the only women Bir Protik from the Indigenous Peoples community is a glaring example. He found her after long 40 years of Freedom Fight). He promoted many employees and officers of Janata Bank and made the Bank more dynamic than ever before. During his tenure, he recruited over 5,000 young people in Class1 banking job with Janata Bank. Among many of his ideals, he nursed his dream how to raise the standard of the banking functions. During his tenure, he excelled all others in terms of almost all the banking performance indicator, and to mention one: in 2009, when he joined the Chair of the JBL Board, the Bank was in loss, but in 2013, by the end of the fourth year of his tenure, the net profit was Tk.945 Crore, which was a record highest among all the 56 banks (surpassing the Islamic Bank and all the foreign banks) in Bangladesh. Abul Barkats personal achievement is glorious as a distinguished professor and former chairperson of Economics Department in the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Moreover, he is the Founder Chairman and currently Professor of Japanese Study Center at the same University. He is highly respected as one of the most prolific and farsighted political economists in and beyond Bangladesh. More striking, he is an erudite educationist, invincible social thinker, noted philosopher, an eloquent speaker and valiant activist. On a plethora of human development issues, he has over 650 illuminating research works including research books, journal articles, chapters, edited books, volumes, journals, monographs and thought-provoking papers presented as Keynote Speaker, Plenary Speaker, Public Speaker, Convocation Speaker at prestigious occasions. Over three decades, through his analytical and convincing research on political economy, Barkat constantly asks the most fundamental questions about humane development in the light of multiple poverty-inequality-discrimination-deprivation and proceeds to answer them critically. Sharp-witted Barkat, without an iota of doubt, is a key figure in the growing worldwide movement and challenges against fundamentalism and fundamentalist extremism. In recognition of his fundamental contribution towards research in social sciences, he was conferred twice Justice Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal (1999-2000 and 2004-2005), the highest prestigious award for academic excellence by the University of Dhaka. He was also honoured with UGC (University Grant Commission) Gold Medal 2017 for his masterpiece book on Poverty of Philosophy in Economics (in Bengali). Among his 29 books on different issues, Fundamentalism in Bangladesh: External and Internal Dimensions of the Political Economy of Militancy is undoubtedly outstanding, in-depth research. An enlightened thinker and leading scholar Barkat has keenly researched, published and being invited extensively lectured on development issues, in numerous seminars and conferences in 70 countries of the world. Overall, he is a true humanist by faith, devoted economist by profession and philosopher by conviction. Patriot Barkat is always keen to uphold the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He is a gallant freedom fighter in the Great Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. Currently, Barkat is the elected (2018-19) President of Bangladesh Economic Association, the largest professional body in Bangladesh. He is also the Chief Advisor of Human Development Research Centre (www.hdrc-bd.com), widely known for her groundbreaking work in the various arenas of humane development. Barkats unending journey for the cause of humanity is a story of his grit, perseverance and determination to battle against all the odds. He has founded a welfare-oriented organisation Abul Barkat Peace and Progress Foundation, which is immensely contributing to the cause of human welfare. It is a matter of astonishment that as Chairman of JBL, Barkat strictly restricted the occasion of receiving any formal reception, garlending and giving slogan with praise. He did not use any lift kept reserve for the Chairman and instead used the common lift and while working sat on a very simple chair in his office. On 16 September 2009 he went to join as Chairman riding on his personal car. He never had a single cup of tea out of bank money. Though clearly mentioned his entitlement in the Banking Regulation and Policy Department (BRPD) circular of Bangladesh Bank, Barkat never enjoyed the benefit of latest model mobile phone, one Laptop, TNT phone in the residence, newspaper-magazines, car facility including other accompanying benefits. One year after his joining as Chairman a very curious incident happened. Bir Protik Kakan Bibi, the lone tribal gallant freedom fighter was brought at Dhaka from the remote village of distant Sunamganj in a car which was allotted in his name as Chairman. It is only due to Barkats personal magnanimity as a renowned freedom fighter that arrangement was made for Kakan Bibi to stay in the Hotel Purbani and majestic honour was given to her on behalf of the Bank. Not only that Kakan Bibi was given a FDR of an amount Tk. 15 lac which she was lucky to receive from the hand of Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The money was given for her life-long maintenance. Barkat also took the initiative to arrange residential accommodation for her. During the tenure of Barkat, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was introduced at a large scale. In 2009 CSR budget was Tk. 25 lac only which increased to Tk. 35 crore in the year 2014. This CSR was of much help for the poor and distressed people. He also sanctioned Tk. 1300 crore and a maximum ceiling of Tk. 60 lac as house building loan in favour of nearly 7,500 executives, officers and employees. Along with this, the ceiling of credit for motor cycle and computer was also increased two times. Among other major steps: Barkat ordered in the meeting of Board of Directors to pay all dues to officers and employees within a month after prime lending rate ( PLR) . He arranged the posts of officers /employees of different positions in orderly manner; created many new posts for officers/employees; car loan for executives at zero percent interest and maitenance charge; increased incentive bonus three times; in three years (2009-2012) gave appointment of 6,500 educated youth in different positions; took initiative to write a book on life-history of 676 freedom fighters. All these steps moved forward for the cause of humanity and personal glorious achievement of [freedom fighters] Author: * Former Principal, Government Titumir College, Dhaka, Bangladesh email: subassengupta[a]gmail.com Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has called on the Federal Government to allow citizens to bear arms to protect themselves against rising insecurity in the country. Mr Ortom said this on Friday at the one-year anniversary of the re-establishment of the Ministry of Police Affairs. The Nation Newspaper reported that the Police Inspector General, Muhammad Adamu, also spoke about how the N13.5 billion approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for community policing will be spent. In his reaction to the development, Mr Ortom said Nigerians must wake up in order not to be consumed by insecurity. I heard people complaining that Ortom called for Nigerians to be allowed to carry sophisticated weapons and that it would bring about anarchy. What about the herdsmen who are carrying AK-47 and kidnapping innocent Nigerians, raping our women and destroying our villages and towns and becoming a terror to us? How about them? Why cant we collect these sophisticated weapons from them? How many of them have been arrested? he queried. He said while his advice has been left unattended to, some arrested kidnappers have been caught with AK-47. This is a suggestion that the Federal Government should take up seriously because in America people are licensed to carry sophisticated weapons but life is still going on. It is left for the Federal Government to look at it if my suggestion can be carried but for me, I still stand with my suggestion, he was quoted by the paper as saying. Mr Ortom said security operatives in his state had already arrested 400 herdsmen who violated the states law against open grazing of animals. We have arrested about 400 herdsmen and some are not even Fulani. But majority of them are Fulani and we have prosecuted them, he said. Today, we have convicted more than 130 herdsmen who are already serving various jail terms and some have paid fines. We have arrested over 9000 cattle, but as the law stipulates, once you pay fine, we release them to you and you transport them. You no longer go on foot with those cattle within Benue State. On the issue of foreign herdsmen coming into the country, I am happy that the Inspector General of Police some few days ago did say that these herdsmen are not Nigerians. That is what I said about two to three years ago. I knew it. I am not a security expert. But as governor, I receive briefings and I was able to do my independent investigation and knew that these people are coming for an agenda. READ ALSO: Nigerians must wake up. If we dont wake up we will all be consumed. Speaking further, he mentioned that the N13.5 billion approved by the president will support the logistics of the community police officers. Reached on Saturday, the governors spokesperson, Terve Akaase, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Ortom meant that only responsible citizens should be allowed carry arms. The governor has long be advocating that the Federal Government should allow responsible citizens to carry arms. That is sophisticated weapons. They should license responsible Nigerians so that they can defend themselves, he said. Previous call Before now, PREMIUM TIMES in 2018 reported that a senator Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Kabir Marafa, made the same call over killings across the country. The lawmaker argued on the floor of the Senate that the Federal Government needs to liberalise gun control for self-defense believing that the only advantage criminals have against citizens is the possession of arms. Nigerians has seen rising insecurity in recent years, with thousands killed mostly in the northern part of the country. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajans remarks that not much testing of patients for Covid-19 is being done in the state should serve as a wake-up call for the administration and prod it to reset its priorities. Just a few days ago, the Telangana High Court had expressed satisfaction over the K Chandrashekar Rao governments proactive role in combating the pandemic, though it had hauled it up on several counts and issued stinging orders for corrective measures over the last few weeks. But Governor Soundararajan, who is a medical practitioner by training, had a different take. In her recent interaction with a few news channels, she expressed her anguish and displeasure over the manner in which the entire pandemic situation is being handled in Telangana, adding she was primarily concerned about the poor testing rate. In fact, the state government had given an undertaking to the High Court that it will conduct nearly 40,000 tests each day and ramp up the processing capacity of laboratories. Yet, the average daily testing is yet to cross 23,000a little over half the self-set target. Politics apart, the Governor, as the constitutional head of the state, has the right to seek information from the chief minister and his council of ministers. And under Article 167 of the Constitution, they are obliged to comply. There is no need for the government to get all worked up over her remarks, which seems to be the case now. That the Governor had discussed testing with the chief minister and officials weeks before making the sharp comments indicates she is dissatisfied with the progress. Earlier, the High Court, the media and the opposition had pilloried the government on its poor testing record, comparing it with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which is less equipped than Telangana but doing very well on mass testing. The Governor was right in pointing out that testing, tracking and treating of patients should get priority. As for the opposition, it is trying to exploit her caustic remarks by demanding the resignation of the chief minister and the imposition of Presidents rule. They ought to realise this is not the time for petty politics. HONG KONG, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong plans to start a mass screening for COVID-19 on Sept. 1 and aims to complete the testing in two weeks in an effort to bring the severe epidemic situation under control as recent support from the central government has boosted its testing capacity. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced the plan on Friday at a press conference. The HKSAR government said earlier that the large-scale testing that may cover millions of people in Hong Kong will be conducted for free and on a voluntary basis. Lam said the scheme would not be possible if there were no support from the central government in lab personnel and testing services. The central government set up a 60-strong nucleic acid testing team to help improve Hong Kong's testing capacity at the request of the HKSAR government, and the first batch of virus testing professionals arrived in Hong Kong to join the anti-epidemic fight at the beginning of August. The artist even chats with history professors and PhD student who have given him guidance on certain figures Advertisement An artist has transformed the chipped stone busts of ancient Roman emperors into photorealistic portraits with the help of historical artefacts and creative software. Daniel Voshart, from Toronto, Canada, says that his project of painstakingly colourising and shaping the faces of 54 Principate rulers was 'a quarantine project that got a bit out of hand', but it has attracted attention from hobbyists to historians. And he has now released his completed work in a series of stunning portraits and posters that cover 300 years of Roman history. Though more interested in design work for VR for use in architecture and the film industry, the coronavirus pandemic brought Daniel's work to stop and left him with time to explore his hobby of colourising statues. When he came to pick a subject however, he chose to research the busts of Roman Emperors who controlled its sprawling empire during the first three-century-long Principate, despite not being particularly interested in ancient history. Artist Daniel Voshart has transformed the chipped stone busts of ancient Roman emperors into photorealistic portraits with the help of historical artefacts and creative software Daniel's project, using machine learning software, has created photorealist versions of the 54 Roman Emperors who served in The Principate, starting with Augustus (pictured) in 27 BC. Clockwise from top left: The Prima Porta, Pergamum Museum, the British Museum, Labicana When he came to pick a subject, he chose to research the busts of the Roman Emperors, despite not being particularly interested in ancient history. Pictured right: Vespasian digitally remade, and clockwise from top left: At the Louvre, Museum of Classical Archeology, National Archeological Museum in Naples, Capitoline Museum This side-by-side show Daniel's version of the third emperor Caligula, who ruled from 37AD until his assassination in 41 AD, against a bust in the Met Gallery To create his portraits, Daniel used a combination of different software and sources, including statues, coins, and paintings. He even researched individual rulers to find out where they were born and their ancestry. Left: Augustus, right: Maximinus Thrax To create his portraits, Daniel used a combination of different software and sources, including statues, coins, and paintings. He even researched individual rulers to find out where they were born and their ancestry. His main tool was a software programme called ArtBreeder, which uses a type of machine learning method called generative adversarial network (GAN) to manipulate images and add other elements into them. 'Using the neural-net tool Artbreeder, Photoshop and historical references, I have created photoreal portraits of Roman Emperors,' he said. 'For this project, I have transformed, or restored (cracks, noses, ears etc.) 800 images of busts to make the 54 emperors of The Principate (27 BC to 285 AD). 'Artistic interpretations are, by their nature, more art than science but I've made an effort to cross-reference their appearance (hair, eyes, ethnicity etc.) to historical texts and coinage. His main tool was a software programme called ArtBreeder, which uses a type of machine learning method called generative adversarial network (GAN) to manipulate images and add other elements into them. Pictured: Nero Daniel, from Toronto, Canada, says that his project of painstakingly colourising and shaping their rulers' faces was 'a quarantine project that got a bit out of hand'. Right: Daniel's Vitellius, clockwise from top left: At the Louvre, painting by Peter Paul Rubensm, Rubens House in Antwerp, New Carlsberg Gylototek Though more interested in design work for VR for use in architecture and the film industry, the coronavirus pandemic brought Daniel's work to stop and left him with time to explore his hobby of colourising statues. Pictured: Claudius, clockwise from top left: National Archeological Museum in Naples, The Vatican, National Archeological Museum in Spain, Museum Chiaramonti 'For this project, I have transformed, or restored (cracks, noses, ears etc.) 800 images of busts to make the 54 emperors of The Principate (27 BC to 285 AD),' said Daniel. Pictured: Caligula, clockwise from left: At The Louvre, New Carlsberg Gylototek, Museum of Rome, Met Gallery Daniel used busts, paintings, coins, statues and historical context to recreate each of the 54 Principate rulers in a 'realistic' likeness. Left: Augustus, right: Maximunus Thrax 'I've striven to age them according to the year of death - their appearance prior to any major illness. Rather than simply taking an historical bust at face value, Daniel would change aspects of the emperor's facial structure to appear more realistic for a man of their age. Each of these took a whole day to design. 'My goal was not to romanticize emperors or make them seem heroic. In choosing bust / sculptures, my approach was to favour the bust that was made when the emperor was alive,' he added. 'Otherwise, I favoured the bust made with the greatest craftsmanship and where the emperor was stereotypically uglier - my pet theory being that artists were likely trying to flatter their subjects. Daniel said that he originally made 300 posters which he expected to sell over a year, but when they sold out in three weeks he realised there was significant interest in his work. 'I knew Roman history was popular and there was a built-in audience,' Daniel told The Verge. 'But it was still a bit of a surprise to see it get picked up in the way that it did.' Rather than simply taking an historical bust at face value, Daniel would change aspects of the emperor's facial structure to appear more realistic for a man of their age. Each of these took a whole day to design. Pictured: Otho, clockwise from top left: The Louvre, Rubens painting, Uffizi Gallery in Florence, British Museum Academics have since praised his portraits for their realism, and Daniel now chats with history professors and PhD student who give him guidance on certain aspected like skin tone. Pictured: Tiberius. Top left and right: Royal Ontario Museum, bottom left: National Archeological Museum in Naples, bottom right: The Lansdowne Daniel added that the project had given him a new appreciation for the Roman Empire, and is now considering paying Rome a visit. Pictured: Titus, clockwise from top left: National Archeological Museum in Naples, Archeological Museum in France, British Museum Daniel admitted to introducing his own biases when creating the interpretations of the Emperors. Pictured: Galba, top left and centre: Capitoline Museum in Rome, bottom left: Museum of Antiquities in Stockholm Pictured: Domitian. Clockwise from top left: At The Vatican, Altes Museum in Berlin, The Louvre, and the Archeological Museum in Venice Pictured: Titus. Through research, Daniel decided to give him darker hair and eyes, 'disregarding an unreliable citation of John Malalas which described Titus as having blond hair'. He also gave him more facial hair as per a coin bearing his face Academics have since praised his portraits for their realism, and Daniel now chats with history professors and PhD student who give him guidance on certain aspected like skin tone. In the case of Severus, he's the only Roman emperor for whom we have a surviving contemporary painting, the Severan Tondo, which he says influenced the darker skin tones he used in his depiction from his either Phoenician or Berber ancestors. 'The painting is like, I mean it depends on who you ask, but I see a dark skinned North African person. 'I'm introducing my own sort of biases of faces I've known or have met. But that's what I read into it,' said Daniel. Daniel added that the project had given him a new appreciation for the Roman Empire, and is now considering paying Rome a visit. You can read more about Daniel Voshart's work, including his collection of photorealistic Roman Emperor portraits here. #AHORA - Lambayeque | Ministro @JLMONTENEGROCH se reune con los integrantes del Comando Covid-19 y autoridades locales en el Grupo Aereo N 6 FAP - Chiclayo, con el proposito de articular esfuerzos y trabajar estrategias conjuntas para combatir el virus en la region. pic.twitter.com/2pvyWTWQ8K 22.08.2020 LISTEN An ugly scene of a 90-year-old woman accused of being a witch in Ghana Before Africans will be genuinely accepted by the developed world as normal human beings like everyone and be free from oppression, discrimination, racism, and sub-human bondage conditions, they must first learn to respect and love themselves. There is no love at all in Africa and the cruelties emanating from every part of the continent against fellow Africans because of poverty, greed, nepotism, tribalism, and corruption, are dividing the people and causing hardships to others. Decades after the abolition of slavery, colonialism and Apartheid, Africans and African-Americans continue to suffer in the hands of successive governments that are interested in building high walls of institutional racism to deny the black man equal opportunities. Thanks to the late George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter Movement, things have changed for African-Americans today but what about Africa, a continent plagued by the viruses of hate, corruption, tribalism, nepotism, and contract assassinations? It's dehumanizing and barbaric to see children and old people accused of witchcraft and being lynched by people across Africa, in videos on Youtube. Do Africans know what Europeans or Americans think about the continent if they watch such videos on Youtube? Africa, the place often referred to as the dark continent in terms of color, in reality, is inhabited by tribes and clans that from ancestral period influenced by traditional custom and superstition, often accusing old people as witches. Nobody talks about or accuses someone of witchcraft in the developed world but only Africa, where such issues are very common, which to me illiteracy, hardships, and superstition, play roles in these accusations. As one of the centers of underdevelopment, Africans face many problems and hardships beyond their control. These unfortunate circumstances are often blamed on innocent old women accused of witchcraft. In sub-Saharan Africa, long-term unfavorable population trends are combined with dire poverty and high-income inequality, dire health care, education, high unemployment, and large-scale forced migration. Most struggling Africans don't take these problems into consideration, instead, they put the blame on innocent people accusing them of witchcraft and it's really agonizing to watch these videos in an open window across the world and wonder what the developed world think about Africa. In terms of the diversity, scale, and the intertwining of social problems, Africa stands out as a poverty-stricken continent in the developing world. There are so many resources on the continent of Africa than any continent in the world, yet Africans continue to live in miserable conditions. Till now many societies in Africa, are completely immersed in beliefs such as witchcraft, ghosts, spirits, etc, putting the lives of many people, including children and old women in danger. AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis are among the main causes of high mortality in the African population, and all these problems affect and frustrate others to accuse people of witchcraft. An image that went viral of a two-year-old Nigerian child accused of being a witch and rescued by a Scandinavian woman, Anja Ringgren Therefore, it doesn't make sense at all when old women are beaten up and the videos uploaded on Youtube. That is not the trademark of Africa. In whatever we do, Africans must show maturity and wisdom to convince the developed world that we have aims and objectives. If African leaders are not interested in protecting old women accused of witchcraft in Africa, they must ban the upload of such videos on Youtube because it doesn't only degrade Africans but also gives the developed world the opportunity to commit more crimes in Africa. In late July, Amazon revealed it would be suspending its pilot program that served to deliver packages to consumers from third-party vendors that do not ship through fulfillment centers. The program had been focused on companies with warehouses in cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. The program, which Amazon launched in 2018, was developed to consider a very different set of needs than are present today, according to John Kearney, chief executive officer of Advanced Training Systems, the company that designs and manufactures virtual simulators for driver training. It is now a very different world; the pandemic and the accompanying surge in e-commerce retail have redirected attention from last-mile delivery to the more basic needs of the overall supply chain, said Kearney. More from WWD While online orders have soared during the pandemic, Amazon has needed to shift focus to logistics of its long-haul brokerage operation. According to Advanced Training Systems, the move underscores the need for more trained long-haul truck drivers. The supply of goods that are sold to the ultimate user, particularly in retail trade, move for some part of the delivery process in long haul trucks, said Kearney. If 70 percent of all goods move by long-haul trucks, we can look at what would happen if we failed to move 10 percent of them. We do not have another method of moving large supplies of goods to their location in the process of getting to the ultimate user. Long-haul trucking is essential to everything we do for some part of what is sold in the United States. Further, Kearney said, without long-haul trucking, even a small reduction in the capacity of trucking companies to deliver goods could cause the economy to slow to a deeper recession. At the same time, as e-commerce has grown there have also had to be adjustments to the overall process of delivering goods. In a relatively short time we have gone from delivering most goods to the retailer who would maintain an inventory of goods for the buyer to delivery to the end user at home, said Kearney. E-commerce has made a significant change in the process. Now an order for a product is made at the web site of a seller of goods or a reseller and then the goods must be delivered to the end user at home. We skip the process of the store holding large amounts of inventory for sale to the customer and a delivery service such as FedEx or Amazon now delivers the product to the home of the user. Story continues Notably, the recent suspension of Amazon Shippings third-party pilot program could be beneficial to UPS and FedEx, which stand to take over at least some of the delivery for third-party vendors. What have companies done to adapt to the newer process? said Kearney. The retailer may not be able to maintain a retail establishment at a profit, so the web site becomes the selling point. Now the long haul trucker delivers the goods to the ultimate delivery service who wants to deliver the goods almost immediately to the buyer. The new world of end user sales is not the retail store in most instances but the web site that is best at managing the marketing process and the ease of use of the web site. Concurrently, the shipping process is subject to getting the goods to the delivery company. The trucker delivers to the final delivery service so the company must contract with that service to make sure products are delivered, said Kearney. The trucking companies continue to haul directly to companies like Family Dollar and Dollar Tree warehouses and those companies that fit the retail sale at the store but now they need to contract to have the final mile delivery handled, said Kearney. This is be done by contracting with the trucking company that carries their inventory to the retail outlet but also to the final mile delivery service through Amazon, FedEx, USPS and UPS. The new needs of the supply chain also mean a need for more trained long-haul truck drivers, and data from Advanced Training Systems shows the market responding, with some commercial drivers license schools reporting an increase of new students. But obstacles remain. Hiring a new driver involves the risk that the new driver will not have, as a group, an accident rate and cost that is as high or higher than the existing accident rate of the existing driver pool, said Kearney. To solve that issue we need to see that the person has the proper training. The solution is the use of the more advanced methods and tools that are available to train. Additionally, the perception of what a professional driver is to a potential driver is not what the reality is. There is an upward path for the driver to grow in the management structure of the trucking company and many drivers start to grow by adding additional trucks until they become the owner of a trucking company. According to Kearney, this is largely a marketing issue. Those who choose to have a career as a driver can have significant rewards when they choose to stay loyal to one company. There is a much better experience as a driver than much of the public understands it to be. This is a marketing issue that must be solved by the industry to publicize what the real future can represent for a driver. The driver is an essential element for our economy to work, said Kearney. Without the driver we would come to a standstill with the movement of goods in this country. For More WWD Business News: The Truck Stops Here What Trends Will Emerge as the Holiday Season Draws Closer? Big Six Retailers Dominate Market With Flawless Execution The Kill Ambush was the most significant engagement in County Kildare during the War of Independence. In one of the few military actions in Kildare in the 1919-21 period, Tom Harris led Kill Company, Irish Volunteers, in an attack on a Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) patrol near Greenhills, Kill, during which two policemen were killed. Subsequently, in retaliation, Broughalls public house in Kill was raided and looted by a party of Black and Tans, while the premises of Boushells Family Boot Maker and Leather Merchant at South Main Street, Naas, was burned down. The scene of the ambush was at a turn in the road which sloped downwards from Kill village. Coming from Kill to Naas, Palmerstown Demesne, then the residence of Lord Mayo, was on the right-hand side of the road. On the left-hand side was a small wood bounded by a ditch. The area is known as Greenhills. Following an attack on RIC county inspector Kerry Supples house on the Sallins Road, Naas, in January 1919, a patrol of four armed policemen would leave Kill Barracks every second night to stand guard. In August 1920, it was decided to ambush this party and take their weapons, although it was never confirmed whether the objective was to kill or injure the policemen. Tom Harris oversaw the ambush party with 33 men from Kill Company under the command of Lt Tom Domican. The main body of men was armed with 10 shotguns and some revolvers; they were placed behind a bank beside the main road with a small screen of trees at their back. Jim Dunne, armed with a .38 Colt automatic; Jack Sullivan, armed with a shotgun, and three unarmed men, were to stop the patrol from retreating back to Kill Barracks, a quarter of a mile away. William Daly, section commander, was in charge of the advance guard on the Naas side of the ambush position with five men, two of whom were armed, to stop the police if any tried to escape in that direction. Three more unarmed men were behind the main body with extra ammunition. About 11.30pm on August 21, 1920, the four-man RIC party on bicycles appeared at the chosen point. As they passed, Jim Dunnes section closed in about 100 yards behind them. A cry of hands up to the police patrol was quickly followed by a fusillade of gunfire. Jim Dunne claimed that when the police were called on to halt, Sergeant Patrick Reilly, on the lead bicycle, opened fire. A surviving policeman said the call was accompanied by a volley of shots, and they were given no chance to surrender. Two of the RIC men, Sgt Reilly and Constable Patrick Haverty, were fatally wounded by shotgun blasts. The two remaining constables, Michael Flanagan and Andrew Flaherty, were disarmed by Pat Brady, Jim Dunne and Jack Sullivan, who fired several shots as they advanced to them. The captured policemen were marched to the Palmerstown Estate, 300 yards away, where they were forced to climb a five-foot gate into the demesne and told not to report to their barracks until the next morning. Two carbines and two revolvers were taken by the volunteers. According to Jim Dunne the whole operation took about 20 minutes. When a relief party of police arrived, they found Constable Haverty lying dead in a pool of blood and Sgt Reilly gravely wounded. Havertys body was taken to Kill Barracks while Reilly was rushed to Dr Steevens Hospital in Dublin where he later succumbed to his wounds. Sgt. Reilly was a 47-year-old married man from County Offaly and had 26 years service in the RIC. He was just three weeks away from retirement and had bought a new suit for the occasion. At Easter 1916, Reilly had been in command of Swords Barracks when it was captured by Commandant Tom Ashe and his men. The Leinster Leader reported that Reilly was generally popular in the district, and that Const Haverty was generally popular, being of a quiet disposition. Haverty was 39, single and from Ballinasloe, Co Galway. He had 19 years service. An inquest was held the next day at the Dew Drop Inn, Kill. Constable Flanagan described the attack, saying that they got no chance to surrender as a volley of shots was fired immediately after the call of hands up! which came from a small wood. The cycle patrol was in single file with Sgt Reilly leading and Const Haverty being second, followed by Flanagan and Flaherty. After the gunfire, Reillys bicycle swerved and he fell to the ground; Haverty also fell from his bicycle. A number of men then rushed from the wood firing as they ran towards them, according to Const Flanagan. At least seven or eight men covered them with revolvers and took away their ammunition and weapons. Flanagan allegedly said to them: Constable Haverty is dying. I want to get the priest and doctor for him, and some of you go for them if you wont allow me to go. Haverty got up on one knee and then fell over. Flanagan said he took Havertys hand and was about to say a prayer to him when he was told to move away. Flanagan said they were marched off to Palmerstown Demesne and ordered to remain there. They stayed until 5.30am and then went back to Kill Barracks. Dr Morrissey told the inquest that Patrick Haverty died from four wounds inflicted by shotgun slugs or pellets. The Coroner, Dr Cosgrove, suggested that the jury should find a verdict that the deceased died from wounds inflicted by persons unknown. The foreman of the jury, Mr. Edward Kennedy, JP, Bishopscourt, said he could not agree with that and they should express their opinion of the occurrence in a verdict of murder. He did not consider it any the less murder, because the motive was a political one, and that he would rather go down in his coffin dead than have the taint of murder on his soul. After a half hour consultation, the jury found that Const Haverty died of shock and hemorrhage from bullet wounds inflicted by some person or persons unknown and expressed sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. The funeral of Patrick Haverty took place from Kill Barracks to Sallins railway station where the remains were entrained en route to Galway. The chief mourners were his elderly father and two brothers. A large number of friends and a RIC Guard of Honour, under Insp Supple and Major Foley, District Inspector, accompanied the remains to Sallins. Several wreaths were placed on the coffin. Messages of sympathy were received from the Lord Lieutenant and the Inspector General of the RIC. Condemnation of ambush The ambush was widely condemned locally, with the most vocal criticism coming from the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Patrick Foley, who referred to the incident as assassination and murder. A relative of those who took part said the ambushers were afterwards unpopular in the village as the two policemen were well-liked. Sgt. OReilly died in Dr. Steevens Hospital on the morning of August 31. He had received four bullet wounds, although the cause of death was sceptic pneumonia. The two survivors of the ambush, Constables Flanagan and Flaherty, resigned from the RIC within a month. In follow up raids the police visited the homes of Tom Domican of Hartwell; Traynors of Haynestown, Mooneys, Denis Kelly and the licensed premise of Thomas Broughall, Kill, where Jack Sullivan, employed as a grocers assistant, was arrested and taken to Kill Barracks. He was released without charge two hours later. Pat Domican was wisely not at home when police called; neither were the three Traynor brothers, Philip, Peter and John, who also had taken part in the ambush. However, the worst was yet to come. Next week: Black and Tan terror in Naas and Kill Twitter: @cilldara2016 Facebook: Kildare Decade of Commemorations YouTube: Kildare Decade of Commemorations 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. Morse has the full backing of the liberal groups that have helped knock off a handful of veteran Democratic incumbents in the past two years, paving the way to Congress for a younger, more diverse array of lawmakers. Most of the same groups have rallied behind Markey, despite his being a 74-year-old White man, after he forged an ideological alliance with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), whose upset primary win in June 2018 served as a bolt of lightning for these far-left liberals. The cremated remains of a U.S. Army veteran sent through the mail were delayed reaching their final destination for days, according to the late veteran's family, and they say Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is to blame. Army veteran Scott Egan died in July in St. Louis. His sister, Dr. Jean Egan, told New Haven, Connecticut, ABC affiliate WTNH that his remains were supposed to be delivered to their other sister in Maryland within two days of being shipped. However, she said the remains were lost for 12 days and the postal service has not provided a reason. MORE: Facing grilling amid uproar, postmaster general insists election mail will be delivered 'on time' "If Postmaster General DeJoy cannot do his duty to the American public, and military families like mine, that he should be removed from his post," Egan, a resident of Connecticut, said at a press conference Friday alongside Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Egan said the remains eventually were delivered to her sister in Maryland, but the family is still looking for an explanation as to why the remains took almost two weeks to arrive. Blumenthal praised the postal worker in Maryland who delivered the remains, saying she "drove for two hours each way, with no overtime, to deliver those remains to Jean's sister." PHOTO: A mail carrier delivers mail in the Brooklyn, New York, Aug. 21, 2020. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement to ABC News that they apologized for the delay, though the agency said the package was never lost. "The Postal Service apologizes to the family for the delay," according to the statement. "There was misdirection given at the point of mailing and we are working with our personnel around the state to, again, raise awareness in proper procedures for handling cremated remains." Egan said she has not received a formal apology from the Postal Service. DeJoy has come under fire for allegedly making changes to the agency's operations to help boost President Donald Trump's reelection in November. DeJoy, a former logistics executive and longtime Republican financier, faced lawmakers on Friday and called those allegations "outrageous." Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the timeline of what happened to the remains between Connecticut and Maryland. The spelling of the late veteran's first name has been corrected to Scott Egan. The headline has been updated to correctly reflect one veteran's remains as being lost. Family says USPS lost veteran's remains originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Peterborough Clinic will soon have a complete new parking area with a parking circle at the clinic entrance for patient drop-off and pickup. The main parking lot at the clinic on Hospital Drive was reconstructed and combined with the lot next door, on the property where the health unit once stood. The former Peterborough County-City Health Unit since renamed Peterborough Public Health moved to the Jackson Square building at 185 King St. downtown in late 2015. The health units former building at 10 Hospital Dr. which it had occupied for 38 years was demolished and replaced with a parking lot. The idea behind combining the former health unit parking lot with the clinics was to alleviate traffic congestion along Hospital Drive during the clinics business hours, according to a release issued earlier this year by the clinic. The new parking arrangement features a new rear exit lane along Weller Street. The design aims to reduce traffic near the Peterborough Regional Health Centres emergency department across the street. The completed parking lot will offer improved access to medical services in the area for all patients and caregivers, stated Dr. David Newport, chair of the Peterborough Clinic, in the release. It is our hope that users will find reduced anxiety in a safe and aesthetically improved space. There has been concern in recent years about street parking in residential neighbourhoods near PRHC; sometimes motorists park for hours on side streets to avoid paying for parking fees at the hospital, even though many streets in the area have had parking bans for years. Last year city council imposed new parking restrictions on Rosedale Avenue after neighbours told councillors they were concerned about motorists parking there all day. Residents said it made the avenue narrow for vehicular traffic and hazardous for pedestrians (since theres no sidewalk). Working on the job at the Peterborough Clinic construction project are the firms Dufferin Construction and D.M Wills Associates. The Peterborough Clinic was established in 1920 and is considered the oldest continually operating medical partnership in Canada, the release states. It moved from Charlotte and Reid streets into its current location at 26 Hospital Dr. in 2008. The clinic has 43 physicians, states the release. Half the doctors working there are family physicians, while the rest are specialists in areas such as pediatricsrdiology. There are also in-house medical services, such as a medical laboratory, ultrasound clinic, Horizon Family Dentistry and Pharmasave. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that work is moving at a steady pace on the Trucks Rest Stop Project at Dubai Land on the Emirates Road with nearly 55 per cent of the development already completed. The construction of the facility, which is undertaken in partnership with the private sector, is the first integrated trucks stop zone that meets the basic and daily needs of heavy vehicle drivers across the emirate. Being developed by Al Sahraa Group, the station spans 5 hectares and includes 100 parking slots for trucks and other facilities to serve the basic and daily needs of truck drivers as well as a specialised technical testing centre for heavy vehicles. By establishing this station, RTA aims to sort out issues related to the parking of trucks beside highways and in residential areas, said the statement. It will also enable RTA to meet the rising demand for truck stops considering that trucks make about 145 thousand trips and lift about 3 million tons every day in Dubai, it added. On the ongoing project work, RTA Director-General and Chairman Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer said preliminary processes preceding the construction phase such as obtaining non-objection certificates, leveling the land, protecting utility lines, and obtaining the final building permit from the concerned authorities have been fully completed." According to him, the construction of the station will enhance the traffic safety, reduce trucks-related accidents, and streamline the traffic flow during the trucks ban timings. "The project will also increase the engagement of the private sector in the implementation of infrastructure and service projects. It will also generate an additional income for RTA through sharing revenues with the investor, and offer investment prospects for investors in a variety of fields, he explained. "It will also improve the quality of public services, and transfer knowledge, expertise and innovation from the private sector to the public sector. In particular, it will offer government employees an exposure to the management and follow-up of this sort of long-term projects undertaken on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Model," added Al Tayer. The RTA chief pointed out that the project supported the Dubai Silk Road strategy encapsulated in the 50-year Charter of Dubai, and the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative. The UAE is a prominent station in the Economic Silk Road and is the gateway to the Middle East and Africa in the project that links the commercial markets in the region, observed Al Tayer. According to him, RTA had commissioned a comprehensive study of trucks movement in Dubai along with site surveys, interviews and workshops with the concerned departments and companies. It has also developed a schematic model to predict future truck movements, and assessed the need for dry ports, or goods assembly and distribution centres. Ahead of the project, it also evaluated the policies and timings of the current trucks movement ban and the need for dedicated roads for trucks in addition to all organisational and structural aspects relating to the management of trucks and goods movement in Dubai. Al Tayer pointed out that RTA had constructed 18 temporary trucks rest stops on the right-of-way of several vital roads in Dubai with a total capacity of 538 parking slots to provide safe and convenient parking spaces for trucks during the ban on trucks movement, and they have been fully operational. "We had finalised technical and commercial studies for sites of two permanent truck rest stops; the first in Jebel Ali Industrial Area 3 nearby the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, and the second is at Al Ayyas, near the Emirates Road, " he revealed. The two sites will be tendered this December to the private sector. These two stations will have all the requisite facilities and services needed by drivers and trucks, said Al Tayer. A study is currently underway for an additional site at Dubai Industrial City nearby the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. It will be released in a tender after the completion of the technical and investment studies," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Police are looking for a man who robbed a shop and threatened someone with a gun. The armed robbery, in Plumstead Common in South East London, was caught on CCTV so the police were able to release video and photographs of the man, believed to be in his 40s, they are looking for. Although the victim was left uninjured the police described his experience on July, 18 as a 'terrifying ordeal'. A store clerk confronted a man as he tried to leave the store with some stolen beer and the man pulled a gun As he walked away from the store on Plumstead Common Road he continued to brandish his gun towards the clerk The footage shows a man who has already picked up three cans of beer from a shelf attempt to leave the shop without paying. A shop clerk in a green shirt confronts him and he takes a gun out of his pocket, waves it at the clerk and backs out the door. The footage cuts to a view from a CCTV camera on the street showing him walking briskly away from the shop down Plumstead Common Road , facing behind him, still brandishing his gun. The video pauses and zooms in on the man who is wearing a white shirt, black jacket, light blue jeans, trainers and a beanie. Detective Constable Thomas Boow, from the Flying Squad, said: 'This was a terrifying ordeal for the victim from a man who clearly has no respect for the law. 'Carrying a gun in your waist belt is an incredibly dangerous act, let alone brandishing it in a public place, aimed at another person. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call police on 101 quoting reference Cad 2119/18Jul 'We are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen this man running off or was in or near the shop at the time. 'It is important we identify him to make sure he does not do something like this again.' Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or call police on 101 quoting reference Cad 2119/18Jul. International aid groups are urging the U.S. government to resume at least some of its halted funding for Yemen, the war-torn country on the Arabian Peninsula, where a U.S.-backed coalition is fighting rebel forces in a conflict that's created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The U.S. paused its funding earlier this year because those rebels, known as the Houthis, have impeded humanitarian access or stolen aid. But the blanket pause has hurt Yemeni civilians, the groups warned, as programs to treat hunger, malnutrition, cholera outbreaks and more are forced to downsize or close without U.S. funds. The warning of dire implications comes days after the State Department's federal watchdog found the Trump administration had not done enough to minimize civilian casualties as the U.S. provides arms, including precision-guided bombs, to the coalition led by Saudi Arabia. MORE: Syria, Yemen conflict zones face potential devastation from large-scale coronavirus outbreak After five and a half years of brutal war, Yemen now confronts not just continued violence, the persistent threat of famine and the destruction of its economy and health system, but also the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, a plague of locusts and historic floods that have killed at least 148 people. PHOTO: Children walk on the rubble of houses destroyed by airstrikes during the ongoing conflict in Saada province, Yemen, March 19, 2020. (Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images, FILE) "The most significant challenge to sustained life-saving humanitarian action today is the severe shortfall in funding, which has been exacerbated by the U.S. suspension," said the leaders of Oxfam America, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE, Save the Children and Mercy Corps. The United Nations reported this week that its pledge drive has received less than a quarter of the funds it needs for programs in the country. That lack of resources could not come at a worse time, as Yemen's currency drops even further, raising the price of food even more out of the reach of ordinary people; almost half of all children under the age of 5 are expected to be malnourished by the end of this year, the aid groups say. Story continues Despite these dire warnings, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has not budged since it announced in March that it would suspend its operations for Houthi-controlled areas, where between 70 and 80% of Yemenis live. MORE: Saudi coalition announces ceasefire in Yemen as COVID-19 fears propel UN peace push Three times the size of Florida, Yemen is home to approximately 29 million people. Houthi-led forces seized the capital in 2015 amid mass protests fueled by the Arab Spring, and given their Shiite ties to Iran, Yemen's Sunni neighbors led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began an intervention to back the exiled Yemeni government. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including attacks on hospitals, clinics and water infrastructure. Oxfam and the Yemen Data Project reported this week that medical and water infrastructure has been hit during air raids at an average of once every ten days during the conflict -- damage that has not just killed civilians, but also disrupted access to healthcare, clean water and sanitation. Since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in mid-March, three quarantine centers have been hit by airstrikes, according to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project. PHOTO: Students wearing protective face masks take final exams at a public school in Sana'a, Yemen, Aug. 15, 2020. (Yahya Arhab/EPA via Shutterstock, FILE) While the coalition's airstrikes have caused the majority of the war's civilian casualties, the U.S. has boosted its air power by providing midair refueling, training and by selling arms like so-called smart bombs. The Trump administration halted midair refueling in 2018, but President Donald Trump has vetoed Congress's push to end U.S. support or block emergency arms sales. Last week, the State Department's inspector general faulted the agency for failing to "fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties" when it bypassed Congress and sold the Saudis and Emiratis $8 billion in emergency arms last year. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected that finding, saying last week that U.S. weapons sales "prevented the loss of civilian lives." He didn't elaborate, but the top U.S. diplomat has previously argued selling more arms to the coalition will pressure the Houthis into negotiations and protect Saudi and Emirati territory, which have been repeatedly hit by Houthi rocket and drone attacks. MORE: Pompeo says 'full' vindication, but watchdog report finds fault with emergency Saudi arms sales But that hasn't borne out. The rate of bombings more than doubled in the first half of 2020 compared to the prior six months, with nearly 40% hitting civilians or civilian infrastructure, according to aid groups. A one-sided ceasefire announced by the Saudis in April fell apart as even the coalition failed to abide by it. And amid the ongoing fighting against the Houthis, the coalition has also splintered, with Emirati-backed separatists in the south fighting pro-government forces -- a divide that's continued even after a mediated settlement earlier this month. The continued U.S. arms sales have also made USAID's pause on assistance all the more frustrating to humanitarian groups. "Instead of supporting Yemen in this catastrophic situation, they suspended aid for the past couple of months to an already dire situation, but they continue to sell weapons and arms to the Saudi-led coalition," said Muhsin Siddiquey, country director for Oxfam. PHOTO: Yemenis attempt to get a motorcycle out of floodwater caused by heavy rainfall in Sana'a, Yemen, July 29, 2020. (Yahya Arhab/EPA via Shutterstock, FILE) "They can stop the war if they seriously want," he added, instead of "fueling the crisis and war." U.S. officials have said that the Houthis are the ones weaponizing aid by harassing humanitarian workers or stealing or blockading supplies, and that the suspension will remain in place until their forces change their behavior. "We're going to need the Houthis to change the way they do business and not use the humanitarian assistance as a weapon against their own people," David Schenker, the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, said in March. MORE: Fears grow over coronavirus outbreak devastating refugees, civilians trapped by war But with coronavirus's spread through the country -- largely undetected because of the lack of health care -- aid groups say it's the U.S. that's now using assistance as a cudgel to bring the Houthis to heel. "The suspension of aid should not be used as a weapon or to hold hostage the Yemenis to improve the situation," Siddiquey told ABC News from Sanaa, Yemen's capital. In their joint letter to USAID's acting administrator, the chiefs of the six aid groups also said the suspension could now be lifted because there had been "improved humanitarian access" in Houthi-controlled areas, an end to the their "tax" on humanitarian groups and "stringent accountability and monitoring mechanisms" to ensure aid is reaching the Yemeni people. "But our ability to do so now is jeopardized unless the U.S. changes course," the letter added, warning, "Time is running out for tens of millions of Yemenis." Aid groups urge US to halt arms sales, resume assistance in Yemen originally appeared on abcnews.go.com - Judy Ann Santos' mother, Carol Santos recently went to the hospital after being in an accident - Mommy Carol also shared an update about her condition after the accident on her social media account - The celebrity mom also jokingly commented that she was able to get out of the house but was sent to the hospital instead - Furthermore, she also uploaded photos during her stay at the hospital in an online post PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Judy Ann Santos' mother, Carol Santos was recently sent to the hospital after suffering from a bad fall. KAMI learned that Carol was sent to the hospital after she slipped and hit her back. Judy Ann Santos (Photo from Flickr) Source: UGC PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback According to the report done by PhilStar (authored by Salve Asis), Judy Ann's mother shared the news on her Facebook account. "Nakalabas nga ako, derecho sa hospital! Haaay," Carol wrote. Furthermore, she also uploaded photos of herself during her stay in the hospital in an online post. Carol also shared that she did not get any fracture from the incident, "Nadulas, tumama ang likod but thanks God walang fractures sa ribs, painful lang dahil maga. I will be okay. Naghinagpis lang." PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Judy Ann Santos is a famous actress in the Philippines. She appeared in popular projects such as Mara Clara, Bastat Kasama Kita, Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes. She tied the knot with Ryan Agoncillo on April 28, 2009. They have three children Yohan, Lucho and Luna. The actress recently became emotional as she teared up during her spiel for her docudrama, "Paano Kita Mapapasalamatan." She also admitted that she has financial challenges amid the ABS-CBN shut down and the ongoing pandemic. POPULAR: Read more news about Judy Ann Santos 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 Two tropical storms advanced across the Caribbean Saturday as potentially historic threats to the U.S. Gulf Coast, one dumping rain on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands while the other was pushing toward the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, whose sprawling resorts had been almost emptied by pandemic restrictions. Tropical Storms Laura and Marco were both projected to approach the U.S. Gulf Coast at or near hurricane force. The current, uncertain track would take them to Texas or Louisiana. Two hurricanes have never appeared in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records going back to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. The last time two tropical storms were in the Gulf together was in 1959, he said. The last time two storms made landfall in the United States within 24 hours of each other was in 1933, Klotzbach said. The projected track from the U.S. National Hurricane Center would put both storms together in the Gulf on Tuesday, with Marco hitting Texas and Laura making landfall a little less than a day later, though both tracks remain uncertain. Laura was already flinging rain across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands early Saturday and was expected to drench the Dominican Republic, Haiti and parts of Cuba during the day on its westward course. Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez declared a state of emergency and warned that flooding could be worse than what Tropical Storm Isaias unleashed three weeks ago because the ground is now saturated. "No one should be out on the streets," she said. The storm was centered about 50 miles south of San Juan, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was moving west at 21 mph. Marcos, meanwhile, was strengthening while centered about 110 miles east of Cozumel island, headed to the north-northwest at 12 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The Hurricane Center said it expects the storms to stay far enough apart to prevent direct interaction as the region braces for the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is forecast to be unusually active. Both storms were expected to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to areas they were passing over or near, threatening widespread flooding across a vast region. "A lot of people are going to be impacted by rainfall and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico," said Joel Cline, the tropical program coordinator for the National Weather Service. "Since you simply don't know you really need to make precautions." It seems fitting for such an unusual twin threat to arrive in 2020, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. "Of course, we have to have two simultaneously land-falling hurricanes," McNoldy said. "It's best not to ask what's next." Forecasters said that while atmospheric conditions are favorable for Laura to grow, its passage over Puerto Rico and the mountains of Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba that could tear it apart or weaken it before it enters warm Gulf waters conducive to growth. Officials in the Florida Keys, which Laura might pass over on its route into the Gulf, declared a local state of emergency Friday and issued a mandatory evacuation order for anyone living on boats, in mobile homes and in campers. Tourists staying in hotels should be aware of hazardous weather conditions and consider altering their plans starting on Sunday, Monroe County officials said in a news release. Citing both storm systems, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Friday night. "It is too soon to know exactly where, when or how these dual storms will affect Louisiana, but now is the time for our people to prepare for these storms," Edwards said in a statement. Laura had earlier forced the closure of schools and government offices in the eastern Caribbean islands of Anguilla and Antigua, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield says teachers are 'critical workers' just like doctors, and need to continue showing up to schools even after possible exposure to COVID-19. In a telebriefing on Friday, Redfield stressed the importance of educators as classrooms across the country reopen for in-person learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. 'I would just underscore how important our teachers are. I mean, their vocation is extremely important,' the top doctor stated. He added: 'You know they didn't need to be formally recognized as critical infrastructure workers, because I think we all know they are.' According to Yahoo, Redfield then 'drew a parallel to being a physician, a vocation in which individuals have had to "stay in the arena" implying that teachers may need to do the same as well.' CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield says teachers are 'critical workers' who may need to continue showing up to schools even after possible exposure to COVID-19. Redfield's assertion that teachers are essential workers echoes The White House's claim earlier this week. CNN reported on Friday that 'Vice President Mike Pence announced that decision to governors on a call'. 'Under Department of Homeland Security guidance, , teachers are now considered "critical infrastructure workers" and are subject to the same kinds of advisories as other workers who have borne that label --such as doctors and law enforcement officers.' The designation comes as schools across the country have begun re-opening for the 2020-2021 academic year, with the decision causing deep divides in many communities. Teacher's unions have blasted the move, despite the fact doctors, nurses, first responders and grocery store workers continue to risk their own health by showing up to work each day. Schools across the country are reopening for in-person learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Students are pictured arriving for classes at a high school in Racine, Wisconsin on Tuesday In a statement, the National Education Association told Yahoo: 'If the Trump administration truly valued educators, it would have listened to their concerns months ago about safety and it wouldn't be blocking another desperately needed coronavirus relief package that could provide schools with what they need to safely and equitably continue educating students during this pandemic'. 'Instead, this administration is trying to extort educators into a [reckless] reopening that risks lives.' Schools in several states have already been forced to close just days after reopening because students and faculty tested positive to COVID-19. When quizzed on whether teachers should continue showing up to work after possible exposure to the virus, Redfield told the teleconference that the decision would 'have to be worked out on a school-by-school, local-community-by-local-community'. However, earlier this week, Redfield touted new data that showed daycare centers had safely reopened in Rhode Island. Teachers have been left alarmed at the fact they are being forced back into classrooms, saying their health is at risk. One woman is pictured at a protest organized by the American Federation of Teachers in Boston on Wednesday A teacher is seen holding up a sign during a rally outside New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy's office earlier this month. Schools in New Jersey are soon set to reopen A CDC report found that the state was able to reopen day care programs in the summer without high rates of coronavirus spread. Out of the state's 666 programs that opened, there were 52 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 at 29 centers. Just 13 percent - four facilities - had outbreaks in which children or adults spread the virus to others. Redfield held the study up as an example that could be replicated across the country. He told reporters on a media call that the findings indicate there is a path 'to get these childcare programs to reopen, which are very important for our country.' Redfield did not say that daycare centers and schools were similar in terms of the transmission of the virus. However, many others have stated that the spread of COVID-19 among children is low, and schools should therefore reopen as normal. The United States is struggling to stem the spread of the deadly virus. As of Saturday, more than 5.6 million Americans have tested positive to COVID-19, and 175 350 have died. Christiana Akinrinmade Mrs Christiana Akinrinmade is a mother of two who became blind at 45 after a career in the banking sector. Akinrinmade, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Divine Christian Creativity, a non-governmental organisation that empowers persons living with disabilities and the unemployed with vocational skills, tells ALEXANDER OKERE how she rediscovered herself How did you lose your sight or were you born blind? I was not born blind. I am from a town called Fiditi in Oyo State but married to an Ondo man from a royal home in Odigbo. I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos. I attended Kwara State Polytechnic for an Ordinary National Diploma and the Lagos State Polytechnic for a Higher National Diploma in Accounting. I also attended the University of Calabar, Cross River State, and got my postgraduate diploma and masters degree in Management. I was sighted all through. I lost my sight after leaving the banking industry in 2010. I worked in different banks; I worked with UBA, Broad Bank, Omega Bank. I also worked in a microfinance bank, Apex Golden Gate Microfinance Bank; I came in as a senior marketing manager and rose to the position of an acting managing director. But a member of the board of directors was elected to come in as the MD. My bank was unable to meet up with the recapitalisation policy and went down. At a point when I was driving, I discovered that I bumped into things and had accidents frequently, though I called myself a professional driver, having been driving since 1998. One day, I bumped into a motorcycle and someone told me to get a driver. At that point, I thought something must have been wrong with my sight but I didnt know I had glaucoma. I told my optician and he kept on increasing the capacity of my lenses because I used glasses. But I later decided to visit a general hospital. That was in 2011. I drove down to the hospital and was told that I had lost my left eye. I was advised to stop. I still forced myself to drive but when I discovered that I kept having minor accidents, I stopped. Did you record any major accident? No. I had some minor accidents with motorcycles and tricycles. What kind of treatment was recommended for you? I was told that I had to undergo surgery. I planned for that and was given a date. But on the exact date, the doctors were on strike at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. I got another appointment and was told to return when the doctors resumed. But by the time the doctors resumed, I had lost my sight. I think I was 45 then. How did that make you feel? I thought that was the end of my life. I thought that was the end of the world. I felt like dying. I never thought anything could come out of me. I was ashamed of myself. When visitors came, I ran away and when I heard their voices, I was ashamed. That stigmatisation came upon me until I took it off and moved forward. I felt there was nothing a blind person could do until I heard about the Nigerian Society for the Blind at Oshodi, Lagos. That was where I was rehabilitated and regained my consciousness. When I lost my sight, I suffered from depression. But I dont have that now. Did you think you came under an attack when you started losing your sight and eventually went blind? Well, people said I was attacked spiritually. Whether I was attacked or not, I lost my sight. When people told me I was attacked, I travelled to four African countries looking for solutions. I even visited a herbalist, looking for a solution by all means. But in the end, nothing came out of it. So, I took up my cross and that was how my life changed. I faced my challenges head-on and I became vocal. Ever since I lost my sight, I got more education than when I was sighted. I got a diploma in radio production from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria. I got a certificate from the Lagos Business School and another one from the Nigerian Society for the Blind. I also took diploma courses online. How many children do you have? I have two boys. One of them is an engineer. How did they react when they were told that you had lost your sight? They felt bad. One of them was ashamed and couldnt talk about me because the stigmatisation affected him. But when he graduated, he got over it. Now, my children are proud of me. The youngest one is a student of Political Science at the University of Ibadan while the eldest studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ilorin. How did being blind change you? It changed me in a way that I had to have another focus. It made me strategise on how I could earn a living. After that, I became convinced that I can impact peoples lives. Five years after graduating from the Nigerian Society for the Blind, I started impacting on people more than when I was sighted. What did it teach you about life? It taught me that you will meet challenges while moving up. But you should try to keep on moving with focus and you should strategise. No matter the challenges on your way, above all, you should be prayerful. If you do all of these, you will achieve your goals. Did your condition affect your relationship with your friends? Did some of them abandon you? Up till now, some of them have not really come to me. So, it affected it. But I started all over; I started having new friends. Some of my old friends are ashamed; they wonder how they can relate with a blind woman. Im not ashamed but they are. I want people who will take me for what I am. Thank God I have them around. But my colleagues from the LBS never looked at my disability; they took me the way I am and celebrated me. Those are the kind of people I want around me, not the kind that will look down on me or undermine me because I am visually-impaired. What other forms of discrimination have you faced? Since I became blind, when I go to some places, some people stay away. Some of them think my blindness came from a curse. But I tried to tell them I was not cursed. I thank God that I am one of the Sunday school teachers in my church. But when I started, people used to wonder how I would read. But someone reads and I interpret. So, no one can play on my intelligence. If I were not vocal, people would want to undermine me. Some people look at blind persons as beggars. But the blind should portray themselves as an asset. They shouldnt go about begging. They should show people what they can do or want to do. In my case, I showed people what I wanted to do and they rallied round me and assisted me financially. Having lost your sight in adulthood, what can others who find themselves in a similar condition do? When you lose your sight, it affects you mentally. When I lost mine, I couldnt think well because I had depression all over me. But I tried to keep myself busy. I am always busy. I dont want to be idle. Idleness should not be a part of your profile. When you are idle, you derail mentally. What worries you about the lives of PWDs in Nigeria? Im worried when I see some of them going about begging when they are skilful but dont want to demonstrate their skills. No matter your disability, there is a skill in you. When you display your skill, people will assist you. When did you develop interest in making bags, shoes and tyre tables? That was when I went to the school for the blind five years ago. We were taught how to make many things with our hands. I make adire (tie & dye) too. We were also taught how to be computer-literate and read with our hands. The Nigerian Society for the Blind was like a vocational training school. Did you get the kind of the encouragement you needed from family and friends at that time? Yes. I got encouragement from family and friends, especially from my twin sister, Taiwo. She supported my vision financially. She is a school proprietor. You teach others, both the blind and the sighted, craft making. What is the motivation behind that? The joy I get from that is the love I have for impacting on others. I also like empowering people because I was empowered. For instance, the Bank of Industry empowered me and Im happy that I have used that empowerment, not with a consumer mentality. There are people roaming the streets. They want to learn but dont have anyone to empower them. I empowered most of the people who learnt skills (under my organisation) free of charge. There were 15 of them; only two or three of them gave me N5,000. Others did not pay but Im happy teaching them. Do you get support from government agencies to carry out the training? No. I only get support from family and friends. But I call on them to support me so that I can help the underprivileged to be empowered, so that they will not be enslaved or useless. How has your husband been supporting you? (Sighs) I am a single parent. Did he pass away? No. He has abandoned me and the children for almost 18 years. Why? It is best known to him. What do you think made him do that? He was a banker too. I discovered that he had not been returning home frequently. After some time, he said he had been transferred out of a particular station. That was how he left. Was that before or after you lost your sight? It was before I lost my sight. When I lost my sight, I didnt get any support from his family. Has he ever called you since you lost your sight? No. What about his family members? His family members tried to call me. The younger brother is now the king in Odigbo, the Orunja of Odigbo land. He calls me once in a while. But nobody has been supportive to me financially or to the children. Im saying it; let the whole world know. None of his family members has been supportive to me financially or to the children. Did you have a quarrel with your husband before he left? There was a minor quarrel. There were efforts to settle it but he refused. Even if he comes today, I will accept him because I had my children for him. Ever since, I have not remarried. I just took up my cross like that. Didnt that affect your focus? Initially, it affected me. But now, I have taken up the cross and my children are okay. *** Source: Saturday PUNCH Authorities have swung into action after the reported deaths of several cows at a government-run shelter in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh. While local residents claimed dozens of cows died over the last few days due to mismanagement at Shankargarh hillock, District Collector Chandramauli Shukla said 10 animals were found dead. The locals also protested against the administration on Friday. Members of a local 'Gau Seva Samiti' alleged that the administration had been contacted on several occasions but nothing was done and that veterinary doctors fif not visit the facility. Congress district president Manoj Rajani, who visited the site, claimed 20-25 cows had dead. Local authorities also visited the facility later. Shukla said strict action will be taken if someone is found guilty. "This is a registered cow shelter. Around 10 cows have been found dead. I have asked the concerned authorities to look into the matter. If someone is found guilty, strict action will be taken," he said. A Satish By Express News Service PALAKKAD: He will be flying in a chopper for the first time. And that too for attending the wedding of his grandson in Bengaluru. However, what has 90-year-old KN Lakshminarayanan most excited is the fact that his grandson Santhosh Narayanan, who used to cling on to his fingers as a child, insisted that they be present at his wedding despite the COVID pandemic. Lakshminarayanan and his wife KV Saraswathi, 85, from Kalpathy, will embark on the chopper ride from the Indira Gandhi Stadium ground in Palakkad on Saturday morning. Santhoshs parents KLV Narayanan and Subha and maternal grandmother mother V Vasantha will accompany them. Its my first chopper ride and Im thrilled. Santhosh has been my pet as he spent his childhood days with me when I was working with the Railways. Its a great feeling to be present during the most auspicious moment of his life, said Lakshminarayanan, one of the active organisers of the annual Kalpathy car festival and the author of the book, Cauvery to Nila: A History of the Tamil Agraharams of Palakkad. The grandparents were not sure about attending the wedding initially. They knew travelling by road or train at their age was risky. However, Santhoshs wedding with Swetha on Sunday could not be postponed as he has landed a job in London after getting his doctorate there and has to return in three months. It was then that Santhosh decided to arrange a chopper to bring his parents and grandparents to Bengaluru. They will return in 48 hours. STAMFORD A Stamford judge agreed to reduce the bond of a man charged with drunk driving following a June accident that left a passenger grievously injured. But he would not budge when the mans attorney asked that the driver be allowed back behind the wheel with special conditions while his criminal case goes through the court system. Id like to sleep at night, Judge John Blawie said from the bench during the Friday arraignment of 20-year-old Saba Surguladze, who is charged with second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, second-degree assault while under the influence of alcohol, drunk driving and reckless driving. I think Ill sleep better right now if there is no more driving until I have seen more of a track record of treatment, the judge said. Thats the order of the court. Surguladze, of Dagmar Place in Stamford, turned himself over to police early Friday morning and was held in lieu of a $100,000 court appearance bond. Police say the car he was driving crashed into into a utility pole on Cove Road on the afternoon of June 20. A passenger in the car, Miguel Machado, 22, of Stamford, remains in severely critical condition, according to Machado family attorney Matt Maddox, who was present at the arraignment. Mark Sherman, Surguladzes criminal defense lawyer, would not comment on the DUI assault accusations or any case specifics. Since the accident, Sabas thoughts and prayers have been focused on his friends recovery, Sherman said. That has been his priority. Blawie reduced Surguladzes bond to $25,000 and he was released after his mother posted the bond at the Stamford courthouse Friday afternoon. According to his five-page arrest affidavit, police and ambulances were called to 441 Cove road at 4:18 p.m. on June 20 on the report of a serious accident involving an unconscious passenger. Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad Officer Lindsey Yanicky reported to the scene to find the vehicle, a BMW 328i, off the road with heavy damage to the passenger-side door. A utility pole had been snapped in two places from the crash, the report said. Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to cut cut the roof and rear passenger door away in order to extricate Machado, who was rushed to Stamford Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a severe skull fracture and other injuries, and placed in the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition, the affidavit said. Surguladze, who was found stumbling in the area of the wreck, was also taken to the hospital with injuries to his face and cuts on his arms, according to the affidavit. Officers could smell alcohol on Surguladzes breath, the document states. At the end of July, after analyzing the toxicology reports performed on Surguladzes blood, the state toxicology lab reported that he had a blood alcohol concentration of .19, well above the legal limit of .02 for a 20-year-old driver, the affidavit said. Christine Landis, an attorney who works for Sherman and represented Surguladze at his arraignment Friday, said their client graduated Quinnipiac University with a degree in finance this past May and is currently enrolled there in the MBA program. She said that since the accident he completed an intensive out-patient program at Mountianside Treatment Center in Wilton. Landis asked about the possibility of her client being allowed to drive and said Surguladze was agreeable to driving a car equipped with a breathalizer device that would not allow him to start the vehicle if it detected any alcohol. She also said that he would agree to driving a vehicle with a governor that would not allow it to go over 55 miles per hour. But Blawie dismissed the proposal out of hand, saying it did not matter what Surguladze was agreeable to. Im very encouraged that he has got some treatment, but he is not walking out of custody driving a car until further order of the court, Blawie said. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com Hand hygiene has been a regular, ongoing topic in our lives the last few months - we're all now well versed in how important it is to remain super vigilant about washing our hands thoroughly. But what about those times where we perhaps can't get to a sink and wash with hot water and soap? This is where hand sanitisers come into play - the handiest hand helpers at our disposal right now. Coming in liquid, gel and spray formulations, hand sanitisers have quickly become part of our everyday lives. We have them slipped into our pockets/handbags/cars and gym bags for those moments when they're needed most. Here, I'm highlighting some of my favourite options that I've trialled since March of this year - all made in Ireland. These Irish companies have adapted, and at times radically altered, their business and manufacturing models to evolve with the massive changes we've all faced over the last few months. For example, Wicklow Way Wines, which usually creates wines from Irish strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, swapped to making alcohol-based hand sanitiser instead. Another great example is the Irish-made Nunaia Lavender & Tea Tree Hand Sanitiser. Founder of this skincare brand Nicola Connolly was moved to do something during Covid-19 to help - especially since her brother is a healthcare worker. Her natural, alcohol-based hand hygiene spray is one of the best I've road-tested. Read on for more heavenly homegrown heroes. Bestselling gel Expand Close Ovelle Hand Sanitiser 5.95 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ovelle Hand Sanitiser 5.95 Joseph Gardiner founded the first Irish skincare apothecary in 1934, and now his granddaughter Joanna Gardiner is the third generation of the founding family to lead the business - with two specialist skincare brands in its line, Ovelle and Elave. Both lines are manufactured here in Ireland, with the Ovelle sanitiser becoming a bestseller during the Covid era. This option is a lightweight, non-sticky gel (containing 70pc alcohol) with added aloe vera. Ovelle Hand Sanitiser, 5.95 (14.50 for 500ml), from pharmacies nationwide and gardinerfamilyapothecary.com Expert care Expand Close Sanity Hand Sanitiser from 2.99 - 7.99 from Boots and pharmacies nationwide, SuperValu stores and sanitycares.com / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sanity Hand Sanitiser from 2.99 - 7.99 from Boots and pharmacies nationwide, SuperValu stores and sanitycares.com This hand sanitiser is made in Ireland by medical experts. The brand was actually created by medical-device professionals earlier this year, as a response to Covid-19. The medical experts were contacted by the HSE (which was close to running out of hand sanitiser at the time) and they came up with this dermatologically tested hand sanitiser. Made with 70pc plant-based alcohol, the sanitiser helps to protect hands, with no sticky residue. Sanity Hand Sanitiser, from 2.99-7.99, from pharmacies nationwide, SuperValu stores and sanitycares.com Lavender lovely Expand Close Max Benjamin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Max Benjamin Max Benjamin is well known for its natural, hand-poured candles, which it has been making since the '90s in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. In the face of the Covid-19 situation, creative director Mark Van den Bergh and the company's in-house chemist worked directly with a local distillery in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow, to create this hand sanitiser. This is a multi-purpose formulation - it can be sprayed evenly on hands or high-touch surfaces - and it has a divine true lavender fragrance. Its 500ml bottle helps reduce waste by allowing you to refill the 100ml pocket-sized version. Max Benjamin True Lavender Hand Sanitiser and Refill, 7.95 (24.95 for refill), from Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Meadows & Byrne, Kilkenny Shop and maxbenjamin.ie Organic beaut Expand Close Nunaia Lavender & Tea Tree Liquid Hand Sanitiser Spray 6.95, 9.95 and 29.95 (for 500ml) available at nunaia.com, Arnotts and seagreen.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nunaia Lavender & Tea Tree Liquid Hand Sanitiser Spray 6.95, 9.95 and 29.95 (for 500ml) available at nunaia.com, Arnotts and seagreen.ie Irish wellness brand Nunaia, (pronounced noo-nigh-ya), has won major international beauty awards for its certified-organic skincare range, but has now ventured into the hand sanitising-spray arena. For every bottle of hand sanitiser sold, Nunaia will donate an additional 50pc to healthcare providers in the local community. Using natural, plant-based ingredients and 70pc isopropyl alcohol, this is a gorgeous, natural option. Nunaia Lavender & Tea Tree Liquid Hand Sanitiser Spray, 6.95, 9.95 and 29.95 (for 500ml), nunaia.com, Arnotts and seagreen.ie Hand hydrator Expand Close Elave Sensitive Hand Treatment 8.99 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elave Sensitive Hand Treatment 8.99 If your hands are cracked, uncomfortably tight and even damaged from all the handwashing and sanitising over the last few months, and you're on the lookout for a no-nonsense, hard-working hand hydrator, check this beaut out. Elave Sensitive Hand Treatment is another Irish homegrown beauty hero that works to nourish and soothe our skin, and helps to replace lost moisture, while vitamin B5 conditions and softens the hands. Elave Sensitive Hand Treatment, 8.99, from pharmacies nationwide and gardinerfamilyapothecary.com Wicklow wonder Expand Close Wicklow Way Wines Hand Sanitiser 6.50 from Avoca stores nationwide and avoca.com and wicklowwaywines.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wicklow Way Wines Hand Sanitiser 6.50 from Avoca stores nationwide and avoca.com and wicklowwaywines.ie Wicklow Way Wines is headed by husband-and-wife team Brett and Pam Stephenson. The duo changed direction during the Covid-19 upheaval and swapped making its delicious berry-based wines for alcohol-based hand sanitiser instead. Why? The Stephensons explain: "When the world changed for everyone in March 2020, our business took a huge hit. We decided to get back on our feet and help the national effort by creating a hand sanitiser instead. We worked with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to develop our product, and bring it to you now." Genius! Wicklow Way Wines Hand Sanitiser, 6.50, from Avoca stores nationwide, avoca.com and wicklowwaywines.ie Three Including One US Citizen Charged With Moving Money To Iran In Khamenei's Behalf Radio Farda August 21, 2020 In a statement on Wednesday, the US Department of Justice said one US citizen and two Pakistani nationals have been charged for campaigning to transport U.S. currency from the United States to Iran on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader in 2018 and 2019. Muzzamil Zaidi, a U.S. citizen residing in the Iranian city of Qom, and two Pakistani nationals, Asim Naqvi and Ali Chawla, were all charged with violations of the Interrnational Emergency Economic Powers Act. Zaidi and Naqvi were arrested in Houston on August 18, the statement said. "Disrupting Iran's ability to raise U.S. dollars is key to combating its ability to sponsor international terrorism and destabilize the Middle East, including through its military presence in Yemen," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. The defendants, according to Demers, allegedly raised money in the United States on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader, and illegally channeled these dollars to the government of Iran. According to the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael R, Sherwin, the defendants have considerable operational links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard which he said has conducted multiple terrorist operations throughout the world over the past several years. "The life-blood of these terrorist operations is cash and the defendants played a key role in facilitating that critical component," he added. The complaint against the defendants alleges that Zaidi and other members of an organization known as "Islamic Pulse" had received the Iranian Supreme Leader's written permission around February 2019 to collect a religious tax known as khums and send half of that money to Yemen. Khamenei has been under U.S. sanctions since June 2019. The complaint alleges that Chawla replied to donors' concerns about how the campaign was able to get money into Yemen by stating that the matter could not be discussed over email. The complaint further alleges that Chawla sought U.S. dollars specifically, stated that Islamic Pulse could not accept electronic transfers, and admitted that Islamic Pulse was not a registered charity. The unspecified amount of money collected by Zaidi and Naqvi in the summer and fall of 2019, according to the U.S. Justice Department, was transported to Iran through clandestine operations including by a group of 25 travelers. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/three-including-one- us-citizen-charged-with-moving-money-to-iran -n-khamenei-s-behalf/30794449.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 She's the renowned celebrity makeup artist who has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Ed Sheeran and Ruby Rose. And as part of The Bachelor's styling team, it appears Helen Dowsley is Channel Ten's best kept secret. Her prime focus is to ensure both Locky Gilbert and his female contenders are all camera-ready. Revealed: The Bachelor's head of makeup Helen Dowsley (pictured) has revealed her behind the scenes secrets and tips to ensure all the girls look their best while getting to know Locky Gilbert In behind the scenes footage, Helen told 10Play that the most important step is getting to know each of the girls, in order to know how to style them. 'I get to know the girls' personalities because it's really important to know that they're comfortable,' she explained. 'Girls tend to put a little bit more makeup on when they get nervous,' Helen added. Professional: In behind the scenes footage, Helen told 10Play that the most important step is getting to know each of the girls, in order to know how to style them. Pictured: Leilani Vakaahi Helen said she's noticed most girls would overcompensate their makeup when feeling nervous or insecure - and it just doesn't do them any justice. With COVID-19 safety measures in place, Helen, and her makeup team were required to wear face masks while applying makeup to each of Locky's contenders. 'Each girl is an individual and we want to make sure that she's really comfortable, really happy, feeling really sexy,' she said. Putting them at ease: 'I get to know the girls' personalities because it's really important to know that they're comfortable,' she explained Keep it natural: Helen explained that she's noticed most girls would overcompensate their makeup when feeling nervous or insecure - and it just doesn't do them any justice. Pictured: Rosemary Sawtell In the footage, Helen also said that it's important to use makeup that will enhance the features of the girls, while still looking good on camera. 'I want them to look natural, and not feel like they're wearing a mask while being as comfortable as possible while meeting The Bachelor.' The Bachelor Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Firefighters and aircraft from 10 states began arriving in California Friday to help weary crews battling some of the largest blazes in state history as weekend weather threatened to renew the advance of flames that have killed six people and incinerated hundreds of homes. Some 560 wildfires were burning throughout the state but many were small and remote. The bulk of damage was from three clusters of blazes that were ravaging forest and rural areas in the wine country and San Francisco Bay Area. Those complexes, consisting of dozens of fires, exploded in size Friday. Together, they had scorched 991 square miles and destroyed more than 500 homes and other buildings, fire officials said. At least 100,000 people were under evacuation orders. Pam, who declined to give a last name, examines the remains of her partner's Vacaville, Calif., home on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. The residence burned as the LNU Lightning Complex fires ripped through the area Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)AP Two Bay Area clusters, the LNU Lightning Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex, became respectively the second- and third-largest wildfires in recent state history by size, according to Cal Fire records. The third blaze, the CZU Lightning Complex, is in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. The fires were sparked by lightning from unsettled weather earlier in the week. Cooler, more humid weather overnight helped firefighters make ground against the fires but the National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch from Sunday morning into Tuesday for the entire Bay Area and central coast. Forecasters said there was a chance of thunderstorms bringing more lightning and erratic gusts. More than 12,000 personnel were fighting fires around the state, aided by fleets of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. By Friday, the state's fire agency, Cal Fire, had called out 96% of its available fire engines. But reinforcements began to arrive. The number of personnel assigned to the LNU complex, in the heart of wine country north of San Francisco, more than doubled from 580 to over 1,400 Friday and nearly 200 fire engines were on the scene, fire officials said. "I'm happy to see the jumps that we've had today," said Sean Kavanaugh, Cal Fire incident commander. A member of a California Dept. of Corrections fire crew runs along a containment line with a chainsaw while fighting the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Bonny Doon, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)AP That could help crews make further progress against the sprawling fire, which was just 15% contained. Most evacuations for the town of Vacaville were lifted Friday. The fire threat there was reduced after reaching the edges of town. "I feel like we're up on our feet, standing straight and actually moving a little bit forward," Kavanaugh said Friday night. However, the number of large fires was "staggering" and had put "tremendous strain" on firefighting resources throughout the Western states, he said. Nevada and Arizona, for example, have battled sizable blazes this week as a heat wave swept the West. Gov. Gavin Newsom said 10 states were sending personnel and equipment. The governor also said he was reaching out to Canada and Australia for help. "We have more people but it's not enough," Newsom said. In the Santa Cruz mountains south of San Francisco, about 1,000 firefighters were battling a fire 10 times the size they typically would cover, said Dan Olsen, a Cal Fire spokesman. With firefighting resources tight, homes in remote, hard-to-get-to places burned unattended. Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton pleaded with residents to quit battling fires on their own, saying that just causes more problems for the professionals. "We had last night three separate rescues that pulled our vital, very few resources away," he said. Hank Hanson, 81, gestures to the kitchen of his home, destroyed by the LNU Lightning Complex fires, in Vacaville, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Hanson, who built the house thirty years ago, does not think he will rebuild. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)AP But Peter Koleckai credits a neighbor, not firefighters, with saving his home in a rural area where dozens of homes were reduced to smoldering ruins. "We were here at about 3 o'clock in the morning and the fire department just left. They just left," he said. Koleckai said he ran to a firefighter and told him a brush fire was erupting next to a house. "They never went up there and it engulfed the whole house, took the house out," he said. A neighbor with a high pressure hose, firefighting equipment and a generator saved his home, Koleckai said. Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Smith said typically a wildfire of the size burning through the region would have 10 or even 20 times as many firefighters. "We are doing absolutely everything we can," he said. The death toll from California fires has reached at least six. Three bodies were found Thursday in a burned home in Napa County, said Henry Wofford, a Sheriff's Office spokesman. A man also died in neighboring Solano County, and a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker was found dead Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area. Smoke and ash billowing from the fires has fouled the air throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and along California's scenic central coast. By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JANIE HAR, The Associated Press More: Simultaneous hurricanes possible in the Gulf as tropical storm and tropical depression aim for the US Golden State Killer sentenced to life for 26 rapes, slayings First male murder hornet has been captured in Washington state: Report LOS ANGELESWithout much fanfare, a series of exemptions to Californias controversial worker reclassification law, AB5, passed through the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, on a unanimous, 7-0 vote, according to documents posted on the state legislatures website. The new bill, AB2257, allows a specified list of workers in the gig economy to continue as independent contractors. Under the original AB5, most independent workers would find themselves limited in the amount of work they could perform for any given client, unless the client hired them as full-time or part-time employees. While many of the amendments are worded somewhat ambiguously, the new provision that would appear most relevant to performers in the adult industry exempts an individual performance artist presenting material that is their original work and creative in character and the result of which depends primarily on the individuals invention, imagination, or talent. But those performance artists must show that they retain the rights to the intellectual property that stem from their work, as well setting their own terms of work. They must also be free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both as a matter of contract and in fact. That "control and dircetion" extends to artistic control over the work, which the "performance artist" must also retain. How those provisions affect adult or, for that matter, mainstream actors and performers who are generally subject to instructions from directors and producers and may be required to sign over their intellectual property rights as part of a work-for-hire agreement remains unclear. The new bill also exempts photographers, videographers, and fine artists from the AB5 job reclassification requirements. Freelance writers, who were previously limited to producing no more than 35 pieces of content for any one client in a year, would now operate free of that constrain, if AB2257 is passed by the full state legislature. The AB5 bill, authored by San Diego-area Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez who is also the author of AB2257 was primarily intended to address the issue of ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, who hire drivers on what often amounts to a full-time basis, but pay them as independent contractors without the benefits or protections offered to employees. But the law also covered dozens of other worker categories, including most every type of worker in the gig economy, including performers, musicians, writers and many others. At a February hearing of state Assembly Select Committee on Jobs and Innovation, several representatives of the adult industry spoke in opposition to AB5. Justin Case, of the Adult Industry Laborers and Artists Association, told the state legislators that two camming platforms had already banned performers based in California due to the provisions of the AB5 bill, costing the performers a significant share of their income. No date has yet been set for a full Senate floor vote on the AB5 amendments. Photo by Steven Pavlov / Wikimedia Commons Democrats are relentlessly promoting voting by junk mail, where state governments mail out hundreds of thousands of ballots to names and addresses that dont correspond to actual, living and legal voters who live at those addresses, hoping that thousands of those blank ballots will come back, filled out in favor of Democratic candidates by party loyalists into whose hands they fall. They are probably right: that will happen, and in some races such fake ballots will probably make the difference. You might infer from this that Democrats are consistently loose about voting requirements, and pretty much want to let anyone vote for whoever he or she chooses, five or six times. But you would be wrong. Democrats are sticklers for election laws when they can increase their chances of gaining power. Here are two cases in point. In Wisconsin, rapper Kanye West collected the required number of signatures to get on the presidential ballot in November. His team delivered the signatures to the states Elections Commission on the appointed day, but Wisconsin election officials decided Thursday to keep rapper Kanye West off the battleground states presidential ballot in November because his campaign turned his nomination papers in minutes after the deadline. *** A group of voters filed a complaint with the state Elections Commission earlier this month alleging that West campaign workers missed the 5 p.m. filing deadline on Aug. 4, the last day day for independent presidential candidates to submit the required 2,000 signatures from Wisconsin voters to get on the ballot. West campaign attorney, Michael Curran, argued during a hearing before the commission that West campaign workers didnt enter the commissions building until 14 seconds after 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 but commission staff still accepted the papers, constituting a timely filing. Commission staffer Cody Davies told the panel that the building was locked due to the coronavirus pandemic but he was waiting in the lobby to let filers in as 5 p.m. approached. He said Wests representatives called him at 4:57 p.m. and said they were three minutes away. He said he let them in 14 seconds after 5 p.m. and accompanied them on the elevator ride up to the commissions offices. The group was still in the elevator 50 seconds past 5 p.m., he said. Fourteen seconds late? Forget about it! Democrats think that Wests candidacy could siphon votes away from Joe Biden, so he will not be on the ballot. Never mind all those times when Democrats have kept polling stations open after hours because people arrived late and were standing in line. Thats different! Then there is Montana, where Democrats got the Green Party kicked off the ballot. State Democrats succeeded in kicking the Green Party off the ballot in Montana this week, with the Montana Supreme Court ruling that they must be dropped. The decision could impact the tight U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Steve Daines and sitting Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock one of several that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. The ruling happened after massive pressure was put on people who had already given valid signatures for a petition for Green Party ballot access, according to Green Party representatives. The Green Party denounces any effort to harass, intimidate or shame private citizens who signed a ballot access petition for any party or candidate, National Green Party communications manager Michael ONeil said in a statement to Fox News. Our candidates have faced that kind of political bigotry for decades but employing it against regular citizens on this scale marks a new, shameful low. The Democrats succeeded in getting some 500 petition signatories to recant their signatures after alleging the petition was backed by Republicans (the party reportedly helped finance the effort), although no law specifies a process for such removal. The withdrawals left the Green Party short of the signatures needed. Democrats will do whatever it takes to win, and are shameless about shifting from one theory to another. If they are short on votes, they advocate junk mail voting, which makes it essentially impossible to identify or prevent voter fraud. The more ballots, the merrier! On the other hand, if they fear that a third-party candidate might cost them votes in a close race, they suddenly are sticklers for procedure, as in the Kanye West case14 seconds!or they undertake extraordinary and perhaps extralegal efforts to prevent some voters from casting a ballot for their preferred candidate. Such hypocrisy is all in a days work if you are a Democrat. Paris Hilton has revealed the devastating impact of physical and mental abuse she suffered at a boarding school during her teen years. The heiress is baring all of her personal life, as she strips away the facade of fame in her upcoming documentary This Is Paris. She opens up in the YouTube Originals documentary for the first time ever about the abuse she faced as a teenager at Provo Canyon School, a boarding school she attended in Utah. Baring all: Paris Hilton opens up in her upcoming documentary This Is Paris for the first time ever about the abuse she faced as a teenager at Provo Canyon School, a boarding school she attended in Utah The 39-year-old told People: 'I buried my truth for so long. But Im proud of the strong woman Ive become. People might assume everything in my life came easy to me, but I want to show the world who I truly am.' She ended up at a series of boarding schools, following a rebellious phase, while living at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City with her family. Hilton spent 11 months at Provo Canyon, the last in a series of schools her parents enrolled her, which focused on behavioral and mental development. She recalled: 'I knew it was going to be worse than anywhere else... It was supposed to be a school, but [classes] were not the focus at all. Shipped off: She ended up at a series of boarding schools, following a rebellious phase, while living at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City with her family Continuous torture: Hilton recalled: 'From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture' Not broken: She added: 'The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me. I think it was their goal to break us down' 'From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture.' The House of Wax actress continued: 'The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me. I think it was their goal to break us down. 'And they were physically abusive, hitting and strangling us. They wanted to instill fear in the kids so wed be too scared to disobey them.' 'You couldnt trust anyone there,' she said of a classmate who snitched on her for trying to escape. Hilton said she was subsequently placed in solitary confinement as punishment: 'They would use that as punishment, sometimes 20 hours a day.' Free at last: The Stars Are Blind artist left the school in 1999, after she turned 18, recalling: 'I was so grateful to be out of there, I didnt even want to bring it up again' (pictured in August, 2000) Like a prisoner: She added: 'I was having panic attacks and crying every single day. I was just so miserable. I felt like a prisoner and I hated life' Three of her former classmates from Provo Canyon also appear in the documentary, making similar allegations, including the use of restraints and being force-fed medication. She added: 'I was having panic attacks and crying every single day. I was just so miserable. I felt like a prisoner and I hated life.' Hilton said she never told her parents: 'I didnt really get to speak to my family, maybe once every two or three months. We were cut off from the outside world. And when I tried to tell them once, I got in so much trouble I was scared to say it again. 'They would grab the phone or rip up letters I wrote telling me, "No one is going to believe you." And the staff would tell the parents that the kids were lying. So my parents had no idea what was going on.' The Stars Are Blind artist left the school in 1999, after she turned 18, recalling: 'I was so grateful to be out of there, I didnt even want to bring it up again. It was just something I was ashamed of and I didnt want to speak of it.' Hilton opens up about Provo Canyon School and more in This Is Paris, which premieres September 14 on her YouTube channel. Theyre no longer wedded to Lukashenko, but what would an alternative to Lukashenko that supported their goals look like? said Nigel Gould-Davies, former British ambassador to Belarus and senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He said the Kremlin was not passive at all in this, but theyre not sure how to do it and there are different considerations that pull in different directions. The UN mission to Libya on Saturday urged authorities in the war-wracked North African country to cooperate with a fact-finding team tasked with investigating alleged human rights abuse. Earlier this week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet appointed three experts to conduct an independent probe of rights violations in Libya. "This body of experts will serve as an essential mechanism to effectively address the widespread impunity for human rights violations and abuses committed, and can also serve as a deterrent to prevent further violations and contribute to peace and stability in the country," she said, according to a UN statement. The UN mission in Libya, UNSMIL, on Saturday welcomed the appointment of experts Mohamed Auajjar, Tracy Robinson and Chaloka Beyani, and urged the "relevant Libyan authorities to extend their full cooperation to the Fact-Finding Mission on Libya". The investigation was necessary amid the "deteriorating security and the lack of a judicial system" in the country, the UN had said this week. Oil-rich Libya has been torn by conflict since the 2011 toppling and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising, with rival administrations vying for power. The crisis was exacerbated last year when libyan national Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, who is based in the east of the country, launched an offensive to seize the capital Tripoli, seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). On June 22, the UN's top rights body created the fact-finding mission to document violations committed since 2016. The move came after GNA forces, with Turkish support, repelled Haftar's 14-month siege of Tripoli and launched a counteroffensive, inflicting several other setbacks on the eastern strongman. Mass graves were later discovered in areas seized by GNA forces, prompting an International Criminal Court prosecutor to say they may constitute evidence of war crimes. The appointment of the experts "comes at a time when Libyans are in dire need of justice and accountability," UNSMIL said in a statement on Twitter. "UNSMIL reiterates its strong support for a full and impartial investigation into alleged abuses and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law since the start of 2016." On Friday, the GNA and an eastern-based parliament backed by Haftar announced in separate statements that they would cease hostilities and hold nationwide elections. Search Keywords: Short link: Texas Republicans defended their new slogan on Friday, dismissing claims that it has ties to an internet-driven conspiracy theory whose adherents President Donald Trump has praised in recent days. The slogan, We are the storm, uses nearly identical language to a popular rallying cry among followers of the debunked theory, known as QAnon. On Thursday, The New York Times cited the partys new motto as an example of how QAnon has permeated official Republican circles. The slogan can be found all over social media posts by QAnon followers, and now, too, in emails from the Texas Republican Party and on the T-shirts, hats and sweatshirts that it sells, the Times wrote. It has even worked its way into the partys text message system a recent email from the party urged readers to Text STORM2020 for updates. Allen West, the Texas GOPs newly elected chairman, has said previously that the slogan has no connection to the theory, and instead comes from a quote he often recites at speaking events: The devil whispers into the warriors ear, You cannot withstand the coming storm. The warrior whispers back, I am the storm. The we are the storm poem is one of Chairman Wests favorite quotes to use in speeches, The Republican Party of Texas said in a statement. He and the entire Texas GOP will not be bullied by partisan leftists in the media into ceding powerful phrases with biblical roots taken from Psalm 29 to Internet conspiracy groups. NEW CHAIRMAN: Texas Republicans oust party chairman James Dickey in favor of former U.S. Rep. Allen West A spokesman for the party said West was unavailable for comment, and declined to comment on whether it was aware of the overlap or concerned that the slogan could raise the stature of a conspiracy group that the FBI has labeled a potential domestic terrorist group. He also did not say whether the party planned to replace the slogan going forward. The party tweeted Thursday that its merchandise featuring the slogan was flying off the shelves. Austin-based KXAN news reported Friday that one of its reporters asked West about the slogan earlier this month, to which he replied, I dont know about anybody else and Im not into internet conspiracy theories. The Texas Democratic Party issued a statement condemning the slogan: The Republican Party is being led by an internet cult that believes in dangerous, extreme far-right conspiracy theories, spokesman Abhi Rahman said. West can try to deny its connection, but its there in plain sight for everybody to see. Among QAnon believers, the storm signals a coming clash between President Trump and a vast group of deep-state, sex-trafficking Democrats. The theory gained renewed attention after a Republican candidate and outward QAnon adherent recently won her congressional primary runoff in Georgia. Asked about the theory this week, President Trump offered empathy for its adherents and declined to question its validity. If I can help save the world from problems, I am willing to do it, he told reporters. Im willing to put myself out there. Social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook have scrambled in recent weeks to tamp down a growing number of QAnon-related accounts and posts. Several prominent Republicans have come out against the theory. Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday expressed his administrations determination to reduce the cost of governance and promote inter-communication among agencies through provision of sustainable office infrastructure for its workforce. Sanwo-Olu revealed this on Friday during an unscheduled visit to two iconic structures in the State the Lagos Revenue House and Multi Agency Building in Alausa, Ikeja. A press release issued on the Lagos State official blog passed this information. Sanwo-Olu reportedly toured Lagos Revenue House (formerly Elephant House) building consisting of four wings of seven floors plus a wing of eight floors and a Multi-Storey structure consisting of three blocks on a total area of site of 2.01 hectares dubbed the Multi Agency Building. The Governor was accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola; Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. (Mrs.) Aramide Oduyoye and Commissioner for Budget, Mr. Samuel Egube, among other top government officials. According to the Lagos Government, the visit tallies with Sanwo-Olus government determination to ensure prompt completion of the projects conceived by Lagos State Government out of the twin desire to scale down the incidental costs of premises rentals and accommodate most parastatals of the state within the vicinity of the States secretariat. Speaking during the visitation to the Lagos Revenue House at Alausa in Ikeja, Governor Sanwo-Olu observed the need to accommodate the phased delivery of project so as to meet the delivery of wings A and C by December 2020. The Lagos Revenue House, located at the Central Business District, Ikeja is in close proximity to the State Secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja and when completed, it is proposed to accommodate all government agencies involved with revenue generations in the state. The Project comprises four wings A, B, C and D, with three of the wings consisting of seven floors and D with eight floors. Some of the facilities provided in the building are borehole water, storage tank, water treatment plant, central sewage treatment plants and pumping machines. Other ancillary facilities include; four gate houses, a generator house, a central open courtyard, four lifts, offices, toilets and other conveniences. The contractor handling the project, Messrs, Intergrated Projects Limited promised the delivery of the project as scheduled. The wildfire threat to key Tuolumne County water and power facilities relied on by San Francisco is no longer imminent. Cal Fire lifted an evacuation order on Saturday at noon that had affected Hetch Hetchy Water and Power facilities in the town of Moccasin, according to Cal Fire spokeswoman Lindy Shoff. In the latest outbreak associated with food processing, nearly 300 workers at the Greencore sandwich factory in Northampton, England tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Over a week after the outbreak, management were finally forced to close the plant for 14 days, yesterday afternoon. Northampton, already on a coronavirus watchlist, has the highest rate of new cases in England and could be subjected to a local lockdown. Yet, although a lockdown was being discussed for the entire town with a population of over 215,000, management, the local authorities and the trade unions did everything possible to keep the factory operationalendangering the lives and safety of the more than 2,000 people employed there and the local population. Nearly 14 percent of the factorys total workforce of 2,100 have now tested positive. This has contributed to Northampton having the highest rate of new infections in England: nearly 117 in every 100,000 residents, compared to an average in England of 12 in every 100,000. This spike centres on the Moulton area, around the Greencore factory. Convenience food manufacturer Greencores factory produces sandwiches for high-end retailer Marks & Spencer. Founded in 1991, the firm is a major supplier to British and Irish supermarkets, and the largest sandwich manufacturer in the world. Standard National Health Service testing initially revealed 79 workers at the Northampton plant with coronavirus. Following these results, Greencore launched its own private testing, turning up a further 213 positive results. The company confirmed that a number of colleagues have tested positive and are now self-isolating. Workers were left in desperate straits. According to the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), the majority of Greencores self-isolating workers, who are paid weekly, are only receiving Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) during their absence. They are being paid just 95.85 per week for the 10 days of self-isolation. Some workers with a full-time job have been forced to turn to foodbanks and others have been evicted after struggling to pay rent. This has led to concerns that workers may not self-isolate when symptomatic because they cannot afford to live on this reduced income. When the pandemic began, some Greencore employees sought advice on shielding vulnerable family members. They were told they could use their company sick pay for this, leaving concerns about what would happen if they used it up and then became ill themselves. The company, which saw share prices fall in the days after the outbreak, said that sick pay on offer ranges from full pay to SSP, depending on the type of contract. In practice, factory floor workers are on contracts offering only SSP. The union has noted that they are thus treated differently to the managers enjoying full company sick pay. Criticism properly belongs with the unions that negotiated those contracts in the first place. Greencore said that in recognition of the financial impact on those eligible only for SSP, it had decided to give all weekly-paid workers an additional attendance payment of 400. This is only their agreed end-of-year bonus paid early, so workers will not even have that usual cushion in December. The situation confirms that the governments ad hoc testing system is not fit for purpose. More than two-thirds of the Greencore cases were identified by Greencores private testing. The company then used the result as an argument against closure! At the beginning of the pandemic, Greencore did not even notify workers or instigate wider testing when a manager tested positive. By contrast, Greencore sacked two employees for travelling to work together when one was suffering from COVID-19. Despite the mass outbreak of cases, the local Conservative council gave the plant the green light to continue operations. Lucy Wightman, director of public health at Northamptonshire County Council, declared that the Food Standards Agency and Public Health England are assured there is no risk to any of the produce made at the factory. She claimed, It is evident that Greencore has highly effective measures in place and they continue to work extremely hard to exceed the requirements needed to be COVID-19 secure within the workplace. The main concern of Jonathan Nunn, leader of the Conservative council, was to avoid any lockdown. He expressed concern simply with the impact [the outbreak has] had on our [coronavirus] statistics. The company said it is liaising closely with PHE [Public Health England] East Midlands, Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council, who are all fully supportive of the controls that we have on site. Greencore insisted its factories have wide-ranging social distancing measures, stringent hygiene procedures and regular temperature checking in place. The criteria for judging the effectiveness of health measures clearly have nothing to do with their actual effectiveness. Wightman pointed to the high number of cases over the last four weeks across the town but laid the onus on workers to act now to follow additional measures. Wightman said it is about how people behave outside of Greencore, not at work. This position was supported by the BFAWU. The unions regional officer, George Attwall, said the problem boils back down to educationof the workers. He blamed workers activities outside the factory, with lots of members car-sharing, lots of members living in the same household with the whole family working in the factory. These are the realities of workers lives, with Greencore one of the biggest employers locally. Suggesting that workers are somehow responsible for these conditions reveals everything about the unions as mouthpieces for the corporations. The union pro-company agenda was clear earlier this month when Greencore began reopening sites closed during the lockdown and extending production at Northampton. With workers furloughed, Greencore began by recruiting agency workers to meet demand. Instead of opposing reopening under unsafe conditions, the union said the firm should bring back our members first before any agency come on site. BFAWU opposed any fight to close the plant until it was safe to return even though one of its own convenors, Nicolae Macari, was one of those who tested positive. He works at Greencore alongside his wife, his mother and father, his brother and his sister-in-law. All six have tested positive and are in self-isolation together. The level of backing they have received from BFAWU and other unions was acknowledged by Greencore, who said they are in constant contact with unions at every stage of this process and are committed to working with them in close partnership during this hugely challenging time for our people. Food processing factories continue to be a focus for outbreaks. An outbreak of at least 43 cases this week in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, Scotland saw soldiers mobilised to test all 900 employees of the 2 Sisters chicken factory there. In June, the 2 Sisters chicken factory in Llangefni on Anglesey was forced to close after at least 216 were infectednearly half the workforce. Scottish National Party First Minister Nicola Sturgeon did not rule out a local lockdown in Coupar Angus but stressed that this would be a last resort. In its drive to reopen schools, the Scottish government has demonstrated that it shares the same concern for restoring the generation of profit as its counterpart in Westminster. The Greencore outbreak, as with the others at food processing plants across the UK demonstrates that the fight against coronavirus is not primarily a medical question but a political one. It demands that workers oppose the homicidal back to work agenda of the ruling class and their partners in the trade unions. Workers must build independent rank-and-file committees, linking the fight for workplace safety with the transformation of society on a socialist basis. By ANNA FLAGG and DAMINI SHARMA of The Marshall Project and MIKE STOBBE and LARRY FENN of The Associated Press As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of 2020, suggesting that the number of lives lost to the coronavirus is significantly higher than the official toll. And half the dead were people of color Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and, to a marked degree unrecognized until now, Asian Americans. The new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight a stark disparity: Deaths among minorities during the crisis have risen far more than they have among whites. As of the end of July, the official death toll in the U.S. from COVID-19 was about 150,000. It has since grown to over 170,000. But public health authorities have long known that some coronavirus deaths, especially early on, were mistakenly attributed to other causes, and that the crisis may have led indirectly to the loss of many other lives by preventing or discouraging people with other serious ailments from seeking treatment. A count of deaths from all causes during the seven-month period yields what experts believe is a fuller and more alarming picture of the disaster and its racial dimensions. New data analyzed by The Marshall Project shows deaths from all causes -- COVID-19 and otherwise -- have gone up 9 percent among White Americans, but more than 30 percent in communities of color, leading up and during the coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.The Marshall Project People of color make up just under 40% of the U.S. population but accounted for approximately 52% of all the excess deaths above normal through July, according to an analysis by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the criminal justice system. "The toll of the pandemic shows just how pervasive structural racism is," said Olugbenga Ajilore, senior economist at the Center for American Progress, a public policy organization in Washington. Earlier data on cases, hospitalizations and deaths revealed the especially heavy toll on Black, Hispanic and Native Americans, a disparity attributed to unequal access to health care and economic opportunities. But the increases in total deaths by race were not reported until now; nor was the disproportionate burden on Asian Americans. With this new data, Asian Americans join Blacks and Hispanics among the hardest-hit communities, with deaths in each group up at least 30% this year compared with the average over the last five years, the analysis found. Deaths among Native Americans rose more than 20%, though that is probably a severe undercount because of a lack of data. Deaths among whites were up 9%. The toll on Asian Americans has received far less attention, perhaps in part because the numbers who have died -- about 14,000 more than normal this year -- have been far lower than among several other groups. Still, the 35% increase in Asian American deaths is the second-highest, behind Hispanic Americans. In an average year, somewhere around 1.7 million people die in the United States between January and the end of July. This year the figure was about 1.9 million, according to the CDC. Data from The Marshall Project shows the change in deaths above or below normal among different racial groups, leading up and during the coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.The Marshall Project Of the possible 215,000 additional deaths above normal through July -- a total that has since risen to as many as 235,000 - most were officially attributed to coronavirus infections. The rest were blamed on other causes, including heart disease, high blood pressure and other types of respiratory diseases. The CDC has not yet provided a breakdown by race and ethnicity of the deaths from other causes. The newly released data is considered provisional and subject to change as more information comes in. Certain categories of deaths suicides or drug overdoses, for example often involve lengthy investigations before a cause is assigned. The outbreak's disproportionate effect on communities of color is not limited to a specific region of the country. The virus first hit urban areas on the East and West coasts. But according to University of Minnesota researcher Carrie Henning-Smith, disparities have also been seen as the disease spread across the country to Southern and Western states with large rural populations. For example, Arizona reported almost 60% more Native American deaths so far this year compared with previous years, and New Mexico recorded over 40% more. Between the two states, over 1,100 more Native Americans have died than normal. Another surprise: Only about half of the Asian American deaths have been officially linked to COVID-19, lower than for all other groups. Jarvis Chen, a lecturer at Harvard University's public health school, said Asian Americans may not be getting tested at the same rate as other groups, for reasons that are unclear, and that could result in some virus deaths being attributed to something else. Dr. Namratha Kandula of Northwestern University echoed that theory. She also cautioned against generalizing about the underlying health of Asian Americans as a whole, noting that they are a diverse group from many different nations and cultures. "It's not enough to clump them all together because it does not tell the whole story," she said. In this undated photo provided by Charlton Rhee, Rhee, a nursing home administrator from New York, poses for a photo with his parents, Man Joon Rhee and Eulja Rhee. Charlton Rhee, whose parents came to the U.S. from South Korea, lost both of them to COVID-19 as the virus surged in New York City. A joint analysis by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project found that Asian Americans join Black and Hispanic Americans among the hardest-hit groups, with deaths in each group up at least 30% this year.Courtesy of Charlton Rhee via AP Charlton Rhee, whose parents came to the U.S. from South Korea, lost both of them to COVID-19 this spring as the virus surged in New York City. His mother, Eulja Rhee, went out one day, and when she returned, "she told me someone had coughed in her face" as she was getting off a bus, said Rhee, a nursing home administrator in Queens. "She was wearing a mask, but it got into her eyes." She died in the hospital, just shy of her 75th birthday. Rhee found out a day later that his father, Man Joon Rhee, had tested positive. "He had caught it from my mother," he said. "His heart was broken. And he said to me that he wanted to know if it was OK to be with Mom." He stayed home, receiving hospice care, and died at 83. "The Asian American community has suffered greatly during this," and government officials provided little help, especially initially, Rhee said. Community associations had to step in with food drives, personal protective equipment and other help. Racial disparities in deaths predate COVID-19, and many forces combine to produce them: Some communities of color are more likely to have lower incomes and to share living space with larger families, increasing the risk of transmission. They have higher rates of health problems, including diabetes, obesity and lung ailments, the result of living in places where healthier foods are harder to get and the environment is polluted. Those same factors can make them more likely to become severely ill or die from the coronavirus. They are more often uninsured and tend to live farther from hospitals. They are disproportionately incarcerated, which has been linked to long-term effects on health. Experts point to a long history of discrimination that causes distrust of the health care system. And people of color are more likely to fill essential roles that require them to keep going to work during the pandemic. Dr. Sobiya Ansari, who works predominantly with Black immigrant cancer patients in New York City, worries when they miss or postpone radiation or screenings. Already, the city has seen double the number of Black deaths this year compared with previous years. "If a storm hits and you're safe inside your house, you're safe," she said. "Then there is a population of people that don't even have umbrellas. The storm hits, and they're just really swept away." This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and The Marshall Project that explores the true toll of the coronavirus pandemic on communities of color. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Pompeo claims anti-Iran sanctions will return in 30 days IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, August 21, IRNA -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed on Friday that Washington delivered a letter to the UN for snapback invocation against Iran to bring back sanctions in 30 days. Pompeo said that the United States is initiating the restoration of all UN sanctions on Iran lifted under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and is invoking the snapback against Iran. Referring to the process of restoration of sanctions against Iran, he added that "we are confident that the trigger mechanism will be implemented against Iran." In reference to what he called ""a big mistake done by the UN Security Council for not extending the arms embargo", he said that the US would impose all its sanctions on Iran. It is interesting to note that the US letter to the UN Security Council member states says, "Following paragraph 11 of Resolution 2231, I write on behalf of my government that Iran has not fulfilled a significant part of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)". The United States as a participant in JCPOA acts based on paragraph 10 in Resolution 2231 and the process of reversing the acts that were suspended following paragraphs 11 and 12 of that resolution begins, he said. Meanwhile, France, Germany, and Britain have stated that they do not support the US snapback invocation against Iran. 3266**1416 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CONNECTICUT Teachers in Connecticut concerned about serious coronavirus complications due to preexisting health conditions have requested remote instruction accommodations. However, like many things in Connecticut, school districts are handling the decisions in very different ways. The state's largest teachers union, the Connecticut Education Association, asked school districts to allow for remote teaching for teachers and staff who have disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The CEA suggests proctors for physical classrooms in those instances. People of any age with a number of conditions are at an increased risk for severe illness from the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some conditions include cancer, lung disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and being immunocompromised from an organ transplant. Some other conditions that may put people at increased risk for serious complications include asthma, hypertension and liver disease. The CEA notes in its guidance to teachers that the district should engage with teachers and find reasonable accommodation under the ADA, but the district may not be required to provide one if it causes an undue hardship. Because teachers circumstances will vary, they may request and receive different accommodations from those of their colleagues, the CEA notes in its guidance. Similarly, each district and each school building within it may have different circumstances, leading to various possible accommodations. CEA President Jeff Leakes said some districts are considering accommodations on a case-by-case basis and others are denying all accommodation requests. Districts don't legally have to automatically grant all requests, but they have to be at least discussed, he said. "For those districts who are saying no we dont even want to think about it, no we arent happy with those districts, he said. Story continues The situation has led to some teachers who are fearful for their health and close or at retirement age to resign, especially as some districts haven't provided them with answers about accommodations, Leakes said. "Im fearing that we are not going to have the personnel we are going to need in the classroom to actually have a smooth start to the year," he said. The CEA is concerned about some districts who haven't implemented all of the health safety protocols yet and have said they will do so when it's feasible, hence the CEA's call for pushing back the start of the school year. "What we are seeing out in the fields here is its not working in a couple places, more than a couple places, and we are concerned this wont be a successful school reopening," Leakes said. "And I hope I am wrong. Gov. Ned Lamont committed $50 million for local district staffing needs, including the possibility of apprentice teachers overseeing the classroom. Around 176,000 Connecticut students didnt log in for a single day of remote learning during the spring and Lamont said he doesnt want some students to lose a full year of schooling. On Thursday, he said the states health indicators and low infection rate support students going back to the physical classroom. Connecticuts school reopening guidelines give some leeway to individual districts to decide how best to get students back in the classroom. Around 55 percent of districts are planning for full in-person learning, while 44 percent are opting for a hybrid model where one cohort of students will come in for physical classes while another is doing remote learning. The hybrid model frees up space within classrooms, which helps with social distancing guidelines. Students, teachers and staff generally need to wear masks while in the classroom unless there is a valid medical reason. Schools are providing masks breaks throughout the day. Additionally, parents can opt to have their children do full remote learning. There is one notable exception in New Haven Public Schools, where the Board of Education decided it would start the year off in full remote learning mode. Norwalk teachers union President Mary Yordon told Patch that teachers have reached out to her and other union leaders about the requests and their options. I believe that the Governor, and this Board of Education are working hard and at the best of their abilities to create a safe and equitable school opening in these very unique circumstances, she said. It is not a question of wanting or not wanting to grant the remote teaching assignments, rather it seems that remote opportunities represent financial and structural hardships to the districts. There are no easy choices to be made. Connecticut Patch spoke to school administrators in nine different districts in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Some districts have already said they wont be providing any remote teaching accommodations for teachers. Others are handling requests on a case-by-case basis and the rest are still in the midst of figuring out the unprecedented territory. "For the most part we do not have remote teaching accommodations because we will have children in school all 5 days, said Dr. Susie da Silva, superintendent of Ridgefield Public Schools. At this time, we have not had a circumstance where we were able to accommodate this request." At the moment, we are not looking to provide remote teaching accommodations for teachers, said Stratford Superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson. As with everything else around this crisis, decisions are constantly evolving. Bethel Public Schools also doesnt have enough staff to accommodate remote teaching requests, said Superintendent Dr. Christine Carver. Superintendents from Oxford, Trumbull, Fairfield and Region 9 schools said they were still working on the matter. Acting Trumbull Superintendent Ralph Iassogna said the district got some accommodation requests from teachers and will aim to finalize decisions as soon as early next week. Shelton Public Schools is handling requests on a case-by-case basis, said interim Superintendent Dr. Beth Smith. Any teacher who believes they have a special circumstance must contact our Director of Human Resources, she said. All cases are being determined on an individualized basis. Danbury Public Schools is also handling requests on a case-by-case basis. On a case by case basis, we are indeed honoring requests and accommodations where applicable and/or appropriate, said Danbury Assistant Superintendent Kevin Walston. Additional reporting by Patch staffers Rich Kirby, Al Branch and Anna Bybee-Schier This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch Zarif: US devoid of any right to reapply provisions of terminated resolutions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Aug 21, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to the chairman of the UN Security Council blasted the US' illegal attempts to snapback sanctions on Iran, reiterating that the US has no right to reapply provisions of terminated resolutions. He called on the UN Security Council and international community to dismiss the US action. The letter was handed over to the Indonesian president of the council by Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi. Full text of the letter reads as follows: "The term "snapback" is never employed in either the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Rather, the US has intentionally used the term to connote rapidity and automaticity. The wording in UNSCR 2231 is actually "reapplication of the provisions of terminated resolutions", which requires an elaborate time-consuming processintended to preserve the JCPOA, and not to destroy it. It is clear that the US has no right to the "reapplication of the provisions of terminated resolutions" against Iran for the following reasons: I. US Terminated Explicitly its Participation in the JCPOA On 8 May 2018, President Trump signed an executive order to "cease US participation" in the JCPOA. The US administration thus took extensive measures to terminate US participation, and to re-impose all US sanctions--a violation of the JCPOA and UNSCR 2231. Secretary Pompeo speaking at the Heritage Foundation on May 21 2018: "President Trump terminated the United States participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action." On 11 May 2018, the US Government informed all JCPOA Participants that it would no longer participate in JCPOArelated meetings or activities. The term "participant" is not a simple honorific title, rather it requires taking part in an activity or event in compliance with an agreed upon and specifically defined description of duties, rights and obligations. The US is therefore not a "Participant" by any stretch of imagination. II. US Officially Abrogated Any Right to the Dispute Resolution Mechanism US officials have repeatedly admitted in public that they relinquished the right to utilize the provisions of UNSCR 2231 when the US left the JCPOA. Then National Security Advisor John Bolton speaking on 8 May 2018: " provisions of Resolution 2231, which we're not using because we're out of the deal." John Bolton writing in the Wall Street Journal on 16 August 2020: "The agreement's backers argue that Washington, having withdrawn from the deal, has no standing to invoke its provisions. They're right." Brian H. Hook told reporters in New York on 20 December 2019: " we're no longer in the deal, and so the parties that are still in the deal will have to make their decisions with respect to using or not using the dispute resolution mechanism." The Trump administration hoped that its withdrawal from the JCPOA and unlawful imposition of "maximum pressure" would either cause regime change, Iran's submission, or Iran's withdrawal from the JCPOA. After the failure of its policypredicated on poor advice--the Trump administration is now attempting to change course and--in an extreme case of bad faith--conveniently resort to the procedure that they over two years ago permanently closed to themselves. The US being described as a "JCPOA participant" in a paragraph of Resolution 2231 is purely descriptive and exhortatory; it lists as a factual matter who the participants were at the time of the adoption of the resolution in 2015 and has no other definition. The EU, UK, France, Germany, China and Russia have all declared the notification by the U.S. as "null and void." III. Material Breach of UNSCR 2231 and Lack of Good Faith The Trump administration has never acted in good faith--an inseparable part of international relations. Operative Paragraph 2 of UNSCR 2231 calls upon all to refrain "from actions that undermine implementation of commitments under the JCPOA;" The US violated the JCPOA and UNSCR 2231 by withdrawing from the JCPOA, unilaterally re-imposing sanctions, and even punishing those complying with the resolution. On 26 June 2019, addressing the UN Security Council on implementation of UNSCR 2231 the UN Secretary-General stated: " the lifting of sanctions allowing for the normalization of trade and economic relations constitute an essential part of the Plan". President Trump has imposed countless sanctions against Iran on over 145 times. He has even decided not to extend waivers for nuclear-related projects which, in the words of the UN Secretary-General, "may also impede the ability of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement certain provisions of the Plan and of the resolution." The International Court of Justice clearly underlined in its 1971 advisory opinion on Namibia: "One of the fundamental principles governing international relationship thus established is that a party which disowns or does not fulfill its own obligations cannot be recognized as retaining the rights which it claims to derive from the relationship." The United States cannot benefit from the fruits of its unlawful act IV. Iran's Efforts in Good Faith to Fully Implement the JCPOA President Trump's decision to cease U.S. participation in the JCPOA was not preceded by even a single case of Iran violating its commitments. Even after the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran continued--for a full year--full implementation of the JCPOA, as verified by 15 consecutive IAEA reports. Having repeatedly exhausted the Dispute Resolution Mechanism to absolutely no avail, Iran exercised its rights under Paragraphs 26 and 36 of the JCPOA to apply remedial measures and cease performing part of its commitments. Iran's remedial measures have had no impact on the IAEA's monitoring, thereby rendering any claim of proliferation risks irrelevant. V. Conclusion: Notification by the US Is Inadmissible The Dispute Resolution Mechanism is only open to the actual JCPOA Participantsand not to a defected "original" participant that willfully and explicitly decided to "cease participation", actively sought to destroy the instrument, and subsequently--and self-admittedly--relinquished all its prerogatives and privileges. The UN Security Council should prevent the US--an unapologetic and serial violator of UNSCR 2231--from unilaterally and unlawfully abusing the Dispute Resolution Mechanism, with the stated objective of destroying that very resolution--and along with it, the authority of the Security Council and indeed the UN. The Iranian people expect the UN Security Council to bring the United States to account for the irreparable harm inflicted on the entire Iranian nation merely for reasons of personal aggrandizement or domestic political expediency." 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lorena Aguayo-Marquez felt sad and tired and angry - sometimes all at once. Amid an explosion of hunger and illness in Grand Rapids, Mich., the activist and community organizer had devoted countless hours to marshaling rent money and food donations to families who did not qualify for pandemic assistance because of their immigration status. As politicians praised working-class laborers in meatpacking plants and agricultural fields, many of them undocumented, she fumed that the government left those workers to fend for themselves if they became ill. Now, Aguayo was in her bedroom catching up on video clips from the Democratic National Convention, hosted virtually this year because of the coronavirus. She took careful notes with a pen and notepad during a speech by Michelle Obama, who urged viewers to "vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it." Aguayo sat with the words. Throughout the week, the carefully curated speakers called for inclusion and compassion, an emotional salve for Aguayo. But what did it all amount to? Each new president had brought fresh disappointment, including the Obama administration, which deported 3 million people. Democrats had not delivered on their promises to create a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, even when they held Congress and the White House. Her neighbors and friends were somehow at once "essential" and "illegal." Would yet another vote, this time for Biden, really make a difference? And yet, President Donald Trump openly disparaged immigrants and had instituted the policy of separating families at the border. Under his watch, the pandemic was disproportionately ravaging Latino communities. Did Aguayo's disdain for Trump simply render her frustrations with Democrats moot? Her choice was clear if unsatisfying. "It's hard, right? Because we've been let down so many times. It's hard to give the [Democratic] party another opportunity," Aguayo said. "But we need to do damage control and vote and see what happens from there. I've been trying to reconcile my feelings, but there's no other option. Biden is it." Grand Rapids, with a population of 200,000, is Michigan's second-largest city after Detroit and the official government seat of Kent County, a onetime conservative stronghold in the western part of the state. This cycle, it is a prime target for Democrats in a battleground state that Trump carried in 2016 by just 11,000 votes. He won Kent County by about 9,500 votes in that election, but in 2018, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won it by nearly 12,000 votes. Voters in Grand Rapids and its surrounding suburbs could swing the election in Michigan, which could decide the presidential election nationally. The outcome will depend in part on the political calculations made by people of color, who make up about 40% of the population of Grand Rapids. Many Latino voters there live in mixed-status households and neighborhoods, which include undocumented people and United States citizens. In 2016, lower-than-expected turnout among Democratic voters in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania contributed to Trump's unexpected victory. Trump's path to reelection rests in part on convincing these voters to either vote for him or stay home again. The Democratic Convention was in part geared toward motivating those who sat out the 2016 election to show up for Biden this time. Erika VanDyke, 31, who has helped organize grass-roots pandemic relief efforts in Grand Rapids, said that in another year she might have attended watch parties for the speeches, or texted friends to hear what they thought. This year, with so much energy expended on the novel coronavirus, the rhythms of national politics feel out of step with her life. She nearly forgot the convention was even happening. But she said she will vote in November whether she is excited about Biden or not. She wishes the former vice president were "more progressive," she said, but feels like voting for him is crucial given how poorly Trump has managed the coronavirus response. Keeping Trump in office, she said, would be dangerous. "I think the pandemic has reminded me that [things] can always be so much worse," she said. "You want to be voting for someone you really believe in. But I don't have a choice but to vote in November." VanDyke, however, said she doesn't fault those who are unsure if they will vote. Working people have busy, chaotic lives, she said. And some of those who stayed home in 2016 are active in other ways, such as regularly attending protests for racial justice. They have lost faith in voting because that has not produced the change they want to see, she said, and political leaders bear the blame for that disillusionment. Across the country, liberal community organizers and activists have increasingly focused their efforts on local issues amid city-by-city protests against police brutality and racism, channeling much of their anti-establishment fervor to city and county governments. In Grand Rapids, community advocates have agitated for reductions to the city's police budget and race-conscious distribution of Cares Act funding meant for small businesses. One of the most urgent priorities for VanDyke and other Latino organizers in Grand Rapids has been the La Lucha Fund, a grass-roots effort that has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in assistance to undocumented people in Kent County who did not qualify for unemployment benefits or stimulus checks because of their immigration status. The fund has raised about $730,000 since April. Earlier this month, the city commission of Grand Rapids approved $250,000 earmarked for eviction protections. The rest has been gathered through philanthropic connections and individual donations. It has been a victory of community leadership, VanDyke said. The $500 given to each family is not nearly enough assistance, she added. But it is something. "We're all we've got. It's a ragtag group of volunteers," she said. Aguayo, who has been active with La Lucha Fund, recalled how fast her heart was racing one year ago when she interrupted the Democratic presidential primary debate in Detroit last year to protest the Obama administration's mass deportation of undocumented people, a frequent grievance among Latino activists on the left. But that was before the pandemic. "The local issues are competing for our attention. That work feels so much more alive than the national campaign," said Sergio Cira Reyes, a community organizer in Grand Rapids who is active in the Latino community. "It's hard to get people to think about politics during all of this. Cira said the Democratic Party in the county has not done a good job of reaching out to voters of color. Grand Rapids elected its first Latina city commissioner last year, he said, because of a strong push by grass-roots Latino groups, not because anyone in the local Democratic Party showed an interest. Cira also noted lingering skepticism with the national Democratic Party, which he feels panders to Latinos during election years but does not make Latino communities a priority afterward. He said he was frustrated that DACA was announced in 2012 in the heat of Obama's reelection campaign but fell far short of a permanent solution. But "I don't know how fair it is to talk just about the Democratic Party because of everything the Republican Party has actively done to hurt us," he said. Daniel Caracheo, 21, became more politically involved five years ago, he said, as Trump's campaign was gaining popularity with anti-immigrant rhetoric that deeply troubled him. Caracheo's political views are far to the left of Biden, and he also believes establishment Democrats need to do more to reach out to young voters of color. But he wants everyone to vote for Biden anyway. He was horrified to hear in 2017 that the Trump administration would try to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. That effort was blocked by the Supreme Court in June, but the potential second term of the Trump administration weighs heavily on him and the other hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to this country illegally as children who qualify for protected status. "On my first day of college we saw a news article that DACA was going to be rescinded. And that was the beginning of a real low point in my life. We were still at that point so naively thinking Trump wouldn't be this malicious, this bad," he said. Caracheo cannot vote because he is not a U.S. citizen. But he remains civically active by helping people register to vote and by canvassing to remind voters about the importance of casting a ballot. Even if there is apathy toward Biden, several voters interviewed for this article expressed interest in becoming active and voting in local races, including to replace retiring Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican turned Independent turned Libertarian. Whether Trump or Biden win, activists on the left already anticipate bitter disputes within the Democratic Party over health care, immigration reform and the climate crisis. Anti-Trump sentiment and the pandemic have stalled those disagreements, not erased them. And, in some ways, VanDyke said, the pandemic has made it very clear how Washington's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform during the Obama administration can have far-reaching consequences. Many of the hardest-hit communities of essential workers today would qualify for government help if political leaders had reached an agreement on whether to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people in good standing, as once promised. Instead, many are left hungry or sick, or both. "Let's have a conversation about comprehensive immigration reform. That would solve a lot of these problems in one fell swoop," she said. "Maybe this is an opportunity to have some of these conversations. I don't think we can let this moment pass us by." New Delhi: A number of China-based think tanks have mushroomed in India over the past few years and it is believed that Chinese Embassy in India has played a key role in establishing these think tanks. As per Indian security agencies assessment report, a think tank on India-China relations, founded by a top philanthropist and educationist, is alleged to have strong links with the Chinese Embassy. It is aggressively working on setting up China Study Centers in Indian educational institutes. It was recently found that a youth focused group based out of Delhi is working closely with the Chinese Embassy, and the Chinese Ambassador to India is a frequent guest of the organisation. It has also organised talk shows and interviews of the Chinese Ambassador, general monologue, restricting the audience from asking questions. PRC Embassy has opened the gates of its building and many events of the youth-based organisation have been organised in the Embassy. It also runs an exchange programme for Indian and Chinese students all under the directions of the PRC Embassy," an official aware of the developments told Zee News. The number of think tanks dedicated to academic research on China has also burgeoned in the past few years, dominated by Communist-leaning thinkers and retired professionals. Some of these think-tanks are important components of China's soft power and claim to have social activists, scholars and representatives from all walks of life. Chinese app to brainwash foreign nationals China has also developed an app called Study the Powerful Country to brainwash foreign nationals studying in or travelling to China. An extensive network of Confucius Institutes propped up by China across the world in the name of promoting Chinese language and culture has come under the scanner across the world including in countries like Australia and UK. Most recently, Indian and the US governments have ordered investigations to look into the functioning of these Institutes in respective countries. Just a couple of days ago, the US Government designated the center that oversees Confucius Institutes in the US as foreign missions and imposed restrictions similar to those imposed on diplomatic missions. Last year, the Senate Committee on Investigations revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had allocated $158 million into US universities to fund Confucius institutes and Propagate pro-CCP narratives. A similar Step was taken by the Government of India to scrutinise the Confucius Institutes operating in India as well as MOUs signed between Chinese and Indian educational institutions. Confucius Institutes were established in several prominent public and private institutions in India, across all the corners of the country. These Institutes are facing allegations of acting as units of the CCP and catering to the Chinese interests. They are directly sponsored by China's Ministry of Education under the guise of promoting Chinese language and culture. Chinese influence in the Indian media The Chinese Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) under Chinas Foreign Ministry, constituted by Jinping Government to further the CCP agenda runs a fellowship for Indian journalists to invite them to China and train them, Financial benefits, accommodation, and other perks are offered to the journalists, besides access to top CCP officials. Journalists from Indian news agencies, English and Hindi national dailies, and prominent news channels have been visiting China under the fellowship. These journalists, interestingly, publish stories without any mention about the China-sponsored programme. One of the most threatening developments is the increasing Chinese influence in the Indian media. China has built up a strong nexus of Journalists and using them as weapons of psychological warfare. Communist parties across the world are connected with each other and work together in solidarity, which is why left-leaning journalists of India become soft targets for China. A Prominent newspaper, maintaining a pro-CCP line, places a significant number of China compassionate content in its editions. The newspaper often contributes to Chinese attempts of pressurising India on China-related policy decisions. The journalists working as soldiers of Chinas propaganda warfare have become hyper active with the ongoing standoff at the LAC. Besides the military front, pro-China journalists have been highlighting the drawbacks of Indias crackdown on Chinese businesses in India, underlining negative impacts of these economic Steps on India. The swiftest growth of pro-China media has been in the field of online Journalism with over half a dozen novel news portals, with relationship with communist activists in India, recording a significant growth and becoming widely popular amongst the youth over the years, China has spent a huge amount of capital on advertorials and stories in prominent Indian newspapers. Tibetan activists criticised a prominent Indian English daily, owned by a conglomerate, for carrying a full page supplement, sponsored by China, projecting the Communist regime as the messiah of economic growth, social inclusion, and religious freedom for Tibetans since 1950. China has launched a propaganda blitzkrieg on India and intensified it during the LAC standoff. The network of pro-Chinese minds in India is acting as the base and opinion makers are acting as its foot-soldiers. Given the indulgence of China in intelligence gathering and stealing intellectual property in host countries adds to the vulnerability. Chinese influence has penetrated into all areas of public opinion and agenda setting in India Chinese influence is clearly visible in academia, media and civil society. The edge of China on India is rapidly increasing and there is an urgent need for the Indian Government to curb Chinese interference in India. The Government needs to make a blanket and comprehensive move to restrain Chinese mission of ruining Indian minds. Along with the government, the civil society needs to be roped in as besides executive decisions, a popular social movement is required for limiting China from corrupting Indian policy making. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State. The final list was shared via the official Twitter handle of the commission on Friday. It was also followed with a statement by the spokesperson of the commission, Festus Okoye. In his statement, Mr Okoye said four political parties made substitutions. The parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). INEC releases final list of candidates [Photo Credit: INEC twitter handle] While ADC, ADP and PDP substituted their deputy governorship candidates, ZLP substituted both its governorship and deputy governorship candidates. Four political parties that earlier made valid nominations have substituted their candidates. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew and substituted their Deputy Governorship candidates while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) substituted both its Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates, part of the statement read. He urged the members of the parties to check the final list of candidates and be guided accordingly. INEC releases final list of candidates [Photo Credit: INEC twitter handle] INEC releases final list of candidates [Photo Credit: INEC twitter handle] There are three candidates from three different political parties that are major contenders in the poll. They are Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, who is seeking reelection; Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP, who contested in 2016 but came second and Agboola Ajayi of the ZLP, who is the current deputy governor of the state. The Northern Territory's chief minister Michael Gunner is on track to secure a second four-year term with his Labor Party predicted to form a minority government. The ABC's election analyst Antony Green said Labor is likely to secure 12 seats, one shy of the 13 required to form a majority government. Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner's control of the coronavirus pandemic has been well received. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The coronavirus pandemic played a big part in Saturday's poll, along with local issues including crime and the economy. A low voter turnout was predicted ahead of the vote. Labor was up against the Country Liberal Party (CLP) led by Lia Finocchiaro and the new Territory Alliance party led by former CLP chief minister Terry Mills. Ms Finocchiaro was predicted to secure six seats. In 2018 the newly reopened Arizona Downs also sought access to the simulcast. Monarch agreed to send its signals to the Prescott Valley track but refused to provide it for the OTB sites. At least part of the issue is that three of the Arizona Downs OTB sites are in the Phoenix area, potentially setting them up as competitors to the Turf OTB facilities. Last year, however, lawmakers voted to force Monarch into that all-or-nothing situation: If it wants to do business with Turf Paradise, the law reads, it has to provide the same signals to anyone else who wants it. It also gave the Arizona Racing Commission the authority to review any contracts to determine whether the fees are excessive or unreasonable by comparing it to what is charged to others and determining whether the practices are anti-competitive or deceptive. Monarch sued to block the law. Thursdays ruling denies a bid by Monarch to keep the state from enforcing it while it mounts further legal challenges. Monarch sells the signals from the tracks owned by the Sonarch Group, Monarchs parent company. That includes Californias Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park in Florida. It also sells signals from other tracks its parent company does not own. And it sold the signals from the more than 130 days of live racing at Turf to other tracks. On Twitter: @azcapmedia Trumps remarks are part of a pattern of comments in which he has suggested he is willing to take actions to impede how people cast their ballots this fall. He has repeatedly sought to undermine confidence in the November vote, making false claims about the integrity of mail-in balloting and raising the specter of widespread electoral fraud. Earlier this month, he floated the idea of withholding election money from states and refusing funding for the U.S. Postal Service so as to curtail the use of voting by mail. Croatia's State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism has appealed to the UK government to overturn the 14-day quarantine that has been imposed on travellers arriving into Britain from the country. The British government made the announcement after a spike in cases in Croatia - stating that from 4am on Saturday holidaymakers would have to self-isolate. Speaking to British channel Sky News Frano Matusic said the government should replace the policy with reliable testing instead. He added that the decision "wasn't fair." Following the removal of the country from the government's COVID-19 list of safe countries, UK holidaymakers who were already abroad complained of the short notice they were given. "If they'd published the criteria we could have kept on it ourselves a bit more," said one holidaymaker arriving into London's Gatwick Airport on Saturday. As of Saturday Croatia reported 7,594 cases of the virus and 169 deaths, according to John Hopkins University. Some of the cast of The Traitor The film 'The Traitor' is available to view online via mermaidartscentre.ie. Go to the theatre's 'behind the scenes' section to find the movie, at 9.99. Rentals are valid for 48 hours from time of purchase In the early 1980s, an all-out war rages between Sicilian mafia bosses over the heroin trade. Tommaso Buscetta, a made man, flees to hide out in Brazil. Back home, scores are being settled, with Buscetta watching from afar as his sons and brother are killed in Palermo, knowing he may be next. Arrested and extradited to Italy by the Brazilian police, Buscetta makes a decision that will change everything for the Mafia: He decides to meet with Judge Giovanni Falcone and betray the eternal vow he made to the Cosa Nostra. girl looks at boards at Rip City. ZJ Boarding House on Main Street has closed, but Rip City continues to sell skate boards and even has its own beer now, courtesy of Santa Monica Brewery. by Mary Leipziger, Observer Senior Reporter ZJ Boarding House, another skate board store on Main Street in Santa Monica, closed Sunday. While there is still a Skateboard store at Lincoln and Marine as well, Rip City suddenly has a near monopoly on skateboard stores in Santa Monica Jim McDowell and William Poncher were very serious when they opened RIP CITY - a skateboard shop at 2709 Santa Monica Blvd on April 1, 1978--April Fools Day . They were semi retired, and had come to California in the 1960's . Skateboarding began as a sport in Santa Monica in the 1970's and their shop was at the end point of Route 66, which began in Chicago and snaked its way across the country. They do not advertise, but yesterday a middle aged man from Minnesota, a family with 3 children and assorted youths came into the shop. It specializes in service, the assembling of boards, the installation of bearing, the use of grip tape. The boards, with a huge variety of vibrant designs, are made in China and Mexico, the T shirts/hats and other accessories in downtown Los Angeles. The 600 square foot space is a explosive profusion of colors, designs, signage, boards pasted on the ceiling. A happy place in a troubled times. Rip City participates in a project in Kabul, called SKATEISTAN- Those skate boards are manufactured by an American Company called Almost. THE goal of this project is to raise money for girls to buy skateboards, because they are not allowed to ride bicycles. Mary Leipziger Rip City's Jim McDowell displaying the board used in the Skateistan project The Santa Monica Brewery designed a special beer to commemorate the shop's long existence. It can be purchased there. The label reads RIP CITY SKATES IPA. Sometimes life changes. The building RIP City occupies was to be torn down in Oct 2020, but it will not happen. ZJ Boarding House, another skate board store on Main Street in Santa Monica, closed Sunday. There was little advance notice of the closure. ZJ Boarding House was opened on December 16, 1988 by Mikke Pierson and Todd Roberts. The original name was Zuma Jay Surfboards and the shop was affiliated with Zuma Jay's in Malibu. The original shop was about 2000 square feet and occupied the front of 2619 Main Street. Roberts lived in the office at the shop and Pierson lived in his RV in Malibu. ZJ produced events, contests and sponsored young skaters and surfers. It will be missed. A new round of soil sampling near the BWXT plant including at Prince of Wales Public School, where beryllium has turned up in recent soil samples will be completed at the end of October, two months later than originally anticipated, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which is Canadas nuclear regulator, had ordered the sampling done before it decides whether to grant BWXT a new licence to manufacture uranium pellets. This spring the CNSC ordered soil sampling done by Aug. 31, and then the commission would be prepared to deliberate on an application for a licence renewal for BWXT on Monaghan Road in Peterborough. But now that deadlines been extended: testing must be complete no later than Oct. 30, states a new release from CNSC. Additional time was requested by CNSC staff to do the sampling work, states the release, since the pandemic has brought about increased health and safety protocols that must be followed as they complete sampling. The CNSC president granted the request for more time, the release explains. The results of the sampling are expected to be made available to the public. An earlier release from April states there will be special focus on to resampling at nearby Prince of Wales Public School on Monaghan Road where there has been a notable increase in the concentrations of beryllium in the soil last year. Beryllium is a heavy metal and a carcinogen and its used in production at BWXT (which is across Monaghan Road from the school; the plant occupies part of the former General Electric complex). Medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra approved a new study in February from Peterborough Public Health that anticipates no negative effects to human health from uranium exposure if BWXT gets its licence provided the firm continues to operate within safety regulations. But she has noted that beryllium concentrations in the soil samples at Prince of Wales Public School have increased significantly between 2018 and 2019 yet theres no measurable trace of beryllium in air and water samples at the same time. The CNSC apparently agrees with her that the source of the beryllium and any potential risk it poses must be reassessed. BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada manufactures nuclear fuel bundles in Peterborough and assembles uranium dioxide pellets that are manufactured in Toronto. The Peterborough plant operates from part of the now-closed General Electric site on Monaghan Road. Its licence expires at the end of 2020 and the company has applied for a new licence with one change: BWXT would like to be allowed to move the pelleting operation from Toronto to Peterborough. Although the CNSCs staff assessment recommends that the pelleting be allowed in Peterborough, the commission has not made a decision yet. The public hearing began March 2 and 3 in Toronto and continued until March 6 in Peterborough at the Holiday Inn. Over three days, the commission heard from dozens of Peterborough citizens concerned that peoples health may be harmed if BWXT begins manufacturing uranium pellets. Many people including teachers, parents and students from Prince of Wales were also concerned about the beryllium levels at the school. By PTI WASHINGTON: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his Indian-origin running mate Kamala Harris on Saturday greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and expressed hope for a new beginning. "To everyone celebrating the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in the US, India, and around the world, may you overcome all obstacles, be blessed with wisdom, and find a path toward new beginnings," Biden said in a tweet. Joining @JoeBiden in wishing everyone celebrating a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi. https://t.co/iYzangpfAS Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 22, 2020 Harris also extended her greetings to the Hindu community on the auspicious occasion. "Joining @ JoeBiden in wishing everyone celebrating a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi," Harris said, retweeting Biden's tweet. On the final day of the four-day virtual Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday, 77-year-old Biden accepted the Democratic Party's nomimation as the presidential candidate to challenge incumbent President Trump, a Republican, in the November 3 presidential election. Harris, 55, scripted history in US politics as she became the first Indian-American and Black woman to get a major party's vice presidential nomination on the third day of the DNC. In an age where church membership has been on the decline, one house of worship continues to grow after withstanding the test of time for hundreds of years. The Unitarian Church in Charleston, more than 200 years old, is the oldest Unitarian church in the South and the second-oldest on the Charleston peninsula. The 400-membership Unitarian congregation welcomed new members this spring and continues to minister to new congregants through virtual platforms, similar to faith communities nationwide who've been forced online due to the pandemic. "Were growing and were preparing for more growth," said Sandra Selvitelli, executive director of Unitarian Charleston. Among many new opportunities for ministry made possible by the pandemic, the Unitarian Church took advantage of the downtime characterized by the lack of physical services. The church touched up the exterior of its historic building, completed in 1787. Applied to the structure was the Keim limewash product, a traditional coating providing a breathable, decorative finish that soaks into underlying materials. The treatment should last 15-20 years. The sanctuary roof was also recoated. Major work on the building took place in 2005, when the original limewash color of the structure was uncovered. Workers applied a coating to the building, and the second coat was applied during the recent efforts. Historically, limewash was used on traditional buildings when paint was not available. The product can be seen on old structures throughout the peninsula, such as the French Huguenot Church and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. The product helps preserve aging edifices because it doesn't hold moisture, said Glenn Keyes, a local historical architect and one of the people who managed the project. Judy Manning, church member and chair of the church's buildings and grounds committee, also helped oversee the effort. "It's a breathable finish," Keyes said. "It's really great for historical buildings. Older congregations have seen their struggles over the years as traditional, mainline denominations have been forced to close down due to membership decline. A key to future success for many will be recruiting a diverse group of members who can help sustain the congregations moving forward and create ministries that appeal to families. The Unitarian church feels its progressiveness has helped the group thrive for centuries. While the Unitarian Church's services mirror a church experience, it isn't a strictly Christian community. Unitarianism and Universalism both have roots in the Protestant Christian tradition, where the Bible is the sacred text, but Unitarian Church in Charleston looks to additional sources for religious and moral inspiration. Elementary school children learn about Christianity, but also learn about Islam and visit a mosque when they are in middle school. Selvitelli says the church has long been progressive. The Unitarian Church was marrying same sex couples before it was legal. "We offer something in Charleston that is not found everywhere," she said. "Its a place where we can all come together and practice spirituality. The Unitarian church continues efforts to further diversify its congregation. It looks to target youths by spreading its message of inclusiveness on social media, and is currently updating the church's website. Unitarian Charleston also hopes to add more African American members to its congregation. During a time when frustrations have reached fever pitch over the killings of Black people by law enforcement and others, the Unitarian Church formed a social justice committee that will look at diversifying the church's membership. The group wanted to show its solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement recently by installing the message in support of it on a church sign. There were conversations on whether to do so some years ago, but some had reservations about whether the time was right and if it would jeopardize the church's safety. Its been really exciting to say, 'we are all in," Selvitelli said. The church has also long been active in the Charleston Area Justice Ministry, a coalition of faith leaders who advocate for changes in criminal justice, transportation and housing. New Zealands most successful and effective school-based nutrition initiative Fruit & Vegetables in Schools (FIS) has been selected for inclusion in a report for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization. Fruit & Vegetables in Schools is a government-funded initiative that is managed by United Fresh and supported by the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust and has been providing daily fresh fruit and vegetables to children in low-decile schools for 15 years. The report focuses on the effective promotion of fresh produce and will be presented to the attendees of the International Workshop on Fruits and Vegetables in August 2020, in preparation for the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables which gets underway in 2021. General Manager of United Fresh, Paula Dudley is thrilled at the inclusion in the report for the FAO and WHO. United Fresh has worked tirelessly to provide fresh fruit and vegetables daily to improve the health and well-being of New Zealands most vulnerable children, says Paula. FIS is a world-class, innovative response to food insecurity and the invitation from the FAO/WHO has confirmed that. This year alone a total of 26+ million servings of fresh fruit and vegetables will be provided for 123,000 Kiwi children and staff at 556 different schools nationwide as part of the FIS initiative. The Fruit & Vegetables in Schools initiative was piloted in 25 schools in 2004 and has grown to reach 21 regions across New Zealand. The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust supports FIS by providing curriculum-linked resources that support learning with a selection of engaging eBooks and accompanying interactive activities in the areas of germination, composting, physical activity and eating seasonally. To join FIS, schools need to be Decile 1 or 2, and have Years 1-8 pupils Even the restrictions of a global pandemic didnt stop the initiative with United Fresh utilising their existing supply chain to provide over 28,000 boxes of fresh produce to communities during lockdown. We know that the opportunity we are providing for these pupils to try over two dozen varieties of fruit and vegetables during the school year leads to healthier choices later in life and has a positive influence on the rates of fresh produce consumption at home, says Paula. The FAO/WHO report will be presented to workshop delegates by the Global Alliance to Promote Fruit and Vegetable Consumption 5 A Day (AIAM5), an international network of organisations that work together to promote the health benefits of fresh produce. United Fresh is a founding member of the Spain-based AIAM5, and has worked frequently with similar organisations around the world on projects such as sustainability, biodiversity and other information-sharing studies that enable New Zealands pan-produce industry to keep up with the very latest in international research. United Fresh President, Jerry Prendergast believes the opportunities the organisation has to work alongside similar multinational organisations has immense benefits to our local industry. United Fresh is committed to working on a global scale to add value to New Zealands fresh produce sector and to develop initiatives such as Fruit & Vegetables in Schools to improve the health and well-being of all Kiwis, says Jerry. Bhopal: A three-day session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly will be organised from September 21, Madhya Pradesh Assembly secretariat said on Saturday (August 22, 2020) in a notification. During the session, three sittings of the house will be held between September 21 and 23, Assembly's Principal Secretary A P Singh said. The session was earlier scheduled to be held from July 20, but it was cancelled in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The last assembly session was held on March 24, when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan proved his majority on the floor of the house. Chouhan had taken oath as the chief minister on March 23 after the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government following the resignation of 22 MLAs of that party. Congress MP from Karur, Jothimani Sennimalai, on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik condemning the AYUSH secretary for asking naturopathy practitioners from Tamil Nadu to leave an online AYUSH ministry event if they did not know Hindi. The naturopathy practitioners had earlier objected to the sessions being conducted in Hindi and not in English. Taking to Twitter, Jothimani said, 'Today I wrote to Hon Minister for AYUSH @shripadynaik regarding the insult meted out to our Tamil Nadu doctors by the AYUSH Secy for not knowing Hindi. 'He asked them to leave if they did not know Hindi. This is highly condemnable. Hope the Hon Minister will act.' The Congress MP said it is deplorable that such a demand came from the secretary of the AYUSH department. 'I am at loss to understand why a Ministry like AYUSH, which itself is a symbol of diversity in the field of medicine, would seek to impose a language on a team of doctors from a State that doesn't speak Hindi and that has a long and proud history of resistance to any kind of imposition,' Jothimani said in her letter. Jothimani wrote this letter to record her disappointment and condemnation of this act of the AYUSH secretary which is in violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. The letter read, 'As an elected representative to the Parliament, I consider it my duty to point out that the misplaced priorities of AYUSH department do not augur well for the larger good of this country. 'I urge the department of AYUSH to clarify its position on this issue and immediately take measures to redress it.' Jothimani expressed her disappointment and asked the ministry to take appropriate action to ensure that it is not repeated again. This action of the AYUSH secretary is disappointing and betrays its failure to uphold diversity, a value our Constitution is committed to. I urge the Ministry to take appropriate action and ensure that undesirable controversies are not repeated in the future, the letter added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 13:00:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Some 1.45 million domestic and foreign tourists traveling in Cambodia during the five-day holiday despite ongoing COVID-19 threat, according to a Tourism Ministry's report on Saturday. "Among them are 1.44 million domestic tourists and 14,148 foreign tourists," the report said. The Southeast Asian nation celebrated the holiday from Monday to Friday in lieu of the Khmer New Year holiday in April that was postponed due to the onset of COVID-19. The kingdom's main tourist destinations are the famed Angkor Archeological Park in northwestern Siem Reap province, the 440-km coastline stretching over four southwestern provinces, and the eco-tourism sites in northeastern provinces. Tourism Ministry's spokesman Top Sopheak said earlier this week that about 557 tourism resorts across Cambodia had opened for tourists during the holiday, sticking to anti-pandemic prevention measures such as body's temperature scanning, handwashing with alcohol, mask wearing, and social distancing. Meanwhile, the National Police reported on its website that security had been well secured during the holiday, and due to the pandemic, the kingdom's border checkpoints with its neighboring countries - Vietnam, Thailand and Laos - remained temporarily closed for travelers but opened for goods exchanges. Cambodia has so far recorded a total of 273 confirmed COVID-19 cases, said a Ministry of Health's statement on Saturday, adding that none have died and 263 have recovered. Enditem Pooja Bhatt Mumbai: Pooja Bhatt said that she has made her Instagram account private after receiving death and rape threats on social media. In a post on the social media platform, Pooja said that she has been advised to make her account private after the barrage of hate her family has been receiving in the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Advertisement Pooja Bhatt She added that the platform has become a place for people to hurl abuses and threats of rape and death to others. Pooja said she used to ignore such threats in the past. Advertisement "But is someone wishing you and your family death, constructive criticism or just an attempt at vile cyber bullying? I have been advised to turn off all comments but by doing that you block out the entire positive, well meaning constructive feedback as well," Pooja said in her post on Instagram. Mahesh Bhatt Pooja's family has faced trolling on social media since Rajput's death in June this year. Her father Mahesh Bhatt is also being trolled. Advertisement "As for wishing me death, the same god and universe that watches over you, watches me as well. I will pass when life decides for me. And as long as life keeps me breathing I will live to the optimum and revel in the now," Pooja said. After over two months of Sushant Singh Rajputs demise, Supreme Court gave a green signal for a CBI probe on August 19. Much like the late actors family, fans and well-wishers, Shivin Narang, too, applauds the decision. The actor, who lives in the same building in Mumbai where Rajput used to stay earlier, says he still cant believe that Rajput is no more. The incident affected me and my family mentally and emotionally, even more than Covid-19, I would say. He used to stay in the same building earlier and Ive seen him very closely for a couple of years. We shared the same gym. Though we werent friends but we knew each other and exchanged pleasantries. Ive always seen him as a hard working, dedicated and passionate individual. He was someone who young actors look up to. Im a fan too, says the Ek Veer Ki Ardaas... Veera actor. Sushant Singh Rajput Rajput used to reside in the Malad apartment with actor Ankita Lokhande, when they were in a relationship. Lokhande still lives in the same building, as does Narang. I think the CBI probe is a big win for his family and fans all over the world whove been seeking justice for him. We must know the real reason behind his death so that such things dont happen again. If there is any foul play there should be a stricter law for that, says the 30-year-old. Rajputs death also fired up the debate around nepotism, with many speaking about how being sidelined in the industry bothered him. If that is so, according to Narang, Rajput became a successful star despite facing all of it, and that must be celebrated. He came from a humble background and even after facing nepotism he reached the peak with his passion, hard work and vision. We should celebrate his success more than [seeing him] as a victim of nepotism. In the world of nepotism, we should draw inspiration from his hard work, passion and dream. Nepotism is everywhere in the world. But if youve dreams, courage, consistency and passion nothing else matters that what Sushants journey was also about, ends Narang. Follow @htshowbiz for more Author tweets @Shreya_MJ SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The famous puppet and Shaker's beloved 'daughter' will be part of a larger permanent exhibition dedicated to the renowned late puppeteer The famous Egyptian puppet Rihana will be on display at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library) within the permanent exhibition dedicated to her creator, renowned late puppeteer Nagy Shaker (1932-2018). The announcement was made by the artists widow, Vera Lagator, who added that the same exhibition will include other works by Shaker, who was a jack-of-all-arts (and master of them all), as throughout his life he also explored painting, stage and film directing, costume, set, scenography and lighting design. "It all began in February 2019, when the American University in Cairo organised an exhibition showcasing Nagy's work," Lagator explains to Ahram Online. "I invited a few representatives from the Bibliotheca to Cairo's exhibition. Shortly after that I was contacted by the library expressing interest in holding an exhibition [which in fact took place earlier this year] as well as have a few of his works on a permanent display." As Lagator clarifies, the permanent exhibition will include three puppets: Rihana, her father and the donkey, in addition to 34 film and theatre scenography designs created by Shaker. Though in the field of puppetry, Shaker was primarily known for the multi-award-winning play Al-Leila Al-Kebira (created to the poetry of Salah Jahin and music by Sayed Mekawy), it was Rihana, a puppet from another play that held a special place in Shaker's heart. Coming from Shehab Al-Dins Donkey (1962), yet another cooperation between Shaker, Jahin and Mekawy, Rihana is the epitome of poverty and kindness. This Egyptian girl created during Shaker's stay in Germany may well have represented the artists longing for home. He loved Rihana as if she were his own daughter and was often pained to see her neglected in the theatres storage rooms. In Shaker's obituary in 2018, Lagator revealed that Nagy would often ask Rihana, How am I getting older and you never change? And he always treated her with tenderness." Today, two years after the artist's death, finally Rihana will find a home that will give justice to her beauty, taking with her two other characters from the play. "The puppets were originally stored at Cairo's puppet theatre. Prior to taking them to Alexandria, we made exact copies of them so the theatre could still have them. While the donkey and the father seem to be exactly the same, Rihana's real spirit is seen only in the original puppet," Lagator told Ahram Online. Lagator has been very active in keeping Shaker's memory alive since his passing on 18 August 2018. She is often supported by Shakers lifelong friend Omneya Yehia, once his student at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo, and now a professor at the same institution. She shares that a few steps have been taken by some institutions to continue Shaker's legacy and present his works to the young generations. "The Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University (located in Cairo's Zamalek), has named one of its largest ateliers after Nagy. At the same time, the American University in Cairo expressed interest in creating an archive of his papers and some works," she explains. Lagator also revealed that a large book created by Shaker and Yehia focusing on the artist's memories and artwork might finally see the light of day with the support of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. "It is a very big project, filled with dozens of colour photos. I am not sure when it will be published but we are finally heading toward this direction. Nagy really deserves for the book to finally be out there." While speaking about her late husband, Lagator points to the fact that the primarily interest of the audiences is usually directed towards Shaker's work in puppetry for children. "His creative wealth was much bigger though. He painted, created films, worked in scenography and he loved light. He believed that light could be the whole scenography," she says, explaining that she hopes to also bring this side of his magic to viewers. The last exhibition dedicated to light that Shaker held during his life was Light Talk at the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2015. In Light Talk, the artist's dreams and cumulative creative practice breathed life into each work. It was there that he integrated his passion for light with knowledge of interior design, architecture, painting and colours. The official opening of Shaker's permanent exhibition at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina will be revealed within the coming week. 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: Aurangabad: Quashing the FIRs filed against several foreign nationals in connection with the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court has said that there is a probability that these foreigners were chosen to be made scapegoats in the matter. "In view of the discussion made by this Court, this Court holds that it will be abuse of process of law if the petitioners are directed to face the trial in aforesaid cases," a division bench of Justices MG Sewlikar and TV Nalawade said allowing several pleas seeking quashing of FIRs. The bench noted that there was big propaganda in print and electronic media against the foreigners who had come to Markaz Delhi and an attempt was made to create a picture that these foreigners were responsible for spreading COVID-19 virus in India. "There was virtually persecution against these foreigners. A political government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats," the order issued on Friday said. It said that the circumstances and the latest figures of infection in India show that such action against present petitioners should not have been taken. "It is now high time for the concerned to repent about this action taken against the foreigners and to take some positive steps to repair the damage done by such action," the bench said adding that the "government cannot give different treatment" to citizens of different religions of different countries. "Article 14 of the Constitution of India shows that there needs to be 'law' as mentioned in this Article and for some object, the classification can be made which needs to be reasonable. Such law can be subjected to the test of constitutional validity," the bench said. "The 'contents' of 'the law' can also be sufficient to rebut the presumption of reasonableness for the classification and the rebuttal of the presumption of reasonableness is possible after consideration of even extraneous material," it added. The High Court observed that in "our culture, our guest is our god", and noted that the circumstances of the present matter create a question as to" whether we are really acting as per our great tradition and culture". "The allegations made show that instead of helping them we lodged them in jails by making allegations that they are responsible for violation of travel documents, they are responsible for spreading the virus. If there was any substance in the contention that there was a possibility of spreading the virus, proper actions would have been taken against them, to send them back to their own country without taking action like the present one," the order said. "For the limited purpose, this court is holding that the police action is based on such instructions probably of the executive and apparently there is discrimination as mentioned above. On this ground also, the malice is inferable and the cases need to be quashed," it added. The High Court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging several FIRs registered in Maharashtra against many foreign nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi Nizamuddin area. According to one of the FIRs in the matter, some foreign nationals who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation were taking shelter in a mosque in Ahmednagar. The foreign nationals, who had come to India on tourist visas, were allegedly spreading COVID-19, spreading Muslim religion by giving speeches in mosques and had committed a breach of lockdown order issued by Collector, Ahmednagar, the FIR had said. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Jennifer Moon has waited more than two months for unemployment benefits and the delay presented a scary situation. Absent any income, the 46-year-old, who lives in Cedartown, Georgia, fell behind on bills. Lenders repossessed her car. She lost water at her home, which she rents, before a friend helped pay the bill. Most significantly, Moon, a certified nursing assistant, also couldn't pay her rent. She missed two months of payments $900 total and next month's rent is due soon. The landlord threatened eviction if Moon can't pay up by month's end. More from Personal Finance: Where states stand on the extra $300 weekly unemployment benefits What Joe Biden plans to do for student loan borrowers Don't count on the $300 unemployment boost anytime soon "I begged and pleaded with them," she said. "[They said] I have exactly 10 days to be vacated." Making up the shortfall by returning to work is also a risky proposition. Moon has a lung disease, pulmonary emphysema, which requires her to use oxygen and puts her in a high-risk category for Covid-19. Moon, a single woman, doesn't have family to fall back on for help, and cares for a 30-year-old son with a disability. "I have not even 5 cents to my name," Moon said last week. "I'm so frustrated. Jennifer Moon, 46, from Cedartown, Georgia, waited more than two months for unemployment benefits, causing her to fall behind on rent. Her landlord threatened to evict her at month's end. Jennifer Moon "I'm tired of crying, worrying and begging folks." Luckily, it seems Moon can stave off disaster at the 11th hour at least for now. Georgia's Labor Department is releasing Moon's unemployment funds $4,095 in back pay. She should get the money on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for the Georgia Labor Department, which looked into the status of Moon's application after a CNBC inquiry this week. Moon's story exists at the nexus of two competing forces: overwhelmed state unemployment agencies and lapsed protections for homeowners and renters, both playing out during the worst economic shock since the Great Depression. Unemployment in April surged to its highest level since the 1930s, as states ordered businesses to close to limit further spread of Covid-19. Around 28 million Americans were still collecting unemployment benefits in early August, more than four months into the crisis. More than 1 million people continue to file new applications for aid each week, a mark that hadn't ever been crossed prior to the coronavirus pandemic. State unemployment systems, bogged down by antiquated technology and limited staffing, buckled under the volume. Thousands of unemployed workers have been left waiting months for benefits as a result. In normal times, unemployed workers generally get aid within three weeks. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Around 10% of the 2.5 million people who received their first payment of unemployment benefits in June or, around 250,000 people had waited at least 70 days for the money to arrive, according to Labor Department data. Nearly no one waited that long prior to the Covid-19 recession, data show. "The states are badly behind," according to Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow and unemployment expert at the Century Foundation. "In [Moon's] case, waiting almost nine weeks is more common. "It's really bad because people need the money." Meanwhile, a Census Bureau survey conducted in July found that more than 13 million people didn't pay their prior month's rent. More than 10 million people weren't confident they could pay rent in August, the survey found. Federal eviction protections for renters and homeowners unable to pay their housing bills ended last month. Similar protections have expired in around 30 states. That puts up to 40 million people at risk of losing their homes in coming months, by some estimates four times the amount of the Great Recession. An executive measure around evictions that President Trump signed earlier this month doesn't re-up prior eviction protections in place, but instead directs federal agencies to consider measures to prevent evictions, experts said. "The executive action was a true nothing-burger," Stettner said. Georgia is one of seven states that never issued any kind of statewide ban on evictions during the pandemic, according to Emily Benfer, an eviction expert and law professor who's been documenting the policies across the U.S. (The others are Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.) Confusion ensues In Jennifer Moon's case, confusion ensued after she received a letter from Georgia's Labor Department in June. The notice listed a benefit of $55 a week. With an extra $600 weekly subsidy provided by a federal financial relief law, she expected to soon get $655 a week in benefits, before taxes. As it turns out, those sorts of "monetary determination" letters aren't a guarantee of benefits they merely notify workers of what they would receive weekly if found eligible for benefits. A quirk of the unemployment system held up those benefits, as with thousands of others around the country caught in unemployment limbo. The problem boiled down to a discrepancy in paperwork provided by Moon and her prior employer, PrimeCare Nursing Services. When that occurs, human intervention is often involved, slowing up the process further, Stettner said. But phone calls and messages went unreturned for weeks when Moon inquired about her application status and her financial situation grew increasingly dire. A Georgia Labor Department representative called Moon this week after a CNBC inquiry, and started a multi-day investigative process that required input from both Moon and her prior employer. We must abide by federal and state regulations regarding employee and employer rights and due process. Kersha Cartwright spokesperson for the Georgia Labor Department Ultimately, the employment-separation reason Moon listed was different from than the one her employer listed, triggering an eligibility review, according to a spokeswoman for the state labor department. In the end, Moon was found eligible for benefits. "The GDOL is committed to supporting all eligible Georgians with benefits to bridge the gap between employment," according to spokesperson Kersha Cartwright. "However, we must abide by federal and state regulations regarding employee and employer rights and due process." $300 unemployment boost Moon could unfortunately soon be back in the same position. President Trump signed an executive measure offering an extra $300 a week in benefits to unemployed workers. A prior $600 weekly federal subsidy expired at the end of July. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Patna, Aug 23 : Former Maharastra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday attacked ex-Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav during day one of BJP's virtual executive committee meeting on Saturday. While interacting with party workers, Fadnavis said that Bihar went back 30 years during three tenures (15 years) of Lalu Prasad's regime and that Bihar had gone down to being one of the most backward states in the country. "Now, the BJP is a coalition partner in Bihar along with JDU and is working hard for the overall development of the state," Fadnavis said. "During the tenure of Lalu Prasad as CM, he encouraged dynasty politics in Bihar and didn't do anything on the development front," Fadnavis said. Just a day earlier, Lalu Prasad had criticised the JDU-BJP coalition government after Patna was declared as the dirtiest city in the country in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 survey. On Saturday, Fadnavis asked party workers to begin door-to-door campaign, saying: "We should also opt for virtual poll campaign in the state to connect with the voters." "During Lalu Prasad's regime, Bihar was tagged as a crime state in the country. I appeal to the BJP workers to point it out to the voters during the door-to-door poll campaign," he said. As companies across the world rush to produce a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the University of Manitoba is partnering with a Toronto firm to produce a therapeutic solution it hopes will put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As companies across the world rush to produce a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the University of Manitoba is partnering with a Toronto firm to produce a therapeutic solution it hopes will put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Toronto-based Theralase Technologies Inc. told the Free Press Friday the partnership "couldnt be a more perfect fit." Using specialized compounds that actively kill cancer cells, bacteria and viruses, the company says its patented chemicals are being tested and researched in Manitoba labs to create an "elegant solution to the destruction of some very nasty pathogens." If successful, Theralase hopes to commercialize the technology for mass-scale production as early as late 2021. Dr. Kevin Coombs, a leading microbiologist at U of M whos spearheading the research, says hes never seen anything like it. "This technology is showing absolutely amazing high efficacy kill rates, both with and without stimulation," he said. Theralases proprietary technology dubbed "photo dynamic compounds" or PDCs are completely non-toxic and safe for normal cells. They produce a destructive form of oxygen that is able to destroy pathogens from the inside out, while leaving healthy cells unscathed. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Coombs is using his past research on viruses such as H1N1 Influenza, Zika and other novel viruses to determine an exact methodology that can be used to administer the new treatment on humans. "Part of what makes the whole thing so special is that its unique in being not exactly a vaccine, but more of a therapy," Coombs explained. "Vaccines are an incredibly important health benefit, but they wont help everyone simply because not everyone has the proper immune system to make them work. Thats why therapeutic measures like this are equally important to work in a complimentary fashion." Details shared with the Free Press from the research agreement between Theralase and U of M show plans to use proprietary chemicals as a vaccine (prevention from contracting COVID-19) and as a therapeutic (treatment of a patient who has already contracted COVID-19). To do this, Coombs is using his past research on viruses such as H1N1 Influenza, Zika and other novel viruses to determine an exact methodology that can be used to administer the treatment on humans. "I think its also very special that we dont really even need to insert the PDCs directly inside a human being," he said. "We can take samples of blood and saliva to treat the virus in it and then safely insert that back in isolating the fear of any toxicity entering the body." Dr. Arkady Mandel, chief scientific officer at Theralase, says the companys support to create quick timelines for the project are "game-changing." He said he hopes to complete preliminary research as early as October, with small animal analysis by mid-2021 based on which Theralase could begin human clinical studies later in the year. 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. In order to meet those timelines, Chief Financial Officer Kristina Hachey says theyre funding all initial research out of pocket. "In the global race for the COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic," Hachey said Theralase "may not be first to the market." "But we have full confidence that our PDC technology will provide one of the safest and most effective COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic." Twitter: @temurdur Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca Teresa Giudice shows off toned figure as she and husband Joe enjoy family getaway ahead of fraud hearing They face potential prison time at their fraud hearing later this month. So Teresa and Joe Giudice made the most of the final days of summer - and possibly their freedom - as they enjoyed a weekend away with their children along the Jersey coast. Making their memories last forever, Teresa, 42, shared several snaps of the beach getaway on social media - including images of her impressive figure. Scroll down for video Happy couple: Teresa Giudice shared this snap of her and her husband Joe as they celebrated Labor Day Weekend at the beach in New Jersey 'Beach day with my honey (heart),' the beauty said with a picture of herself clad in a sexy cut-out black swimsuit and matching crochet skirt cover-up. As Teresa showed off her sunkissed skin and pearly whites, she wrapped an arm around her husband, Joe, also 42. Seeming to be a bit more shy than his partner, Joe kept himself covered up in a grey T-shirt and black swim trunks. No dramas: The pair seemed to push their troubles aside, ahead of their court hearing on September 23 Both were also decked out in jewellery and sunglasses. Proving their bond is strong, Teresa later added another snap of the two, captioned, 'With my Love(heart).' But the reality TV star made sure her fans knew it wasn't just a romantic getaway. Her girls: The mother-of-four gushed about her daughters Gia, 13, Milania, nine, Audriana, five, and Gabriella, 11 Close friends from Pennsylvania also joined the holiday fun. 'With my friends from PA Gina & Anna love them,' the TV personality posted with a picture of her bikini-clad gal pals. And of course, the proud mother-of-four couldn't help but gush about her little ones. Group love: The star claimed called Sunday a B'each day with the Famiglia 2014' 'With my 4 Beautiful Daughters Love Love Love Love them,' Teresa posted to Instagram with a picture with her girls Gia, 13, Milania, nine, Audriana, five, and Gabriella, 11. Aside from working on their tans and swimming in the ocean, the family went crabbing. '@gabriellagiudice10 is with her Daddy crabbing on the boat, can't wait to eat them later,' Teresa captioned a photo of her little one and Joe. Teresa also added a snap of Milania with her father. Prepping for dinner: Gabriella and her father went crabbing to snatch up some seafood for the family to enjoy It was a light weekend for the family, with their September 23 court date looming. Teresa and Joe will return to court to learn if they will serve time in prison - with Teresa facing 21 to 27 months and Joe looking at a potential 37 to 46 months behind bars. The pair have pleaded guilty to a combined total of nine counts of mail, wire, bank and bankruptcy fraud. 'I am trying my best, my husband and I, to get through this and we will. We are strong people. I am not going to crumble up. I am just not,' she has said of their legal troubles. Daddy's girl: Milania posed on her father's lap as well Gal pals: The TV personality was happy to be joined by some of her female friends National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says the party will force President Nana Akufo-Addo to debate former President John Mahama. According to him, the debate is an essential part of democracy and that if you want to serve a country, you shouldn't fear to debate. Speaking on UTVs Mpu Ne Mpu programme, Sammy Gyamfi wondered why President Akufo-Addo doesnt want to accept the challenge to debate saying, when you go to America and UK, they do debate and Trump will even debate Biden this year before the USA elections. If you have served a country very well, why are you scared to defend that record. This is not the first time former President John Mahama and President Akufo-Addo would debate. In 2012, John Mahama was the President and he humbled himself for a debate. In 2016, IEA and GBC called for a debate, then it was President John Mahama and opposition leader Akufo-Addo but he availed himself that he wants to have the debate. "Aunty Rebecca can be the Moderator, Dr Bawumia the timekeeper and give Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah a role in the debate, Mahama will still come without a paper or document to debate," he added. He also called on Ghanaians not to allow President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia to throw dust into their eyes. Even if the debate comes off at the Flagstaff House or his Nima Residence, John Mahama would still come. Whether Akufo-Addo likes it or not he will debate Mahama, he insisted. 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 The Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the sensational case in has said an investigation has to be conducted abroad to unearth all conspirators in the crime. It has also said steps have been taken for issuing Blue corner notices against four accused currently in UAE through Interpol to secure them for investigation. "Investigation revealed that the absconding accused Fazil Fareed (A3), Rabins Hameed (A 10), Sidhiqul Akbar (A 15), and Ahammed Kutty (A 20) are in UAE.Therefore, NBW (non-bailable warrant) against them has been obtained from this court. Steps have been taken for issuing Blue notices against them through Interpol to secure them for investigation," the agency said in a report submitted in the special court here on Friday. A Blue corner notice is issued to locate or obtain information about a person in a criminal investigation. In the report, the reiterated that the investigation discloses that the accused had earned profit from the offence and proceeds of smuggling could be used for terror funding. It said the investigation conducted so far revealed that the accused had conspired and sourced gold in large quantities from abroad on multiple occasions earlier and smuggled it through various airports, especially in Investigation has to be conducted abroad and interrogation into roles of high profile individuals and Consulate officials is also necessary to unearth all conspirators in this crime, the NIA said. It said the accused have used various social media platforms to communicate with co-accused and suspects for committing the offence. The seized digital devices of the accused have been forwarded to C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram for cyber forensic analysis. "Investigation had also revealed the larger conspiracy involving influential people both in India and abroad behind this crime and that the racket has already transported bulk quantities of gold from Middle East through diplomatic baggage and sold it clandestinely to various people, with the intention of threatening economic security of India," the NIA said. The NIA submitted the report seeking judicial custody of four arrested accused-- Mohammed Anwar, Hamzath, Samju and Hamjad---in connection with the case. The court allowed the agency's plea and sent them to judicial remand yesterday. The NIA said it is clear that accused had conspired to damage the monetary stability of India by destabilising the economy by smuggling large quantity of gold from abroad and it is suspected that they had used the proceeds of smuggling for financing terrorism through various means. "Their deliberate act of using the diplomatic baggage of UAE as a cover for smuggling may have serious repercussions to the friendly relations with UAE and it is prejudicial to the monetary and economic security of India as well. Further, the involvement of other people in this crime as well as the end users and beneficiaries of this crime need to be ascertained," the agency said. Gold worth nearly Rs 15 crore was seized by the Customs at the airport in the state capital on July 5 and the NIA was entrusted with the probe after the state government asked the Centre to order an appropriate investigation. Other central agencies including the Customs and Enforcement Directorate are also probing the matter. The NIA has already arrested three key accused-- Swapna Suresh, Sandeep Nair and Sarith-- in connection with the case. (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.) Getaway host Catriona Rowntree has graced Australian television for over 25 years. And on Saturday, the 49-year-old presenter revealed how her new travel series, Nine's Country House Hunters, has been keeping her busy amid the pandemic. 'At the beginning of the year, post drought and bushfires, I vowed to do what I could to help our regional towns,' the 49-year-old told The Herald Sun. Veteran presenter: Getaway host Catriona Rowntree, 49, (pictured) revealed how she was the inspirational force behind Channel Nine's new travel show, Country House Hunters, in an interview with The Herald Sun Unable to travel overseas, the new show will showcase country and coastal towns around Australia, while highlighting real estate opportunities. 'Country House Hunters was inspired by my real life; leaving the city to begin a new life on a sheep and grain farm and embracing a beautiful new community,' Catriona told the publication. The upcoming series, inspired by Catriona's love for the outdoors and country, was recently approved by Channel Nine. It will begin filming in three weeks' time. Country life: 'Country House Hunters was inspired by my real life; leaving the city to begin a new life on a sheep and grain farm,' she told the publication Earlier this month, Catriona revealed on Instagram how she has turned to online French lessons following Melbourne's reinstated lockdown rules. Despite acknowledging she 'won't be going anywhere soon', she was having a great time picking up the new skill with her 'sweetest study partner' - a lamb. 'I've just signed up for French lessons. Hey, I ain't going anywhere, no excuses now. I'm by far the worst in the class, have learnt a great line "cest tres complique" and I now have the sweetest study partner.' 'Not going anywhere soon!' Earlier this month, Catriona revealed on Instagram how she has turned to online French lessons following Melbourne's reinstated lockdown rules In the past few months, Catriona and her family have been locked down in their historic Victorian sheep property. In June, she diversified her workout routine while in self-isolation. The mother-of-two told her Instagram followers she was doing online ballet classes from the comfort of her own home. Kolkata, Aug 22 : Three persons have been arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, police said on Saturday. The girl had gone missing on August 10, following which her family lodged a missing complaint with the district police on August 11. The girl's partially decomposed body was recovered from a septic tank near the house of one of the accused on Thursday. "We have arrested three persons. They have been remanded in eight-day police custody. The victim's father lodged a complaint with area police station but gave no name of any suspect. After three days, the girl's father shared the name of a suspect and we detained him for investigation," Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav told IANS on phone. He said that the first suspect initially denied any involvement and was released. Later, he was again detained for interrogation. "He disclosed the name of another person who was also arrested. The second suspect actually confessed to the crime. Subsequently, the first suspect also admitted to his role in the crime," Yadav said. The family of the minor, however, alleged inaction and said that the girl could have been saved with timely action. "Initially, we had no specific lead in the case. When the police got the name of the suspect, he was detained. Still, we will conduct a thorough probe and look into any negligence on part of any police officer. If negligence in duty is found, strict action will be taken," the police officer said. According to police sources, all three accused aged around 30-35 lived in neighbouring villages. The trio took the girl to a house on August 10 and sexually assaulted her. She was later killed and the body dumped in the septic tank. Meanwhile, area residents staged a sit-in in front of the police station on Friday and alleged police inaction. The villagers pointed out that going by the police claims, the minor was alive for at least five days after she went missing. Two Moscow correspondents for RFE/RL's Russian Service have been expelled from Belarus after being detained by police in Minsk on August 21. The reporters, Yulia Vishnevetskaya and Andrei Kiselev, were taken to Smolensk, in western Russia, and told they were banned from entering Belarus for five years. RFE/RL was not immediately provided with any explanation for the expulsions, which it described as part of "a siege aimed at silencing our coverage." They come with embattled President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime cracking down on political opponents, activists, and media amid unprecedented street protests against his declaration of victory following the country's August 9 presidential election. Vishnevetskaya and Kiselev are employed by RFE/RL's Moscow bureau and work on the organization's Russian-language documentary series Signs Of Life. Both were initially held at an Interior Ministry office in the Belarusian capital for several hours on August 21 after being asked for their documents at the Minsk Tractor Works where many workers have rallied against Lukashenka. Before their departure for Minsk, RFE/RL had requested official permission from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to accredit its employees to work in the country. "Authorities in Minsk have steadfastly ignored accreditation requests by dozens of Russian, Ukrainian, and other foreign journalists seeking to travel to Belarus to cover these critically important events," RFE/RL said in a statement. "It's a tactic that has provided authorities a cynical pretext for arresting and deporting any journalists who take the risk of traveling to Belarus without legal protection." At least six RFE/RL or Current Time journalists have been expelled or deported recently by Belarusian authorities. The situation has forced the U.S. broadcaster "to curtail any further attempts to enter the country" to report on events there, RFE/RL said. The Minsk tractor factory has become one of many hubs of fierce opposition to Lukashenka's quarter-century of rule since a large group of its workers first marched on the city center earlier this month to openly call for the president's exit as security forces' brutal suppression of dissent increased. Dozens of other journalists have been detained or harassed during the election campaign and ensuing protests, including other RFE/RL staff. Belarusian authorities on August 21 restricted access to RFE/RLs Belarus Service and dozens of other news and information websites in an apparent bid to control information as the protests continue. The Ministry of Information's order blocking Svaboda.org and 72 other websites and proxy VPN services came as massive protests were expected to continue over the weekend despite a crackdown and a series of threats from authorities against the opposition. The outpouring of protest by hundreds of thousands of Belarusians in the past two weeks represents the greatest challenge so far to Lukashenka's 26-year rule, which has been marked by rigged elections and reliance on a massive security network to jail and otherwise thwart political opponents. Exiled opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 that she had filed an official complaint against the results of the August 9 election, saying her compatriots "will never accept" the continued leadership of Lukashenka. "It should be clear to the president that there is a need for change. I hope that good sense prevails and the people will be heard and there will be new elections," Tsikhanouskaya said on August 21 at her first press conference since fleeing to Lithuania last week. Tsikhanouskaya, who left Belarus for Lithuania after the election amid reports that she and her family were threatened by authorities, told reporters in Vilnius that she plans to return home "when I feel safe there." The European Union, the United States, and others have challenged the fairness of the vote and condemned the Belarusian authorities' violent crackdown. BEIRUT, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Three men were killed in a shooting in a village in northern Lebanon overnight, security sources and the National News Agency said on Saturday. The gunfire came from a car which the men had stopped as it passed through the village of Kaftoun, the sources said. The vehicle was later found abandoned, containing a gun with a silencer, a small explosive device and electrical wire, the sources said. Two of the men died immediately. The third died later of his wounds. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear. (Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) A year ago Glencore announced it was halting operations at its Mutanda copper-cobalt mine in the Congo, breathing life into a market that was trading at levels 70% below its peak, hit 18 months before. Given that Mutanda is the worlds largest cobalt mine and responsible for around a fifth of global output in a market of just 135kt per year, market reaction was muted. Congo dominates world cobalt production and Mutanda was responsible for 60% of the Swiss commodities giants annual output. GLENCORE HAS PLACED A STRATEGIC FOCUS ON FORWARD SELLING ITS BUILT-UP HYDROXIDE STOCKS While mine output has been largely undisturbed in the Congo during covid-19, most of the material is shipped through the South African port of Durban, which had been in lockdown for extended periods earlier this year. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a battery supply chain and price discovery agency, reports cobalt hydroxide (crystalline form produced at mines containing 2040% cobalt) prices averaged $21,475 a tonne (100% Co, CIF Asia) in July, up 26% from the same month last year. Benchmark says ongoing logistics problems led to a lack of material on the spot market in China. That caused a jump in payables and prices north of $23,000 a tonne for immediate delivery of cobalt going into August. Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence While disruptions along the Congo-South Africa-China route may ease over the rest of the year and more abundant supply could put pressure on prices again, a new report suggests Glencores strategy (similarly employed in the zinc market where the company also holds sway over a chunk of the market) could underpin cobalt prices over the medium term. Roskill, a London-based metal and mineral research firm, says Glencore has signed several agreements with downstream lithium-ion cathode, cell and original equipment manufacturers customers, including Tesla, Korean giants Samsung and SK Innovation, and European battery manufacturer Umicore. Glencore has placed a strategic focus on forward selling its built-up hydroxide stocks, as well as future production from Katanga in the DRC (which is still operating) and cobalt metal from Murrin Murrin in Australia (which is destined for BMW). Roskill expects that Mutanda, in the south of the country near the Zambian border, will remain under care and maintenance for the next two years at least. This will allow Glencore to complete optimisation studies around the transition from oxide to sulphide ore and provide enough time for the market to recover. Mutanda also produces around 200,000 tonnes of copper per year and when cobalt was trading at its highs in 2018, the battery raw material accounted for around half revenues from the operation. By Mining.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com While most Manitobans take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, all it takes are a few who dont to lead to another outbreak. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. While most Manitobans take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, all it takes are a few who dont to lead to another outbreak. Since the arrival of the novel coronavirus in our province, weve adopted measures recommended by health authorities to reduce the chance of infecting others. Physical distancing. Frequent hand washing. Covering our coughs and sneezes. More recently, use of face masks. Adhering to these practices, for most people, is at very worst an inconvenience. And yet a recent Angus Reid Institute survey of Canadians found that Manitoba had a higher-than-average percentage of people who dont follow health guidelines. The national average of those who dont is one in five people; in Manitoba, its one in three. Why are so many of us unmindful of these basic, simple steps? Frequent hand washing is one of the fundamental tools to limiting the spread of COVID-19. (Elaine Thompson / The Associated Press) Perhaps its because when it comes to COVID-19, Manitoba has been lucky. The province moved quickly in March to introduce physical distancing measures, placing limits on social gatherings, businesses, schools and places of worship. Arts festivals and sporting events were cancelled. Testing and contact tracing were rolled out, and remain in place even as declining case numbers earlier in the summer justified a partial reopening of many activities. But in addition to these prudent measures, we were just plain fortunate. Though Winnipeg has an international airport, it isnt a travel hub on the scale of Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal. When the federal government urged Canadians abroad to return home in March, those cities saw an influx of returning travellers, some of whom were carrying the coronavirus. Outbreaks in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec followed, and the battle to contain COVID-19 was very different in those provinces than in Manitoba. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Our early success in avoiding the worst of the pandemic may have contributed to false sense of security. But the attitudes of those who cant be bothered to take basic precautions points to another possible factor: not taking other peoples safety seriously. And thats what most of the measures we have adopted are meant to do: prevent other people from contracting the coronavirus if we are the ones carrying it. Wearing a mask reduces a persons chances of spreading aerosolized droplets containing the virus to other people. Physical distancing and avoiding enclosed spaces does, also. And sneezing or coughing into ones elbow or otherwise safely covering it was always a good idea. Our early success in avoiding the worst of the pandemic may have contributed to false sense of security. But the attitudes of those who cant be bothered to take basic precautions points to another possible factor: not taking other peoples safety seriously. Now, as the province has launched a new colour-coded pandemic alert system, one health region has had restrictions re-imposed thanks to a spike in COVID-19 cases. The upsurge is not necessarily a direct result of the flippant attitudes of those who disregard COVID-19 best practices dubbed "cynical spreaders" in the Angus Reid survey but if we are to limit the viruss spread, public-health guidelines must be followed. Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin observed recently that Manitobans seem to be slipping when it comes practising the fundamentals that limit the spread of COVID-19, which might account for some new outbreaks. The Angus Reid survey supports that view. Were learning how to live with this virus, and were heading into flu season. Those who still arent taking the risks of COVID-19 seriously need to give their head a shake, and join everyone else in the new normal: one where we care about others health as much as our own. MONTGOMERY Elected president of his police academy graduating class in 2016, Officer Carlos Taylor was on duty the next year when he was badly injured in a car wreck that left him immobile and unable to speak. Now, a drive is trying to raise money to purchase a van to help him get around once again. Leaders of the Montgomery Police Department joined elected officials and members of Taylor's family Thursday to announce a Labor Day virtual Van-a-Thon to raise money for a wheelchair accessible vehicle. The Montgomery Advertiser reported the short-term goal for the campaign is $25,000, although a fully equipped van will cost about $65,000. Raising the money for the van would mean an improved quality of life for her brother, said sister Mahogany Taylor. Currently, the family relies on ambulance transportation to get Taylor to doctor and therapy appointments. Sometimes that can take hours to move Taylor, who uses a wheelchair after the brain stem injury. This is something thats going to get Carlos more acclimated to the living situation, his sister said. Being able to go out, to take him to a park, just going out in general. My brother was never inside, he was a goer. He loves to ride. Donations can be made at https://www.woundedblue.org/donate. Be sure to write For Officer Carlos Taylor in the comment section. Checks or money orders can be made out to Alabama Wounded Blue, Inc. and addressed to P. O. Box 698, Wetumpka, Alabama, 36092. New Delhi, Aug 23 : The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, for the second time in less than 15 days, has demanded a complete ban on Glyphosate, which it holds largely responsible for causing cancer. The RSS backed body cited findings of pesticide expert Chuck Benbrook to reiterate that demand on Saturday. Benbrook claims that the wide usage of Glyphosate has even contaminated dust particles that one breathes. SJM's Ashwani Mahajan urged Agriculture and farmer welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar to impose a complete ban on it. "Right now Cancer cases are now on the rise across india. In the US, companies that used Glyphosate had to face legal consequences and settle matters at hundreds of millions of dollars. Next, I will write to the Prime Minister about it, if our demands are not met with," Mahajan told IANS. This is the second time in the last 15 days alone that the Singh backed organization has championed the cause. Earlier on August 7, the SJM had urged Tomar's ministry to withdraw its notification on a restricted use of the herbicide. There are already more than 1 lakh 93 thousands signatories who have signed a petition drafted by Mahajan and addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the same. Mahajan blamed it on the 'corporate greed" which allows glyphosate to contaminate the soil and water and cause Cancer. However, he added, it is incumbent upon the government to act, if the companies fail to self restrict. WOOD RIVER Officials at the Wood River-Hartford Elementary School District on Friday announced the district was immediatly transitioning to full remote learning. In a letter to students and parents, superintendent Patrick Anderson said that, starting Monday, Aug. 24, school buildings in the district will be closed and students will begin learning remotely using electronic platforms they were able to familiarize themselves with during our first three days of students attending. The district will continue remote learning until our county has been from the warning status for two consecutive weeks, Anderson said. The announcement came as Madison County was officially designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health as one of 20 counties listed as being in warning status for coronavirus. The IDPH announcement indicated that transmission of COVID-19 in Madison County has reached high levels in three of the metrics in monitored by state health officials: New cases per 100,000 population: 197 per 100,000 (threshold is 50); 9.2% positivity percentage (threshold is 8%); and The region has moved to Tier 1 mitigation. Anderson said that, for the next two weeks, the elementary district will have food distribution for breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m.-noon, starting Monday, Aug. 24. Meals can be picked at both Lewis and Clark Elementary and Hartford Elementary campus cafeterias. The district is also working on a food delivery service for any family that will need it. For students without any accessible internet, the district also will provide connectivity through the use of Spectrum Stay Connected for Students-Distance Learning in Response to COVID-19. Each participating household will be provided WiFi. Anderson said he knows the remote learning move will create hardships for students, parents and staff. But he said the districts first priority is the safety of the students and the staff. We want our students to be back in our schools as soon as this can be done safely, he said. So please, help stop the spread in our county by wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and social distancing. Anderson said he knows his sentiment is shared with the parents. Parent responses have been very positive and understanding that these decisions are difficult for everyone, he said To view the districts full remote plan, visit http://www.wrh15.org/. President Donald Trump has claimed that the Democrats would bring chaos to the United States if Joe Biden wins the White House in November. 'If our opponents prevail no one will be safe in our country,' Trump told conservative activists on Friday in his first speech since the Democratic National Convention ended this week. 'I'm the only thing standing between the American dream and total anarchy, madness and chaos,' Trump added, after the Democrats accused him of being a chaotic and dishonest leader. He also suggested, without explanation, that the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives could become president if the results of the November 3 election were not clear by the end of the year. Trump suggested that it could be weeks or months before the result of the election is known. 'I don't think you'll know two weeks later. I don't think you'll know four weeks later,' he said. 'There's a theory that if you don't have it by the end of the year, crazy Nancy Pelosi would become president,' he said. In his first speech since the end of the Democratic National Convention, Trump on Friday previewed the Republican message of law-and-order Trump has sought to cast early doubt on the integrity of the election, and bringing up Pelosi, who is deeply unpopular with many Republicans, appeared aimed at motivating his base to vote. Although the speaker of the House is third in line for the presidency, it is unclear how Pelosi would assume the office in the event of a disputed election. Congress ultimately holds the power to decide which state electors to accept and resolve disputes. If no candidate wins a majority, the House selects a winner, but must choose from the top three vote-getters. In a preview of what Republicans will argue at their own convention next week, Trump hammered at the law-and-order theme he has embraced in response to protests and unrest in many cities, including Portland, Oregon. He said police had been weakened in 'Democrat-run' cities and cited a spike in murders in Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Philadelphia. He urged Americans to turn back 'radical left socialists and Marxists.' He called protesters in Portland 'crazy.' 'So the future of our country and indeed our civilization is at stake on November 3,' he said in the speech in Arlington, Virginia, to the 2020 Council for National Policy. Continuing the theme in a tweet on Saturday morning, Trump wrote: 'Another bad night of Rioting in Portland, Oregon. A small number of Federal troops there to protect courthouse and other Federal property only (great job!). 'Wanting to be asked by City & State to STOP THE RIOTS. Would bring in National Guard, end problem immediately. ASK!' Police confront protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland, Oregon on Friday Portland police say people in a group of about 100 late Thursday and early Friday sprayed the federal building with graffiti, hurled rocks and bottles at agents and shined laser lights at them Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, accepted their party's nomination at the four-day Democratic convention, where speaker after speaker characterized Trump's four years in office as chaotic. The convention, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, showcased scathing criticism of Trump's character and his handling of the health crisis, in which more than 170,000 people in the United States have died. Democrats sought to present a diverse, united front with the integrity and faith they said Trump lacks. Biden opened his acceptance speech on Thursday night by saying, 'The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division.' In his speech on Friday, Trump called it 'the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history.' Vice President Mike Pence, who gave a round of television interviews on Friday morning, outlined what he said would be the thrust of their four-day convention starting on Monday, appropriating a line from Bidens speech that character, decency, science and democracy 'are all on the ballot.' 'The economy is on the ballot. Law and order is on the ballot, and the American people know it,' Pence said. Dozens of event attendees await the arrival of Trump ahead of the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting in Arlington, Virginia on Friday Guests cheer as Trump arrives to speak at the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington, Virginia Pence deflected criticism over the coronavirus response. 'We lost 22 million jobs in the course of this coronavirus pandemic. But because of the solid foundation that President Trump poured of less taxes, less regulation, more American energy, more free and fair trade, we've seen 9 million Americans already go back to work,' Pence told CBS 'This Morning.' Biden's vice presidential selection of Harris confirmed that the Democratic Party had been taken over by 'the radical left,' Pence told Fox Business Network, describing her as a 'California liberal.' Biden's long tenure in politics, as a U.S. senator and two terms as President Barack Obama's vice president, will count against him, Pence said. 'Joe Biden has been in Washington for 47 years and the speech he gave last night was just more of the same talk that we've heard from him and other liberal Democrat politicians for the decades,' he said. Trump echoed the critique in a campaign video on Twitter, saying: 'After 47 years of failure, we've had more than enough.' Aoife McCarty, Olga Morris and Dee Greenwood at the Coffee Morning, in aid of Irish Cancer Society and The Daffodil Night Nurses at Coroo House, Coolnahorna A very successful coffee morning event was held in Enniscorthy last week to raise money for two very worthy causes. The event was organised by Dee Greenwood at her home at Coroo House, Coolnahorna, to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society and the Daffodil Night Nurses. The coffee morning was also held in memory of Dee's late parents, TJ and Stasia Bolger. Raffle prizes were available on the day, sponsored by local businesses. Commenting on the initiative to this newspaper Dee said it was two-fold because it was a memorial event and also a fundraiser. Her dad passed away on August 19, 2013, while her mam died on December 29, 2019. She described night nurses as being 'like angels' and the hospice organisation missed out on its annual Daffodil Day fundraiser this year so Dee decided to do her bit to help. The coffee morning was held with social distancing guidelines in place and Dee was delighted with the level of support it received. 'The Irish Cancer Society and the daffodil night nurses helped both my parents, who died of cancer,' said Dee. She said she was delighted to be able to help two very worthy organisations and the support the coffee morning received from friends, neighbours and the general public was very much appreciated. With the unforeseen challenges that have emerged in 2020, the mental and physical challenges for millions across the world have only escalated each month. People are trying to cope up with anxiety and gloom because of the negativity surrounding them. While the coronavirus updates and death toll can sometimes be upsetting, some good news at the end of the day can brighten the mood. Heres a compilation of positive news stories that can help encourage and lift up spirits amid such unprecedented dark times. Nigerian boy bags another scholarship after ballet video goes viral The 11-year-old Nigerian boy, who had gone viral earlier this year for his amazing dance performance in the rain, has received a scholarship from the American Ballet Theatre in the United States. The boy named Anthony Mmmesoma Madu earned the scholarship because of his mind-blowing display of skills at such a young age. The video begins by showing the boy in the rain. Further, he twists and turns to perform a ballet routine. There is no music in the background, just the sound of rain. The video has garnered more than 3,00,000 views since being shared in June. READ: Good News: Nigerian Boy Bags Another Scholarship After Barefoot Ballet Video Goes Viral Indian farmers daughter rocks AGT A poor Indian farmers daughter along with her dance partner made it to quarter finale of the famous reality show Americas Got Talent. The duo, Sonali Majumdar and Maraju Sumanth have previously won multiple Indian reality shows. Taking it a step ahead this time, they mesmerized the international audience with their performance wherein they were seen performing Salsa on the song Tattad Tattad from Ranveer Singh starrer Ramleela. READ: Good News: Indian Farmer's Daughter Wins Hearts At 'America's Got Talent' | WATCH Washington Zoo welcomes giant panda cub The Smithsonian National Zoo has welcomed a new family member after the birth of a baby panda cub. Giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to an adorable cub on August 21 around 6:35 p.m. ET. Zoo officials shared the happy news on Twitter. The 22-year-old panda became the oldest one to give birth in the United States. The father of the newly welcomed cub is giant panda Tian Tian. A precious giant panda cub has arrived! Were overjoyed to share that Mei Xiang gave birth at 6:35 p.m. and is caring for her newborn attentively. Positive mothering behaviors include nursing her cub and cuddling it close. TUNE IN: https://t.co/99lBTV2w92. #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/x02fEYfAmx National Zoo (@NationalZoo) August 21, 2020 READ: Good News: Washington Zoo Welcomes 'precious' Giant Panda Cub; Watch Videos Australian family unearths gold nuggets worth $250,000 An Australian trio has managed to hit gold literally after finding two huge nuggets with an estimated value of $250,000.The discovery of the gold nuggets revealed Discovery Channel's show Aussie Gold Hunters which aired on Thursday, August 20. As per the show, both of the gold nuggets were discovered on the same day near a place called Tarnagulla in the Australian state of Victoria. The gold nuggets were discovered by prospectors Brent Shannon and his brother-in-law Ethan West only a couple of hours apart from each other with the help of Wests father Paul. Both the nuggets have a combined weight of 3.5 kilograms. While the gold nuggets have been initially valued at $250,000, they can potentially sell for 30 per cent more than their presumed value if sold to a collector. READ: Australian Family Trio Unearths Two Giant Gold Nuggets Worth A Whopping $250,000 Miracle baby born amid deadly Beirut blast considered symbol of hope While the terrifying explosion shook Beirut City in Lebanon, the birth of a baby boy amid the devastation and wreckage ignited light during the dark times for the city. Miracle Baby George has won hearts on the internet for surviving the tragedy that unfolded horror, caused immense loss to lives, and crumbled Beiruts infrastructure. In the photos shared on his newly created Instagram account, the baby boy is seen resting in the photos wrapped in a white coverall, appearing to be smiling. Internet users poured well wishes and love for the miracle baby as they made hearts and sent prayers for his wellbeing in the onslaught of the comments. READ: Beirut: Miracle Baby George Born Amid Deadly Blasts Considered 'symbol Of Hope' New South Wales has revealed another ten cases of COVID-19 on Saturday including a security guard at Sydney's Marriot Hotel where travelers are under quarantine. The guard's case, which was not revealed until after Saturday's official figures were released, is the second case of a security staff testing positive at the hotel. In the 24 hours to 8pm last night, seven cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed as close contacts of existing cases, while two were found that are under investigation with the source unidentified. The total number of cases in NSW now sits at 3,792 with 30,810 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 32,580 in the previous 24 hours. A previously reported case has also been revealed as having attended Westfield Mt Druitt while infectious, sparking a warning for other shoppers by authorities. A previously reported case has been revealed as having attended Westfield Mt Druitt (pictured) while infectious, sparking a warning for other shoppers by authorities People are seen wearing face masks in Sydney on Friday (pictured) as the state of New South Wales continues to report low numbers for new daily cases of the coronavirus disease People who visited the Mt Druitt Westfield on Wednesday 12 August, between 12pm and 12.30pm and Friday 14 August, between 11am and 12pm must monitor for symptoms and if symptoms occur immediately get tested and isolate. Of the nine new cases reported to 8.00pm last night four cases are close contacts of previously reported cases whose source is under investigation. One case is a household contact of previously reported confirmed case linked to the Tangara School for Girls Cherrybrook cluster Two cases are household contacts of previously reported cases linked to the Bankstown area funeral gatherings cluster Two are cases whose source is under investigation. The total number of cases in NSW now sits at 3,792 with 30,810 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 32,580 in the previous 24 hours A worker disposes of waste outside a quarantine hotel where returning travelers are kept in isolation for a period to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Sydney, Australia, August 21, 2020 Meanwhile, fears of hidden coronavirus cases spreading through Sydney have grown after an Aldi supermarket and doctors practice were visited by infectious people. A warning was issued on Friday night urging anyone who had visited Aldi in Bonnyrigg, south-west Sydney, on August 11 to watch for symptoms. Cabramatta State MP Nick Lalich posted the alert to his Facebook page and encouraged shoppers to self-isolate and seek testing. 'The store has undergone a deep clean and will be safe for customers to return to,' he wrote. Mr Lalich also warned that a person who tested positive for coronavirus had visited a doctors surgery in Cabramatta, western Sydney, on Friday. Anyone who visited the Cabramatta Family Practice on John St was urged to self-isolate, monitor their symptoms and seek testing. 'The practice is now undertaking a deep clean and will be closed for some time,' Mr Lalich said. A customer who visited an Aldi supermarket (pictured) in Bonnyrigg, south-west Sydney, on August 11 has tested positive for coronavirus, prompting a health warning for other shoppers An infectious person also visited Cabramatta Family Practice on John St (pictured) on Friday and anyone who visited the doctors practice has been urged to self isolate New South Wales Health has said that while case numbers have remained low this week the virus continues to circulate in the community and vigilance must be maintained. NSW has recorded at least 16 coronavirus cases that have not yet been linked to a known source over the past six weeks. The majority of these cases have been detected in Sydney's west and south-west and suggest the virus could be circulating undetected. The one coronavirus case reported on Friday was linked to an existing virus case at Hornsby Hospital and brought the NSW total to 3,783 cases. Health officials are treating 111 people for COVID-19 and 7 are in intensive care. NSW Health have also doubled the state's list of identified hotspot areas, on top of the existing warnings for City of Sydney, Parramatta, Cumberland, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Fairfield and Liverpool Local Government Areas. The new additions include the entire Newcastle area, Woollahra LGA, Hornsby and The Hills LGA as well as Guildford and Merrylands. New South Wales recorded nine new COVID-19 cases on Saturday but health authorities are concerned undetected infections may be spreading through Sydney (pictured above) They have been identified as higher risk areas for a number of different reasons, including recent coronavirus cases, an infectious person has visited or there is a fear of undetected community transmission. High rates of testing are still required to find the source of cases still under investigation and to identify and stop further spread of the virus, the authority said. Anyone with even the mildest of symptoms - including runny nose, sore throat, cough, or loss of taste and smell - is encouraged to get tested as the best way to protect the community. Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Saturday said the Kashmir-based politicians are day-dreaming for the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution which is next to impossible. He claimed the controversial Articles were like a wall of hatred which did nothing except digging an ocean of misunderstandings and retarding the growth and development of the erstwhile state. The J&K BJP chief made the remarks after various political parties in Kashmir on Saturday unanimously resolved to fight for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state as it existed before August 5, 2019, and said the measures taken were "spitefully shortsighted" and "grossly unconstitutional". Reacting to the statement, Raina said "the restoration of Articles 370 & 35(a) is next to impossible. Due to these Articles, J&K has suffered for decades and they gave rise to terrorism, separatism and flared up the Pakistani agenda and as such, they won't be restored at any cost". "Kashmir-based leaders are doing nothing except daydreaming as they are feeling restless to return to the corridors of power to enjoy all luxuries for themselves and their near and dear ones," Raina said, addressing party workers at Sialsui village of Kalakote in Rajouri district. He alleged that due to the pre-370 arrangements, more than one lakh people have lost their lives in J&K because these "pseudo-leaders were carrying on their duties with the hidden agenda of Pakistan". "After the abrogation of these Articles, the communities like West Pakistan Refugees, Gorkha Samaaj, Valmiki Samaj, daughters of the soil, Gujjar-Bakarwals and many other communities enjoyed the air of freedom as they were being discriminated on every issue earlier," the BJP leader alleged. Raina said the people of J&K have rejected the "dirty politics" of parties like the National Conference, Congress, PDP and the People's Conference and the J&K is now progressing on the definitive lines of unprecedented development. The School Reopening Committee established to deliberate on modalities for the reopening of schools is expected to present a recommendation to the government on September 21. Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, the Director-General, Ghana Education Service (GES) has said. The recommendation, Prof Opoku-Amankwa said would be submitted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make the final decision on the reopening of schools in the pre-tertiary sub-sector. The Director-General announced on Friday in his opening remarks during a workshop on the GES Secondary Education Improvement Project in Larteh-Akuapem in the Eastern region. The SEIP is a $ 196 million World Bank credit facility to Ghana to improve 125 low-performing Senior High Schools in the country. It started in 2014 and is expected to end in November 2021. Prof Opoku-Amankwa said Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education on Thursday, August 20, inaugurated a 10-member committee chaired by Prof Dominic Fobih, a former Minister of Education and currently the chairman of the GETFund Board of Trustees and representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, UNICEF, private school sector and parents. Touching on the government's initiative to give one hot meal a day to final year Junior High School (JHS) students, Prof Opoku-Amankwa said a committee headed by Mrs Frema Opare, the Chief of Staff was constituted to ensure effective implementation of the programme. The Committee, according to him, was expected to come out with a comprehensive programme of action to ensure effective monitoring of the feeding initiative. President Akufo-Addo in his 15th address to the nation announced that all final year JHS students are to be given one hot meal per day from Monday, August 24, after it was reported that some final year students had been going hungry in complying with the Covid-19 protocols. The GES announced that 584,000 final year JHS students are to write this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from 14 to 18 September 2020. In line with the upcoming exams, BIC International, producers of pens and stationery, presented 100,000 pieces of pens to the GES to be distributed to BECE students in the deprived communities in the country. Mr George Nkonsah, the Business Development Manager, Ghana, Togo and Benin for BIC International said their output had presented 100,000 pencils to the USAID Partnership for Education: Learning Activity in collaboration with the GES in support of an Early Grade Reading Programme implemented in 100 districts across the regions. The USAID Partnership for Education: Learning is part of an integral project designed to support the Ministry of Education and the GES to improve reading performance in public schools in Ghana. He said one key intervention of the programme was to increase the availability of quality materials to improve teaching and learning in over 7, 200 schools. Prof Opoku Amankwa thanked BIC International for the donation, saying the gesture would encourage the students to learn and perform better. ---GNA A 16-year-old boy, Adeniyi Muhammed, has been arrested in Ogun state for allegedly stealing 14 used female panties. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, revealed that the suspect was arrested following a report by one of his victims, Amudalat Opaleye, on Kano Street, Ayetoro. According to Amuda, on Tuesday Adeniyi sneaked into her room and stole her panties but was caught while trying to leave. During a search, another 14 used woman panties were recovered from the suspects house. Upon interrogation, he confessed to the commission of the crime but claimed that he was sent by somebody to get the panties for him. Effort is on top gear to get his so-called accomplice arrested. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 13:02:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States has no rights to restore United Nations (UN) sanctions on Iran as it has withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal and failed to honor its obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. The United States continues its "dangerous" steps in the UN Security Council in hope of realizing its own anti-Iranian plans, the ministry said in a statement Friday on the U.S. "illegal actions" to restore lifted sanctions against Iran. All this happens after the U.S. administration officially pulled out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and for more than two years has "rudely and shamelessly" trampled on its own obligations, the statement said. "The United States has eliminated itself from the JCPOA membership and thereby deprived itself of the rights and opportunities to use the mechanisms stipulated in the deal and UN Security Council Resolution 2231," the statement read. "We are convinced that the path of escalating tensions around Iran is erroneous and dead-end. We call on the United States to make a choice in favor of reasonable decisions, not to deprive itself of the opportunity to reach agreements with Iran," it added. Enditem 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. My transition to a cashless lifestyle is all but complete thanks to COVID-19. There are still a few banknotes and coins in my wallet but its ages since I actually used one. Australias shift away from hard currency has been rapid. Only a decade ago more than 60 per cent of payments were made with cash but that had shrunk to 27 per cent last year, Reserve Bank research shows. The value of cash payments was even lower at just 10 per cent. Now those shares are set to fall further. Paying with cash is out of favour Credit:Gabriele Charotte Amid concerns about the health and hygiene of banknotes, consumers and businesses have shunned cash in favour of contactless payments. ATM withdrawals in April were more than 40 per cent lower than a year earlier. RBA assistant governor, Michele Bullock, said in a recent speech that making the shift to electronic payments is perhaps not as difficult as many had thought. Michael Turney in the custody of the authorities: (Maricopa County Attorney's Office) Nearly 20 years after 17-year-old Alissa Turney disappeared in Arizona, her stepfather Michael Turney has been charged with her murder. Mr Turney was arrested on Thursday in Mesa, Arizona, and charged with second-degree murder, Maricopa County attorney Allister Adel announced at a press conference. Ms Adel did not elaborate on what led to Mr Turneys arrest, but did confirm that the indictment was issued by a grand jury, according to NBC News. It is not known whether he has yet had a chance to enter a plea. Alissa was last seen on the final day of her junior year at Paradise Valley High School on 17 May 2001, after she was picked up by Mr Turney at around 11am. He told the Phoenix police Department that they had argued about her desire to have more freedom on the journey back to their home, and said she went straight to her room when they arrived. Mr Turney told the authorities that he then left the residence at about 1pm to pick up her younger sister Sarah Turney from a field trip, but when they arrived home, they found a note in Alissas room, that said she was running away from the home to go to California. The police concluded that there was no foul play involved in her disappearance, despite many family members asking them to continue investigating the case. However, in 2008 the authorities reopened the case, and investigators from the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit declared that foul play was a factor in her disappearance, sergeant Maggie Cox told NBC. Ms Cox said that the department decided to reopen the case after discovering that there were allegations of sexual abuse against Mr Turney, and investigators searched the house that the family lived in at the time that she disappeared. During their search, investigators found video tapes dating back decades, including surveillance footage from outside the house, but they could not find any records from the day of Alissas disappearance. However, the authorities also found 26 homemade explosive devices and 19 high-caliber assault rifles, in what was the largest stockpile of explosives discovered in the history of the Phoenix Police Department, according to NBC. Story continues In 2010, Mr Turney pleaded guilty to possessing the 26 explosives and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, but was released in 2017. Alissas sister Sarah, who was only 12 years old when she disappeared, never gave up on her sisters case and created a true crime podcast series and produced viral TikToks about her in 2019, according to Buzzfeed. After one of her TikToks, comprised of home video footage where Turney could be heard saying Sarah, dads a pervert, reached more than 21 million views, attention was once again shone on the case. After the news of Mr Turneys arrest was announced, Sarah reacted on Twitter, and wrote: Im shaking and Im crying. We did it you guys. Hes been arrested. Omg thank you. #justiceforalissa Never give up hope that you can get justice. It took almost 20 years but we did it. Im shaking and Im crying. We did it you guys. Hes been arrested. Omg thank you. #justiceforalissa Never give up hope that you can get justice. It took almost 20 years but we did it. https://t.co/Xouva7yVdD Sarah Turney (@SarahETurney) August 20, 2020 During the press conference on Thursday, Ms Adel gave credit to Sarah for her efforts in raising awareness of her sisters case, and said: Your perseverance and commitment to finding justice for your sister Alissa is a testament to the love of a sister. She added: Because of that love, Alissas light has never gone out. Read more Man dies in Arizona after being restrained by police on hot tarmac India tested more than 1 million samples for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in a day, official data showed on Saturday, achieving a target that could be instrumental in controlling the pandemic even as infections of the viral disease continue to mount steadily and spread to emerging hot spots in the country. On Friday, 1,023,836 tests to detect Covid-19 were conducted across the country, the Union health ministry said. India conducted an average 889,935 tests in the previous five days, testing around 74.7 people per 100,000 population, much higher than the World Health Organizations guidelines of testing 14 people per 100,000 population, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). While reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests remain the gold standard for diagnosing Covid-19, rapid antigen testing has also played a key role in scaling up diagnoses of the disease at a larger scale. According to an ICMR official who spoke on condition of anonymity, since rapid antigen testing was approved for diagnosis in India on June 14, about 40% of the overall tests were done using this method. In total, India has performed 34.4 million (34,491,073) tests since January 22 when Covid-19 testing started with one lab at ICMRs National Institute of Virology in Pune. As of Saturday, testing was being done at 1,511 labs across the country. Of them, 983 labs are in the government sector and 528 are private labs. The data from states such as Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh showed the percentage of antigen tests was lower than the national average. Experts say that to control the outbreak, aggressive testing is crucial. In this case, the number of Covid-19 cases diagnosed in the country is likely to see an increase before it starts seeing a dip, indicating that the spread is slowing. Until Saturday, India recorded 3,041,463 cases and 56,837 deaths. To curtail an infectious disease from spreading, one must be able to identify, through testing, as many infected individuals as possible in time so that they are isolated and put on treatment, T Jacob John, former head of virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, had said. A July 7 column in this newspaper suggested a target of a million tests a day. Much of the recent increase in testing can be attributed to the growing role of antigen tests in the states. Antigen, or rapid, tests usually provide results within hours and are relatively cheap. These kits are designed to detect antigens (substances in our bodies that stimulate an immune response) and can be performed in mobile stations and dont necessarily need labs. The downside is that they have a far higher chance of returning false negatives (showing infected people as uninfected), and thus can let cases slide under the radar. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, on the other hand, is the gold-standard for Covid-19 testing and is the most definitive test available. It is used for the detection of nucleic acid from Sars-CoV-2 and is based on PCR, a process that duplicates and amplifies genetic fragments of the virus, so that it becomes easily detectable. The downside is that the process, from samples collection to results, for these can generally take 24-48 hours and needs dedicated machines. HT has repeatedly pointed out that antigen tests are best used when time is a constraint and results are needed quickly in a containment zone or a hot spot, for instance. In terms of states, the wide disparity in testing rates remains as higher-than-average testing states have continued to fuel the nationwide boost to testing numbers in the past weeks. While Delhi has tested 70,300 people per million of its population, Madhya Pradesh has tested 13,788. All Indian states are testing above the 140-per-million daily benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization, but this is an inadequate number. The national average of tests is currently 580 per day per million population. Through our ardent efforts, it was ensured that specific testing platforms are made available addressing general testing (RT-PCR), High-throughput testing (COBAS), testing at remotest places and Primary Health Centres (TrueNAT, CBNAAT), in containment areas (rapid antigen testing) and for large number & migrant population testing (pooled sample testing) The ultimate goal is that testing should be available to everyone in need and no one should be left behind, ICMR said in a statement. The Union health ministry tweeted on Saturday: Early identification through testing, prompt and effective treatment through supervised home isolation and quality medical care, and innovative graded policy measures have resulted in almost 100% increase in recovered cases in the last 21 days. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan underscored how the government was aggressively pursuing its targets. We have met our goal of doing one million Covid-19 tests a day at least six weeks ahead of target just as we have done in the past for other goals. When we promised to take testing up to 100,000 a day by May 31, we achieved that target by May 10. A few weeks ago, I had promised to reach the one million a day mark in 12 weeks. And now look at our progress, he said. ICMR director general Balram Bhargava, in a recent briefing, said the research body adopted an intelligent and calibrated approach to meet the testing requirement based on requirements on ground, with greater focus on regions where there was lack of testing facilities. In a diverse country like India, for equitable access to testing, optimization of resources based on the evolving epidemic was an essential part of the sustainable scaling up. Due to the concerted, focused and collaborative efforts of the Centre, State/UT government along with dedicated support of lakhs of front-line workers we have ensured the successful implementation of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently which has enabled us to rapidly increase the number of tests done per day, he said on meeting the one-million target. Dr Shobha Broor, former head, microbiology department, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, said: To be able to do one million tests in a day is a big achievement not just for a developing country like India but also by the standards of a developed country. Since I was actively involved in the field and know how difficult it is to set up infrastructure for this scale of testing, including adequately trained manpower. Before the H1N1 pandemic hit us in 2009, hardly five labs were doing RT-PCR testing, and we began ramping up since then but one-million tests in over 1,500 labs capable of RT-PCR is indeed a great achievement, and is going to hold us in good stead in dealing with such outbreaks in future also. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A worker of Stonington Lobster Coop examines a lobster at a dock in Stonington of Maine, the United States, Feb. 4, 2020.(Xinhua/Wang Ying) "As part of improving EU-US relations, this mutually beneficial agreement will bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union," USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a joint statement. The United States and the European Union (EU) on Friday announced a tariff agreement on lobsters and other products in a bid to increase trans-Atlantic market access, calling "the first U.S.-EU negotiated reductions in duties in more than two decades." Under the agreement, the EU will eliminate tariffs on imports of U.S. live and frozen lobster products for five years, retroactive to begin Aug. 1, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). U.S. exports of these products to the EU amounted to over 111 million U.S. dollars in 2017. As part of the agreement, the United States will reduce by 50 percent its tariff rates on certain products exported by the EU worth an average annual trade value of 160 million dollars, retroactive to Aug. 1. These products include certain prepared meals, certain crystal glassware, surface preparations, propellant powders, cigarette lighters and lighter parts. Flags of the EU fly in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, June 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) "As part of improving EU-US relations, this mutually beneficial agreement will bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union," USTR Robert Lighthizer and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a joint statement. "We intend for this package of tariff reductions to mark just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade," they said. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former U.S. trade negotiator, on Friday said that these mini-tariff deals seem to be all about "catching up with lost market access due to our trade wars and sitting on the sidelines as others do preferential deals." "There's so much more we could and should be doing with the EU on trade beyond lobsters," she tweeted. The tariff agreement comes as trade tensions between the U.S. and the EU over aircraft subsidies and digital service taxes have intensified in recent months. After World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on aircraft subsidies last year, the United States had levied additional tariffs on 7.5 billion dollars of European goods. INVERMAY, SASK.People could always tell when Aaron Ogden entered a room. The 19-year-old had a big presence, said his father, Mark Ogden. He was a prankster, a one-of-a-kind character who would sit and talk to anybody as if hed known them for years. He wasnt afraid to make friends, Ogden, 50, said in a phone interview. This is just the way he was. Really easy to talk to. People remembered the young mans outgoing personality at his funeral this week. He died in a Calgary hospital last Saturday after collapsing on a run. His father, a trucker, was able to be by his sons side. He said a major blood clot had formed around a stent placed in his sons aorta. The stent was necessary after he survived a serious highway accident on his way to work last year. It was a miracle, really. Ogden said while in hospital before his death, his son told him he was supposed to go for a CT scan in June while still living in Saskatchewan near Yorkton. It was a routine checkup on the stent, but the appointment was postponed because of restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic and never rescheduled. I didnt think nothing of it at the time, but I mulled it over ... as we watched him decline, Ogden said. It hit me. He was trying to tell me: This shouldnt have happened. The father believes that had his sons scan not been cancelled, doctors might have found the blood clot in time. Ogden wants all postponed hospital procedures done immediately. Peoples lives are being lost, he said. These COVID rules are way too far. Ogden believes the Saskatchewan Health Authority bears responsibility for his sons death. Somebody needs to be held to account. The health authority halted hundreds of non-urgent surgeries, procedures and diagnostics in March to brace for the pandemic. Two months later, when the government felt it had a handle on the spread of the novel coronavirus, it announced the resumption of health services would be staggered. Emergency and urgent patients are the priority for services, including diagnostic imaging, said Corey Miller, vice-president of provincial programs at the health authority. The determination of the priority is based on the evaluation of the referring physician in consultation with the patient. Miller said they are reviewing Ogdens case and have reached out to his family. He said the health authority is working through the backlog of exams that were delayed during the first few months of the pandemic. More than 1,500 CT appointments that had been booked were postponed, he said. Ogden questions why something like a CT scan couldnt be performed in Yorkton, where the risk of COVID-19 was low. As of Friday, health officials reported five active cases in the region, which has only seen 33 infections in total since the pandemic hit Saskatchewan. Cheryl Camillo, a professor with the University of Reginas Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, says speaking generally, delaying non-essential services to respond to COVID-19 was the responsible thing to do because the virus was new and spreading quickly. The risks are that some people dont get the essential and urgent services because so much of the workforce and the resources of the health system move towards responding to COVID, said the health systems researcher. Its very human for people to get frustrated because health care is something that is so personal. She says another risk of scaling back is that people can lose confidence in a health system some may perceive as having overplanned for the pandemic. Health officials are in the tough spot of having to prepare for the worst-case scenario and what could be a rapid change in case numbers, she says. During the pandemic Camillos own grandmother died in a long-term care home in the United States from isolation and depression, she says. I suffered an individual loss of my otherwise pretty healthy grandmother, but despite how profoundly sad that makes me, I understand and would defend the care homes decision to lock down. It is the responsibility of public health officials to protect public health. "Kazakhstan will adopt the National Action Plan for the Benefit of Children in the year ahead", - Kazakh Education and Science Minister Askhat Aimagambetov said, Trend reports citing Kazinform. Notably, Kazakhstan will introduce childrens wellbeing index and childrens budget. As earlier reported, Kazakhstan will increase budgets of schools. Some KZT 30 bln will be allocated from the republican budget to increase school budgets by 20% on an average. It seems that Google is changing the background heading picture for Search results on mobile-based in the query of users. This week, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google Search has started experimenting with customized header photos on search results based on users queries revolving around ideas. For instance, if you search for terms such as ideas for Christmas, flower ideas, creative ideas, and even ice sculpture ideas, the browser will swap out the white background with a picture.In addition to these picture backgrounds, the top portion of Search is significantly taller to completely display the background image. The top portion of Google Search includes the profile picture of the user, the company logo, and filter tabs. The new change emphasizes what a user is searching for on Google Search. It is important to note that the company told SERoundtable that they do license these pictures from providers. Yvo Schaap first spotted the new redesigned search results and SERoundtable was able to successfully replicate the new change. With the new change, the search engine selects a picture for each query that serves as a background for the area between the top of the search results page and the start of actual search results. Some other users were also able to replicate these search results on the mobile web in Google Chrome. However, the change cannot be seen on Google application for iOS or Android.In a statement, Google told that the company is always experimenting with new ways to enhance the Search experience for users and make Google Search more helpful, modern, as well as delightful for people. However, if users searched for some specific types of ideas, Google Search displayed some adult-oriented pictures. So, the company has currently disabled this feature.It seems that the trial of this feature did not go according to the plan, and Google had to pause the tests with few hours. When it was pointed that queries for specific topics led to header pictures of an adult nature, the companys engineers acted swiftly to cut these tests short. Danny Sullivan of Google tweeted that the company does not intend for any header images to be triggering for suggestive topics. He added that the company is currently pausing the test to investigate. It appears that you might see header pictures reinstated in the future. However, for now, the trial is over.Read next: Google Maps is attempting to become more useful and more realistic By Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number two U.S. diplomat will visit Russia and Lithuania soon for talks on Belarus, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, as Washington seeks a peaceful resolution to that country's election crisis that averts Russian intervention. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun's planned mission signals a greater U.S. role in trying to settle the strife that erupted when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brutally cracked down on peaceful protesters rejecting his claim of a landslide Aug. 9 election win. Asked about Biegun's planned trip, a State Department spokesman said "there is no travel to announce at this time." One source, a former senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biegun was expected to leave in the coming days for Moscow and the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where Belarusian opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took refuge after Lukashenko launched his crackdown. The United States and European Union have condemned the election as marred by irregularities. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday urged Lukashenko to accept international help in opening talks with the opposition and implicitly warned Russia, Belarus' massive neighbor, not to intervene. Lukashenko has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help salvaging his 26-year rule. Belarus is bound to Russia by a mutual defense treaty and deep economic, political and cultural ties. Putin has offered assistance, if required. Moscow on Wednesday said it saw no need to help for now, but has warned against outside involvement in Belarus and said the crisis should be settled internally. The second source said he did not know Biegun's planned message but thought he would aim to prevent further violence in Belarus or Russian intervention. "I would guess the administration is trying to dissuade Moscow from either intervening on its own or using its influence with Lukashenko to encourage him to have a (more) violent crackdown," said this source, also on condition of anonymity. Story continues EU member Lithuania, which has sought backing from Washington, has been an outspoken critic of Lukashenko's crackdown on the demonstrations by tens of thousands of Belarusians in which his security forces have beaten, teargassed and arrested thousands of people, many of whom say they were tortured. Experts say Washington seeks a larger role in a search for a negotiated resolution to the crisis. The turmoil disrupted a U.S. effort to exploit tensions between Putin and Lukashenko, with Pompeo visiting Minsk in February for talks on normalizing diplomatic relations. Protesters are not demanding closer ties with the West, experts noted, but a redo of the vote and respect for human rights, which Washington has a strong interest in promoting. Moreover, the crisis gives Washington an issue on which to unite with European allies amid serious tensions over the Iran nuclear deal and U.S. President Donald Trump's expressions of disdain for the trans-Atlantic alliance, they said. "From the U.S. perspective, there's a whole host of issues both in terms of human rights and democracy, but there's also a security component," said Jonathan Katz, a former U.S. official and expert on Eastern Europe with the German Marshall Fund, a thinktank. "Belarus borders the Baltic allies and Poland." At the same time, he said, Washington wants to avoid giving Putin an excuse to intervene militarily in Belarus as he did in 2014 in Ukraine, when Russian forces seized Crimea and backed separatists in the country's east after the ouster of a pro-Moscow government. "There are concerns about the potential for Moscow to act militarily," said Katz. "You can't dismiss it even if you think the likelihood is not there." (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Mary Milliken and Daniel Wallis) Twenty people who went above and beyond for their communities during the Covid-19 pandemic will be in with a shot to win a fantastic prize at Naas Racecourse tomorrow. Members of the public nominated 'local heroes', who will be represented by a jockey racing for a top prize in their name. The twenty heroes will be assigned a horse in the 320,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, the richest two-year-old race to be run in Ireland this year, which takes place at Naas Racecourse this Sunday August 23. The winner will walk away with the use of luxury car from Colm Quinn BMW for a week, a four-night luxury break for two adults and two children at the Heritage, Killenard in County Laois and 2,000 spending money. There will also be prizes for the hero whose horses are placed in the race from the Osprey Hotel, OCallaghan Hotel Collection, Weatherbys GSB and the Irish National Stud, and luxury goody bags for the remaining lockdown heroes. Naas Racecourse manager, Eamonn McEvoy, said: Its such a lovely gesture to thank all those heroes who made a difference during lockdown and my committee, colleagues and I at Naas Racecourse are very proud to be involved. The Kildare heroes are as follows: HERO - Caoimhe OMahony - Nurse - Naas Hospital HORSE - GIORGIO VASSARI Nominated by: Trevor Duggan: Caoimhe is my lockdown hero, she's a nurse in Naas general and always has a smile on her face. She even contracted Covid while treating patients and once she beat it she was straight back to work caring for others even though it meant she couldn't visit her new-born nephew for four months. Couldn't think of a more deserving person for the prize. HERO - Catherine & John Merrick - Foodbank Volunteers - Naas HORSE - ALLAGAR Nominated by: Maud Nolan & Laura Whelan: I would like to nominate Catherine and her husband John for keeping the food bank on Main Street, Naas, going during the pandemic. They work all year round to keep food on the table for people in need. They deserve every award going for dedicating time every week and most day to feeding our community across the county. They are tirelessly giving everything to those that need it most. What better person to nominate than the Foodbank, Naas, that have been there day in day out all through the lockdown. They are a light at the end of a dark tunnel for those in need of food. HERO - John Ryan - Postman - Naas HORSE - MEASURE OF MAGIC Nominated by: Kevin Loughlin: During the initial lockdown not only did he work every day (single) so some of his colleagues could get some time off to be with their families but he spent time (from 2 metres) and chatted with the elderly who had no one visiting them. I know on occasions he asked people if they needed milk, bread, papers etc from the shops and he went and got it (in his own time) and delivered it the next morning or that evening after his shift. This man is always in good humour and I know him most of his life and have never heard a bad word about him. Please consider him as he would be too shy and unassuming to ever realise what he does as exceptional and put a smile on so many peoples faces. HERO - Sharon OCarroll - Community Volunteer Kildare HORSE - VAFORTINO Nominated by: Sean Dunne: Sharon organised the cooking and delivery of 140 free hot meals a week to the elderly and vulnerable in our community. The meals were cooked on a rota basis twice a week by Hartes of Kildare Town, Dora Mays Bistro (Newbridge), All Seasons Restaurant (Newbridge) and Stepping Stones (Newbridge). The funding for these meals was obtained from donations and corporate sponsors such as The Curragh, Proctor & Gamble and The Ballymore Group. "At Easter, Sharon organised hampers for those who were cocooning. Each hamper held a value of at least 20. Sharon organised a group of volunteers to make up 112 hampers which were then delivered to the elderly and vulnerable in our community. "This was made possible because Sharon contacted and received items donated by Tesco, Dunnes & Comerford Bakers. Cash donations from Rotary Newbridge, the public and a GoFundMe page on Facebook. Sharon was involved in organising Ccourier service delivering medical prescriptions from the local chemists to the elderly in lockdown, even a pet to the fet. She also organised signage to thank front line staff, organised the supply of PPE material for volunteers. "Through all of this, she was conscious of good mental health and organised the sponsorship of wool and materials and then the establishment of a crochet/knitting group which consisted of members of the community. HERO - Emma Redmond Nurse Vincents Hospital Athy HORSE - AMBER KITE Nominated by: Clodagh Redmond: My mam deserves a prize. She is a ward manager in St Vincents Hospital, Athy. She has gone above and beyond helping her patients get better each day. She even went to work Easter Sunday dressed as a bunny giving out eggs to her patients. She then got photos of the patient with their eggs, laminated them and sent them to their loved ones. One of her patients was upset, it was his wifes birthday and he couldnt see her, so she phoned the singing Garda Sean who went to the womans house with flowers to make her day. This is only some of the kind acts she does and throughout this pandemic, shes made sure nanny Baxter and grandad John has got everything they need as they are cocooning. She works full time, makes sure her parents are happy, minds me and my brother and two sisters; has to keep daddy in check, we have six chickens and three dogs all before she thinks about herself. Shes even just finished another degree on older persons. HERO - John Doyle - Postman - Co Kildare HORSE - SLOANE PETERSON Nominated by: Mary Howe: I would like to nominate our super postman John Doyle. Our John is always smiling and chatty when delivering the post, but during the lockdown, he has gone above and beyond. His route, which is a large one, covers Pollardstown, Athgarvan, Kinneagh, Kilbelin, Blackrath, Ballysax, New Park, Martinstown and Cut Bush areas. "With shops closed due to lockdown, his round was so busy due to people shopping online, and he might have to go back and reload his van a second time with parcels to deliver, and not get home till after 6. Even been that busy, he still checked on any elderly person, anyone cocooned to see if they needed anything and he got them whatever they needed and dropped it to them. He even delivered papers to people at the weekends, and on his weeks holidays, he still drove out and checked on them. Even if they needed nothing from the shops, these vulnerable people might not see anyone from one day to the next, and he would just stop to see were they okay, and even just have a chat with them. He was out in all weathers, rain, sun, heat, and wind, he is an absolute treasure and we here in Ballysax class him as family, and I personally would love to see him appreciated for his genuine heart of gold, and for all the good work he does. HERO -Monica O Brien Clinical Nurse Manager - Naas Hospital HORSE - EASTERN VOICE Nominated by: Claire O'Brien: My mam Monica was due to retire in June but as the hospital was under pressure due to Covid she postponed her retirement so that she could help out her colleagues. She even went back working nightshifts, which is not her role but she went above and beyond to help. She deserves this prize in my eyes she is a lockdown hero. HERO - Lorraine Kavanagh- GAA Community Volunteer - Celbridge HORSE - FLY GIRL Nominated by: Hugh Gallagher: Lorraine took on the job of coordinating the GAA volunteers who delivered groceries and ran errands for people cocooning in Celbridge. Lorraine and the volunteers wanted no recognition or reward for providing this service. I can only speak of the gratefulness of my neighbours on the brilliant service they received. It was confidential and respectful and very necessary in March/April/May months when people were under so much pressure. The service ceased with the lifting of the requests for pensioners to stay home, but the goodwill to Lorraine and her team will live on for some time in the community. HERO - Sinead Keogh - GAA Community Covid Liaison - Naas HORSE - AMAZED BY GRACE Nominated by: Brendan Kenny: Sinead has been involved with Naas GAA Club for years and has done an untold level of work inside and outside the fence. During lockdown she brought together a large number of volunteers from the GAA club to help in the local community, whether it was just getting an odd job done to collecting the elderly's shopping while they were cocooning. Sinead never stops giving back to people, and I couldn't think of anyone better to be nominated for this prize. 22.08.2020 LISTEN Screen icon Veronica Ackom Rockson known popularly as Veronica Rockson has asserted that actors and actresses who belong to Kumawwod are more talented than their colleagues at Ghallywood. Veronica revealed this in an interview on Studio Vibes HelloGH show with Jullie Jay-Kanz saying her colleagues at Kumawood do not depend on a script before they act. She says they flow naturally and that makes them talented than their Ghallywood counterparts who on the other hand follow their scripts to act. Veronica revealed that she has played roles in both Kumawood and Ghallywood movies and can attest to her assertions. According to the actress, she has been a cast for Armageddon, a Kumawood movie starring the late Bishop Benard Nyarko, Kojo Nkansah Lil Win, Vivian Jill, others and would attest that these actors were admirable with their assigned roles without following scripts. The budding actress also talked about the fact that too much monopoly ended up collapsing the Ghanaian movie industry. Veronica says movie producers in Ghana always cast the popular actors and actresses for movies with a one-sided concept. ''Ghanaians are probably fed up with always seeing the old faces on the screens. In Nigeria, a new set of actors and actresses are introduced every six months and this keeps their movie industry growing. Ghana is different, its either a Jackie Appiah crying or Yvonne Nelson playing a [email protected] girl role''. : She added. Veronica Rockson told HELLOGH that she has not totally ceased acting but in order to keep herself going, she happens to find herself in hosting a television show now. The actress is the host for 'My Story' show on EP Urban TV and also the hosts DaveJoy Studios Music Makers Show which airs on EBN TV on Sunday Evenings. Watch Video Below More than a dozen journalists with the US governments premier international broadcaster may soon be forced to leave the United States as their visas expire with no action from the agencys new leadership. Some 16 Voice of America journalists will have to return to their native countries in the coming weeks unless the government agrees to either renew their visas or extend grace periods for them to depart, according to congressional aides. Several of the journalists, from China and Indonesia notably, could face difficulties at home because of their work for VOA, the aides said. Rep. Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, complained Friday that the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and its sister outlets, had ignored congressional requests for an explanation as to why the usually routine visa renewals had not been processed. Also read: Relief for students as US rolls back visa rule In addition, he said not even the affected journalists had been given details of their status. There are roughly 80 foreign VOA employees in the United States, but the documents of the 16 are among the first to come up for renewal, according to congressional aides who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Engel, D-N.Y., also appealed to the departments of State and Homeland Security to extend grace periods for those journalists whose visas have already expired so they are not forced to leave without having the time to make adequate arrangements. Its unconscionable that a US government agency would create such fear and uncertainty for people whom we asked to do a job, Engel said in a statement. Congresss attempts to seek answers from USAGM on this matter have been met with silence. Its clear that the agency is just trying to run out the clock until these journalists are forced to leave. Engel blamed USAGMs new chief, conservative filmmaker Michael Pack, for the situation. Pack, an associate of President Donald Trumps former political strategist Steve Bannon, has come under fire from both Democrats and Republicans for major changes he has made to the agency since he took over in June following a contentious confirmation process in the Senate. Michael Packs failure to seek visa extensions for these journalists means that they must leave the country, some of them going home to nations where governments regularly silence and harass journalists, Engel said. Mr. Pack still has time to act to resolve this situation, but make no mistake, he is accountable for what comes next. Any harm that comes to these brave individuals will be a direct result of Michael Packs inaction. Among Packs other changes have been purges of various AGM outlets management, including officials supported by Republicans, the wholesale replacement of their boards and the suspension of funding for some projects. The firings have prompted at least one lawsuit, which remains in litigation. The moves have increased fears, particularly among Democrats, that Pack intends to turn the agency into a Trump propaganda machine at odds with its congressionally mandated mission to broadcast impartial news around the world. Pack has defended his moves as necessary to overhaul the agency, which critics have long said is beset by bureaucratic and journalistic issues. That criticism exploded earlier this year when the White House attacked VOA for its coverage of Covid-19. USAGM did not immediately respond to a query about the visa situation but has previously said it is reviewing the use of so-called J-1 visas for journalists with critical foreign language skills needed to communicate with foreign audiences. As a couple, there are few places more romantic to visit all in the name of work. On Sunday, Emma Stone, 25, and Andrew Garfield, 31, were spotted departing the Italian city of Venice, where they attended the 71st Venice International Film Festival. Despite their celebrity status, the couple kept things low-key as they made their way out of the picturesque city in comfortable ensembles. Scroll down for video Heading home: Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield were spotted departing Venice, Italy, on Sunday Both wearing sunglasses, the love birds kept their heads down as they shuffled their way past photographers and curious onlookers. For her journey, Emma opted to wear a blue coat over a white sweater, which she teamed with faded skinny jeans a nude-coloured pair of flats. With a brown leather bag on her back, she kept herself hydrated with a bottle of San Pellegrino water as she walked beside her actor beau, who was in equally casual attire. Ciao: The couple attended the 71st Venice International Film Festival to promote their upcoming movies Los Angeles-born Andrew was barely recognisable with his bushy new beard as he emerged wearing a grey cap. The handsome screen star donned a grey-shirt, green loose-fitting trousers and a pair of black New Balance trainers. With a large backpack firmly secured on his shoulders, the actor carried a brown jacket in his hand. The couple recently travelled to Venice to promote separate projects, with Andrew in town on behalf of his latest flick 99 Homes, and Emma representing her film Birdman, which opened the film festival. Birdman, also featuring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis, follows an actor hoping to recapture his former success in a new play. The couple, who have been together since 2011 after meeting on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man, remain notoriously quiet about their relationship - but were happy to share the limelight as they accompanied each other to their glittering events. Dazzling: The couple cut classy figures as they attended red carpet events together during the festival The green flash: Emma wowed in a plunging green gown as she promoted her project Birdman Dead Prezs Police State blared from an outdoor speaker as a handful people outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in South Portland began to spray-paint messages on the building, pound on its windows and plywood coverings and taunt the federal officers stationed inside. Within minutes, the officers used a loudspeaker of their own to warn of arrests or crowd control tactics if the disruptive and sometimes illegal behavior continued. Most of the 100 or so people spread along South Bancroft Street near Moody Avenue paid little mind to the admonitions. Some drank cans of White Claw Hard Seltzer, smoked cigarettes or looked at their phones. Others danced to the pulsing hip-hop music or sat on curbs and chatted with friends. One, dressed head to toe in black and wearing a helmet and a respirator, yelled into a megaphone: If you want to start something were here. A phalanx of about two dozen officers in riot and tactical gear emerged soon after. A mortar-style firework set by protesters exploded. Tear gas and pepper balls followed, scattering dozens through streets lined with luxury high-rise apartments. The demonstration, which started Thursday night and spilled into early Friday morning, offered a template of the way many Portland protests have unfolded in the weeks since federal forces scaled back their presence in downtown. A group of protesters was met by a line of Portland Police as they attempted to march from Peninsula Park to the Portland Police Association building in N. Portland. August 14, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Peaceful beginnings regularly end in small numbers provoking confrontation. While Junes demonstrations were defined largely by sheer numbers and the occasional infighting among the various groups putting them on, Julys protests thrust Portland into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump ordered dozens of federal officers to the city. In August, violent clashes and vandalism have unfurled in almost every section of the city and dominated many of the nightly actions. Protesters numbering at most a few hundred people have largely turned their attention away from the Multnomah County Justice Center and Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, the mainstays of protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism for three months. Instead, theyve sought to draw a forceful police response by targeting local, county and federal law enforcement offices across Portland, many of them in residential neighborhoods. Whether its in front of the Portland Police Bureau precinct in Southeast Portland, at the ICE office or the headquarters for the union representing the agencys rank-and-file officers, some protesters have ratcheted up the confrontations. Their tactics have at times included setting fires inside offices, damaging police vehicles and pelting officers with rocks and other projectiles. Meanwhile, its been left to the citys police force to attempt to quell the gatherings. Theyve made dozens of arrests and used tear gas and other crowd control weapons. Sometimes theyve injured protest participants or even smashed out their car windows and slashed their tires. The Portland Police Bureau has declared a riot 18 times since the late May death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police, according to figures released by the agency this week. Nine of those instances have occurred since the beginning of August, including four since Aug. 15. On Tuesday, a largely peaceful demonstration outside the Multnomah Building which includes offices for the county sheriff took a violent turn when a few people threw large rocks through the first-floor windows, someone poured lighter fluid into the office and someone tossed burning material into the same office. Elected leaders, including Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, condemned the vandalism as well as the wider pattern of destructive acts. While criticizing the simply reprehensible actions that serve no legitimate purpose, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese also reflected on the challenges law enforcement faces as it attempts to respond to the damage while also protecting protesters First Amendment rights. Protesters gathered Tuesday for the 83rd consecutive night of demonstrations, marching for the first time to the Multnomah Building, the county seat of government. The Police declared the gathering a riot. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian Each night is different, he said. We dont know necessarily whos going to be participating, what their intent is and whether or not theyre going to engage in criminal activity. The months protests have drawn both the ire and admiration of people who live in the neighborhoods where the demonstrations have spread. When police declared a riot near East Precinct, some neighbors shouted all lives matter and a woman wearing a Nazi armband confronted protesters outside her home while others turned out to show their support. The Portland Police East Precinct is boarded up in anticipation of a late-night showdown with Portland protesters on Aug. 6, 2020.Mark Graves/The Oregonian If I was a few years younger, Id be right out here with you, an elderly Black woman told the crowd. On Wednesday, residents near the ICE headquarters got into shouting matches with protesters, particularly after some people dragged picnic tables from nearby restaurants and set them on fire. When a white man confronted two young Black women over the destruction, a resident began dumping water on protesters from her second-floor balcony. On Thursday night, the evenings protests began nearly eight miles from the ICE building with a march in North Portland that included stops outside the Portland Police Association headquarters, the site of multiple demonstrations that police have declared riots. The march, with chants and speeches led by a group of young Black men and women, drew a diverse crowd of about 100 people and received cheers and raised fists from residents as it moved through the neighborhood. The peaceful scene ended at Kenton Park just before 10 p.m. About an hour later, black-clad protesters, some of them equipped with shields and body armor, and a handful of teenagers wearing regular street clothes, started showing up at the ICE building, where a riot had been declared the night before. After being forced away from the initial round of tear gas and pepper balls, most of the crowd returned. A small number resumed pounding on the plywood and windows. Others flashed lights at the officers who returned inside. Around 100 people met outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in South Portland Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. After drumming on the building, taunting and spray-painting they were met by officers who dispersed the crowd over several hours using munitions and a type of gas or smoke. A dumpster fire was set on South Moody Avenue near Thomas Street and fences from a nearby construction site were also dragged into the streets and used as a barricade. Mark Graves/staff This is not a justice center, shouted one person. Another screamed: Youre f----- terrorists. At 12:18 a.m., about 80 minutes after the demonstration started, dozens of Portland police arrived. They declared an unlawful assembly. Riot cops formed lines and began aggressively pushing people back on surrounding streets. A dumpster fire burned in the middle of South Moody Avenue near Thomas Street, the flames dying down as police chased people out of the area. Police said some demonstrators threw rocks, cones, glass bottles and paint balloons at officers during the protest. Some in the crowd also shined green lasers at officers, police said. Three people were arrested. After the bull rush by police, a number of demonstrators walked calmly to their cars parked along nearby Elizabeth Caruthers Park. They took off their helmets, shields and gas masks. They tossed them into trunks or back seats. Then they got in their cars and drove off. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh and Eder Campuzano skavanaugh@oregonian.com; ecampuzano@oregonian.com Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A Ryanair plane takes off from Manchester Airport as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - RyanairMr Trump, who is behind Democrat rival Joe Biden in many polls, was speaking ahead of next week's Republican National Convention.
He said: "You're not going to be able to know the end of this election, in my opinion, for weeks, months, maybe never - maybe years but maybe never.
"There's a theory that if you don't have it by the end of the year, crazy Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) would become president, you know that, right?
"No no, think of that, think of that - that mad theory too, you have heard that theory.
"Now I don't know if it's a theory or a fact but I said: 'that's not good'."
Just hours earlier, former vice president Joe Biden vowed to end America's "season of darkness" under Donald Trump as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.
In a speech to end the Democratic Convention in Delaware, Mr Biden said the US president had "cloaked America in darkness for much too long", accusing him of creating "too much anger, too much fear, too much division".
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"Here and now I give you my word, if you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst," Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden also criticised his opponent's response to the coronavirus pandemic - the US has the world's highest recorded death toll from the virus.
But Mr Trump said on Friday that where Mr Biden saw "American darkness", he sees "American greatness".
He said: "Over the last week, the Democrats held the darkest and angriest and gloomiest convention in American history.
"They spent four straight days attacking America as racist, a horrible country that must be redeemed."
Mr Trump has portrayed himself as a defender of law and order but Mr Biden has described him as someone who tries to divide Americans.
Vice President Mike Pence, who is also running to be reelected on the Republican ticket, said next week's party convention would focus on what Mr Trump had accomplished, including on the economy and coronavirus.
He promised supporters that a "great line-up of leaders" would join the convention to "talk about what this president has done".
Among the speakers are Mr Trump, Mr Pence and Mr Trump's wife, first lady Melania.
Occurred on August 11, 2020 / Iceland Info from Licensor: "I was traveling around my home country, Iceland with my partner. We were about to stay on the east side of the country when we decided to stop by Dettifoss, one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland. The day before we had been talking with an elderly woman about elf activity in the area since its close to Asbyrgi which is called the elf capital of Iceland. I am active on Instagram and had been shooting videos and taking pictures for my story on Instagram. I am actually really afraid of heights, but my partner pushed me to go as close as possible when we arrived at Dettifoss. When I was that close and nobody in front of me, I decided to record the video and I zoomed into the waterfall because I thought it looked cool. I had no filter on and no effects. Then after this, we continued to drive our way into a town where we would camp and spend the night. We arrived there both feeling really weird, mild anxiety, and a feeling of something weird had happened. I went through my story on Instagram to check if everything looked cool and only then did I notice the creature and the head. Being 4 hours away, I couldnt turn around and check it again, so I just posted on my story asking my followers what they thought. Elf? ufo? Tripod? Trolls? Nobody knows. I dont know either. All I know is that I got a weird feeling about it." Rita Ora narrowly misses Kim Kardashian as they arrive at LAX... after reality star 'refused to sit next to her at the VMAs' It was rumoured that Kim Kardashian refused to sit next to Rita Ora at the VMAs last Sunday, because she blames the pop star for messing with her brother Rob's head after the two dated in 2012. And the two women narrowly missed each other as they both arrived for flights out of LAX at the same time on Monday. Rita, 23, was likely headed off to London, where she will be performing at the Adidas Originals London flagship store on Thursday. Scroll down for video Close call! Rita Ora narrowly missed Kim Kardashian as she arrived at LAX on Monday Jet-setting: Kim arrived at LAX on Monday with baby North and husband Kanye West Meanwhile, Kim, 33, who was accompanied by Kanye and 14-month-old baby North, may have also been heading to London, but Kanye will soon be jetting off Down Under. The 37-year-old hip hop artist will take to the stage in Perth, Australia on Friday as a part of his Yeezus tour. Rita was travelling in comfort, wearing a see-through white tank top through which her black bra was visible, teamed with grey Adidas sweatpants and colourful Adidas sneakers. The I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker has designed a glamorous collection for Adidas Originals. Off she goes! Rita, 23, was likely headed off to London, where she will be performing at the Adidas Originals London flagship store on Thursday In high spirits: Rita laughed jubilantly while standing in line Stunna shades: She sported reflective cat-eye sunglasses while indoors Kim donned a blue and white striped button-up teamed with ripped white jeans and strappy brown sandals. It was claimed that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star gave her brothers former flame the cold shoulder at the VMAs last Sunday. According to TMZ, the reality star was not too happy that she was seated just a couple of places from Rita. The site wrote: 'Not wanting any drama, she asked producers to find her a different seat. We're told she wasn't a diva, she just didn't want to have to be social with Rita. Feeling social: The I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker chatted happily with a pal Greetings! She waved to her fans as she headed up an escalator 'VMA producers had to scramble, but ultimately they found a seat for Kim... with Kendall and Kylie.' It comes as little surprise that there might be a little frostiness between the pair. In a recent interview with Andy Cohen on his show, Watch What Happens Live, Kim revealed she would pick Rob's ex Adrienne Bailon over Rita to be her sister-in-law. She told the host: 'I would say Adrienne Bailon cause she was in our lives for a long time and I know she's a really sweet girl and she has good intentions and she has a good heart.' Comfort first! Rita sported a see-through wifebeater through which her black bra was visible, teamed with grey Adidas sweatpants and colourful Adidas sneakers Waiting her turn: Rita held onto her passport as she stood in line Drama: It was reported that Kim refused to sit next to Rita at the VMAs last Sunday, because she blames the pop star for screwing with her brother Rob's head after the two dated in 2012 Meanwhile, Rita has made it clear that the past is in the past. She told Power 105.1 radio's show The Breakfast Club: 'I don't want to talk about this too much because people move onwards and upwards, and it was a phase. 'And it was a moment in my life and now it's like onwards and upwards.' A spokesperson for Kim told MailOnline: 'Kim didn't change seats - she sat in her assigned seat. The tickets were issued days prior.' The Border Security Force shot dead five intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab early Saturday, a senior BSF officer said. IMAGE: An BSF personnel during patrol along the fenced border with Pakistan in RS Pura sector near Jammu. Image used only for representation. Photograph: Mukesh Gupta/Reuters This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the over 3,300 km-long border with Pakistan in more than a decade, officials said. Punjab shares a 553-km-long frontier with Pakistan, apart from Jammu, Rajasthan and Gujarat, who together constitute the remaining part of the International Border. The senior officer said 'alert troops of the 103rd battalion noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating the IB' in the Taran Taran district of Punjab. When asked to stop, the intruders fired on BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence. Subsequently, five intruders were shot dead, he said. Another BSF official said the incident happened around 4.45 am near the 'dal' border post that is close to the Bhikhiwind town of the district. BSF troops, officials said, first noticed suspicious activity at the border around midnight and launched a 'focussed' surveillance on the intruders and set up multiple ambushes along the front after which the 'contact was established' early morning, just behind the IB fence. The intruders were seen carrying rifles and were taking the aid of the 'sarkanda' or tall grass to sneak into India, they said. A photo collage released by the BSF showed two bodies piled on each other while the three others were lying separately in the slushy green tall grass. Some weapons and backpacks were visible in the photographs and the intrudes were wearing T-shirts or shirts and full pants. The second BSF official said one AK-47 rifle and two pistols have been found. An intensive search is underway to find other possible weapons carried by the infiltrators. Pakistan violates ceasefire along IB in Kathua Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing and mortar shelling along the International Border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. The ceasefire violation in the Border Out Post Karol Mathna area of Hiranagar sector started at 11.30 pm on Friday, prompting strong and effective retaliation by the BSF, they said. The cross-border firing between the two sides continued throughout the night and ended at 4.40 am on Saturday, officials said. There was no report of any casualty or damage on the Indian side, they said. However, the firing caused panic among border residents who were forced to spend the night in underground bunkers for their safety. Pakistan has been frequently targeting forward posts and villages in Hiranagar sector of Jammu and Kashmir to stall the construction work being undertaken by BSF to strengthen the counter-infiltration grid, officials added. In the 1994 hit Reality Bites, Vickie (Janeane Garofalo) is sitting across from her best friend, Lelaina (Winona Ryder), in a diner, lamenting that she is maybe, probably, dying of AIDS. She thinks about it every day, all day, she says, but its as if it werent even happening to her. Its as if she were a character on some crappy show like Melrose Place. And then I die, she says, and theres everybody at my funeral wearing halter tops and chokers. Lelaina pours out sympathy for her friend and vows to stand by her side. With that unwavering support established, however, Lelaina makes one other essential point: Melrose Place is a really good show. That, I think, is the line we always tend to walk with shows like Melrose Place. A spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210, it chronicled the ups, downs, seductions, threats and attempted murders that occurred between tenants at a faux apartment complex in West Hollywood. Much like todays Real Housewives or Riverdale, or any other well-crafted but frivolous show, Melrose Place always felt easy to poke fun at. But it felt more honest to admit that you loved it. Put in its rightful context, its hard to argue that Melrose Place wasnt one of the last Goliaths of prime-time soap operas. While not entirely dead, this genre largely has been sacrificed to the Golden Age of Television, with its deeper story lines and richer (and thankfully more diverse) characters. But the main nail in the prime-time soap coffin is simply that were very serious about our dramas now. Nuance is in. Sensationalism is out. New Delhi: In an explosive revelation made by one of the doctors from Cooper hospital, once again questions are being raised on the Mumbai police investigation in Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. According to sources, after the CBI quizzed a team of five doctors who performed his post-mortem at Cooper Hospital, some startling revelations have been made. The CBI had prepared a list of crucial questions in place to ask the doctors. When CBI asked, "Why was the post mortem conducted even before the actor's COVID-19 report came? One of the doctors reportedly told the officials, "it was on Mumbai police order that post mortem was conducted late night". According to sources, the doctors from Cooper hospital did not give satisfactory answers to the CBI. When they were asked why they didn't wait for the COVID-19 report, one of the doctors said that there is no provision that post mortem can't be performed before the corona report comes. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. After interrogating late actor's cook Neeraj for hours, Sushant's close friend and flatmate Siddharth Pithani is also under the CBI scanner. According to sources, the CBI wants to ask a few pertinent questions from Pithani related to the intervening night of June 13 and 14. These are a few questions which the CBI would want to ask Siddharth Pithani, who was also present at the house when the actor was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. Today, the CBI officials took cook Neeraj and Siddharth Pithani to Sushant's Bandra residence for recreating the crime scene. WASHINGTON - Joe Biden and fellow Democrats spun an assortment of facts to their benefit in their national convention, omitting inconvenient truths such as Barack Obama's record of aggressive deportations and swift action by a Republican president to save the auto industry more than a decade ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2020 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this image from video, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, speaks after the roll call vote during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP) WASHINGTON - Joe Biden and fellow Democrats spun an assortment of facts to their benefit in their national convention, omitting inconvenient truths such as Barack Obama's record of aggressive deportations and swift action by a Republican president to save the auto industry more than a decade ago. Meantime President Donald Trump flooded the zone with falsehoods, some so apparent that anyone with access to the internet could see the folly of them at a glance. Witness his reference to New Zealand's massive breakout of COVID-19, which does not exist. The virtual, socially distanced Democratic National Convention was unique in history but conventional in this sense: The nominee and his supporters at times exaggerated the good, played down the bad and glossed over important context. But overall the discipline was discernible, as it usually was for the biggest speeches of Republican and Democratic leaders alike before the rise of Trump. Even Biden, a gaffe machine in the old days, displayed that control. The off notes came largely from what Democrats didn't say. A sampling from the past week's rhetoric as the Republican National Convention prepares to affirm Trump as the 2020 nominee in coming days: IMMIGRATION BARACK OBAMA: We are born of immigrants. That is who we are. Immigration is our origin story. convention video Wednesday celebrating immigration, showing historical scenes and one that appeared to be of Trump's border wall. BARACK OBAMA: I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether theres still a place for him here. convention speech Wednesday. THE FACTS: The facts here are not in dispute. But an omission stands out: Obama aggressively enforced border controls and deported nearly 3 million people. He changed his approach, acting without Congress in 2012 to let people who came to the U.S. illegally as children stay and work legally in the country. Still, that year was Obama's high mark for deportations, more than 400,000, far outpacing Trump's deportations in each of his first three years. This whole immigration video was like putting salt on the wound, tweeted Erika Andiola, an advocate from RAICES, an immigration legal services group in Texas. Narrated by Obama? Come on. She said: I am angry because it was his administration who almost deported my mother and then Trump came to try to deport her again. Immigration activist Julissa Natzely Arce Raya, author of My (Underground) American Dream," saw hypocrisy at work, after the video of Estela Juarez, the 11-year-old girl whose mother was deported to Mexico. Obama did a lot of things right, but not immigration, he didnt get that right, she tweeted. I promise you, tonight there is a Estela whose mom was deported by Obama. ___ MICHELLE OBAMA, on Americans: They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages. Democratic convention Monday. THE FACTS: The reference to cages is misleading and a matter that Democrats have persistently distorted. Trump used facilities that were built during the Obama-Biden administration to house children at the border. They are chain-link enclosures inside border facilities where migrants were temporarily housed, separated by sex and age. At the height of the controversy over Trumps zero-tolerance policy at the border, photos that circulated online of children in the enclosures generated great anger. But those photos, by The Associated Press, were taken in 2014 and depicted some of the thousands of unaccompanied children held by Obama. When that fact came to light, some Democrats and activists who had tweeted the photos deleted their tweets. But prominent Democrats have continued to cite cages for children as a distinctive cruelty of Trump. The former first lady was correct, however, in addressing the removal of children from parents at the border. The Obama administration separated migrant children from families under certain limited circumstances, like when the childs safety appeared at risk or when the parent had a serious criminal history. Family separations as a matter of routine came about because of Trumps zero tolerance enforcement policy, which he eventually suspended because of the uproar. Obama had no such policy. ___ TRUMP: Joe Biden has pledged to abolish immigration enforcement. rally Tuesday in Yuma, Arizona. THE FACTS: No he hasn't. Biden has been notably outspoken in arguing that crossing the U.S. border illegally is a crime and should remain punished as such in federal court. He did not endorse immigration plans supported by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and other former presidential candidates that sought to decriminalize illegal border crossings and make doing so only a civil offence. In addition to misrepresenting Bidens agenda, Trump ignored the fact that the Obama-Biden administration vigorously deported people, drawing fierce criticism from some advocates for immigrants. ___ TRUMP: They want to take the wall down, they dont want to have borders. Arizona rally. THE FACTS: No, Biden is not pushing to take down the wall or erase borders. Bidens immigration plan does not include money for new border fencing, and he isnt calling for any new walls. But he hasnt proposed taking down what's there. ___ PANDEMIC TRUMP on New Zealand and the coronavirus: "They had a massive breakout yesterday. remarks Thursday in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. TRUMP: False. New Zealand has had nothing resembling a massive outbreak or, as he also put it during the week, even a big surge or a big outbreak. New Zealand reported five to 13 new cases each day in the past week, as of Friday. The U.S. reported an average of some 46,000 per day during the week. President Donald Trump speaks to the 2020 Council for National Policy Meeting, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Trump is unhappy that New Zealand's success in controlling the virus, through its tight and early rules on distancing and closures, has been used for unfavourable comparisons with his pandemic response. New Zealand went for several months without any new, confirmed cases of locally spread COVID-19 before infection started showing up again in small numbers. The infection, as of Friday, had killed 22 people in New Zealand and 174,000 in the U.S. That's a rate of 4.5 deaths per million in New Zealand and 532 per million in the U.S. ___ ECONOMY BIDEN: Nearly one in six small businesses have closed this year. acceptance speech Thursday. THE FACTS: That appears to be in the ballpark but is misleading. What he didn't say is that most of those businesses planned to reopen or already have. In a MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey at the end of July, 86% of small businesses reported that they were fully or partially open. Among those that remained shut, most planned to reopen when they could. Overall, small businesses expressed guarded optimism while worrying what would happen if another wave of the coronavirus comes. ___ GRETCHEN WHITMER, Michigan governor: In 2009, the Obama-Biden administration inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The auto industry on the brink of collapse. A million jobs at stake. But President Obama and Vice-President Biden didnt waste time blaming anybody. ... They brought together union members, companies and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and they saved the auto industry. Democratic National Convention on Monday. THE FACTS: She's assigning too much credit to the Obama administration for saving the auto industry. What Obama did was an expansion of the initial, pivotal steps taken by Obamas predecessor, George W. Bush. In December 2008, General Motors and Chrysler were on the brink of financial collapse. The U.S. was in a deep recession and U.S. auto sales were falling sharply, in part because the 2008-2009 financial crisis made it harder for would-be auto buyers to get a car loan. GM, Chrysler and Ford requested government aid, but Congress voted it down. With barely a month left in office, Bush authorized $25 billion in loans to GM and Chrysler from the $700 billion bailout fund that was initially intended to save the largest U.S. banks. Ford decided against taking any money. After Obama was inaugurated, he appointed a task force to oversee GM and Chrysler, both of which eventually declared bankruptcy, took an additional roughly $55 billion in loans, and were forced to close many factories and overhaul their operations. All three companies recovered and eventually started adding jobs again. ___ IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL TRUMP: This deal funneled tens of billions of dollars to Iran $150 billion, to be exact plus $1.8 billion in cash. ... He (Obama) gave $1.8 billion in cash. news briefing Wednesday. THE FACTS: This is a familiar and hyper-distorted tale. There was no $150 billion payout from the U.S. treasury or other countries. When Iran signed the multinational deal to restrain its nuclear development in return for being freed from sanctions, it regained access to its own assets, which had been frozen abroad. Iran was allowed to get its own money back. The deal was signed in 2015; Trump has taken the U.S. out of it. The $1.8 billion is a separate matter. A payout of roughly that amount did come from the U.S. treasury. It was to cover an old IOU. In the 1970s, Iran paid the U.S. $400 million for military equipment that was never delivered because the government was overthrown and diplomatic relations ruptured. After the nuclear deal, the U.S. and Iran announced they had settled the matter, with the U.S. agreeing to pay the $400 million principal along with about $1.3 billion in interest. ___ TRUMP: And we got nothing, except a short-term, little deal. A short-term, expiring. news briefing Wednesday. THE FACTS: Trumps wrong to suggest the deal had no impact before he withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2018. Iran was thought to be only months away from a bomb when the deal came into effect. But during the 15-year life of most provisions of the accord, Irans capabilities are limited to a level where it cannot produce a bomb. The deal also includes a pledge by Iran never to seek a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency and his administration itself had confirmed Iran was complying with the terms before Trump pulled out of the deal. The pact does gradually lift some restrictions, including limits on centrifuges that were due to expire in 2025. After the 15 years are up, Iran could have an array of advanced centrifuges ready to work, the limits on its stockpile would be gone and, in theory, it could then throw itself fully into producing highly enriched uranium. But nothing in the deal prevented the West from trying to rein Iran in again with sanctions. ___ JOHN KERRY, former secretary of state: We eliminated the threat of an Iran with a nuclear weapon. Democratic convention on Tuesday. THE FACTS: Thats taking it too far. The threat was deferred, not eliminated. That reality was baked into the deal negotiated when Kerry was Obamas secretary of state. The accord limited Irans capabilities to a level where it could not produce a bomb, but most provisions were to expire after 15 years. ___ POSTAL SERVICE TRUMP: One of the things the Post Office loses so much money on is the delivering packages for Amazon and these others. Every time they deliver a package, they probably lose three or four dollars. Thats not good. remarks Monday to reporters. THE FACTS: Thats not true. While the U.S. Postal Service has lost money for 13 years, package delivery is not the reason. Boosted by e-commerce, the Postal Service has enjoyed double-digit increases in revenue from delivering packages, but that hasnt been enough to offset pension and health care costs as well as declines in first-class letters and marketing mail. Together, letters and marketing mail in recent years have comprised up to two-thirds of postal revenue. In arguing that the Postal Service is losing money on delivering packages for Amazon, Trump appears to be citing some Wall Street analyses that argue the Postal Services formula for calculating its costs is outdated. A 2017 analysis by Citigroup did conclude that the service was charging below market rates as a whole on parcels. Still, federal regulators have reviewed the Amazon contract with the Postal Service each year and found it profitable. To become financially stable, the Postal Service has urged Congress for years to give it relief from the mandate to prefund retiree health benefits. Legislation in 2006 required the Postal Service to fund 75 years worth of retiree health benefits, at an estimated cost of $5 billion per year, something that the government and private companies don't have to do. In the most recent quarter, for instance, package delivery rose 53% at the Postal Service as homebound people during the pandemic shifted online for their shopping. But the gain in deliveries was offset by the continued declines in first-class mail as well as costs for personal protective equipment and to replace workers who got sick during the pandemic. The biggest factor was the prepayment of retiree health benefits, which Congress imposed and only Congress can take away. As a quasi-government agency, the Postal Service also is required under law to provide mail delivery to millions of U.S. residences at affordable and uniform rates. It does not use taxpayer money for its operations and supports operations with the sales of stamps and other mail products. ___ TRUMP: We want to make sure that the Post Office runs properly and it hasnt run properly for many years, for probably 50 years. Its run very badly. So we want to make sure that the Post Office runs properly and doesnt lose billions of dollars. remarks Monday to reporters. THE FACTS: Trump offered no evidence of broad mismanagement at the Postal Service that dates back 50 years. The Postal Service started losing billions, as Trump put it, after the 2006 law mandating health prefunding took effect. Those billion-dollar payments, which coincided with the 2007-2008 Great Recession and a wider shift toward online bill payments, pushed the Postal Service into the red. Excluding those health payments, it has finished each year with revenue surpluses for most of the past decade. ___ WAGES HILDA SOLIS, former labour secretary, on Biden: "He and President Obama made it easier for home-care workers to organize. They extended overtime pay to more than 4 million workers. Democratic convention Wednesday. THE FACTS: No, Obama and Biden tried to extend overtime pay to an estimated 4 million workers, but it never happened. The Obama administration completed such a rule in May 2016, but it was ultimately blocked by a federal judge after 21 states sued the Labor Department. In 2019, the Trump administration extended overtime for an estimated 1.3 million workers in home health care, retail, fast food and certain other low-wage jobs. ___ BERNIE SANDERS, Vermont senator: Joe supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This will give 40 million workers a pay raise and push the wage scale up for everyone else. Democratic convention Monday. THE FACTS: Not likely. He's taking an optimistic projection as a certainty. He's referring to a 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think-tank that estimated $15 an hour by 2025 would directly raise wages for 28 million and indirectly for 11 million. Even that study doesnt say wage scales would go up for everyone." A July 2019 report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found a much less significant impact, and some likely costs, from a $15 federal minimum. The office said 1.3 million workers could be priced out of the market and lose their job if a $15 minimum wage were federally mandated. It also projected far fewer workers roughly 27 million total would see a pay increase as a result. ___ FLOYD PROTESTS TRUMP, on unrest in Minnesota after George Floyd died in the custody of Minneapolis police: When I sent in the National Guard, thats when it all stopped. speech Monday in Mankato, Minnesota. THE FACTS: False. Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, deployed the Minnesota National Guard, not Trump. The president didnt send forces to the streets in Minnesota. He repeatedly claims that he did. In the speech, Trump went on to say he urged Minnesota officials to deploy the Guard and they should have done it a lot sooner, thereby acknowledging, if indirectly, that the order wasnt his. But Walz said he mobilized the Guard at the request of city officials, not because Trump wanted him to. ___ TRADE TRUMP, on Chinas adherence to the trade deal his administration negotiated with Beijing: They are living theyre more than living ... up to it. ... Because they know Im very angry at them. Fox & Friends interview Monday. THE FACTS: Thats not true. China is falling well short of its commitments under the trade deal. The Peterson Institute for International Economics, which has been tracking Chinas purchases, found this month that U.S. exports of goods to China should have totalled $71.3 billion from January through June to be on track to reach this years target under the Phase 1 deal. Instead, they topped out at $33.1 billion, only 46% of what they should be. The shortfall in promised Chinese purchases of U.S. farm products is even bigger. Those purchases totalled $6.5 billion, only 39% of purchases that should have reached $16.7 billion through June. The gap is perhaps not surprising, given that world trade has been badly disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. But Trump did not negotiate provisions giving China leeway in any downturn. Its conceivable, if unlikely, that Chinese purchases will pick up in the second half of the year enough to make up for the shortfall. But in no sense is China more than living up to the deal now. ___ 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. Associated Press writers Paul Wiseman and Matthew Daly in Washington and Amanda Seitz in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck For the past 30 years, Van Dinh Thanh has travelled widely to collect ancient stones, which have helped scientists and ordinary people understand more about prehistoric times. The 67-year-old, based in Kon Tum City, the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, now possesses a collection of 15,000 ancient objects that belonged to prehistoric people of various eras. Thanh keeps the objects like his treasure. Thanh said after graduating from Phu Tho Technique Institute in the northern province of Phu Tho as an engineer, he studied two more years at the institute and stayed there to work as a teacher for five years. He then returned to Kon Tum to live and worked for a machinery collective. In 1989, he went to Lung Leng Village, Sa Binh Commune, Sa Thay District, with a friend to work at a local gold mine, which was not banned at that time. Since then, he has collected many strange stones. Thanh introduces his treasures to a visitor. VNS Photo Pham Hoang At that time, only people searching for gold and locals could find strange stones, he recalled. Locals here were very poor. So I exchanged food and clothes for strange stones, mostly in the form of axes and hoes like working tools of early people." "Though they are dead stones, they have special attractions to me, he said. By 1990, Thanh had collected more than 2,000 big and small stones. He then time read articles and knew the stones were made intentionally by early people. In 1993, researcher Nguyen Khac Su, head of the Stone Age Research Department of the Vietnam Social Science Academy, and some colleagues visited Thanh and stayed at his home for seven days to research the stones. Su explained the stones to me, Thanh said. The stones that seemed to have no value have been defined as priceless stone working tools that were used in the daily life of early people living in the Central Highlands. Thanks to Sus instruction, Thanh could classify the stones into different groups of different eras, forms and materials. Ancient stones In his old house, valuable objects dating back thousands of years are placed tidily on cupboards. Stone objects of various eras. The rest are kept in boxes. Thanh keeps a notebook, where he lists all the objects he keeps, as well as where and when he collected them. He now has 15,000 stone objects. Thanh is planning a private museum to exhibit and preserve objects by prehistoric humans. Ancient objects are like my brainchildren with all my enthusiasm, he said. The objects are also traditional holy objects handed down by our predecessors." Thanh said he is getting old with health troubles and is worried no one will replace him to preserve the objects. Thanhs collection contains objects from the later period of the New Stone Age to the early Metal Age, from 4,000-2,000 years ago. His collection of stone working tools. Prof Su said the most striking value of the collection is the huge materials and diversified objects reflecting different angles of economic, cultural and social activities of prehistoric society in Kon Tum. The residents used to live and exploit land areas along the banks of the Dak Bla and Krong Poko rivers, in todays Sa Thay District, Duc Co District and Kon Tum Town, Su noted. VNS Pham Hoang Primitive human traces found in Tuyen Quang province Evidence of primitive humans have been found in several sites in the mountainous area of Chiem Hoa district, the northern province of Tuyen Quang, according to archaeologists. A California court ordered President Donald Trump to pay Stephanie Clifford, the adult-film actress known as Stormy Daniels, $44,100 to cover her legal fees stemming from a dispute over a nondisclosure agreement. The Superior Court of California in Los Angeles ruled that Clifford was the prevailing party in the dispute and therefore won the right to have her legal fees paid by Trump, according to a copy of the ruling posted by the court and by Clifford's lawyer. "Yup. Another win!" the Stormy Daniels Twitter account tweeted on Friday. White House officials, and lawyers for Trump and Clifford, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The dispute involved a nondisclosure agreement Clifford signed in 2016 in exchange for a $130,000 payment from Trump's personal lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen. The agreement prevented Clifford from speaking about an affair she alleges she and Trump had from 2006 to 2007. Trump has denied having the affair. Trump at one point said he knew nothing about the agreement or payment, which The Washington Post's Fact Checker declared was "a lie." Cohen later said in court that he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization for the payment to Clifford, and that Trump knew about it. In 2018, Clifford filed a case asking the Los Angeles Superior Court to void the agreement, kicking off a legal battle. Trump's lawyers later agreed out of court not to enforce the agreement. In its latest ruling dated August 17, the Los Angeles court said that outcome meant Clifford was ultimately the prevailing party in the dispute, and was entitled to have her legal fees covered. Trump has for years relied on broadly worded nondisclosure agreements as a powerful weapon against anyone who would say something critical of him. In addition to Clifford, others who have signed these agreements include two ex-wives, contestants on "The Apprentice," campaign workers and business associates. - - - The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim contributed to this article. The government is considering to hold the monsoon assembly session under the open sky in a park here in view of the pandemic situation, State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Saturday. Nath, who visited Heritage Park here during the day, said the session is scheduled in the third week of September and it will be difficult to maintain social distancing in the assembly house. "It will not be right to hold the session in the assembly house ... Assembly sessions in many states were held outside the assembly building with restrictions. The government is also planning to hold the monsoon session outside the assembly house so that all precautionary measures can be taken properly, he told reporters. The five-day budget session which began on March 20 was cut short to two days due to the outbreak of The session was called off soon after the budget was passed in the assembly. It is mandatory to organize assembly session within a gap of six months, the law minister said adding he is visiting the park to see if it will be possible to hold the assembly session there. "However, the final decision on holding the assembly session in the open is yet to be taken ... States like Assam had held their assembly sessions with 50 per cent of the total legislator strength to maintain social distancing, Nath 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.) Two tropical storms headed for the Gulf of Mexico have a potential to hit Texas, local forecasters say. Tropical Storm Marco had initially been the focus for Texas. Forecasters thought Tropical Storm Laura would head toward Florida and the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. But as of Friday evening, some tracking models had Tropical Storm Laura coming farther west. If that were to occur, it could actually approach our area late next week, said Dan Reilly, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Services Houston/Galveston office. So earlier we were thinking TD 14 was going to be the main storm for us, and that still may be the case, but Tropical Storm Laura is something we will have to keep an eye on. During a presentation recorded Friday at 4:30 p.m., Reilly said Tropical Storm Marco had been slow to organize, but it was upgraded from a tropical depression at 10 p.m. It is forecast to cross the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and entering the Gulf on Sunday and Monday, approaching the coast of Texas or Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center said tropical-storm-force winds could arrive Monday night or Tuesday morning. TEXAS FLOOD MAP: Your guide to long-term flood-risk data for Houston neighborhoods Exactly where that occurs is actually a bit more uncertain now than we were thinking even earlier today, Reilly said in his presentation, noting that some tracking models were taking the storm toward Mexico and South Texas while other models were bringing it toward Louisiana. Tropical Storm Laura had a similarly uncertain path, though the National Hurricane Center forecast at 7 p.m. still had it curving to a coastline east of Texas. It could strengthen to a hurricane before making landfall. The models are not handling the track of these storms very well, Reilly said, and weve got multiple systems were dealing with. So the steering flow is very complicated. Still, local officials have begun their preparations. Houston Public Works is monitoring the storms and, if they develop, is preparing to lower Lake Houston by possibly 6 to 12 inches, bringing the lake to 40.5 feet or 40 feet. Forecasts can change quickly and residents should be prepared in the event Lake Houston needs to be lowered this weekend, read an email from City Council member Dave Martin suggesting residents secure their boats and take other precautions. Both lakes within the San Jacinto Watershed are approximately one foot lower than their conservation pool, which means immediate lowering is not necessary based on existing forecasts. Houston Public Works, the Houston Police Department and the Houston Fire Department are placing high-water vehicles and barriers near locations known to flood. And Mayor Sylvester Turner suggested Houstonians add masks and hand sanitizer or soap to their hurricane preparedness kits. He also said they should get tested for COVID-19. If there is a need to evacuate, and Houstonians must stay with friends or go to a shelter, they should know if they have COVID-19. For those of us who live along the Gulf Coast, it is critically important during hurricane season for us to get tested, Turner said during a news conference. And quite frankly, it would be selfish on your part not to. If shelters are needed, the public will be required to wear masks. First responders and Public Works employees will also be wearing personal protective equipment, and the George R. Brown Convention Center would be an evacuation hub with additional shelters and the possibility of having hotel rooms, too used to take in people while maintaining social distancing. This upcoming week which could have two storm systems marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. Houston is planning to host a five-day virtual Climate Week next week, though that will depend on these storms. Weve been battle tested several times, many times, Turner said, but the COVID-19 pandemic creates some additional challenges. Hannah Dellinger contributed to this report. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder A Tale of Two Pollsters: How China's Copycat Muddies The Waters in Hong Kong 2020-08-21 -- Beijing-backed media in Hong Kong recently began citing public opinion research findings from a previously unknown pollster, with a name that is confusingly similar to a well-known and trusted research body. In early June, the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po cited research carried out by the "Hong Kong Public Opinion Survey Center" and commissioned by the pro-China Our Hong Kong Foundation as saying that the majority welcomed the recent imposition of a draconian national security law on the city. "The latest survey results show that they agree that Hong Kong is responsible for safeguarding national security, and that 'Hong Kong independence' and foreign powers undermine social stability and harm the country," the Wen Wei Po reported on June 11. According to the paper, the poll was based on a random sample of audio interviews with 1,366 Hong Kong residents carried out in early June, and formed part of a portfolio of pro-China reporting paving the way for the national security law, which has begun a crackdown on peaceful dissent and criticism of the government in schools and the media and on the streets since it took effect on July 1. While its results were used as evidence of public support for the new law, professional pollsters questioned its methodology and data. An investigation by RFA found that the organization cited has conducted at least three opinion polls on the national security law in the space of a month, all of which show that respondents overwhelmingly support the development. But a paper trail clearly connects it to the ruling Chinese Communist Party's representatives in Hong Kong. The organization which produced the research was initially hard to trace, especially as its name in Chinese is very similar to that of the well-established and respected Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI), which was once run by the University of Hong Kong (HKU), but was recently made independent. However, a July 21 PORI poll found that public ratings of the city for "freedom" and "stability" had fallen significantly compared with an earlier survey in April, while public perception of "prosperity" had reached a record low since July 2003, along with ratings of "civilization," "equality," and "fairness." Public perception of academic, artistic, and journalistic freedom, as well as the freedom to protest and demonstrate also fell significantly, the PORI survey found. Since its first survey was commissioned, the Our Hong Kong Foundation has issued three press releases claiming widespread public support for the law, each of which cited the center's findings, but with changing results that showed public support trending higher each time, from 57 percent in early June, to 64 percent, and then 67 percent more recently. No details released to media However, unlike the PORI research, which has been a staple of media reporting since before the 1997 handover to China, no detailed data has been released to the media. An employee surnamed Lai at the Our Hong Kong Foundation confirmed that the research had been commissioned by his organization, but declined to comment further. "Our latest public opinion research has focused on this issue," Lai said. "All of the material that is allowed to be made public is already in the press releases." A detailed online search confirmed that unlike the detailed data released by PORI, there is no additional or more detailed information available on the polls. However, some references cited the research as being under the aegis of the University of Hong Kong's social sciences department, while others had mislabeled it as originating with PORI, prompting heated debates about its origins in online forums and chat rooms. No other references to the organization were found prior to late May. A company search showed that it had indeed registered as a company, the only way for civic organizations to be considered legitimate in Hong Kong. Among its registered directors is Ma Fung-kwok, a Hong Kong deputy to China's National People's Congress (NPC), the body charged with issuing political decrees on Hong Kong via "interpretations" made by its standing committee. The Our Hong Kong Foundation is listed as a think tank founded by the pro-China Bauhinia magazine, which is in turn indirectly owned by a company under the aegis of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Its founding chairman is former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa. 'This isn't normal practice' Chung Kim-wah, assistant professor of social policy at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University who works with PORI, said he had recently been made aware that a pro-China pollster was using a similar name to PORI's to publish substandard research. "I have noticed that they have never released their questionnaires or sampling methods to the public," Chung told RFA. "This isn't normal practice in the field of public opinion research." "We [at PORI] openly disclose all of our survey data, the questionnaires are openly available to the public, and the sampling method can be seen by everyone," he said. "We even tell people how we calculate the weighting." "For a survey to retain public respect in the long term ... it needs to be transparent, with a methodology that stands up to scrutiny, and which meets the requirements of the profession," Chung said. He said the move was similar to an attempt by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to claim broad public support for the national security law through a signature campaign that garnered three million names. "The Our Hong Kong Foundation was founded by Tung Chee-hwa a few years ago, and it's like the Hong Kong Coalition. They are all run by the same bunch of people, all of whom are interconnected," Chung said. Political pressure on pollsters Hong Kong's pollsters first came under political pressure in 2000, when Robert Chung, then director of the Public Opinion Programme at HKU, canceled a popularity survey of Tung's administration after being pressured by the then chief executive's aide. PORI itself was raided by police on the eve of democratic primary elections in Hong Kong last month. He said PORI's loss of university funding could also have been the result of behind-the-scenes pressure from Chinese or Hong Kong officials. "Since the 2014 Umbrella movement in particular, I have had the feeling that the government may have some kind of tacit understanding with the management of some universities to limit freedom of expression as much as possible, and to limit their sense of social responsibility," Chung said. He said PORI had lost funding from HKU and now shares offices with non-government groups. But he said public opinion had meanwhile turned strongly anti-government since Lam first proposed allowing extradition to mainland China, sparking a year of anti-government protests that culminated in the permanent stationing of mainland Chinese state security police in the city. "Both the government and the pro-establishment camp should take account of [genuine] public opinion in the process of taking decisions," Chung said. Simple methodology Sing Ming, an associate professor of social science at the University of Science and Technology, believes that pro-China opinion polls are likely to keep popping up with increasing frequency. "The methodology of those polls is likely very simple, in order to rationalize some highly controversial policies of the government, especially those that suppress human rights in Hong Kong," Sing told RFA. "I also think it is worth noting that the mainstream media, including TV stations, will be suppressed and manipulated more and more via their sources of funding," he said. "In that case, the manipulated opinion polls will start to take root via the mainstream media." Chung said those in power should take account of genuine public opinion, but that their refusal to do so had led Hong Kong to its current situation. He said he would have no regrets if he were jailed because of his public opinion research work. Reported by Gigi Lee and Tam Yiu-chung for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday accused members of the deep state" at the Food and Drug Administration, without providing evidence, of working to slow testing of COVID-19 vaccines until after the November presidential election. In a Twitter post, Trump said the deep state or whoever" at the FDA was making it very difficult for drug companies to enroll people in clinical trials to test vaccines and therapies for the novel coronavirus. The comment came after Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday that a top FDA official said he would resign if the Trump administration approved a vaccine before it was shown to be safe and effective. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!" Trump wrote, tagging FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in the tweet. Trump often uses Twitter to criticize federal agencies, sometimes accusing them of being controlled by the deep state" in an apparent reference to long-serving staff who, in Trumps eyes, are determined to undermine his agenda. His tweet increases the pressure on the FDA after Peter Marks, director of its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, last week said on a conference call with government officials, pharmaceutical executives and academics that he would resign if the agency rubber-stamped an unproven vaccine. Scientists, public health officials and lawmakers are worried that the Trump administration will push the FDA to approve a vaccine in advance of the vote, even if data from clinical trials do not support its widespread use. Marks, whose division regulates cutting-edge biotech treatments, vaccines and gene therapies, told Reuters he has not faced any political pressure and that the FDA would be guided by science alone. Should that change, he said on Thursday, I would feel obligated (to resign) because in doing so, I would indicate to the American public that theres something wrong." We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. If all goes as planned, Delhi will have as many as 2,000 electric public transport buses by the end of 2021 and owners of electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers will be able to charge their vehicles at the existing fuel stations, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said on Saturday. The development comes after RK Singh, Union minister of state (independent charge) for power and non-renewable energy, held a meeting with minister Gahlot and senior officials from the Centre and state power and transport departments on Thursday (August 20). Singhs office did not respond to calls and messages seeking his comment on the issue. But Gahlot said, We had a very fruitful discussion with the Union minister. He (Singh) has assured to get us subsidies from the Central governments FAME II scheme for 700 more electric buses which will take Delhis total count of proposed e-buses to 2,000. The Centres support will act as a huge catalyst to the policy, and motivate more people and organisations to switch to EVs. The Central governments second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme provides cash incentives for the purchase of EVs, and was intended to push the two-wheeler market, apart from heavy passenger and goods transport vehicles, with an approved budget of 10,000 crore. He said the Delhi EV policy, notified on August 8 by the Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Delhi government, was also extensively discussed with the Union minister. The first leg of the policy targets installation of 200 charging stations within the city in the next year, such that there is a charging station every 3km. Upon hearing this, the Union minister said the power ministry will explore the possibility of setting up EV charging points at all existing fuel stations in the national capital. If that happens, then there is no stopping Delhi from becoming the EV capital of India, the transport minister said. The Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy aims at having 5 lakh (25% of all new vehicle registrations) electric vehicles in Delhi by 2024. Along with providing category based incentives, it also aims to develop an effective network of charging stations and infrastructure throughout the city. The policy also has provisions to encourage more private players to venture into being partners in the initiative by setting up private charging stations or battery charging points. As per government records, 1,000 electric buses for public transport, which were first committed by the Delhi government over two years ago, are at different phases of delivery. Apart from these, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is going to procure 300 e-buses after it managed to get an approval for subsidies under the Centres FAME II scheme. Senior government officials said owing to the pandemic and the lockdown, the procurement process of these buses got delayed and the delivery of all 1,000 buses is likely to be completed by March next year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Over the past week, the American public was subjected to an eight-hour infomercial, officially termed by the Democratic Party a convention, in which the long-time political reactionary Joe Biden was packaged simultaneously as the great American everyman and a miracle cure for Americas problems. Amid celebrity cameos, empty platitudes, and unconvincing personal anecdotes, the vast majority of this weeks telethon was devoid of any actual discussion of program and policies. Behind the hoopla, however, there are significant conflicts within the ruling class, centered primarily on issues of foreign policy. These conflicts were partially revealed on Tuesday night, when the convention aired a pre-recorded segment featuring a group of seven military, intelligence and diplomatic officials who claimed that the Trump administration was not fighting the US wars in the Middle East and pursuing its conflicts with Russia and China aggressively enough. Commenting on Trumps Middle East policy, Brett McGurk, in charge of the US operations in the Middle East under Obama, said, Our military had a policy to maintain our presence in Syria, which Trump went on to abandon. He concluded, Its shameful. Rose Gottemoeller, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO, concluded that Trump hasnt been standing up to Russia and China at all. Another State Department official added, Thanks to Donald Trump, our adversaries are stronger, and bolder. Following the segment, General Colin Powell added that Biden will make it his job to know when anyone dares to threaten us, he will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience. They will know he means business. The business for which Powell is best known is the destruction of Iraq and the death of one million of its inhabitants, based on false claims about weapons of mass destruction. These themes were expanded upon in a letter published Friday by a group of 72 high-level intelligence and military officialsand war criminalsheaded by former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden, declaring their support for Biden. The first of the letters ten bullet points states that Trump has called NATO obsolete, branded Europe a foe, mocked the leaders of Americas closest friends, and threatened to terminate longstanding US alliances. As a result, the letter concludes, Donald Trump has gravely damaged Americas role as a world leader. In other words, the present administration has undermined the fundamental geostrategic aims that have led the United States into three decades of war: The effort to control the Eurasian landmass, including the Middle East. In the four years since Trump became the Republican nominee, a ferocious conflict has been raging within the ruling class, centered on differences over foreign policy, and in particular the hot war being waged between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian forces in its Eastern regions after the US-backed coup in 2014. Instead of focusing on the conflict with Russia that has been the preeminent concern of much of the foreign policy establishment, the Trump administration has been preoccupied with stunting the economic growth of China while building up US military capabilities to fight a war in the Pacific. But here, too, the military and intelligence figures aligned with the Biden campaign feel that the White House has been ineffective. As two of the letters signatories wrote in an article in Foreign Policy magazine, Trump has confronted China by starting trade wars with everyone else rather than involving other imperialist states. Major democratic powers including Japan, France, and Canada are desperate to work with the United States to blunt Chinas predatory technology policies. From the standpoint of the ruling class, it is primarily these differences over foreign policy, not domestic policy, that are being fought out in the election. Facing the greatest social and economic crisis since the Great Depression, domestic policy has been conducted on a largely bipartisan basis. The CARES Act, which sanctioned the multi-trillion-dollar bailout of Wall Street while starving testing and contact tracing, passed unanimously in the Senate and by an unrecorded voice vote in the House. The latest issue of Foreign Affairs, one of the main journals of US geopolitics, lays out some of the concerns of the dominant factions of the state. After nearly four years of turbulence, the lead editorial states, the countrys enemies are stronger, its friends are weaker, and the United States itself is increasingly isolated and prostrate. Its concern is that Trump has proven an unreliable steward of the interests of the ruling class abroad. Dragging his party and the executive branch along, the president has reshaped national policy in his own image: focused on short-term advantage, obsessed with money, and uninterested in everything else. The magazines lead story declares that Trumps unstable and erratic foreign policy has resulted in a situation in which China is wealthier and stronger, North Korea has more nuclear weapons and better missiles and Nicolas Maduro is more entrenched in Venezuela, as is Bashar al-Assad in Syria. From the standpoint of the Biden campaign, the solution to all of these crises is to reassert American dominance and leadership over its traditional allies in Europe and Japan in order to pursue a more aggressive US policy against Russia and China. The United States must again be the world hegemon. The central focus of the new administration will be reclaiming Americas place in the world through the reassertion of American exceptionalism, stated Joe Biden adviser Jake Sullivan in the Atlantic . Earlier this year, Biden published an article entitled Rescuing U.S. Foreign Policy After Trump in the March/April issue of Foreign Affairs. In that article, he declares, that to counter Russian aggression, we must keep the alliances military capabilities sharp. At the same time, the United States needs to get tough with China. The most effective way to meet that challenge is to build a united front of U.S. allies and partners to confront China. But while the latest issue of Foreign Affairs may be titled The World Trump Made, the geopolitical debacle facing the United States did not spring from Trumps head. Trump did not make the world. Rather, the worldand, specifically, the crisis of American imperialismmade Trump. The decline in the hegemonic position of the United States extends over a period of decades and was already evident prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990-91. The dissolution of American imperialisms Cold War adversary was seized on by the strategists of the American ruling class to declare a unipolar moment. The United States could utilize its unrivaled military power to counter its declining economic position through force. The endless series of wars launched by the United States over the past three decades have destroyed entire societiesin Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen, among others. But they have failed to reverse US imperialisms fortunes. Moreover, they have profoundly distorted and brutalized American society itself: a process of which the fascistic Trump administration is an expression. Even prior to Trumps inauguration, there were growing tensions between the US and its erstwhile allies in Europe. The coronavirus pandemic and the disastrous response of the ruling class to ita policy that has been bipartisanhas further eroded the global position of American capitalism. American imperialism confronts intractable problems, and first among them is the growth of social opposition within the United States itself. Among the considerations motivating support for the Biden campaign within the ruling class is the hope that it can somehow establish a broader base for imperialist aggression abroad. The promotion of identity politics is aimed at further integrating privileged sections of the upper middle class behind the project of global domination. This is what Kamala Harris represents. A Biden/Harris administration will not inaugurate a new dawn of American hegemony. Rather, the attempt to assert this hegemony will be through unprecedented violence. If it is brought to powerwith the support of the assemblage of reactionaries responsible for the worst crimes of the 21st centuryit will be committed to a vast expansion of war. Trump and Pompeo are barreling headlong toward a conflict with China. Bidens critique of this disastrous course is that the United States needs to get tough, whether against Russia, China, Afghanistan, Syria, or everywhere in between. The American ruling class, moreover, confronts in the growth of the class struggle the most serious threat to its geopolitical ambitions. Whichever course is ultimately determined by the election, US imperialism has, as the World Socialist Web Site warned in the run-up to the Iraq war, a rendezvous with disaster. All factions of the US state are united on a course of action that will lead to the deaths of countless millions. The struggle against war will not go forward through the selection of either Trump or Biden, but through the independent struggle of the working class. A five-member medical board of forensic experts was formed by the AIIMS on Friday to look into the autopsy files related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, after the CBI approached the hospital for assistance. "We will look into the possibility of murder. However, all probable angles will be thoroughly examined," AIIMS' forensic department chief Dr Sudhir Gupta, who will lead the team, told PTI. He said the team will evaluate the injury pattern on Rajput's body and correlate it with circumstantial evidence. "The preserved viscera will be examined and the anti-depressants that were given to Rajput will also be analysed at the AIIMS laboratory," Gupta said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached the forensic department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Friday for its medico-legal opinion in the case. In a letter to the premier medical institute, the central probe agency said it will provide the team of forensic experts with the necessary medical papers, post-mortem reports, videographs and viscera reports at the earliest. "It is in connection with the investigation of Sushant Singh Rajput death case, a medical board of doctors of AIIMS, New Delhi is required to be constituted for providing expert medical opinion in the case. "Necessary medical papers, post-mortem reports, viscera reports will be provided at earliest. It is, therefore, requested that a medical board of doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi may please be constituted and deputed for visiting the place of occurrence at Mumbai at earliest," the CBI said in its letter. File image Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said people should not forget their social responsibility of wearing masks and avoiding crowding while welcoming Lord Ganesh. Thackeray also said he prayed to Lord Ganesh to rid the world of the coronavirus pandemic on the first day of the 10-day festival. Speaking after performing Ganesh puja at his official residence 'Varsha', the chief minister said Lord Ganesh, who is the remover of obstacles and bestower of happiness, was watching how his devotees were welcoming him by keeping in mind their social responsibility during the pandemic. "Usually, the festival is organised with pomp and gaiety, which is lacking this time due to the prevailing situation. This is a test for us. I urge you not to forget your social responsibility of wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and avoiding crowding. People should keep washing their hands frequently," he said. Ganesh festival is the biggest festival in Maharashtra wherein idols are consecrated in public places and at houses. Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, said he prayed to Lord Ganesh for good health and well being of everybody and for a "miracle" to rid the world of the virus. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here On Friday, the big Australian insurance firm Suncorp announced it would no longer invest in, finance or insure any new oil and gas ventures. That's on top of its policy banning dealings with new thermal coal. It has pledged to phase out all its thermal coal exposures within five years. Loading Also on Friday, it was reported that Australia's biggest electricity generator, AGL, had lodged planning documents disclosing its first concrete steps towards shutting its coal-fired Liddell power station in 2022. The big Liddell generators in NSW's Hunter Valley are almost 50 years old. The plant is past its useful life. AGL, Australia's No. 1 emitter, has committed itself to net-zero emissions by 2050. It, too, will link executive pay to meeting its emissions target. New renewable energy projects are placed to take over Liddell's workload of making electricity, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. All of these outfits BHP, the Farmers Federation, Suncorp insurance, AGL energy have been mainstays of the status quo and part of the infrastructure of the carbon-based economy. They are not early movers. Far from it. They are laggards. Even some of the world's biggest fossil fuel companies, including BP and Shell, and the world's most rapacious Wall Street financiers such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan were ahead of them in announcing big commitments to cut emissions and begin moving away from coal and oil. Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit: These businesses are the foundations of the carboniferous age. They recognise they face a question of commercial survival. BP's chief executive, Bernard Looney, said: "We are aiming to earn back the trust of society. We have got to change, and change profoundly." Loading And it's not just trust, not just the social licence to operate. You can't make a mighty carbon capitalist repent of his ways unless his billions are directly threatened. And they are threatened by price competitiveness. In much of the world, but especially here: "In Australia, renewables are by far the cheapest new source of bulk generation," says a Sydney-based energy analyst for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Lara Panjkov. "All the big oil companies, the big car companies, the big utilities are hedging their bets," observes Giles Parkinson, founder and editor of Australia's Renew Economy website. "Each one is going to split itself into two companies one good, one bad, one dirty, one clean. The dirty ones will gradually die and the new ones will take over unencumbered by their dirty pasts." Parkinson points to the market capitalisation of electric carmaker Tesla. It's the most valuable US car manufacturer of all time. And it's now valued at three times the combined market cap of all three biggest US automakers, GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler. Tesla isn't the only one that makes electric vehicles all the big three are working on multiple EV models too. But Tesla is the only one that does not make petrol-powered cars. Australia has lost a decade courtesy of Canberra. The Australian transition started pretty well. For a while, both major parties accepted reality. Recall that John Howard and Kevin Rudd both went to the 2007 election committed to a carbon emissions trading scheme. The bipartisan consensus was broken by the partnership of Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce. They skilfully created a fantasist populism. As a political manoeuvre, it was brilliant. Each used the issue to take the leadership of his party and to bring down a Labor government. Two Labor governments, actually. Scott Morrison exuberantly embraced their style, holding aloft a lump of coal in the House of Representatives. It probably helped him win last year's election. Loading The Morrison government knows that it must move on, but it has so far moved very slowly, cautiously and stealthily. It has enabled the states to get on with multi-billion-dollar renewables plans, for instance, but remains inert on its own policies. Labor, recovering from the trauma of last year's election, has yet to decide its policy for the next. But in the interim its Hunter Valley MP Joel Fitzgibbon has embarked on a one-man campaign to force Labor to dump its energy and emissions policies to move closer to the government's. Labor is most unlikely to follow his lead. He's re-litigating the last election. But, like Abbott and Joyce from the other side of the chamber, he's marking out his own populist political brand at the expense of his party. And the future of the country. And it's driving many in Labor crazy with frustration. In the real world, Australia's lost decade now presents it with a set of urgent problems. First is keeping the lights on. "There's a big problem in NSW," Matt Kean explains. "It took NSW 60 years to build the existing power grid. All the generators, all the substations, all the poles and wires, everything. In the next 15 years, four of the five existing power stations will close. It has nothing to do with climate change. These are old pieces of machinery. "I'm going to have to replace the majority of that in 15 years. It's huge. And we have fiddled while the whole thing burned. Sitting on our hands has failed for the last decade." What of the argument that only coal or gas can make up the looming shortfall in reliable electricity? It's flat wrong: "Our analysis," says Bloomberg NEF's Panjkov, "suggests that co-locating renewables and batteries can be attractive for the provision of new dispatchable power. Today we estimate that approximately 711 megawatts of new renewable energy plants with paired storage have secured financing." Everyone knows that Tesla built a "big battery" in South Australia to help with back-up power. Did you know that France's Neoen is proposing to invest $3 billion in a solar and wind project in South Australia with a battery 10 times the size of Tesla's? The technology is moving on apace. The other problem is economic survival. Kean again: "Take climate change out. There are global megatrends moving. If you are still producing goods high in carbon intensity, you won't be able to export," a reference to the move for countries to impose trade tariffs on carbon offenders. "Can you imagine the impact on our national prosperity if we can't trade? Certain politicians are screaming and shouting the populist line but the reality is it's holding our economy back." So this presents Australia with urgent problems, but also urgent solutions. As the country looks to emerge from the COVID-cratered economic disaster it's now in, renewable energy presents tremendous opportunity. Loading Australia's renewables, properly exploited, offer the cheapest power source on the planet. The eminent economist Ross Garnaut said this week: "Investments over the next few years will have to make economic sense in the low-carbon global economy of the future. The good news is that there is immense opportunity for profitable investment to build a prosperous place for Australia in that future world economy. The prize from post-pandemic reconstruction is huge." Enormous amounts already have been invested in the sector, but the pace is faltering. Kean is frustrated with the Morrison government's renewables policy constipation under Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor: "Industry needs certainty. Right now, people won't invest. They need to know the RET [renewable energy target] won't be ripped up. They need a long-term energy policy so they can have confidence when they invest." Another element thats been included in Rural Prosperity Nebraska is the Nebraska Rural Poll. For the past 25 years, the annual poll has provided a platform for the states rural residents to share their thoughts and opinions on important statewide issues. The 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll was mailed just after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many schools and workplaces across Nebraska and disrupted agriculture and other industries. Most rural Nebraskans who responded to the poll agreed that infectious diseases will have a major impact in the country in the next few years. Most rural Nebraskans assumed there will be limits on what federal and local governments can do to contain a widespread infectious disease outbreak. University officials scheduled several town hall meetings last fall to hear from the people about the health of rural Nebraska. Several key issues kept coming up. Through these town hall discussions, we wanted to help communities design their own future, Burkhart-Kriesel said. This is the opportunity for different resources to come together and work together in a different way. Two teenage boys are being praised after tackling a gun-wielding man to the ground at a western Sydney pizza shop. The two boys, aged 16 and 13, were congratulated for their 'stupidity and bravery' on Saturday morning after thwarting the hold-up attempt on Friday night. West Sydney Pizza and Pasta manager Anna Chand said she was washing up dishes at about 10pm as the store was closing when the man walked through the back door of the Mount Druitt business. Two teenage boys are being commended by authorities after disarming a gun-wielding man at a western Sydney pizza shop (pictured) She said 16-year-old Cameron Candy was mopping the floor while a 13-year-old boy who cannot be identified for legal reasons was also in the store. 'I turned around and he was holding a gun with two hands just pointing it directly at me,' the mother-of-two said, according to The Daily Telegraph. 'I froze and put my hands up. I was saying, 'I'll go get the money',' she said. She said the two boys then bravely 'acted on instinct' and lunged at the man, who was disguised in a blue surgical mask, and wrestled him onto the ground in moments. The teenagers then restrained the man until police arrived, even handing his car keys over to Ms Chand who said the boys had protected her and were her heroes. Cameron said he was talking to Ms Chand when the intruder busted into the pizza shop which left him stunned at first. 'I froze for about five seconds then chucked the container of bleach at him. I just acted on my instincts. I'm not a hero, I was just trying to protect my manager.' Owner of the business Peter Bullivant said this had been the first robbery attempt in the 20 years he has owned the store and he was extremely proud of the two youngsters. A 47-year-old man from Cranebrook has been charged with attempted robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon and is understood to have briefly fronted Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday. Acting Inspector Ross from Mount Druitt Police commended the boys for their bravery in performing a citizen's arrest. He added a warning, however, that he would not encourage the public to put their safety at risk by taking matter into their own hands in these types of situations. A visitor is checking bottles of Champagne at the Vinexpo Asia Pacific in Hong Kong, on May 27, 2014. On the international financial change, China is very close to pop the Champaign at the end of the year. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) Ministers Stare Down Beijings Latest Trade Salvo Aimed at Australias Wine Sector Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared Australia will never trade away its sovereignty in the face of Beijings latest trade-related salvo, this time targeting the valuable wine sector. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Aug. 18 it was launching an investigation into anti-dumping allegations against Australian wine exporters to China. The claims allege Australian winemakers are deliberately selling wine into the country at below-the-market prices, at times even below production cost, effectively dumping the product into China to drown out local winemakers. Red wine imported from Australia are displayed for sale at supermarkets on June 17, 2015 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) The investigation will also examine whether wine production is being subsidised by the government, which in certain cases, can allow exporters to easily undercut competitors. The investigation could lead to more tariffs being implemented on Australian exports to China. Prime Minister Morrison has dismissed the allegations telling reporters on Aug. 19, We totally dont accept any suggestion that there has been any dumping of Australian wine in China whatsoever. There is no basis against the claims made against the Australian wine industry or subsidies or things of that nature, he added. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on July 9, 2020. (David Gray/Getty Images) We will never trade away our sovereignty in Australia on any issue, Morrison said. We will be consistent, clear, and respectful and we will get on with the business. Morrison also made the point that Australian wines had the second-highest average price in China in the first half of 2020, following New Zealand wines. In fact, Australian wine brands such as Penfolds, are highly regarded by Chinese consumers and tourist. Penfolds is so popular it has had to contend with a copycat brand called Benfords. A Penfolds 1962 vintage Cabernet Shiraz (C), voted number seven in a list of 100 of the worlds greatest ever wines, is flanked (L and R) by 1991 vintage bottles of the famous Penfolds Grange red wine, at a special re-corking clinic in Sydney, 12 July 2006. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images) Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Aug. 18 called the dumping investigation perplexing. Australias wine producers have worked hard for years to establish themselves with a reputation for the highest of quality and for being internationally competitive based on their excellence, he said. Birmingham said the government would defend against the claims and work towards preventing potential tariffs or duties being imposed on the sector. The barley industry in May was hit with 80 percent worth of tariffs, following the Ministry of Commerces findings into anti-dumping allegations against Australian barley exporters. China is currently Australias largest wine export market, accounting for 37 percent of exports valued at over $1 billion (US $792 million) annually. 600 Chinese staff from Pernod Ricard visiting Jacobs Creeks Steingarten Vineyard in South Australias Barossa Valley on July 20, 2010. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images) The wine investigation is the latest Beijing-instigated action targeting key economic trading relationships between China and Australia. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told Sky News on Aug. 19 that all options were on the table for the government including possible World Trade Organization action. He emphasised that the government would follow all formal processes around the investigation. While cabinet members have avoided directly criticising the Chinese regime or any allusion to a trade war between Beijing and Canberra, backbenchers and independent members of Parliament have not been as coy. Queensland Senator Matt Canavan said Beijing was bullying the rest of the world and called for Australia to stand up to this and call it out for what it is, reported AAP. Every Australian business must be very wary and careful about how they interact with a country that is proving itself not to be trusted, he added. Independent senator from South Australia Rex Patrick said the wine probe was politically motivated and ludicrous. Chardonnay grapes lie rotting on the ground at a growers vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula May 6, 2005 in Melbourne, Australia. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images) Patrick, who has been critical of bloated diplomatic staff numbers at Chinese consulates across Australia, said: This is a political issue, it is in effect coercion, and we need to work with a number of other countries to deal with this issue. According to agricultural financing firm Rabobank, Australian food and farming exports to China rose eight percent in the last financial year. Rabobank warned however that Australias exposure to China may have reached its peak and cautioned against concentrating too heavily on the market. Many colleges are welcoming students back for in-person learning and dormitory living this fall semester. Looming over everything: Campuses could shut back down at any time. With COVID-19 cases still high, many colleges are developing shutdown contingency plans alongside their reopening arrangements. At the same time, the pandemic is fueling new debate about whether colleges should charge the same tuition for online and in-person classes. Tuition typically covers the cost of instruction salaries, software, labs and such and that cost at many schools may have increased. The University of North Carolina Wilmington, as an exception, has a different cost structure for online, hybrid and in-person classes. Still, it announced that students won't receive a tuition refund if in-person classes move online this fall. And, after the pivot from it's sister school at Chapel Hill, it told students to prepare for a similar transition if cases rise. That leaves freshman Owen Palmer weighing the possibility that the education he is paying for may not be the one he gets. "I'm taking a risk because (the university) mentioned they can't do refunds," says Palmer. For him, the risk is worth it, but he does wonder what he'll do if the campus has to close. Here's what he and other students can expect as the fall shapes up. Don't expect break on tuition payments Some schools have cut tuition. Hampton University is offering students a 15 percent discount, bringing undergraduate tuition to $12,519. Other schools are offering additional scholarships and grants. But tuition decreases and additional aid aren't the norm. "If I had to make bets, I would say a lot of colleges will be (freezing tuition) until they get a better sense of the economy," says Arun Ponnusamy, chief academic officer at the college admissions and application counseling company Collegewise. That may be happening already. George Mason University in Virginia approved a tuition increase of $450. The University of Michigan approved a 1.9 percent tuition increase. Both schools are planning a mix of online and in-person instruction. Meals and housing refunds likely Many colleges aren't publicizing their shutdown contingency plans or how refunds will work. But students can look to how their school handled refunds in the spring to gauge how fall might play out. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University gave refunds for on-campus housing and meal plans, says William Hudson Jr., the school's vice president for student affairs. If the campus has to shut down this fall, Hudson says the refund structure "would probably be the same." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Other colleges also offered direct refunds for students. For example, Temple University automatically deposited partial refunds for room and board in students' bank accounts. The University of North Carolina Wilmington gave prorated refunds for room and board. But some colleges opted for account credit instead: The University of Arkansas refunded about 20 percent of room and board costs to student accounts. They haven't announced an official plan in case of a fall shutdown, but staff members expect it'll be the same. The University of Alabama offered a prorated refund for room and board, and parking. Students could take a cash refund immediately or apply that amount and an extra 10 percent as an account credit for the fall. How can you prepare? If you're planning to return to campus housing, contact your school and ask about its shutdown contingency plans. You'll want to know what factors would cause it to shut down again. This could be a campus COVID-19 outbreak of a certain size, an increase in local cases or other factors. You can't stop a campus shutdown, but if you know the metrics your school is looking at, you can anticipate it and react more confidently. Churches Helping Churches, a national Christian-based group, is a racially diverse religious coalition that is a financial lifeline for hundreds of congregations hit hard by the pandemic. CHC focuses on urban low-income congregations of predominantly people of color or immigrants. According to CHC research, about 10 percent of those congregations are not sure they can survive the loss of donations and volunteers caused by the pandemic. "In Phase I (April to July 2020) of Churches Helping Churches, we brought faith organizations together to raise over $1.2 million to help low-income churches all over the nation. Hundreds of churches received a $3,000 grant to help them survive through the COVID-19 crisis. From churches on Native American reservations to churches in urban centers," the CHC website states. "In Phase II of CHC, we'll continue to encourage stable churches to build relationships with at-risk churches in their community and help through financial and tangible resources." CHC supplies best practice guidelines for partnerships - big, stable churches seeking struggling churches. CHC will also be providing at-risk churches with $5,000 grants to continue community service projects. According to the coalition, all grants are administered by the nonprofit National Christian Foundation which has been overseeing gifts and donations by religious organizations since 1982. The coalition is spearheaded by the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (40,118 evangelicals), a cluster of youth ministries known as Pulse, the National Latino Evangelical Association, Urban Ministries Inc. (the nation's biggest independent, Black-owned and -operated Christian media company), Movement.org (a national group that tries to persuade corporate leaders to help marginalized members of their communities, and the American Bible Society. Other partners are the Church of God in Christ, the biggest Pentecostal congregation in America, founded by two Black pastors in 1897 and partnered with the historically conservative National Association of Evangelicals, the Prison Fellowship, and Center for Public Justice (a think tank with some controversial views on how religious freedom affects healthcare insurance). This week, some coalition members noted the unusually wide-ranging political and social viewpoints represented by the coalition when CHC announced a new anti-racist movement to tackle police reform and mass incarceration. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. This is an unprecedented coalition of Biblical Christians from all demographics, who are coming together to address racial injustice in strategic and tangible ways, said Justin Giboney, coalition member said in a statement. Were putting partisanship aside to pursue justice as is dictated in the Bible.The American Church is sending a clear, unequivocal message in opposition to injustice and in support of Black and Brown people whove suffered for too long in America. Prayer & Action Justice Initiative issued a statement that read in part: We mourn the loss of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and all others who have lost their lives due to racialized violence. The Church must take these injustices personally and take initiative to expel racial hatred and partiality from our societywe will pursue justice and righteousness in society on His behalf (Isaiah 59:15-16; Micah 6:8; Luke 4:18). Right doctrine without righteous conduct is unfaithfulness (James 2:14-26). Accordingly, to be silent or inactive on racism is immoral. To learn more about Churches Helping Churches, visit https://www.churchrelief.org/ SV Krishna Chaitanya By Express News Service CHENNAI: The ISRO employees at Sriharikota who contracted Covid-19 and are asymptomatic would be provided home treatment due to scarcity of hospital beds in Chennai and Nellore. An official communication issued by the Controller of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (SDSC-Shar), V Kumbakarnan, stated: As number of Covid-19 cases in our community has increased, and due to non-availability of beds at the CHSS-recognised hospitals in Chennai and Nellore, it has been decided to treat asymptomatic patients at home in consultation with the team of physicians and senior doctors. CHSS-recognised hospitals form part of the Contributory Health Services Scheme of the Central government. Immediately on diagnosis of the infection, a team of doctors will monitor the health status of patients and their family members over phone and prescribe medicines. Each family with a positive case will be given a thermometer and pulse oxymeter to monitor health parameters, the communication accessed by The New Indian Express stated. The decision to treat patients at home or hospital shall be at the discretion of medical team on a case-by-case basis. Priority will be given to those with comorbid conditions. They will be shifted to the CHSS-recognised centres, based on the availability of beds. However, all efforts are being taken from the management side to ensure the welfare of employees. All are requested to co-operate, the controller said. In the last two days alone, at least a dozen fresh cases were reported both inside Sriharikota and at the employee colonies in Sullurpet. The space station has already suspended all regular activities temporarily, to contain the spread. The official said, the rocket launch station had been functioning with minimum staff, to take care of critical activities. Figure 7A U.S. Patent No. 8,971,843 Figure 7A from U.S. Patent No. 8,971,843 provides flow chart of one embodiment of the invention covered by the patent. Every individual and every business periodically has the need to talk to an expert a consultant, engineer, architect, designer, writer, researcher, or medical, legal or accounting professional and receive an immediate answer to a question or on-the-spot advice. That technology now exists and it is covered by an international patent portfolio that provides coverage in four nations. U.S. Patent No. 8,971,843 for a Communication Tracking and Billing System is the lead asset in a portfolio that also includes European, Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwanese patents, plus Mexican, Canadian, and Brazilian Patent Applications. The portfolio establishes on on-line business that offer a list of verified professionals in multiple categories. Individuals and businesses seeking to contact a professional visit the site, review the professionals listed there, and select a professional with which to communicate. Each professionals billing rate is listed at the site, and when the communication between the individual or business and the professional is concluded, the client is billed for the professionals time. The assignee of the portfolio, Amana Future, LLC, based in Houston, Tex., will be selling the portfolio at a live auction that will be held Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 4:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings time. Bidders may attend the auction in person or via Zoom, or can submit bids via email or telephone. The highest bidder will be determined at the live auction and the sales transaction will follow shortly. The auction is being conducted at a facility at Newark Freedom International Airport so bidders can fly in and fly back home the same day. The U.S. Patent No. 8,971,843 Communication Tracking and Billing System international patent portfolio is represented by IPOfferings LLC, a leading patent brokerage firm and provider of IP consulting, patent valuation, and patent infringement services. To request the Prospectus for this patent portfolio, contact IPOfferings at patents@IPOfferings.com. To register for auction, contact IPOfferings at patentauction@IPOfferings.com. Twelve years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Paksitan has finally imposed sanctions on the mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi. An order issued on August 18, seen by CNN-News18, calls for seizure of all his properties, freezing of bank accounts and restrictions on travel. "Whereas the United Nations Security Council vide its resolutions has directed to apply travel restrictions, arms embargo and to freeze the funds and other financial resources of certain individuals and entities....(so) without delay and without prior notice, (freeze on) the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities (ordered)," it said. Similar orders have also been passed against Dawood Ibrahim, Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar and 84 others who are members of ISL (ISIS/Daesh), Al-Qaeda, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Taliban, Haqqani Network and their associates. Indian agencies believe this belated action is to escape the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The Paris-based FATF put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019, but the deadline was extended later due to the coronavirus pandemic. The notifications ratified a complete ban on all leaders and members of defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hiding in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas. The paper reported that Saeed, Azhar, Mullah Fazlullah (alias Mullah Radio), Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, Muhammad Yahya Mujahid, Abdul Hakeem Murad, wanted by Interpol, Noor Wali Mehsud, Fazal Raheem Shah of Uzbekistan Liberation Movement, Taliban leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani, Khalil Ahmad Haqqani, Yahya Haqqani, and Ibrahim and his associates were on the list. The notifications said the leadership of the defunct TTP, and other organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, JeM, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tariq Geedar group of TTP, Harkatul Mujahideen, Al Rasheed Trust, Al Akhtar Trust, Tanzim Jaish-al Mohajireen Ansar, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Tanzim Khutba Imam Bukhari, Rabita Trust Lahore, Revival of Islamic Heritage Society of Pakistan, Al-Haramain Foundation Islamabad, Harkat Jihad Al Islami, Islami Jihad Group, Uzbekistan Islami Tehreek, Daesh of Iraq, Emirates of Tanzim Qafqaz working against Russia, and Abdul Haq of Uyghurs of Islamic Freedom Movement of China have been banned. Though various sanctions were in place against almost all of those listed by the UNSC, the government through the new notifications consolidated and documented the previously announced measures. The UNSC Sanctions Committee deals with sanctions on entities and individuals declared as terrorists. All states, including Pakistan, are bound to implement sanctions that include assets freeze, arms embargo and travel ban. It is believed that the latest move by the Pakistan government is part of its efforts to wriggle out of the FATF's grey list. On August 12, Pakistan Parliament's lower house passed four bills related to the tough conditions set by the FATF after the government and the opposition reached a consensus. The legislation was part of the efforts by Pakistan to move to the FATF's white list. In its third and final plenary held virtually in June, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in the grey list as Islamabad failed to check the flow of money to terror groups like LeT and JeM. The plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu. With Pakistan's continuation in the grey list, it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB, and the European Union, further enhancing its problems. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility the global body may put it in the 'Black List' along with North Korea and Iran. The FATF currently has 39 members, including two regional organisations the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. (With inputs from PTI) Prominent Kremlin critic, who is in coma after a suspected poisoning, is evacuated to Berlin for medical care. An earlier version of this story misidentified the radioactive substance used to poison former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. It was polonium-210, not plutonium-210. A plane carrying prominent Russian politician Alexey Navalny who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning has arrived in Berlin from the Siberian city of Omsk, according to Kira Yarmysh, Navalnys spokeswoman. The plane with German doctors took off just after 8am local time (02:00 GMT) on Saturday, after more than 24 hours of wrangling over Alexey Navalnys condition and treatment, with the opposition leaders allies accusing Russian authorities of trying to stop his evacuation. Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from Berlin, said Navalny will be treated at prominent Charite hospital in the German capital. Navalny is still expected here at the Charite area of Berlin with his convoy to take him to the emergency area to start his treatment, he said. . pic.twitter.com/nCw5UsalG8 (@Kira_Yarmysh) August 22, 2020 One of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, Navalny was admitted to an intensive care unit in Omsk on Thursday. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. Russian doctors say there is no evidence of poisoning, and the Kremlin denied the authorities tried to prevent the transfer from happening. Even after German specialists arrived on a plane equipped with advanced medical equipment on Friday morning at his familys behest, Navalnys physicians in Omsk said he was too unstable to move. Navalnys supporters denounced that as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would no longer be traceable. The Omsk medical team relented only after a charity that had organised the medevac plane revealed that the German doctors examined the politician and said he was fit to be transported. Deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital Anatoly Kalinichenko then told reporters that Navalnys condition had stabilised and that physicians didnt mind transferring the politician, given that his relatives were willing to take on the risks. The Kremlin denied resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that it was purely a medical decision. However, the reversal came as international pressure on Russias leadership mounted. On Thursday, leaders of France and Germany said the two countries were ready to offer Navalny and his family any and all assistance and insisted on an investigation into what happened. On Friday, European Union spokeswoman Nabila Massrali added that the bloc was urging Russian authorities to allow him to be taken abroad. Also on Friday, the European Court of Human Rights said it was considering a request from Navalnys supporters that it urge the Russian government to let the politician be moved. The most prominent member of Russias opposition, Navalny campaigned to challenge Putin in the 2018 presidential election but was barred from running. Since then, he has been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of the governing party, United Russia. His Anti-Corruption Foundation has been exposing corruption among government officials, including some at the highest level. But he had to shut the foundation last month after a financially devastating lawsuit from a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera the suspected poisoning of Navalny was not the first time that critics of the Kremlin have been targeted in such a way. He noted the assassination of Russian politician Boris Nemstov in 2015, the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent who died in 2006 after drinking a cup of tea laced with radioactive polonium-210, as well as the case of Sergei Skripal, a Russian spy who spent weeks in critical condition after being poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok in the British city of Salisbury. So clearly, being an outspoken opposition leader or being a corruption fighter or a whistle-blower in Russia is a dangerous business indeed, Cohen said. Navalny was doing a lot of work exposing corruption, including at the highest level and this is what they do to retaliate against their critics. Navalny fell ill while flying back to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk, where had met allies ahead of regional elections next month. His plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, and he was taken on a stretcher, motionless, from the plane and rushed to the hospital. His team made arrangements to transfer him to Charite, a clinic in Berlin that has a history of treating famous foreign leaders and dissidents. While his supporters and family members continue to insist that Navalny was poisoned, doctors in Omsk denied that and put forth another theory. The hospitals chief doctor, Alexander Murakhovsky, said in a video published by Omsk news outlet NGS55 that a metabolic disorder was the most likely diagnosis and that a drop in blood sugar may have caused Navalny to lose consciousness. But Dr Anastasia Vasilyeva, who has ties to Navalny, said that diagnosing the politician with a metabolic disorder says nothing about what may have caused it and it could have been the result of a poisoning. Future Group lenders may take a 40 per cent haircut on their exposure to the conglomerate even after its main businesses are sold to Reliance Industries (RIL). Although the creditors (banks) have been offered the real estate of the Group's companies, they will take some time to recover Rs 13,000 crore dues. As per an arrangement negotiated between Kishore Biyani, promoter of Future Group, RIL, and Indian lenders, the banks will have to wait until RIL brings in money to invest in Future Enterprises Ltd (FEL) after three other group firms are merged into it. Also Read: Reliance-Future Retail deal: Why Kishore Biyani is forced to sell his business to Mukesh Ambani The banks will get around Rs 8,500 crore following RIL's investment after the merger, a source told the Business Standard, adding that "by the time the merger process is over, it will take at least six months, and banks will have to wait till then." Meanwhile, a crucial board meeting of FEL, slated to be held on Saturday, August 22, has been deferred by a week, the company said in a statement. The board was expected to discuss the merger of three group companies- Future Lifestyle, Future Supply Chain and Future Retail- in the meeting. The three firms are likely to be merged into FEL, the news report added. Once the merger process is concluded, RIL will then invest in the merged entity, acquiring a 50 per cent stake in the company. Also Read: The companies Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries plans to buy in days ahead As per the plan, the banks will lend money to the Future Group to prevent it from defaulting on its foreign currency loans due on Monday, August 24. Future Retail had failed to $14 million (around Rs 100 crore) towards a coupon payment for its $500 million senior secured notes. The 30-day grace period ends on Saturday. The sale of controlling stake in Future Retail to Mukesh Ambani's RIL is seen as the biggest setback for Biyani, known as one of the best minds in retail business in India. The situation for Biyani is so bad that had the government not announced exemption of COVID-19 related debt from default and suspension of fresh insolvency cases, his company would currently be facing bankruptcy proceedings. Mumbai: Fishermen in Maharashtra protesting against a proposed Shivaji Maharaj memorial off Mumbai coast have decided to withdraw their agitation, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone. "Fishermen have agreed to withdraw their agitation against Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial Bhoomipujan," a senior official said, after a meeting between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and fishermen association leaders here last night. Fadnavis assured fishermen that the government will look into their concerns. "At the meeting, it was decided to constitute a joint committee to resolve their issues. The CM thanked fishermen associations," the official said. The main feature of the memorial will be a 192-metre-tall statue of the Maratha king. The site is a rocky outcrop roughly 1.5km from the Raj Bhavan shore of Mumbai. Members of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kriti Samiti (AMMKS), an association of fishermen from Cuffe Parade, Machhimar Nagar, Geeta Nagar (near Navy Nagar), near Raj Bhawan and Backbay Parade, had said they will fly black flags on their boats and homes as a sign of protest. Fisherwomen were to form a human chain from Nariman Point to Girgaum Chowpatty, holding black flags, ahead of Modi's arrival for the inauguration, said AMMKS leader Damodar Tandel. The livelihood of 1.5 lakh fishermen residing across five villages in south Mumbai, who have 1,500 large boats and 450 small boats, will be affected by the construction, he had claimed. By ANI MEERUT: In a joint operation, the Meerut Police and Special Task Force (STF) have arrested 12 people for selling NCERT books through illegal means, police said. Police have seized books worth Rs 35 crores and efforts are on to nab the main accused Sachin Gupta. Speaking to ANI, Meerut Police SSP, Ajay Shahni said, "The Joint Team recovered Rs 35 crores worth NCERT books and printing machines. During the initial investigation, we came to know that these books were being sold in Delhi, Uttarakhand and other places through illegal means after being printed." He added that the police are on the lookout for the main accused Sachin Gupta and the further probe is underway. "We have 12 people in custody. The godown where they used to keep books, as well as the place where they used to print books has been sealed," Shahni said. Advocacy groups in Ontario say students with disabilities will face additional obstacles returning to class following the pandemic, leaving parents unsure if their children will be fully and safely included in school reopening plans. The Ontario Autism Coalition and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance held an online town hall meeting Friday to discuss what they say is the provincial governments failure to put parents at ease with the school year looming. OAC president Laura Kirby-McIntosh said when it comes to welcoming children with disabilities back to school, the province is doing the bare minimum at best. The Ministry of Educations guide to reopening Ontario schools is not really a plan, she said in an interview. What we get is some very nice words. Kirby-McIntosh said the provinces school system is designed primarily with non-disabled children in mind, while children with disabilities are treated as an afterthought. One thing that COVID has done very effectively is it has exposed systemic issues across our society of racism, medical infrastructure and now we are getting to school infrastructure. A spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government has allocated $10 million in additional funding specifically dedicated to supporting students with special education needs. We are spending more money than any other province on special education, Caitlin Clark said. However, Kirby-McIntosh said schools run on more than just money. They run on good planning, she said. Yes, they are spending more money on schools, but why wait until the third week of August to announce that? I dont feel that we are ready, it is not good enough. AODA Alliance chair David Lepofsky said both his group and the Autism Coalition have offered plenty of proposals and advice to the government, before and during the pandemic, in relation to students with special needs. Not one public official at the Ministry of Education picked up the phone to ask for more information, and they have done nothing about it, he said. Lepofsky said students with disabilities risk not being fully supported during the pandemic and through their education. Even worse, he said, is the looming fear of being told they can not attend in-person learning come the fall school year. Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird assured parents that when it comes to students with special needs, the board has a number of congregate sites available for them in the fall. These schools specialize in supporting these students and that will continue, he said, noting the TDSB is trying to get as much information as possible to parents in the upcoming days and weeks. We get the frustration from parents, and we understand that there are important decisions to be made in sending your child back to school in September, he said. We realize the time is ticking. Elizabeth's family is not making things easy on 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After. While they've all made the trip to Moldova to celebrate Elizabeth and Andrei's second wedding, they do not look to be in a celebratory mood. It's almost like they're determined to make the worst out of their trip, and are not interested in having a good time even for Elizabeth's sake. In a new sneak peek exclusive to E! News, they make it known just how much Moldovan food is not for them. "I haven't eaten in like a day and a half," Elizabeth's sister Jenn confesses to the camera. "The food so far is just not what I'm used to. Can a girl get some eggs and bacon around here, and not like, raw bacon?" Cut to a scene where Jenn sits at a table full of grapes, bread and other assorted foods most people would be happy to eat. "I feel like I'm gonna lose weight while I'm here, because this food? Like I can't eat any of it," she says, looking at the grapes. Which 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Couples Are Still Together? Her dad, Chuck, agrees. "You know, like, when you go to a dinner and you have to say, 'What's that? What's that? What's that? What's that?'" he says. "That's not good." And how dare Andrei eat the food in his home country, Jenn and Elizabeth's brother Charlie wonders. "Andrei was over here eating that bread with the pork fat on it like it was nothing," he said. "Disgusting, dude!" Jenn then wonders if Moldovans eat pork fat because it's cheap and "it's almost like the scraps." Charlie chimes in, "You're in a poor country, dude." Chuck adds, "They're eating peasant food." And Jenn is not into peasant food. "I'm sorry, like I'm open to trying stuff, but not some s--t like that," she says. Story continues This second wedding is going to go great! Meanwhile, over on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, pregnant Ariela is absolutely devastated that her mom has to go back to the U.S., so her mom and her fiance Biniyam have to do their best to keep her spirits up in another exclusive sneak peek. "This is the worst day ever," Ariela says on the way to the airport, and her mom takes her role as "positive gangster" seriously. "Think happy thoughts, positive," Mom says. "Don't make the baby sad." The clip, which you can watch above, will probably make you want to hug your mom, or at least your dog. 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After airs Sundays at 8 p.m., and The Other Way airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on TLC. Law officers shut down Dana Road 'drug house' Detectives with the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and other law officers closed down what they described as a drug house after seizing more than 2 pounds of heroin, more than a pound of pot and six firearms, the shierff's office said. Jordan StatonThe Drug Task Force detectives with assistance from Department of Homeland Security officers and U.S. Postal Service detectives executed a search warrant at 1494 Dana Road. The search warrant stemmed from an investigation detectives had been conducting on the residence. As a result of search warrant detectives seized 2.15 pounds of black tar heroin, 1.25 pounds of marijuana, six firearms and two suppressors and $1,000 in cash. Juan VeraDetectives arrested two individuals as a result of their investigation and execution of the search warrant. Juan Vera and Jordan Staton, both of Hendersonville, were arrested and charged with trafficking in opium heroin. They were jailed at the Henderson County Detention Center under a $1.5 million secured bond. The investigation is ongoing and additional warrants for both Vera and Staton will likely be issued, the sheriff's office said. The half-acre lot on Dana Road contains a 900-square foot stone house built in 1941. The property valued for tax purposes at $64,400. By Express News Service KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar termed the Mamata Banerjee governments probe into the alleged irregularities in procuring equipment to combat Covid-19 by a three-member committee as a cover-up probe lacking credibility. Dhankhar took to Twitter on Friday to allege scam in pandemic purchases. He said the state government investigation lacks credibility as decision makers are shielding culpability. Post facto saviour mechanism! An independent probe alone can fix culpability. The probe must track the money trail and the ill-gotten gains. Asking the Chief Minister to lift the iron curtain, Dhankhar called for a white paper to indicate total purchases and sourcing. Corruption breeds with lack of transparency. The government formed a three-member panel led by the home secretary following complaints of irregularities in purchasing equipment and gadgets required to treat Covid patients. The panel will go through the records of the past five months and submit a report to the chief secretary. Because of the emergency situation, we had to relax the purchase procedure. There were complaints of irregularities. The CM wants a stern action, said a government official. According to data available with the finance department, the government has allotted more than Rs 2,500 crore to combat the pandemic. The government has already supplied more than 21 lakh PPE, 15.66 lakh N-95 or FFP-2 masks, 70 lakh other types of masks, 40 lakh gloves and 2.5 lakh litre sanitiser to hospitals across the state, said an official. The government procured equipment through the medical service corporation and Tantuja, a unit under the State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society. In some cases, the health department also procured some items. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday expressed hope that Haryana will see Punjab's viewpoint on the issue of Sharda-Yamuna Link canal project. Responding to a question from a Patiala resident during his weekly Facebook live #AskCaptain, the Punjab chief minister also underlined the need to understand and adhere to international principles on water sharing, as per which all agreements on this precious resource have to be reviewed after 25 years. Singh said he had told the same to the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Haryana CM ML Khattar during a video conference meeting with them, convened earlier this week on the directions of the Supreme Court. The Centre on Tuesday had convened a meeting of chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana to discuss the SYL issue following the recent Supreme Court directions. Opposing the SYL project, Amarinder had warned that "Punjab will burn" if the state is forced to share water with Haryana. Meanwhile, Singh also said he had told the Centre and Haryana that the Eradi Commission was 35-year-old and there was need for reassessment of water availability in Punjab, which now has 109 dark blocks as a result of massive detrimental effects on its rivers due to global warming. Punjab has fed the nation and has a much larger cultivated area than Haryana, he pointed out. "Even though other assets were divided between the two states in a 60:40 ratio at the time of Haryana's creation, the same was not done for the Yamuna river water," Singh said. Replying to another question from a Tanda resident on the steps being taken by the Punjab government in response to the three agricultural ordinances introduced by the Centre, the chief minister said his government was strongly opposed to the same and will not accept them at any cost. "The ordinances were aimed at shutting down Food Corporation of India and eliminating the MSP regime," Singh alleged. Assuring fool-proof and efficient arrangements for paddy procurement by his government, the CM urged farmers not to go for early harvesting of rice crop. Making it clear that his government was fully prepared for the paddy procurement, as it had been for wheat, the chief minister said bringing the grain to the 'mandis' early would be detrimental as it would just lie around. The CM appealed to striking employees of 'Group C & D' category of the Secretariat and districts to return to work, saying the government was trying to fulfil their pending demands despite the pandemic situation and the fiscal crisis prevailing in the state. The employees have not reported for work since then, seeking resolution of their pending issues, including restoration of the allowances. Singh said his government was committed to the interests and welfare of all its employees and would resolve their issues as soon as possible. The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday launched its election 2020 manifesto with a promise to provide leadership of service to transform the country forever. The launch which was on the theme leadership of service, protecting our progress, transforming Ghana for all brought together the rank and file of the party including; the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife Mrs Samira Bawumia, the Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Opare and Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu among others. The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his address said the party spent a lot of time consulting broadly, guided by the Partys core values to draft a manifesto that would unearth solutions to the country's myriad of socio-economic challenges. According to him, the manifesto presented solemn social contract between the electorate and the elected candidate which must translate into progress. President Akufo-Addo was proud policies and programmes his government implemented were felt at every corner of the country stressing that, the NPP had provided value for money leadership for Ghanaians. He said due to implementation of prudent economic measures, the once tattered economy was back on its wheel with strong economic fundamentals spurring economic growth and development. He said though the COVID-19 had temporally slowed the momentum, it could not divert the attention of the government from the path of progress. On education, President Akufo- Addo took pride in the fact that free SHS and TVET had been delivered successfully and that the education of Ghanaian children would not be abruptly truncated due to financial difficulty. He acknowledged the fact that the free SHS policy was not easily implemented and as such the next NPP administration would do all that it could to protect and prevent the NDCs so-called review which he said meant cancellation. It was not easily done and so we intend to protect is and prevent any so-called review, another word for cancellation, he said He said Ghanaians could not afford entrusting the free SHS and TVET in the hand of former President Mahama and the NDC because their so-called progressively free education was not properly done. We have no reason to believe the NDCs presidential candidates newly proclaimed conversion to free SHS and TVET. For eight years, he and his party were lauded in their assertions that they did not believe in free SHS and TVET. They did not like the idea, they rubbished it at every single opportunity, proclaiming that it will destroy Ghanas education system. Similarly, he said Ghanaians risk entrusting the countrys agriculture in the hands of the NDC and its president because they would ultimately leave farmers on their own without the support to make them prosper. Giving lightweights of the manifesto, Vice President Mahamdu Bawumia said the next administration of the NPP would abolish the guarantor system of seeking student loan and that students would use national ID card as the key legal requirement to access the loan. He said they would expand access to legal education and complete free Wi-Fi services for SHS and public universities for their studies. On Housing, the Vice President said government would set up a National Rent Control Assistance Scheme as a means of easing the financial burden on low income earnings. He said a seed capital of hundred million Ghana cedis would be allocated to support the scheme for a start as they work to digitise rent control and pass the rent act to ease the accommodation challenges. Other Ministers of state and Members of Parliament took turns to address the gathering and called on Ghanaians to vote for the NPP. 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 Shilajit Mitra By Express News Service In Class of 83, a journalist suggests a smarmy headline for the subjects of his piece. Dirty Harrys of Bombay, he wants to call a squad of homegrown cops. The idea is then stretched: one of the cops wives protests that her husband isnt dirty, mentioning the primness of his laundry. The scene is representative of Atul Sabharwals film: a police drama careful not to taint its leads.We begin in Nashik in 1982. Aslam, Shukla, Varde, Yadav, and Surve are cadets in the police training centre. Terrible at coursework, they belong to the first batch of Dean Vijay Singh, a spectral figure who has never turned up in class or shown his face. Until, one night, he does. Now, here we must pause and brace ourselves. Bobby Deol, as you know, plays the dean. This is the actors Netflix debut, so pains have been taken to make him look gruff and grizzled. The posters showed an aging cop in dad glasses and wispy greys. As jarring as that image was especially for us 90s kids, eternal devotees of the Soldier the film goes a step further. Vijay, still smarting from his punishment posting (he was once a hotshot in the force), takes the band under his wing. He inducts them quietly and trains them in the art of encounter killings. Later, he gets an old friend to install his pupils in Mumbai, as a hit squad against the mob. Institutionalised killing of gangsters by policemen, Vijay explains, glowing up, as though proposing a rock fest. This comes as no surprise. Hindi films have a chronic affinity for staged murders: In Simmba, for example, this was done with naked relish several constables dancing around a CCTV camera to off a rapist. The cops in Class of 83 are more sophisticated: they hide their tracks, plant alibis, and always beat the rap. Adapted from Hussain Zaidis nonfiction book, the evident glee is shocking. We get a glimpse of the corrupting effects of such power, but its all done via suggestion and equivocal tones. Even Vijay, brought back to the force to restrain his kids, chalks it up to errant behavior, so long as his vendetta is served. There are a few nice touches. Vishwajeet Pradhan is fetching as a rugged PT instructor; Mandhbuddhi manus..., he calls a trigger-happy cadet. Numbskull. The cinematography is in a rusted brown: it feels oppressive at first but accentuates the period setting. Vijay dials a politician from a locked phone near a dock. A restaurant alternation is echoed in a later scene, with old friendship giving way to new jealousies. There are also lovely inserts from old newsreels: Marive Drive, Churchgate, strikes in mills. Equally notable is the nagging meta-commentary linked to Bobbys arc. Vijay (also the actors real name) is angry with the system, how it took him in and spit him out. He grumbles at something called the hundred crore club apparently also a thing among cops. For all its comeback-y vibe, Class of 83 doesnt pack a punch. Its a stiff performance buried in cop cliches, from the sob backstory to the messing around with a blade. Briefly, the film allows him some tenderness Vijay watching his son graduate from afar but quickly turns off the mood. As the bodies stack up, Anup Soni, playing a corrupt CM, meets up with his foe. Who thought that cotton mills would disappear from Mumbai? he observes wrly, staring around at crumbling walls. Theres a relish in his voice, but also respect for a city of change. Cast: Bobby Deol, Anup Soni, Vishwajeet Pradhan Director: Atul Sabharwal Produced by: Red Chillies Entertainment The Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead five alleged intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjabs Tarn Taran district early on Saturday, officials said. The BSF personnel from 103rd battalion have also recovered an AK-series rifle and a pistol from the site where these intruders were killed near Dall village of Bhikhiwind sub-division in the district, they added. This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the more than 3,300 km-long border with Pakistan in more than a decade, officials said. Here is what happened at the border: The BSF troops, officials said, first noticed suspicious activity at the border around midnight and launched a focussed surveillance on the intruders. They also set up multiple ambushes along the front after which contact was established early in the morning, just behind the IB fence. According to people familiar with the developments, two men at that point of time were trying to sneak into India. The intruders were seen carrying rifles and were taking the aid of the sarkanda or tall grass to sneak into India, they said. The two men were asked to stop, but they continued their movement, which prompted the troops to open fire. After the firing, a search operation was launched following which the BSF found five bodies. An intensive search operation along the front is underway. The search operation is still going on. It is yet to be ascertained if those who were shot down are Pakistanis. An AK-series rifle and a rucksack has been recover so far. We can tell about the motive of the accused once the operation is finished, said a senior BSF official. (With inputs from PTI) Jorgensen said while the percentage of Black people dying from an overdose (9%) is slightly higher compared to DuPage census numbers (5%), two of the six victims were not DuPage residents. One was from Chicago and the other from out of state, he said. August 22 : While CBI has started investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput case after forming five teams to speed up the work, the central investigative agency has approached the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi to analyse the late actors post-mortem report. ANI has reported that the AIIMS forensic team will examine the injury pattern as mentioned in the medical findings in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. CBI sought the premier research institutes medico-legal opinion. The AIIMS forensic team will examine the injury pattern on the body related to the circumstantial evidence. ANI has quoted AIIMS Forensic Department head Dr Sudhir Gupta, who informed that the team will also analyse other trace evidence preserved at the time of post-mortem to differentiate between hanging and murder. A medical board of forensic experts has also been set up under the chairmanship of Dr Gupta. The AIIMS forensic team will reportedly investigate the cause of death due to hanging or ligature strangulation. AIIMS will also evaluate whether the autopsy findings were correct and see if there is a possibility of judgmental error. Meanwhile, on Friday, the CBI took Sushant Singh Rajputs cook Neeraj into custody for questioning. Neeraj was present at the flat when the late actor was found dead on June 14, 2020. On the other hand, an eyewitness Surjeet Singh Rathore, who is a youth leader of the Karni Sena, told a TV channel that he was with Rhea Chakraborty when she visited the mortuary of the Cooper hospital. Surjeet also claimed that Sushants friend Sandip SSingh is the mastermind behind the death of the actor, and he has already filed a complaint against him with the Mumbai police. Surjeet reportedly told the TV channel that when the official paperwork was happening outside Sushants house, Sandip Ssingh and the police were discussing something about Dubai. He also alleged that Sandip Ssingh was handling everything after the actors death. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery A Black Hebrew Israelite congregation will receive a $3,500 grant from the private, nonprofit New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Grants program to help save its historic but water-damaged Albany church. The Black Hebrew Israelite denomination, called the Church of God and Saints of Christ, was founded in 1896 in Kansas and teaches that Africans are direct descendents of the Israelites. Congregations soon spread across America, Cuba, the West Indies and six African nations. The Albany congregation became known for hosting cultural musical performances and readings, as well as the free services it offered the community such as wellness counseling and tutoring for youth and adults. Many of the Sacred Sites grantees are houses of worship that provide crucial social services, including free meals, addiction counseling and child care. Congregations often agonize over whether to cut such services or pay for badly need repairs especially during the pandemic's tough economic times. The Conservancy announced 21 Sacred Sites Grants totaling $337,000 that were awarded to historic religious properties throughout New York, including the $3,500 Albany grant for the church at 153 Jay St. The beautiful gabled building has suffered severe water damage and needs roof repair. The congregation is barred from worship in the sanctuary until the building is up to code. When the Conservancy's deputy director of grants drove from New York City to meet congregation members and take photos, someone had broken into the church. But help is coming. Sacred Sites Program Director Ann-Isabel Friedman said this first grant will be used for an architect who will examine the church, prioritize the many repairs that need to be done and provide a list of contractors best suited for the work. "It's expected that the church will then apply for a second grant to get the money needed to repair the water damage then roof repairs," she said. The Church of God and Saints of Christ is part of the Center Square/Hudson Park National Register Historic District in downtown Albany. The neighborhood of brick rowhouses is part of the 90-acre Empire Plaza urban renewal area. The two-story red brick building was erected in 1885 as the Fifth Reformed Church. The Church of God and Saints of Christ bought the building in 1978. "Our current grantees have social service programs that reach 53,000 people across New York State," said Conservancy President Peg Breen in a statement. "Our grants help keep these institutions viable, allowing them to continue feeding programs, day care, thrift stores, and recovery meetings. In this time of extreme need, it is even more important to help these congregations continue to serve their communities." The Sacred Sites Program provides congregations with matching grants for planning and implementing exterior restoration projects, technical assistance and workshops. Since 1986, this particular program has pledged 1,547 grants totaling more than $11.8 million to 824 religious institutions statewide. According to a news release, "(s)ince its founding, the Conservancy has loaned and granted more than $52 million, which has leveraged more than $1 billion in 1,550 restoration projects throughout New York, revitalizing communities, providing economic stimulus and supporting local jobs. The Conservancy has also offered countless hours of pro bono technical advice to building owners, both nonprofit organizations and individuals," and has helped save "more than a thousand buildings across New York City and State." For more information, please visit https://nylandmarks.org/what-we-do/grants-loans/sacred-sites/criteria/. (Newser) Organizers tried to figure out a way to keep the Kentucky Derby horse race safe for fans this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, but those efforts have apparently come to naught. Per WLKY, Churchill Downs announced Friday it wouldn't be allowing spectators after all at the Sept. 5 event in Louisville. "Churchill Downs has worked diligently over the last several months to plan a safe Derby with a limited number of spectators in attendance," reads a Churchill Downs statement. "We were confident in that plan, but ... with the current significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Louisville as well as across the region, we needed to again revisit our planning." Officials added, per the Courier Journal: "We deeply regret the disappointment this will bring to our loyal fans." story continues below Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is said to agree with the decision, calling it "right and responsible," per WLKY. Earlier in the week, Beshear had shown data that placed Jefferson County, where Louisville is located, in a "red zone" in terms of coronavirus cases, indicating a "critical" situation. The decision applies not only to the Derby, but also to the Kentucky Oaks and other live races held at Churchill Downs that week. Anyone who'd already purchased tickets to these events will be able to get a full refund. Meanwhile, activists tell the Courier Journal that the Derby should be canceled altogether as a statement in support of bringing justice in the shooting death by Louisville police of unarmed Black EMT Breonna Taylor. "If Breonna Taylor can't get justice, then horses can't run," one activist tells the paper. "Have horses now become more important than Black life?" (Read more Kentucky Derby stories.) Richwood, TX (77531) Today Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers in the afternoon. High 46F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Cloudy with showers. Low 34F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. "Direct equity holdings should have been reduced beforehand if it was not deemed appropriate for that investor's individual goals and circumstances. Decisions like this should not be made in extreme market conditions." Vanguard's Rebecca Pope. Instead of joining the herd in selling off, a more prudent strategy would have been to top up on quality direct equities instead, he says, especially in March and April. "Although emotions could have dictated otherwise, sticking to a repeatable strategy of buying in down markets and taking profits during better times is how best to protect and accumulate wealth over the long term," he advises. To be fair, it should be pointed out that the majority of SMSF investors actually refrained from making changes to their portfolio in the wake of the pandemic. Of the SMSFs analysed, 56 per cent indicated they did not make substantial changes defined as greater than 10 per cent of the fund to their mix of investments and assets over the 12-month period. "It is in no way a majority who are selling off for cash," Investment Trends' Blomfield explains, adding that the changes made by SMSF investors over the period should not be considered "radical". Beyond this specific research, Vanguard Australia's Robin Bowerman says that the passive investing pioneer has seen "net inflows" into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over the period, and estimates that at least 50 per cent of that business came from SMSFs. From his perspective, a good portion of the SMSF community were "not panicking" but instead viewing the volatility as an "opportunity to buy", just as Schindler advises would have been wise. The data does show, however, a marked increase in portfolio changes relative to recent years. While the 56 per cent making minimal changes was still the majority, it was the lowest level recorded in the 11-year history of the research. The number of SMSFs making drastic changes to their portfolio of more than 50 per cent doubled from 4 per cent in 2019 to 8 per cent by May, the highest number on record and above the 6 per cent making asset mix changes in the aftermath of the GFC. Though on the whole SMSFs reduced their exposure to volatile equity markets, they are still pinning their hopes on shares to save their portfolios as we come out of the downturn. Asked about their intentions over the next three months, 37 per cent said they intended to increase their allocation to Australian shares, while just 6 per cent said they intended to decrease that exposure. Twenty-three per cent wanted to top up on international shares, with just 5 per cent planning to reduce global equity holdings. 'Tip of the iceberg' Interestingly, just 5 per cent said they planned to increase their exposure to fixed-income investments like corporate and government bonds, with the same number planning a decrease. The findings indicate SMSFs are lukewarm at best about the fixed-income asset class. Yet at the same time they are increasingly realistic about the dwindling yields available to them via the sharemarket as once reliable companies like the big four banks pull the plug on crucial dividend payments. Expectations of returns from Australian share dividends have fallen among SMSFs to just 3.1 per cent, down from the bullish hopes of 4.8 per cent in January before the pandemic. The finding shows SMSFs are wise to the realities of the downturn. Yet experts are worried they are not choosing the right solution to that identified problem, planning to load up on riskier equities to chase yield, rather than introducing more fixed income to their portfolios. "There is this view that growth assets will outperform in the long run but thats growth, not income so were getting an answer that doesnt really display a deep understanding of the role of fixed income within a portfolio," says Blomfield. "Its just not part of the strategic allocation." Schindler agrees the finding indicates a flawed approach. "Focusing on yield alone, particularly in the current historically low interest environment we are in, means investors are turning their back on a vital piece of their portfolio by looking through a lens which only allows them to see the tip of the iceberg," he says. They could be putting their capital at risk in exchange for what they blindly hope is higher income in the short term, even though they have also said they know that is less likely to come than in the past. Reluctant to increase their allocation to what Blomfield calls "pure fixed income" like bonds, many SMSFs are trying to have their cake and eat it too by stocking up on hybrids relatively complex financial products issued by companies and combining features of bonds and shares. Jay Sivapalan, head of Australian fixed interest at Janus Henderson Investors, says he understands the thinking behind the hybrid exposure to some extent, but adds a stark warning. "Hybrids as an individual security are not bad per se and can have their place in a portfolio," he says. "But they are not defensive." They are lower down the capital structure and they have "non-viability clauses", meaning that if something goes wrong, the hybrid holdings will be converted to shares, which could see investors lose out, he points out. "In short, they are closer to equities than fixed interest." Defensive assets Sivapalan says the data shows SMSFs continue to have a "bias" towards Australian shares and also direct property, holdings in which increased from 13 per cent to 16 per cent year-on-year. "Shares, with a few bumps along the way, may have served them well in the past," Sivapalan says. "However, events like COVID-19 are a timely reminder of the value of diversification and the role defensive assets play." Blomfield says there is likely a link between the lack of demand for and understanding of the more stable yield offered by fixed income and the dwindling habit of SMSFs seeking professional advice from a licensed financial planner. The number of SMSFs advised by a planner fell from 215,000 to 190,000 year-on-year. At the same time, the majority of SMSFs (61 per cent) indicated a preference for free advice like government and investment newsletters over professional, paid advice. The finding comes as the supply of professional financial planning services has declined. There were 22,334 registered financial advisers in Australia as at the end of June, according to research house Rainmaker Information, indicating a 16 per cent decline in the workforce over the past 12 months. It also comes as the profession is rebuilding trust after the scathing findings of the Hayne royal commission, which lashed most of the biggest corporate providers of advice. For Vanguard, there is an opportunity for that trajectory to turn around one that may be in the interests of SMSF performance. "As demand for low-cost, quality advice grows, financial planners are often assessed on their value-for-money proposition," says Vanguard Australia head of intermediary Rebecca Pope. United: Joe Biden and wife Jill embrace during his acceptance speech in the Democratic Convention Centre in Delaware on Thursday. Photo: AP After three nights of searing criticism aimed at President Donald Trump and numerous testimonials about his personal character, Joe Biden took centre stage at his Democratic National Convention on Thursday night in an enviable and yet challenging position. Enviable because he leads in the national and battleground state polls and has a party that has temporarily set aside policy differences to unite behind the goal of defeating Mr Trump. Challenging because, despite those advantages, there are still questions about his vision, his policies, his capacity to lead and his ability to make good on his pledge to unify a divided country. He framed the election as a stark choice, describing a country under Mr Trump as one with "too much anger, too much fear, too much division". He promised as president to be "an ally of the light, not the darkness". The election, he said, is about character, compassion, decency and democracy. "They're all on the ballot." He described his policy aspirations, ticking through a list of issues he has spoken about through the campaign, from climate to education to jobs and the economy. But the strength of the speech was to draw a contrast with the president and to make clear his principal focus if he becomes president will be on the pandemic and the economic recession that has accompanied it. He pledged to "get control of the virus" as the first priority of his presidency. "We'll do what we should have done from the very beginning. Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation," he said. "He's failed to protect us. He failed to protect America... That is unforgivable." There are few moments for a presidential nominee as big as his or her acceptance speech. One test is the selection of a running mate, and in California senator Kamala Harris, Mr Biden successfully checked that box a week ago. Another major test awaits him when he and Mr Trump meet for three debates, the first of which is scheduled for September 29 in Cleveland. But on Thursday night, he checked another box, with an acceptance speech that was thematic, pointed and forcefully delivered. The opening nights of the convention had been good to and for Mr Biden. Party luminaries raised the stakes for the election with grim warnings about democracy at risk. Friends, colleagues and especially his wife, Jill Biden, offered testimony about his resilience, his empathy, his heart and soul. But all conventions ultimately are about how the nominee presents himself or herself - their biography and values, the principles and convictions that shape policy priorities. On Thursday, Mr Biden built on the themes of his nomination campaign to offer a preview of the case he will make between now and November 3 - against the president and for his candidacy. At a time of suffering and uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recession, he presented himself as a person of boundless compassion running against a president who struggles to show any. "If he's given four more years, he'll be what he's been the last four years," he said, "a president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cosies up to dictators and fanned the flames of hate and division". He said Mr Trump will "wake up every day thinking the job is all about him, never about you. Is that the American you want for you, your children, your family?" At a time when the problems confronting the country are among the most difficult any president has faced, he argued that nearly half a century in public life has given him the experience and steadiness needed to bring the country back. It was an implicit contrast with a president whose leadership has drawn harsh reviews from the American people, especially during the current crises. Long before Mr Biden delivered his address, he got a taste of what will come at him next week, when Mr Trump and the Republicans hold their convention, with the main speeches in Washington and party business held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mr Trump went to a site just outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Mr Biden was born, and described an apocalyptic future if the Democratic nominee wins in November. "If you want a vision of your life under [a] Biden presidency," he said, "think of the smouldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago, and imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single town in America." There will be much more aimed at Mr Biden next week and beyond as Mr Trump seeks to discredit his challenger as he did four years ago against Hillary Clinton. So far, the attacks have not landed with the force the Trump campaign had hoped, but there are enough days ahead for that to change, whether by a more disciplined and consistent president or through missteps by the Democratic nominee. Once the Republicans conclude their convention next week, the campaign will enter what could be the most brutal stage yet and how the Democratic nominee responds will be critical to his party's hopes of wresting the White House away from the incumbent. Keeping Mr Biden safe from the coronavirus has been one of his campaign's overriding priorities. For the past five months he has been in relative isolation at his home in Delaware, venturing out occasionally for a policy speech or symbolic gesture. The president and his campaign advisers have repeatedly mocked Mr Biden for staying home, suggesting that this is proof that, at age 77, he is not up to the demands of the presidency, physically or mentally. But it is the president who has suffered during this period, due to his erratic handling of the pandemic. Mr Biden's lead has widened as the president has floundered. But one question surrounding Mr Biden's candidacy is whether more visibility will help to solidify the lead he currently enjoys, or raise doubts about his vision, agenda and readiness that could change the dynamic of the race. Thursday's speech gave him the biggest forum and biggest audience to date to allay any doubts and in both content and presentation he showed the essence of how he plans to take on the president and what he would do if he is elected. The speech brought to a conclusion a week of optimism among the Democrats. But too many remember that they left their convention in Philadelphia four years ago with the same sense of confidence, only to see their hopes crushed. They are vowing not to let that happen again. Mr Biden signalled on Thursday his determination to write a different ending to the story this year. ( Washington Post) THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They werent only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General. In order to make everyone equal, handsome men and beautiful women had to wear masks; very intelligent people had to wear a headset that blared loud noise in their ears every 20 seconds or so to prevent them from using their higher intelligence, talented ballerinas had to dance with weights on their anklesyou get the picture. It makes clear as well as a thousand pages of Hayek that achieving perfect equality requires tyranny. And some people are quite ready to adopt tyranny in the name of ending racism. Like Ibram X. Kendi, heralded as a leading scholar of anti-racism who has just joined Boston University to head up its new Center for Anti-Racist Research. His books, including How To Be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, are now on the required reading lists at many colleges and corporate diversity training workshops. And what does Kendi think should be done? This: JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Saturday that one of its drones fell inside Lebanon during "operational activity" along the frontier, and the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah said it shot it down. The drone, which was downed near the border town of Aita al-shaab, was now in the group's possession, the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said in a statement. "There is no risk of breach of information," Israel's military said in a statement. It provided no further details. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Laila Bassam; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Pro-life groups laud Trump ethics board for rejecting fetal tissue research proposals Ethics board rejects 13 fetal research proposals, but approves 1 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pro-life groups praised the Trump administration this week after a federal ethics advisory board recommended against federal funding of fetal tissue research, saying tiny humans should not be aborted for exploitation. We applaud the Trump administration for convening the independent advisory board as established by statute, Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a statement, referring to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Fetal Tissue Research Advisory Board. In its report on fetal tissue research, released this week, the board recommended that all but one of the grant proposals for federally-funded medical research using human fetal tissue donated after elective abortions be rejected. The board was set up by the Trump administration last year to review applications for funding of such research conducted outside of NIH facilities. It recommended withholding federal funding from 13 out of 14 research proposals through grants or contracts involving the use of fetal tissue. It is appropriate that tax-funded research be reviewed in regard to the ethical nature of the research, Tobias said. These tiny humans are aborted and exploited when they are farmed for their organs and tissue for use in research projects. Ethical alternatives are available. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, who heads the U.S. bishops pro-life committee, also applauded the recommendation. We applaud the Administration for moving NIH in a direction that shows greater consideration for medical ethics in research, and greater respect for innocent human life, Naumann said in a statement. It is neither ethical nor necessary to further violate the bodies of aborted babies by commodifying them for use in medical research. The archbishop said the victims of abortion deserve the same respect as every other human person. We are grateful that the Administration is following through on its commitment to end federal funding of research using aborted fetal tissue, he added. The board said it "assessed considerations as to whether the nature of the research involved is such that it is unethical to conduct or support the research." The board's recommendations have been submitted to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Congress. Azar will make the final decision. The details of the proposal that was not recommended to be withheld are not known. Last June, HHS put a moratorium on new fetal tissue research at NIH facilities, and said that funding of extramural research conducted outside NIH would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, The Christian Post reported. Promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death is one of the very top priorities of President Trumps administration, HHS said at the time. The HHS also said its continuing to look at alternatives to using fetal tissue from aborted babies in government-funded research. In December 2018, the NIH announced a $20 million funding opportunity for research to develop experimental models that do not rely on human fetal tissue from aborted babies. America's leading physician and immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci says Australia and the rest of the world will win the fight against COVID-19. Dr Fauci appears in his first Australian interview on 60 Minutes on Sunday sharing his message of hope as the world battles against the deadly disease. 'We're going to get out of this. We're going to end this guaranteed,' Dr Fauci tells reporter Tara Brown in a preview. 'It's gonna end in Australia. It's gonna end all over the world. Because we have the capability of doing it, and it's up to us.' Dr. Anthony Fauci delivered a message of hope to Australia and the rest of the world saying the world will defeat the deadly coronavirus He said COVID-19 has 'completely dominated my entire existence over the last eight months' and that he wasn't taking this matter lightly. 'The science, the facts and the evidence speak for themselves.' Dr Fauci explained that once a vaccine has been created, the situation would be under control. 'You've got to think of the vaccine as a tool to be able to get the pandemic to no longer be a pandemic, but to be something that's well controlled,' he said during a Q&A with the Brown University School of Public Health earlier this month. Remaining realistic during unknown circumstances, Dr Fauci said it will be at least four months until scientists know if they have an effective vaccine. His message of hope comes after more than 23million people contracted COVID-19. A total of 804,028 deaths from the virus have now occurred worldwide. In the United States, more than five million people have tested positive for COVID-19 with 179,248 deaths. A healthcare worker is seen giving a patient a coronavirus test at the drive through testing station located at MyDoc Healthcare during COVID-19 in Bendigo, Melbourne on August 21 Empty streets are seen on August 11, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia as the state battles through a surge of coronavirus cases Australia recorded a further 200 COVID-19 cases on Saturday with 182 of them in Victoria. The state also recorded 13 deaths. Both New South Wales and Queensland recorded nine cases as they fight to keep the virus under control. Victoria is currently the worst hit state in Australia as they battle to contain a second wave of the coronavirus. Melbourne is currently in a state of disaster after Premier Daniel Andrews enforced strict Stage 4 restrictions on August 2 to bring down cases of COVID-19 which were spiralling out of control. Melburnians are banned from leaving their homes between 8pm and 5am unless for work or care-related reasons and are required to wear face masks unless they are exempt on medical or professional grounds. Greater Victoria is under Stage 3 restrictions and people are only allowed to leave their homes for the four permitted reasons including work, essential shopping, medical attention and exercise. The 60 Minutes episode will air on Channel 9 at 8.30pm Paris Hilton may look put together ever since she appeared on television, but she actually had a pretty rough childhood. She's an heiress, and in ordinary people's books, this means she led a fairytale life ever since she was born. With her upcoming documentary entitled "This is Paris," viewers can expect to see this assumption shattered. She already announced earlier on that this documentary would show a lot of pain she has hidden in the past, which pushed her to create the spoiled and bratty persona that most people think she is. This time, she told People magazine something of the same nature and more. "I buried my truth for so long," Hilton told People. "But I'm proud of the strong woman I've become. People might assume everything in my life came easy to me, but I want to show the world who I truly am." Paris then claimed that she was one of the most rebellious teens one could think of. Her family is known to be very wealthy - she lived in New York's Astoria Hotel with her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, and three more younger siblings, Nicky, Barron, and Conrad. Her parents could not control her, though- even if they were strict. Paris detailed how easy it is to just go to clubs and parties at the time, regardless of whether her parents permitted her to go or not. In fact, because they were very strict, she felt compelled to rebel. Regardless if they took away her phone and other privileges, she would still sneak out at the dead of the night. Out of exasperation, she was sent to several boarding schools. However, it was the last one - Utah's Provo Canyon School that truly made an impact on her, but quite negatively. There, her true childhood nightmare began. In the said boarding school, academics and classes take a backseat in Hilton's opinion. Instead, she felt that it was the staff's goal to make her and other students feel bad about themselves and break them down. "The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me. I think it was their goal to break us down," Hilton detailed. But what is worse is that the staff were physically hitting the kids, the point of strangling them. The goal is to scare them so much that they would not dare disobey anything. Three of Hilton's classmates on this hellish school would be part of the documentary to support her claims. Some would even add more details, claiming students can be placed into solitary confinement for up to 20 hours a day if they made plans to escape. Telling her parents was impossible because the staff made sure that it is the students' words against theirs. It is not for the lack of trying, though, because Paris tried to once. However, she got into trouble instead and became even more scared of revealing her predicament. Paris revealed that she was just crying all the time. When she became 18 and had the chance to control her own life, she went back to New York, bringing with her the traumatic experiences. However, she did not speak of them, not because she was afraid, but instead, she was just ashamed of the whole thing. Hilton just felt grateful to be out and hellbent on making a new life out of herself. This is why it must be hard for her to be normal, as she earlier said. She had to put up so many walls she sometimes do not even know herself anymore. #YouTubeOriginals pic.twitter.com/ClXJd9R0Lj I've never been this open about my life before, but I'm finally ready to share my truth. Click link in my bio to watch the full trailer for my new documentary #ThisIsParis coming to @YouTube 9/14. https://t.co/idK6J9a4n7 August 17, 2020 However, this documentary is her way to finally show to the world who she is - which involves confronting and sharing who she was and what she went through. READ MORE: 5 Paris Hilton Iconic Moments To RECALL As She Reveals Her Real Self in 'This is Paris' Express News Service By NEW DELHI: The special cell of Delhi Police arrested an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) agent on Saturday morning after a brief exchange of fire in the Ridge Road at Dhaula Kuan. As per officials, the accused had planned terror strikes at various high footfall spots of the national capital. The 36-year-old accused has been identified as Muhammad Mustakeem Khan, alias Abdul Yusuf. The police has seized two pressure cooker Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing approximately 15kg. Besides, the cops have also recovered a pistol, along with six catridges and a motorcycle. "The vehicle's ownership is being verified but we are assuming it is stolen. He was arrested on late Friday night. The special cell team was working on it since last one year. The accused plan was to enter the city during Independence Day and conduct terror strikes but he afiled due to heavy security arrangements. Later he thought that the security was relaxed loosened but he was caught redhanded," said Pramod Kuhshwaha, DCP Special Cell. "The accused and his contacts were being monitored under our surveillance system through sources. During which we also found out that he was directly connected with another ISIS commander for last few years. Earlier, this operation was handled by Yisf Alindi, who was recently killed in Syria," said Kushwaha. "After Alindi, he was connected with Abu Huzafa Pakistani who is also an important ISIS commander working for the Khorasan Parvez of IS. In fact, the accused was promised by the Huzafa that he will call him to Khorasan, Afganistan following which he also created fake IDs and passport for his wife and children," said the senior Police. "The accused learnt to make fake IDs and passports but we are investigating the matter to find whether he made himself or someone else helped him." "After Abu Huzafa Pakistani was killed in drone strike last year in Afganisthan, new Ameer who came in his place instructed Yusuf to stay back in India and conduct lone wolf style attacks in other parts of the world. Following this scheme, he came to Delhi with IEDs, pistol and catridges. In fact he tested and dry ran this IED at a graveyard near his village," said the DCP. He used to get fresh instruction directly from ISIS commanders and was instructed to conduct fedayeen attack but he did not get the instructions on when and where to attack, said the official. "A major terror attack in the national capital has been averted under this operation. Further investigation is under process," said Kushwaha. New Delhi: A pharmaceutical company has been booked for not writing price, expiry dates, and product information on its medicines. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan decided to take action against the drug distributor's from Andhra Pradesh after receiving numerous complaints. The Cabinet Minister directed the authorities concerned to register a case against the company. Also, its warehouse was raided and all the goods were seized on his instructions. According to information, Paswan had heard that the mentioned drug company was rigging important information on medicines. The medicine in question is Seder OM. On verifying the complain, it was found to be clearly violating the rules. The manufacturer's name, expiry date and helpline number were not written on the medicine. The size of the letters was also smaller than the prescribed 1 mm, making it unreadable. After this, Paswan directed the Department of Legal Metrology to lodge an FIR against the drug distributor in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh). The drug makers warehouse was raided and all the packets were confiscated. Paswan said that it is mandatory to write the producer's name, expiry date, MRP and other important information on the product. If people do not see this information on a product, they can file a complaint. As per the rules, the essential information on any product should be clear and readable in bold. Information related to the product should be written in thick and clear letters covering upto 40% of the product label or sticker. Information such as MRP, expiry date, date of manufacture, name of the manufacturer, should be given. Customers can register complains to the department concerned through consumer app or helpline number. By Express News Service KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation petition seeking to frame guidelines to restrict the media from conducting media trial in matters of public interest. The court observed that framing of guidelines for regulating the press is not possible. The court also rejected the plea to initiate contempt of court proceedings and action other prevailing laws to restrain mass media from conducting media trial in matters of public interest. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly issued the order on the petition filed by KS Halvi of Cherthala in Alappuzha district (WP(C).No.16349 OF 2020) alleging that scathing attacks are made by the media by acting themselves as judges, overriding the official justicedelivery system, and thereby interfering with the right to a fair trial of an accused in criminal cases. The petitioner alleged that the media houses are proclaiming the names of the persons not even named in the FIR and stories are being planted to create suspicion in the minds of the public at large. The petitioner also alleged that the media sensationalised the gold smuggling case without any basis. The media reported that former IT Secretary M Sivasankar, who was removed from the post of Chief Minister's Principal Secretary, was the link between Swapna Suresh and the Kerala government and that Sivasankar appointed Swapna Suresh as Operations Manager at the Space Park after she left the UAE Consulate. Citing a Supreme Court order, the court pointed that though freedom of the press is not explicitly guaranteed as a fundamental right, it is implicit in the freedom of speech and expression and that freedom of the press has always been a cherished right in all democratic countries. Media has been rightly described as the Fourth Estate, though it is not immune from the general law of land including civil and criminal liability for libel and defamation. "On analysing the observations and the findings rendered by the Apex Court, it is clear that the press enjoys only the freedom like any other citizens, in terms of the guarantee extended under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. No doubt, the press has got the liberty and the freedom for fair and honest news reporting. However, it is discernible from the words of wisdom rendered by the Apex Court that freedom guaranteed to the press under Article 19(1)(a) cannot be misused and the press has the duty to ensure that reports are made truly and fairly so as not to interfere with the freedom enjoyed by the citizens in any manner," observed the Bench. "We (the Bench) have no hesitation to hold that a public interest litigation to frame guidelines to restrict the media on the basis of the allegations made in the petition cannot be entertained and no guidelines can be framed taking into account the contentions put forth by the petitioner. The judgements rendered by the Apex Court would make it clear that the media can be restricted by the courts on a case to case basis," it added. A 23-YEAR-OLD female inmate has become the first prisoner in the Irish prison system to be diagnosed with coronavirus. The positive test was confirmed yesterday at the Dochas Centre for women in Dublin. The homeless woman, who Independent.ie is not naming, was remanded in custody earlier this week by a district court judge in relation to an offence of threatening and abusive behaviour. Like all prisoners who come into our jail system, she was required to self isolate for 14 days and was tested for the deadly virus. The remand prisoner had disclosed that she had symptoms of the virus in the week before she was locked up, a jail insider told Independent.ie. However, when she presented in prison she was asymptomatic but was still put in mandatory quarantine and yesterday the test results came back as positive, the source explained. The inmate was understood to be in good and healthy spirits last night and there were no concerns about her infecting other prisoners due to the robust operation by the Irish Prison Service to tackle the pandemic in our jail system. This highly unfortunate young homeless woman has been in and out of the Dochas Centre for years. In the middle of a pandemic is it right that the courts are putting her in prison for such minor offences? a jail source told Independent.ie. The feeling among many staff in the centre is that this young lady needs psychiatric help rather than incarceration but the courts have sent her in and she has tested positive. She remains in quarantine and there is no threat to the wider population and she is also receiving specialist care for her particular needs, the source added. Sources say it is truly amazing that it has taken until now to have a Covid-19 case in our prison population. Over 12,000 people used the Minor Injuries Unit at the Louth County Hospital last year, according to new statistics. But the hospital, which employs 318 staff, and has a budget of just under 23 million, is not being used to its full potential, says Dundalk TD Peter Fitzpatrick. He said he welcomed the latest statistics from the Louth County Hospital, but added 'more needs to be done.' He also confirmed that he had raised his concerns with the new Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, 'who has agreed to visit the local hospital in the very near future.' Commenting on the latest briefing from the hospital, Fitzpatrick welcomed the fact that almost 12,000 locals had availed of the Minor Injuries Unit in 2019, which was an increase from the previous year. 'I have fought for an extension of the opening times and the ages of patients which this unit could treat and this has resulted in new extended opening hours of 9am to 8pm and patients aged 5 and over can now use the unit.' The local TD vowed to 'continue the fight to get this unit open seven days a week and this has resulted in the Department giving a commitment in the Partnership for Government to review this with a view to extending it.' He argued that it 'simply did not make sense that local people travel to the emergency department in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda when we have this facility in Dundalk.' He welcomed the announcement of five new beds opening in September which it is understood will be used for combined step down and low acuity rehabilitation capacity. 'I also welcome the fact that the 75 intermediate care beds provided as part of the COVID-19 emergency will now be used as an escalation bed area for day services and can also be used as acute in patient bed space if required.' But he aired 'extreme disappointment in the fact that Louth County hospital has no major capital projects in the Capital Plan' adding that he plans to raise this with the Minister when he visits the hospital. The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has appealed to the chiefs and people of Osu, Teshie, and Nungua to give the Government four more years to continue to develop the country. She said a vote for President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December polls would ensure the spread of developmental projects in all parts of the country with many social interventions to benefit the people. The First Lady said this when she paid courtesy calls on the chiefs and people of Osu, Teshie, and Nungua in the Greater Accra Region to wish them well in their annual Homowo Festival celebration. She also donated various food items including maize, palm-nuts, palm-oil, fish, as well as some alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and water to the traditional councils towards the festival. Homowo, to wit hooting at hunger, is celebrated with the preparation of the traditional meal called Kpokpoi made from fermented corn dough and eaten with palmnut soup with smoked fish. Among the various groupings Mrs Akufo-Addo visited at the Teshie Traditional Council were the Klemusu, Krobo, Agbawe, Lenshie and Gbugbla clans. She also conferred with the chiefs and elders of the Osu and Nungua Traditional councils. Mrs Akufo-Addo extolled the chiefs and people for keeping the peace within their communities and for remaining united for this important festival. She, however, urged them to forge towards a united front so they could attract the needed economic and social investments and growth within their communities. She advised the people to adhere to all COVID-19 safety protocols in celebrating this year's Homowo by limiting the sprinkling of the Kpokpoi to their individual homes. Mrs Akufo-Addo asked them to take advantage of the Free Senior High School programme to educate their wards to break the vicious cycle of semi-literacy and poverty in their communities. She pledged the determination of the Rebecca Foundation to complement government's efforts at enhancing the lives of the citizenry. The Foundation is into projects such as Terema, (supporting women to improve their economic status), Because I want to Be (keeping girls in school), and the Learning to Read (improving child literacy). The first lady was accompanied by Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament (MP) for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, Deputy Minister of Health and MP for Ledzokuku. Others were Ms Irene Naa Torshie, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, Ms Mariama Karley Amui, Municipal Chief Executive of Ablekuma Central, Nii Adjei Tawiah, MCE for Korle Klottey, and Mr Joshua Nii Bortey, MCE for Krowor. On behalf of the chiefs and elders of Teshie, Nungua and Osu, Dr Oko Boye commended the First lady for the kind gesture and the many philanthropic activities her Foundation was undertaking. He said the projects had had great impact on the lives of women and children in the coastal communities of Accra. GNA Did Finn take your hairdryer? Amanda Seyfried displays soaking wet hair as she leaves LA with her beautifully groomed dog Amanda Seyfried may have refused the hairdryer as she prepared to leave town, but her dog Finn sure looked nice. The 28-year-old actress had that just stepped out of the shower look as she left home in Los Angeles on Monday for what appeared to be a trip out of town. Amanda's blonde wet was clinging down her back and could probably have used another wringing as she met a waiting limousine. Polished pooch: Amanda Seyfried preferred the wet haired look as she prepared to leave LA with her beautifully brushed dog Finn on Monday It didn't dampen her demeanor as Amanda gave a spirited thumbs up to passers-by. She looked casually cool in a loosely fitted T-shirt, blue jeans and Converse trainers. Amanda lugged a few parsels but the driver did most of the heavy loading of the luggage. Air dry is best: The 28-year-old actress was in a chipper mood despite the dampened locks Looking good: Amanda's Australian Shepherd Finn showed off a shiny and well-brushed coat The star's Australian Shepherd and constant companion, Finn, a sheen to his coat as though he'd just received a thorough brushing. The reddish-brown fur had not a single knot and even the white chest and paws were snowy white. The pair seemed to be heading to an exciting destination, perhaps the Massachusetts set of Ted 2. Planning to be gone long: Amanda and her constant canine companion had a lot of luggage Back to work: Amanda might have been heading back to the Massachusetts set of Ted 2 Amanda is currently working alongside Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane on the sequel to the hit comedy Ted, which is expected to hit US theatres on June 26 of next year. Just what type of role Amanda will be playing hasn't been revealed, as writer-director MacFarlane is doing his best to keep the plot under wraps. 'I don't know what my character is like. I literally don't know,' Amanda told Press Association just two months before shooting started. Robert ONeil is the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden so hes unquestionably a national hero. But thats not going to be enough to get him a ticket on Delta anytime soon. Thats because ONeil got a little loose with his mask specifically, he took it off during a recent flight, snapped a pic, and tweeted it out. Im not a (expletive), he captioned the picture of himself smiling, with another man across the aisle, wearing a Marines hat and a mask clearly visible. According to a Yahoo.com report, the tweet, which has since been deleted, drew an instant backlash. Delta noticed and issued the ban. Part of every customers commitment prior to traveling on Delta is the requirement to acknowledge or updated travel policies, which includes wearing a mask, the airline told Yahoo. Failure to comply with our mask-wearing mandate can result in losing the ability to fly Delta in the future. The backlash ONeil experienced on Twitter wasnt limited to the fact that he wasnt wearing his mask during the pandemic. Some believed he was attempting to belittled the masked man across the aisle for him. Neither is the guy in the USMC hat, one Twitter user replied to ONeil. And once again hes serving his country by doing what he can to protect your right to be wrong. And, Yahoo reported, another person wrote, Youre endangering a veterans life. How patriotic. ONeil said on Twitter, according to Yahoo, that he was not attempting to belittle the veteran across from him. He also rattled off a few tweets, claiming in one, that masks dont work. I know more about biological warfare than most of you, he wrote. We were trained. These dumb (behind) masks do nothing. Nothing. Im not being rude Im just telling you facts. Multiple doctors and scientists say masks help stop the spread of the virus. ONeil later tweeted, according to Yahoo, that he was only joking in the tweet and did wear a mask. I am not the bad guy, he wrote. I killed the gad guy. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Jerusalem on Monday, Israeli officials tell me, noting he will travel to the United Arab Emirates thereafter. Why it matters: Israeli officials say the focus of the trip will be the U.S.-brokered normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE, and the U.S. efforts with the United Nations to renew international sanctions on Iran. What to expect: In Israel, Pompeo is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. In the UAE, the U.S. secretary of state will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed. American will pull 15 pins out of its domestic route map in October; United increases frequencies to Shanghai from SFO and Emirates plans a return to the airport next month; Uniteds SFO-Santa Maria service is delayed again; United and Air Canada change aircraft from SFO to Vancouver and Toronto respectively; Volaris will add a new route to Mexico from Mineta San Jose; Delta will continue its empty middle seat policy through the year-end holidays and also extends its change fee waiver; and Southwest adds new service to a Colorado ski destination. You can't get there from here... American Airlines suggested earlier this month that it might suspend service to a number of smaller cities once the federal governments mandatory service rule expires in October. (That rule required airlines that benefited from the governments bailout funds to continue flying to all U.S. cities on their route map.) And now American is getting specific. It announced this week that it will suspend service on Oct. 7 to 15 smaller cities, including Del Rio, Tex.; Dubuque and Sioux City, Iowa; Florence. S.C.; Greenville, N.C.; Huntington, W. Va.; Joplin, Mo.; Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich.; Lake Charles, La.; New Haven, Conn.; New Windsor, N.Y.; Roswell, N.M.; Springfield, Ill.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Williamsport, Pa. "This is a huge shot across the bow of Congress, signaling that without more money many districts will lose more air service. Fourteen of the fifteen cities are in different states, making this a problem for 28 senators," writes Gary Leff on his View from the Wing blog. Almost a million dollars? Yep. A new factoid revealed by the Transportation Security Administration this week: During fiscal 2019, travelers going through the security checkpoints at SFO left behind $52,668 in currency and loose change, forgetting to take it back from the bins after screening. That was the second-highest total in the U.S. after New York's JFK, where travelers overlooked $98,110. Nationwide, the agency said, the total left behind was $926,030. The Transportation Dept. said this week that the U.S. and China have agreed to a slight expansion of the very limited airline service that currently exists between the two countries, which was virtually shut down during the pandemic. The new pact lets United and Delta increase their China service from two flights a week to four, and also allows Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Xiamen Airlines to increase their U.S. flights to a total of eight a week instead of the current four. (At the beginning of this year, airlines operated almost 300 flights a week between the two countries.) United said it plans to increase its existing twice-weekly service between San Francisco and Shanghai to four a week starting Sept. 4, using a 777-300ER. The United flights to Shanghai Pudong operate via a stop at Seoul Incheon. With the increased schedule, westbound departures will operate Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and eastbound segments will depart Shanghai on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Delta will boost its China schedule Aug. 24, adding a second weekly frequency to Shanghai from both Seattle and Detroit. Both of those routes also operate via a stop in Seoul. According to the latest filing of a schedule update from Emirates, the carrier plans to come back to San Francisco International on Sept. 15, offering three weekly flights to Dubai. On the same date, Emirates is planning to return to Seattle with three weekly flights. It will use 777-300ERs on both routes. The airline is already flying to Los Angeles, New York JFK, Boston, Chicago, and Washington Dulles, and the latest schedule update includes plans to start flying to Houston Aug. 23, Orlando Sept. 2, and Dallas/Ft. Worth Oct. 1. On the domestic side, Uniteds planned new service from San Francisco International to Santa Maria, Calif., on the central coast has been pushed back again. Instead of starting the daily CRJ200 service in October, United has now scheduled it to begin March 4 of next year. The airlines planned Denver-Santa Maria service has also been delayed until March, and its proposed Los Angeles-Santa Maria route has now been canceled. In Canada news, Uniteds twice-daily SFO-Vancouver flights will switch from A319s to Skywest ER175s in September, and Air Canada plans to replace the Airbus A320 on its five weekly SFO-Toronto flights with a new Airbus A220 starting Sept. 9. Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, low-cost Mexican carrier Volaris said it plans to kick off service Nov. 9 between Mineta San Jose and Mexico City with flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using a 179-passenger A320. Volaris already flies from SJC to Guadalajara, Leon/Guanajuato, Morelia and Zacatecas. Volaris also will begin service from Mexico City to other California cities in November, including twice-weekly flights to Fresno (starting Nov. 11), Ontario (Nov. 9) and Sacramento (Nov. 10), along with twice-weekly roundtrips from MEX to Houston as of Nov. 12. Volaris Unlike its two largest competitors, Delta has made a point of continuing to block middle seats from its available inventory, giving passengers assurance of a little extra distance from their fellow travelers. And now Delta is extending that policy again, continuing it through the holiday travel period to Jan. 6, 2021. (Parties of three or more traveling together can still book three adjacent seats.) As travel picks up, we will continue to look for opportunities to upsize to a larger aircraft type or add more flights, Delta said. The airline has also extended its waiver of change fees, which now applies to all flights departing through the end of the year and all tickets purchased between March 1-Sept. 30. In Colorado, United will add service Nov. 11 from Denver to Cheyenne, Wyo., with a daily Skywest CRJ200 flight. Aeromexico has resumed Denver-Mexico City service with twice-weekly 737-800 flights. And Southwest Airlines will introduce a new intrastate route for the ski season, operating three flights a day between Denver and Steamboat Springs from Dec. 19 through April 5. Southwest has some other new routes in the works as well. In addition to Denver-Steamboat Springs, it will begin twice-weekly Dallas Love Field-Steamboat Springs service Dec. 19, daily Denver-Charlotte flights Dec. 18, six weekly roundtrips between San Diego and Norfolk starting Jan. 5, and daily service between Washington Reagan National and West Palm Beach, Fla., starting Jan. 5. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 00:34:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a televised speech in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 21, 2020. Erdogan on Friday announced that his country, which is almost entirely reliant on imports to meet its energy needs, found significant natural gas resources in the Black Sea. (Xinhua) ISTANBUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday announced that his country, which is almost entirely reliant on imports to meet its energy needs, found significant natural gas resources in the Black Sea. "Our drilling ship has made a substantial natural gas discovery in the Black Sea," he said in a statement broadcasted live by news channels. He indicated that a reserve as big as 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas in size was discovered and it would be available for use by 2023, the centennial of the Republic of Turkey. "This is the largest ever gas discovery in Turkey's history," Erdogan said, noting that more reserves would be discovered in the near future. Turkey has been exploring for energy resources in the Black Sea for years. The hydrocarbon find comes from the region called Tuna 1, in an undisputed area in the crossroads between Bulgarian and Romanian maritime borders within the inland waters of Turkey. Erdogan had promised on Wednesday to deliver the "good news" on Friday that would "usher in a new era" for the nation, fueling speculations. Whether this important reserve will be feasible to extract it remains to be seen, according to observers. However, Turkey's annual energy bill totals around 40 billion U.S. dollars, and such a find would really help the nation's vulnerable economy. Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak described the discovery as marking "an axis shift" in Turkey. "With this discovery, our current account deficit, caused largely by our energy imports, will significantly be reduced, and we will eventually move towards a surplus," Albayrak said after Erdogan's remarks. Turkey buys most of its natural gas through pipelines from Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan, in addition to some liquid natural gas (LNG) imports, mostly from Qatar and the United States. "This is a very important discovery and doesn't come as a surprise, as we were waiting for such a piece of good news for some time," Gurkan Kumbaroglu, an energy expert and head of the Energy Economy Association, told private NTV broadcaster. "We think that the gas from this field can begin to be extracted in about two or three years and become an economic reality," remarked this scholar from Istanbul's Bogazici University. He added the reserves could potentially meet Turkey's energy needs for at least seven years. In recent months, also with the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkish economy has come under mounting pressure as depleted central bank's reserves caused the national currency to plunge against the greenback and the euro. The lira has lost around 20 percent of its value so far this year. The Turkish discovery comes amid territorial disputes with Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is also actively searching for oil and gas in contested waters. France has temporarily increased its military presence to ward off Turkish steps, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said the European Union was concerned over the increased tensions. Ankara resumed its search in the Mediterranean waters last week after German-mediated negotiations with Greece collapsed when Athens announced a maritime agreement with Egypt, in retaliation for a similar deal between Turkey and Libya. Erdogan insisted on Friday the European pressure wouldn't make him change direction. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 16:18:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- A successful agro-industrial connection with China is key to Argentina's economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Argentine experts have said. "I have no doubt about the complementarity of Argentina's economy and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) with China," said Diego Guelar, former Argentine ambassador to China, during a video conference. The sanitary protocols between the two countries have a positive impact on Argentina's economy, said Guelar, adding that China and its market are key to help Argentina achieve its economy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Only with China can we motorize all our regional economies, with blueberries and cherries in the south, with grapes in Mendoza (west), with lemons in Tucuman (north), with peas in Santa Fe (east), with honey in the province of Buenos Aires (center)," he added. Ricardo Negri, former president of the National Service of Agri-food Health and Quality, said that China's demographic change and new consumer trends such as the growing demand for meat can have an impact on Argentina's exports. "Not so long ago, 80 percent of China's population was rural, and today the number is just under 40 percent, and that impacts the market," said Negri. At the end of May, the National Agricultural Food Health and Quality Service highlighted the consistency in beef, poultry and pork exports to China, despite the pandemic, with shipments to China increasing 17 percent in the first four months of 2020 year-on-year. "Argentina has a phenomenal opportunity in China due to their complementarity," he said, adding that agribusiness with China is a powerful engine for development, employment generation and economy recovery, especially if the link is strengthened. China became Argentina's largest trading partner in April, with Argentina's main exports to China being products such as soybeans, beef, seafood, and oils, said Guillermo Chaves, chief of staff of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. Enditem Mr David Deribaa, the Upper West Regional chairman of the Conversation People's Party (CPP) has expressed hope that the party would work harder than before to wrestle power from the NPP in December. He said the "so called two major political parties' dominance will end in December" and claimed that NPP/NDC had misruled the nation for about 28 years now thwarting development, hence the need for them to hand over the mantle of governance to the CPP. Mr Deribaa said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on Saturday on the sidelines of the party's National Delegates Congress. The CPP had decentralised its National Delegates Congress to all the regions across the country to elect the party's Presidential Candidate for the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. It was also to elect the National Executives of the party as well as to conduct a referendum to amend the party's constitution. In all, 108 delegates were expected to participate in the exercise in the Upper West Region, comprising nine delegates from each of the eleven constituencies and nine Regional Executives. Mr Deribaa noted that the NDC and NPP had nothing better to offer the good people of Ghana rather than to fight for power to enrich themselves, fulfill their parochial interest and to engage in "self-aggrandizement". "We have been cheated and sidelined for far too long. Ghanaians are discerning, there will be a surprise in the general election", he said. He explained that Dr Kwame Nkrumah was a development oriented leader,which the CPP stood for, and urged the electorate to vote massively for the CPP come December 7, 2020. Mr Deribaa advised the youth to desist from engaging in practices and activities that were injurious to their lives and to stay alive and vote for the CPP in the general election to better their livelihoods. He said the CPP would commence vigorous campaign to sell its message to the electorate after the party had determined its presidential candidate. Mr Iddriss Nuhu Saeed, the Upper West Regional Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), and Chairman for the CPP National Delegates Congress in the region, urged the delegates to exercise their franchise peacefully devoid of malice. He encouraged the aspirants to accept the outcome of the congress for peace to prevail within the party to enable them to participate actively in the upcoming general election. Security personnel from the Ghana Police Service were present at the congress ground to ensure peace and orderliness throughout the exercise. 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 is reportedly preparing to legally challenge by early next week the first executive order signed by US President to prohibit its China-based owner ByteDance to do any business in the US, the media reported. According to a report in CNBC citing people familiar with the matter, plans to challenge the August 6 Trump order as early as next Monday. The executive order "directed the Secretary of Commerce to come up with a list of transactions involving ByteDance and its holdings that should be banned after 45 days". Trump issued another executive order on August 14, giving ByteDance an option to divest its business in the US within 90 days. "TikTok plans to argue that the Aug 6 executive order's reliance on the Emergency Economic Powers Act deprives it of due process", said the report on Friday. In an executive order on August 14, Trump said: "There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance Ltd... might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States." Trump cited India's decision in June to ban several Chinese apps, including TikTok, in that order. It also authorised US officials to inspect TikTok and ByteDance to ensure the safety of personal data of nearly 80 million American users of the short video making app. The order came after Microsoft revealed its intentions to buy TikTok business in the US. Several other names of tech giants are floating around in the public domain, including Twitter, Oracle and now Alphabet, who may buy the US operations of TikTok. --IANS na/ (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.) People watch the Walbridge fire, part of the larger LNU Lightning Complex fire, from a vineyard in Healdsburg, California. (AFP) Santa Cruz: Sky-darkening wildfires that took at least six lives and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes blazed throughout California on Friday as firefighting resources strained under the vastness of the infernos authorities were trying to control. Three major complexes encompassing dozens of fires chewed through a combined 780 square miles of forests, canyons and rural areas flanking San Francisco on three sides. Statewide, nearly 12,000 firefighters are battling blazes that have scorched more than 1,200 square miles in California, said Daniel Berlant, assistant deputy director for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. Crews from Oregon, Idaho and Arizona have arrived to relieve local firefighters, he said, with engines on their way from as far away as Maryland and New Jersey. Tens of thousands of homes were threatened by flames that drove through dense and bone-dry trees and brush. Many of the fires were sparked by lightning strikes from brief thunderstorms, nearly 12,000 since last weekend as a high-pressure area over the West brought a dangerous mix of triple-digit weather and monsoonal moisture pulled from the south. Some fires doubled in size within 24 hours, fire officials said. And while some evacuations were lifted in the small city of Vacaville, between San Francisco and Sacramento, other areas expanded their evacuation areas. The University of California, Santa Cruz, was evacuated, and a new fire burning near Yosemite National Park also prompted evacuations. Santa Cruz itself, a coastal city of 65,000, wasn't affected. But Mayor Justin Cummings urged residents Thursday evening to be prepared to evacuate by gassing up their vehicles and packing important documents, medicines and other belongings. More than 64,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, which make up part of Silicon Valley and hug the coast south of San Francisco. With firefighting resources tight, homes in remote, hard-to-get-to places burned unattended. Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton pleaded with evacuees to quit battling fires on their own, saying that just causes more problems for professionals. The ferocity of the fires was astonishing so early in the fire season, which historically has seen the largest and deadliest blazes when gusty, dry winds blow in the fall. But the death toll already had reached at least six since the majority of blazes started less than a week ago, with four deaths claimed by fires burning in wine country north of San Francisco. The bodies of three people were found in a home that burned in Napa, Henry Wofford, spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff's Office, told the San Francisco Chronicle. In Solano County Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara reported the death of a male resident there. Separately, a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker was found dead Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area Wednesday. In central California, a pilot on a water-dropping mission in western Fresno County died Wednesday morning when his helicopter crashed. At least two other people were missing and more than 30 civilians and firefighters have been injured, authorities said. Smoke and ash billowing from the fires also fouled the air throughout California's scenic central coast and in San Francisco. The fires have destroyed at least 175 buildings. Tim and Anne Roberts had gone to the beach with their two children on Monday to avoid the smoke at their home in Boulder Creek in Santa Cruz County. They packed a change of clothes, their children's school supplies and their passports just in case. The good news for Brookdale resident Larissa Eisenstein Thursday afternoon was that her five chickens, Kelly and The Nuggets, had been safely relocated into a stranger's yard in a safer, neighbouring community. Little did Dakota Forkner of Lingle, Wyoming, know that picking up someone who needed a ride, would lead to the guy stealing his pickup. Jody Lynn Haymon is charged with 11 counts, nine of which are felonies. He is charged with two counts of aggravated burglary; two counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude and officer; one count of interference with a police officer, and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance. According to court documents on July 20 around 4 p.m., Forkner gave Jody Lynn Haymon, 26, a ride to town, and when he wasnt watching, Haymon allegedly jumped in the drivers seat of his Chevrolet pickup, which was pulling a trailer with a red Dodge pickup, and took off. When interviewed, Forkner told a Goshen County Sheriffs deputy that he had noticed that Haymon had a knife on him and that there was an AR-15 in the Chevy pickup with a full magazine. The deputy located the vehicle approximately at milepost 108 on Highway 85. A second Goshen County Sheriffs deputy was pulling onto the shoulder of the road in the northbound lane, when Haymon is accused of heading directly toward him, going over the center line readying to ram him and turning back into the southbound lane at the last moment. China in Focus (Aug. 21): Trump Familys Business Deals With China As the election approaches, both parties increase scrutiny of each other. The Trump campaign delved into Hunter Bidens ties to China. Trumps own ties to China have also garnered attention. Chinas premier Li Keqiang visited a flooded city and met odd victims. Human rights activists were arrested, and a joke online brought police to the door of a citizen at midnight. Chinas saving food policy affects famous big eaters social media accounts, and they fight back with invisible food and superb acting skills. Papua New Guinea is demanding answers about dozens of workers being sent from China. They were vaccinated in China. But the vaccine is not approved by the World Health Organization, and China said those people could test positive after being vaccinated. And competition between China and the free world extends to rare earth element production. Is Beijing losing another card? Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. A health-care aide accused of raping a vulnerable, elderly woman two weeks after she was admitted to a St. James personal-care home pleaded not guilty Friday, telling a judge the sex was consensual. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/8/2020 (516 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A health-care aide accused of raping a vulnerable, elderly woman two weeks after she was admitted to a St. James personal-care home pleaded not guilty Friday, telling a judge the sex was consensual. Kevin Noakes, 69, pleaded not guilty to one charge each of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability. "Guilty with consent, thats how I feel, that there was consent," Noakes told provincial court Judge Wanda Garreck, who accepted his pleas as not guilty. Court heard Noakes was a health-care aide at Oakview Place personal-care home, where the then-68-year-old alleged victim had moved in two weeks prior to the Nov. 3, 2018 incident. The woman suffered from a host of health issues, including Parkinsons disease. Sandy Bell, director of care at the 245-resident care home, testified she learned of the incident two days later, after the womans husband reported her allegation of being sexually assaulted. Bell said she spoke to the woman that same day and she disclosed details of a sexual assault. "(Noakes) was suspended with pay immediately upon receipt of the suspected allegation," Bell said, later adding he was fired following the completion of an internal investigation. Staff records show Noakes was one of two health-care aides and the only male working in the victims wing the night of the alleged assault. Noakes, along with a union representative, met with Bell and other administrators two days after the incident to discuss the allegations, Bell said, adding she was unaware if police at the time had been alerted. "Its an expectation that we hear their side of the situation," she said, responding to a query from Garreck about whether Noakes was required to attend the meeting. Bell said the womans care plan was changed after the alleged assault so that only female aides, two at a time, attended to her needs. The alleged victim who cannot be named under terms of a publication ban has since died. Crown attorney Jocelyne Ritchot told court that she will be making an application that her video statement to police be accepted as evidence in the trial. 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. Noakes appeared without a lawyer or even a pen and pad of paper. "Ive applied for Legal Aid twice and been turned down," he told Garreck. The judge, citing concerns over complex legal issues at play in the trial, including the voluntariness of his statements to Oakview administrators, adjourned the trial Friday afternoon to give Noakes an opportunity to prepare an application to have the court appoint a lawyer for him. "The nature of the legal arguments in this case are not straightforward," Garreck said. "I dont do this easily." The trial is set to resume in September. dean.priitchard@freepress.mb.ca I make no apologies whatsoever for that, Lightfoot said. We are living in very different times and Ive seen the threats that have come in, and I have an obligation to keep my home, my wife, my 12-year-old, and my neighbors safe. I have a right to make sure that my home is secure. Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cisse, who was kidnapped in March in a jihadist-ridden area ahead of key elections, has sent letters to his family, in their first contact since the abduction, the Red Cross said on Friday. "The ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) has handed letters from Mr Soumaila Cisse to a member of his family. After many months without contact, to be able to get news of a loved one is of invaluable comfort for the family," the ICRC said in a statement from Bamako. Cisse, the 70-year-old head of the Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) party, went missing on March 25 in the Timbuktu region of central Mali, in an area where Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists are rampant. He was campaigning in his home area of Niafounke ahead of long-delayed legislative elections, whose first round took place four days later. His disappearance, swiftly described by his party and the government as a kidnapping, shocked Mali, where abductions of senior politicians are rare in spite of the country's many other problems. Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012, and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict has engulfed the centre of the country, reviving bloody disputes among ethnic groups, and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. A computer engineer by training who was educated in Senegal and France, Cisse is a veteran figure in Malian politics. His career dates back to a role as presidential aide in the early 1990s, followed by seven years as finance minister under the country's then leader, Alpha Oumar Konare. He contested elections in 2002 before taking the helm of the commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMA), an eight-nation customs and currency union. He bid again for the presidency in elections in 2013 and 2018 that were both overwhelmingly won by Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was overthrown in a military coup on Tuesday. The ICRC's chief delegate in Mali, Klaus Spreyermann, said in the statement that the letters "only contained family information, and the ICRC is not taking part in negotiations for Mr. Cisse's release." "As a neutral and independent humanitarian entity, when an agreement is found between the parties concerned, the ICRC is willing to facilitate a possible transfer of hostages," he said. John Legend appeared at the piano looking right at home for the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. Meanwhile, he and his model wife, Chrissy Teigen, have placed their photogenic mansion in Beverly Hills, CA, on the market for $23.95 million. The couple have been sheltering in place during the pandemic in this stunning space, according to the Wall Street Journal. But with a third child on the way, the family, which includes Teigens mother, are about to move on, the WSJ notes. They bought the contemporary residenceformerly owned by Rihannain 2016, for $14.1 million. Old listing photos show the interiors to be a minimalist stark white. Legend and Teigen tapped their long-time designer, Don Stewart, to "reimagine it," according to the WSJ. The result has a much warmer feel, along with a professional-grade kitchen for Teigen, who often films herself preparing mouthwatering meals there on Instagram. For fans who follow Teigen on social media, the home will look very familiar. Lets take a peek. Spread over 8,250 square feet, the seven-bedroom floor plan begins with a dramatic entry. Ceilings of 33-feet and a sculptural staircase greet you as you walk in. The huge great room currently features Legends grand piano, a cozy fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling windows with canyon views. The state-of-the art kitchen is the backdrop for many of Teigen's cooking videos, and includes three ovens, two stovetops, and an island perfect for presenting tutorials. Design details include patterned ceilings from Thailand, oak floors, clay and steel-rolled walls, onyx sinks, and Italian quartz counters. All seven bedrooms include their own balconies and en suite baths. The opulent master bedroom features a fireplace with a large balcony, as well as a jaw-dropping glam room and dressing rooms. Outdoors, the grounds include a saltwater pool and hot tub, a wood-burning oven and chefs grill, plus a pergola, and canyon views reminiscent of Tuscany, the listing notes. The layout also includes a plush home theater and a huge gym. Entry and grand piano Anthony Barcelo Living room with walls of windows Anthony Barcelo Professional-grade kitchen of Instagram fame Anthony Barcelo Family room Anthony Barcelo Master suite Anthony Barcelo Fab glam room Anthony Barcelo Home theater Anthony Barcelo Jaw-dropping custom closets Anthony Barcelo Outdoor kitchen and pergola Anthony Barcelo Legend and Teigen love real estate The couple have a taste for high-end real estate on both coasts. In New York City, they let go of a two-bedroom Broome Street loft in 2016 that had been listed for $4 million. They returned to the neighborhood in 2018, to purchase a $9 million penthouse with room for their growing family. The 2,600-square-foot condo features a landscaped terrace with an outdoor kitchen. Earlier this year, the talented twosome expanded their real estate empire by purchasing a second Nolita penthouse, next door to the one they already own, for a hair under $8 million. The more than 3,500 square feet of living space include three floors and three bedrooms, a projection room, a great room, and a 1,500-square-foot roof terrace with New York City views and an outdoor kitchen. Before their current Beverly Hills home, the two owned a midcentury Hollywood Hills home featured both in Architectural Digest and in the TV series Oprah's Next Chapter. That home sold in 2014 for $2 million. Legend is one of only 15 EGOT artists, having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony over the course of his illustrious career. The multitalented Teigen is hosting a show on Quibi, has published two popular cookbooks, and maintains a massive following on Instagram. Marshall Peck of Douglas Elliman holds the listing. The post John Legend and Chrissy Teigen List Super-Stylish Beverly Hills Home for $23.95M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 14:09:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 41 schools in the German capital of Berlin have seen COVID-19 cases within two weeks of school reopening, with students or faculties contracting the coronavirus, local media reported. Hundreds of students and teachers from elementary, secondary, trade schools are now in quarantine. Statistics show there are 825 regular public schools in Berlin, just 5 percent of which are affected. The most cases have been reported in campuses in the districts of Reinickendorf, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Mitte and Spandau, with numbers ranging from five to seven. The figures show that the Berlin schools are not the sources of the virus. "Infections are usually carried into the schools from outside," Sandra Scheeres, the city's top education official, was quoted by German daily newspaper Berliner Zeitung as saying. Reopening schools has been a heatedly debated topic in Germany. Some hold that it may bring about potential risks of virus clusters that could spread among families and further into society, but the German government has stated clearly that keeping schools open is a top priority. COVID-19 related regulations differ in the states, especially when it comes to wearing masks in schools. However, new plans are reportedly being made to unify different rules that apply to whole Germany. Enditem In UP, Nadda explains all the good PM has done for farmers Bihar assembly election 2020: BJP President JP Nadda begins 2-day virtual strategy meet today India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Aug 22: BJP national president JP Nadda, along with several other senior party leaders will hold a two-day virtual meeting from Saturday to chart out a plan for the assembly elections in Bihar, which are due in October-November this year. According to reports, The BJP's national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, general secretary Bhupender Yadav, party's election in-charge in Bihar Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar are expected to attend the state executive committee meeting. In a report, Jaiswal said that this is a very important state executive committee meeting being held just before the assembly elections during which the party would give a message to its 76 lakh workers in the state. Coronavirus: India records nearly 70,000 fresh cases, 945 deaths in last 24 hours It is reportedly said that the leaders will also discuss expanding the BJP's organisation and ensuring better coordination with its allies Janata Dal(United) or JD(U) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Besides, former Maharashtra chief minister Fadnavis's presence at the meet will be crucial amid the ongoing rift between Maharashtra and Bihar over the probe in Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. However, the poll body has issued a fresh set of guidelines for carrying out polls amid the virus outbreak. As per new guidelines, candidates can file their nominations online and people are required to wear face masks during election-related activities. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 11:19 [IST] (L) Ghislaine Maxwell attends a symposium in New York City in a 2013 file photograph. (Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images); (R) Jeffrey Epstein in a 2013 mugshot in Florida. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via Getty Images) Prosecutors Hint More Charges Could Come in Epstein Investigation Federal prosecutors hinted in a recent court filing that possible criminal charges in the late Jeffrey Epsteins case may be coming as a grand jury investigation is still active. As the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York has stated publicly, the investigation into the conduct of the defendant in this case and other possible co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein remains active, prosecutors wrote in a letter to a federal judge on Aug. 21 (pdf). The full scope and details of that investigation, however, have not been made public. The prosecutors wrote the letter to the U.S. District Court judge in Ghislaine Maxwells criminal case, urging the judge to block Maxwells lawyers from filing newly obtained documents in civil cases that were brought against the British socialite. Maxwells lawyers said earlier in August that they had learned of critical new information that could affect her criminal case and a civil case. The prosecutors said it was inappropriate for Maxwells lawyers to file those documents, as they could have adverse effects on the grand jury investigation. It would be grossly inappropriate for [the] defense counsel to be permitted to sift through the criminal case discovery and cherry-pick materials they may believe could provide some advantage in their efforts to defend against accusations of abuse by victim plaintiffs, delay court-ordered disclosure of previously sealed materials, or any other legal effort the defendant may be undertaking at any particular time, they wrote in the letter. And yet that is what the defendant proposes. Maxwell, the former girlfriend and associate of Epstein, was arrested in July on charges accusing her of facilitating and aiding Epstein by recruiting, grooming, and sexually exploiting minor girls. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is held without bail. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019, which triggered speculation about whether he had died of a suicide, as the citys medical examiner ruled. He was charged in July 2019 with sexually exploiting dozens of girls between 2002 and 2005. Maxwell, meanwhile, was accused of helping Epstein recruit and eventually abuse girls from 1994 to 1997 and lying about her role in 2016. Following Epsteins death, Attorney General William Barr issued a warning for anyone involved in the case, saying: Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and we will ensure they get it. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is accusing the Democrats of taking God out of the Pledge of Allegiance at their national convention. Hes distorting what happened. TRUMP: The Democrats took the word GOD out of the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat National Convention. At first I thought they made a mistake, but it wasnt. It was done on purpose. Remember Evangelical Christians, and ALL, this is where they are coming from-its done. Vote Nov 3! tweet Saturday. THE FACTS: Thats a misleading accusation. The central programming of the convention featured the entire pledge, complete with under God. The first night of the Democratic National Convention, Joe Bidens grandchildren said the pledge, followed by the conventions chorus of The Star Spangled Banner. On the second night, its stated by a diverse group of Americans; same with the third night. On the fourth night, its recited by Cedric Richmond Jr., the son of Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana. Under God was in each rendering. The convention also devoted a segment to showcasing Bidens religious faith. During two caucuses before the evening conventions started, the Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly and the LGBTQ Caucus meeting, both Tuesday, left out under God, from the pledge. The partys series of caucus meetings was livestreamed but not part of the prime-time convention broadcast. The pledge was written in 1892 and altered in the 1920s. Under God was added in 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower encouraged Congress to do so. Those two words have prompted a debate at times over whether people who do not practice religion should be expected to pledge allegiance to a country under God. ___ EDITORS NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Police officers are privately recording incidents on their personal mobile phones so they can refute claims of racism or sexism that are posted on social media. Amid mounting anger at being erroneously named and shamed and fear that they wont get the public support of their bosses if false claims are made, officers are keeping personal records of exchanges for their own protection. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told The Mail on Sunday: I know its happened with officers because they think, for their own protection, Im going to record it or film it. 'Ive had numerous officers tell me face to face they are going to start recording themselves if body-worn footage cant be released. Anxiety about being accused of wrongdoing on social media has spiked following an incident earlier this month involving black Labour MP Dawn Butler who shared parts of incident online I dont want it to be happening but I understand why. With the levels of fear, they are just trying to look after themselves. A police source added: Officers have done this for some time but the issue with videos on social media has made it a much more pressing problem. Rank-and-file constables feel under siege. In one incident earlier this year, a man who was stopped in London accused a Met officer of racially abusing him during a conversation. The officer, who was also wearing a body-worn camera, is understood to have taped the exchange on a personal mobile phone that was in his pocket. The allegation was later dismissed after an investigation. Anxiety about being accused of wrongdoing on social media has spiked following an incident earlier this month involving a black Labour MP. After a BMW in which she was a passenger was stopped by police, Dawn Butler accused officers of racially profiling both her and the driver. The officers apologised and explained that they had incorrectly entered the cars registration number, but Ms Butler posted footage of the conversation. Later she said: Its obviously racial profiling. We know that the police is institutionally racist and what we have to do is weed that out. 'We have to stop seeing black with crime. We have to stop associating being black and driving a nice car with crime. However, senior Scotland Yard officers said the cars tinted windows meant the officers were unable to see the occupants before the vehicle was stopped in Hackney, East London. Sir Steve House, the Mets Deputy Commissioner, condemned the resulting trial by social media and said his officers acted professionally and politely. However, the officers involved are said to feel let down by management because footage from cameras mounted on their uniforms has not been released. Can it be fair that anyone can take a video of my colleagues and publish it instantly without asking them and they have to live with that? asked Mr Marsh. The officers involved (pictured) in Ms Butler's stop are said to feel let down by management because footage from cameras mounted on their uniforms has not been released So why on earth can we not do the same? If we had been able to share the body-worn camera with the public immediately, we wouldnt have this problem. It is understood that Scotland Yard lawyers are working to overcome issues that would allow footage from the 22,000 body-cams used across the Met to be made public more easily. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: It is important to remember that viral videos are a snapshot in time, the wider context is not immediately obvious. We all have responsibility not to judge until the full circumstances have been made clear. Kildare's local lockdown has been extended by two weeks while tight restrictions have been lifted in Offaly and Laois, the Cabinet announced amid calls for more support for impacted businesses. Grants of between 5,000 and 35,000 will also be made available to struggling businesses. Speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said a "debt of gratitude" is owed to the people of Kildare, Laois and Offaly. "The spread of the virus is being suppressed," he said. "People of Kildare, Laois and Offaly are saving lives in their communities. They have saved lives across the island. We all owe them a debt of gratitude." Restrictions have been eased with immediate effect in Laois and Offaly. "The measures are working but they need more time. For this reason the measures in Kildare are being extended by two weeks," Mr Donnelly added. The restrictions will continue in Kildare until night on Sunday, September 6. People in Kildare are being asked to continue to restrict their movements to travel within their own county except for work or other essential reasons. They are being asked to limit their contacts to six visitors and no more than three households in their home; to work from home unless absolutely necessary and for people at a higher risk of Covid, using their own judgment, to stay at home and limit visitors except for essential care services. Under the guidelines, cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, bingo halls and other indoor recreational, sports, dance and cultural outlets should remain closed. Cafes, restaurants and pubs operating as restaurants should close except for takeaway and deliveries, and outdoor dining up to a maximum of 15 people with appropriate social distancing. All retail can remain open but with strict adherence to public health guidance. "The situation in Laois and Offaly has improved significantly," said acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar tweeted ahead of the announcement yesterday evening and expressed his sympathies with the people of Kildare, confirming the extension of the local lockdown in the county before a formal announcement was made by the Health Minister minutes later. He said the restart grant would be topped up in a bid to help struggling businesses. "I realise how disappointing today's news will be for the people of Kildare. It has been a devastating few months for business owners, their staff and families. I recognise that and we are redoubling our efforts to help businesses," Mr Varadkar tweeted. "We are topping up the restart grant plus further for Kildare businesses. Kildare businesses will receive a 40pc uplift overall, bringing the new minimum grant to 5,600 and the maximum grant to 35,000." He added the local enterprise office would "step up assistance". "One to one specialist expertise and mentoring will be provided, helping business reassess their financial plans. A virtual 'Sustaining Business' open day will be held early next week," he wrote. "Marketing grants will be extended to help businesses to get their message out that they are open for business. Up to 2,500 is available. A publicity campaign will be run locally to ensure businesses are aware of all the funding options available. "Applications from Kildare for all existing schemes will continue to be prioritised." Kildare Chamber of Commerce has called for a further stimulus package and said further staff have been laid off, with 1,200 redundancies already having taken place in the county. Fascinating. Up Queensland way you remember, that place we used to visit, north of the Tweed? theyre getting serious about renaming places that honour historical identities who do not make the cut for respectability in 2020. A case in point is the petition circulating calling for the rebadging of places, that have been named after British aristocrats and politicians who were slave traders or pro-slavery in their public life. And they have no doubt where to start. The first to be considered should be Russell Island named for Lord Russell who voted against slavery abolition, the petition read. Ahem. Portrait of English naturalist and botanist Sir Joseph Banks, who was a key figure in Cook's first voyage. Credit:Natural History Museum Which brings us to the Sydney suburbs of Bankstown, Banksia and Banksmeadow, not to mention the electoral Division of Banks all of them named after the brilliant botanist who accompanied then Lieutenant James Cook on the Endeavour, Joseph Banks. Not only did Banks begin that journey with two indentured African servants for whom I could find no record of wages, which made them slaves but on Banks return to Britain, he became one of the leading voices against the abolition of slavery. In the meantime, the whole point of William Blighs trip on the ill-fated Bounty, which was conceived and organised by Banks, was to get saplings of breadfruit and transport them to Jamaica, where the planters could use them as a cheap source of food for the . . . slaves. Yes, Banks was involved in slavery up to his eyeballs. Even before COVID-19 hit, it was going to be a challenge to achieve a complete census count. Texas never created a statewide committee dedicated to bolstering response rates, leaving the task to local communities. And although the U.S. Supreme Court rightfully dashed a politically charged citizenship question being added to the census, just the specter of it raised concerns about muffling response among immigrants and their family members. Then came the pandemic, which has made in-person outreach for hard-to-count communities much more challenging. Now we see two more threats to a complete and accurate census count. One is a Trump administration decision to suspend the count at the end of September rather than October. Its a move that experts say will lead to an undercount, especially among Black and Latino communities but also rural communities. The second threat is a memorandum to not include undocumented immigrants in the reapportionment of congressional seats. Both actions face legal challenges, but if implemented, they would almost certainly cost Texas in federal funding and congressional representation. As Dudley L. Poston Jr., an emeritus professor of sociology and demography at Texas A&M University in College Station, has written in our pages, excluding undocumented immigrants from the census count could result in one or two fewer new congressional seats in Texas and a loss of about $5.6 billion annually in federal funds. He has also projected that should an undercount of 210,000 people in Texas occur a small fraction of the states population it could result in a loss of about $735 million a year and also one fewer new seat in the House. So, yes, it pays to be counted. And not enough Texans have been counted. As of this writing, the Texas self-response rate stands at about 59 percent while the national self-response rate is at 64 percent. Bexar Countys response rate is almost 64 percent, an impressive achievement given the pandemic and our pronounced digital divide. But response rates across the region vary, according to data collected by CI:Now, a nonprofit in partnership with the UTHealth School of Public Health in San Antonio. The self-response rate in Shavano Park in northwest Bexar County is about 85 percent, for example. But in Von Ormy in southwest Bexar County, it is 44 percent. And there are many pockets in San Antonios West, East and South sides that qualify as hard to count. Across the state, counties in rural areas and the Rio Grande Valley have dismal self-response rates. On ExpressNews.com: Excluding the undocumented from census will cost Texas If certain areas are not represented with their full accurate count, that means their funding will be diminished as well, Diana Elliott, a principal research associate at the nonpartisan Urban Institute, told the Washington Post. I think, for example, of the Rio Grande Valley. That area of Texas will get less money than, say, the suburbs of Dallas. And thats not really a fair and equitable distribution of resources. This spring, responding to the challenges of conducting a census count in a pandemic, the Census Bureau rightfully requested a four-month extension to complete its data, pushing that deadline from Dec. 31 to April 30 of next year. This also included continuing outreach through the end of October. While the House of Representatives approved that request in May, it has yet to move forward in the U.S. Senate. To meet the Dec. 31 deadline, the census has dialed back door-to-door outreach through the end of September, even though experts have warned this is just not enough time. To achieve as complete count as possible, the outreach should continue through October, with a deadline for compiling census data extended to April 30. We also support an outside bipartisan panel of experts to vet the accuracy of the census count given the unique challenges of the pandemic. If you havent responded to the census, it takes only a few minutes and can be done online at my2020census.gov. Mr John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has described the late Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area as a brother. He said his friendship with the late traditional ruler was as a result of "an incident" which occurred in the Area. Mr Mahama said the relationship between them grew stronger and it was appropriate to pay tribute to his memory. The Flagbearer who signed the book of condolence in Hohoe when he toured the Volta Region said he would support the Council to give the late ruler a befitting burial. "We pray for the demise of Togbega, open more new doors for the Area," he said. Togbe Keh XII, Divisional Chief of Gbi Wegbe, on behalf of the Council and the traditional area expressed gratitude to Mr Mahama for his kind gesture and support for the Council. He said although the Council had suspended the signing of the book of condolence due to the coronavirus pandemic the good relationship between them enabled them to offer another opportunity. NDC National, Regional and Constituency Executives, National Campaign team accompanied the former President, who presented some items to the Council. 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 Mark Zuckerberg and his lieutenants are holding daily meets about minimising how the platform can be used to dispute the November election San Francisco: Facebook spent years preparing to ward off any tampering on its site before Novembers presidential election. Now the social network is getting ready in case President Donald Trump interferes once the vote is over. Employees at the Silicon Valley company are laying out contingency plans and walking through post election scenarios that include attempts by Trump or his campaign to use the platform to delegitimise the results, people with knowledge of Facebooks plans said. Facebook is preparing steps to take should Trump wrongly claim on the site that he won another four-year term, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Facebook is also working through how it might act if Trump tries to invalidate the results by declaring that the Postal Service lost mail-in ballots or that other groups meddled with the vote, the people said. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, and some of his lieutenants have started holding daily meetings about minimising how the platform can be used to dispute the election, the people said. They have discussed a kill switch to shut off political advertising after election day since the ads, which Facebook does not police for truthfulness, could be used to spread misinformation, the people said. The preparations underscore how rising concerns over the integrity of the November election have reached social media companies, whose sites can be used to amplify lies, conspiracy theories and inflammatory messages. YouTube and Twitter have also discussed plans for action if the post election period becomes complicated, according to disinformation and political researchers who have advised the firms. The tech companies have spent the past few years working to avoid a repeat of the 2016 election, when Russian operatives used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to inflame the American electorate with divisive messages. While the firms have since clamped down on foreign meddling, they are reckoning with a surge of domestic interference, such as from right-wing conspiracy group QAnon and Trump himself. In recent weeks, Trump, who uses social media as a megaphone, has sharpened his comments about the election. He has questioned the legitimacy of mail-in voting, suggested that peoples mail-in ballots would not be counted and avoided answering whether he would step down if he lost. Alex Stamos, director of Stanford Universitys Internet Observatory and a former Facebook executive, said Facebook, Twitter and YouTube faced a singular situation where they have to potentially treat the president as a bad actor who could undermine the democratic process. We dont have experience with that in the United States, Stamos added. Facebook may be in an especially difficult position because Zuckerberg has said the social network stands for free speech. Unlike Twitter, which has flagged Trumps tweets for being factually inaccurate and glorifying violence, Facebook has said that politicians posts are newsworthy and that the public has the right to see them. Taking any action on posts from Trump or his campaign after the vote could open Facebook up to accusations of censorship and anti-conservative bias. In an interview with The New York Times this month, Zuckerberg said of the election that people should be ready for the fact that theres a high likelihood that it takes days or weeks to count this and theres nothing wrong or illegitimate about that. A spokesman for Facebook declined to comment on its post election strategy. We continue to plan for a range of scenarios to make sure we are prepared for the upcoming election, he said. Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said, President Trump will continue to work to ensure the security and integrity of our elections. Google, which owns YouTube, confirmed that it was holding conversations on postelection strategy but declined to elaborate. Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Twitters vice-president of public policy, said the company was evolving its policies to better identify, understand and mitigate threats to the public conversation, both before or after an election. Facebook had initially focused on the run-up to the election: the period when, in 2016, most of the Russian meddling took place on its site. The company mapped out almost 80 scenarios, many of which looked at what might go wrong on its platform before Americans voted, the people with knowledge of the discussions said. Facebook examined what it would do, for instance, if hackers backed by a nation-state leaked documents online, or if a nation-state unleashed a widespread disinformation campaign at the last minute to dissuade Americans from going to the polls, one employee said. To bolster the effort, Facebook invited those in government, think tanks and academia to participate and conduct exercises around the hypothetical election situations. An idea that came up during one exercise that Facebook label posts from state media so users know they are reading government-sponsored content was put into effect in June, said Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab, who joined the session. We can see that their policy decisions are being affected by these exercises, he said. But Facebook was less decisive on other issues. If a post suggested that mail-in voting was broken, or encouraged people to send in multiple copies of their mail-in ballots, the company would not remove the messages if they were framed as a suggestion or a question, one person who advised the company said. Under Facebooks rules, it takes down only voting-related posts that are statements with obviously false and misleading information. In recent months, Facebook turned more to post election planning. That shift accelerated this month when Trump said more on the issue, two Facebook employees said. On 3 August, Trump questioned whether the Democratic primary in New Yorks 12th Congressional District should be rerun because of long delays in counting mail-in ballots. Nobody knows whats happening with the ballots and the lost ballots and the fraudulent ballots, I guess, he said. The next day, Trump broadened his attack, falsely stating that mail-in ballots lead to more voter fraud nationwide. Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters, he said. They go collect them. They are fraudulent in many cases. Trumps comments alarmed Facebook employees who work on protecting its site in the US election. On the groups internal chat channels, many wondered whether Trump would launch even more attacks against mail-in voting, one employee who saw the messages said. Some asked whether the president was violating Facebooks rules against disenfranchising voters. Those questions were ultimately sent to Zuckerberg, as well as top executives including Joel Kaplan, the global head of public policy, the employee said. In a staff meeting later that week, Zuckerberg told employees that if political figures or commentators tried declaring victory in an election early, Facebook would consider adding a label to their posts explaining that the results were not final. Of Trump, Zuckerberg said the company was in unprecedented territory with the president saying some of the things that hes saying that I find quite troubling. The meeting was reported earlier by BuzzFeed News. Since then, executives have discussed the kill switch for political advertising, according to two employees, which would turn off political ads after 3 November if the elections outcome was not immediately clear or if Trump disputed the results. The discussions remain fluid, and it is unclear if Facebook will follow through with the plan, three people close to the talks said. In a call with reporters this month, Facebook executives said they had removed more than 110,000 pieces of content between March and July that violated the companys election-related policies. They also said there was a lot about the election that they did not know. In this fast-changing environment, we are always sort of red teaming and working with partners to understand what are the next risks? said Guy Rosen, vice president of integrity at Facebook. What are the different kinds of things that may go wrong? Mike Isaac and Sheera Frenkel c.2020 The New York Times Company Some US-based users of WeChat are suing President Donald Trump in a bid to block an executive order that they say would effectively bar access in the US to the hugely popular Chinese messaging app. The complaint, filed Friday in San Francisco, is being brought by the nonprofit US WeChat Users Alliance and several people who say they rely on the app for work, worship and staying in touch with relatives in China. 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 WHO says children aged 12 and over should wear masks like adults The World Health Organization (WHO) said children aged 12 and over should wear masks to help tackle the Covid-19 pandemic under the same conditions as adults, while children between six and 11 should wear them on a risk-based approach. Children aged 12 and over should particularly wear a mask when a one-metre distance from others cannot be guaranteed and there is widespread transmission in the area, the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a document on the WHO website dated 21 August. Whether children between six and 11 should wear masks depends on a number of factors, including the intensity of transmission in the area, the child's ability to use the mask, access to masks and adequate adult supervision, the two organisations said. The potential impact on learning and psycho-social development, and the interactions the child has with people at high risk of developing serious illness, should also play a role. Children aged five years and under should not be required to wear masks based on the safety and overall interest of the child, the WHO and UNICEF said. Studies suggest older children potentially play a more active role in transmission of the new coronavirus than younger children, the WHO and UNICEF said, adding more data was needed to better understand the role of children and adolescents in the transmission of the virus, which causes Covid-19. The WHO first advised people to wear masks in public on 5 June to help reduce the spread of the disease, but had previously not issued specific guidance for children. Saturday, August 22nd, 2020 (4:50 pm) - Score 11,868 Mainstream media reports have today claimed that a number of major private equity firms are exploring the possibility of making a joint bid for the whole BT Group, which could be worth up to 15bn. In response the operator has reportedly asked Goldman Sachs to update its bid defence strategy. At present BTs market capitalisation is estimated to be around 10bn, although a fair few analysts believe that the company is undervalued following a string of problems over the past few years. Meanwhile the Governments recent decision to ban Huawei from the 5G mobile network, as well as a suspension of their dividend (partly to help fund the 12bn roll-out of FTTP broadband technology) and the COVID-19 crisis hasnt helped. NOTE: Back when BT and Back when BT and EE merged the companys shares were worth 441p, but today theyre just 101p and analysts believe that 200p would be more reflective. On the other hand, we have to consider that the operator has some 50bn in pension liabilities and 18bn in net debt. Normally all of that, when combined with its significant regulatory obligations to Ofcom, would be enough to discourage most potential buyers. Despite this several sources appear to have told Sky News that the operators currently weakened position may outweigh those traditional bugbears. Admittedly this isnt the first time that BT has become the subject of takeover rumours (Deutsche Telekom is often linked to such an idea due to their 12% stake), but so far none of those have amounted to anything. Back in May 2020 there was also a widely reported suggestion that BT could sell a stake in its Openreach division (alone OR could be worth up to 20bn) to help fund their fibre roll-out (here), which was strongly refuted by the operator. The situation today is that BT are perhaps more vulnerable to a takeover attempt than they have been at any point in the past decade, but it remains to be seen whether one is actually tabled. The operator may just be doing their normal due diligence by allegedly updating their bid defence strategy, if that has indeed occurred. Furthermore, the Government has recently been signalling their desire to protect key players in the British technology sector and any bid for BT is likely to be politically tedious, due to their position in the UK telecoms market. No doubt a lot would be demanded of any potential buyer and that in itself could be a discouragement. Once again, we advise a few pinches of salt. Angola's Supreme Court on Friday handed a five-year jail sentence to Jose Filomeno dos Santos, the son of the oil-rich country's former president, for fraud when he headed the national sovereign wealth fund. Dos Santos, 42, was summoned before court in December over allegations he tried to embezzle up to $1.5 billion (1.3 billion euros) from the sovereign wealth fund, which he oversaw from 2013 to 2018. Nicknamed "Zenu", dos Santos was charged with stealing $500 million from the fund and transferring it to a Swiss bank account. "For the crime of fraud... and for the crime of peddling influence... the legal cumulus condemns him to a single sentence of five years in prison," judge Joao da Cruz Pitra said. Three co-defendants, including the former governor of the national bank of Angola (BNA) Valter Filipe da Silva, were sentenced to between four and six years in prison for fraud, embezzlement and influence peddling. All four were acquitted of money-laundering charges. They had previously denied any wrongdoing. Zenu is the first member of the former presidential family to be prosecuted as part an anti-graft campaign led by President Joao Lourenco, who came to power in 2017. In February, Angolan investigators froze the assets of Zenu's billionaire half-sister Isabel dos Santos. She is being probed for a long list of crimes in Angola, including mismanagement, embezzlement and money laundering during her stewardship of the state-run oil giant Sonangol. Lourenco has mainly targeted the family members of his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who appointed relatives and friends to key positions during his 38-year rule -- leaving a legacy of poverty and nepotism. Isabel has vehemently denied the accusations against her and denounced Luanda's actions as a politically-motivated "witch-hunt". Only a small elite have benefitted from Angola's vast oil and mineral reserves. The southwest African country has been slow to recover from a 1975-2002 civil war. Large pockets of the population live in poverty with limited access to basic services. str-sch/tgb Ant McPartlin and his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett got caught in the rain during a windy walk with their beloved dogs in London on Saturday. The ITV star, 44, appeared in good spirits despite the weather as he headed out with his two Maltipoos and Labrador Hurley, whom he shares with his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong. Their outing comes after Lisa, 43, appeared to confirm her romance with married man James Green, who is separated from his wife, on Twitter. Quality time: Ant McPartlin, 44, and girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett got caught in the rain during a walk with their dogs, on Saturday... after ex Lisa Armstrong confirmed new romance Ant sported a navy sweater for the outing and teamed it with a similarly covered pair chino shorts. The TV presenter complemented his attire with a pair of blue slides as he threw a large branch for Hurley to chase after. Anne-Marie, meanwhile, showed off her slender legs during the outing as she donned a pair of distressed denim shorts. Playing around: Ant could be seen holding a giant branch that the dogs were excitedly waiting for him to throw during a game of catch Loved-up! Their outing comes after Ant's ex Lisa, 43, appeared to confirm her romance with a married man, after fans reached out to her on Twitter to congratulate her on the happy news Legs for days! Anne-Marie showed off her slender legs during the outing as she donned a pair of distressed denim shorts The blonde beauty teamed her hotpants with a multicoloured blouse and she also wore a soft pink hoodie to keep warm. Their outing comes after Lisa appeared to confirm her romance with married man James Green, who is separated from his wife, after fans reached out to her on Twitter to congratulate her on the happy news. Lisa looked to be happier than ever when she was seen enjoying an outdoor date with her rumoured new boyfriend James in London earlier this month. And, the make-up artist appeared to confirm their romance after a fan got in touch on social media. Staying dry: Ant and Anne-Marie were spotted shielding under a tree when the weather took a turn for the worse Relaxed look: sported a navy sweater for the outing and teamed it with a similarly covered pair chino shorts Casual chic: Anne-Marie teamed her hotpants with a multicoloured blouse and she also wore a soft pink hoodie to keep warm Case of the ex: The notoriously private star's new relationship with James Green, 37, comes three years after her split from Ant was announced (Pictured together in 2010) Her follower tweeted: 'Just love the fact that, A. Your Career continues to soar. B. You have a handsome good man who clearly cares for you (Finally). 'I wish you...... Love, life and magic in all you do.' Rather than denying the relationship rumours, Lisa retweeted the message for her followers to see, adding three kiss-blowing emojis, and added: 'Thank-you Kathy xx.' The blonde is said to have met James before lockdown but started seeing him properly once restrictions started to ease. Confirmation? The make-up artist appeared to confirm their romance after a fan got in touch on social media 'Fit': The head of make-up and hair for Strictly Come Dancing seemed to confirm their relationship as she responded to a delighted fan on Twitter Ant and Anne-Marie were spotted at Heathrow Airport with her teenage daughters earlier this month, as they jetted off on a summer holiday during the presenter's month away from his TV duties. At the time, Ant signed off his social media account, shared with Declan Donnelly, with the TV duo announcing they were taking a break and would be back at the end of August. It appeared Ant and Anne-Marie had already made a safe return from their vacation, though it is unclear where they had ventured off to. Stroll: Ant and Anne-Marie were seen chatting away as they walked their three dogs Heading back: Later on, Ant was seen helping Anne-Marie get their pet pooches into the car Matching: Both Ant and Anne-Marie wore sandals for their outing, despite the weather Having fun: Ant seemed to be excitedly showing the dogs the large stick he'd found before heading out into the field to throw it Time to go: Hurley appeared to not be ready to leave the park as Ant tried to coax him inside their car Ant and Anne-Marie have been in a relationship for around two years, with their romance first causing controversy due to his marriage breakdown with ex wife Lisa Armstrong. Lisa, 43, was left devastated when she learnt of their romance, tweeting at the time: 'She was MY friend who I let into OUR home.' In April, Ant's divorce from Lisa was finalised although the pair still share custody of their dog Hurley. The former couple have previously been transferring the dog between homes during lockdown. Relationship: Ant and Anne-Marie have been in a relationship for around two years, with their romance first causing controversy due to his marriage breakdown with ex wife Lisa Armstrong When first-time mom Joanne Reillys water broke 16 weeks early, she was shocked; however, what really left the mom, who was expecting twins, dumbfounded was that she gave birth to the boys two days apart. The 32-year-old police officer from Swinton, Manchester, told Caters News Agency that she was having a rather smooth pregnancy with hardly any sickness or weird cravings, and was enjoying every second of it. Joanne Reilly when she was 23 weeks pregnant. (Caters News) Even a week prior to when her water broke, Joanne recalls her scan didnt show anything possibly wrong. So I was very confused and panicked when my waters had broken at 24 weeks and five days, she said. As her water broke in January 2019, Joanne rushed to St.Marys Hospital along with her partner, Anthony, and a few hours later, she was already in labor. On Jan. 10 at 4:43 a.m., Dylan arrived in the world weighing a mere 1 pound, 10 ounces (approx. 737 g). However, he was in a poor state and needed to be resuscitated within 30 minutes of his birth. We almost lost him which was very traumatic, the mom of two said. After Dylans birth, he was whisked to the NICU, and Joannes labor stopped. Five-day-old Dylan in the NICU. (Caters News) Joanne braced herself to push for the second time, but hours passed and nothing happened. The medical personnel at the hospital advised the mom to be on strict bed rest, as they hoped that Joanne would be able to carry the second baby up until the full term of the pregnancy because he was in his own amniotic sac and would be able to survive by himself. I was shocked as I didnt know that was possible, Joanne said, recalling that moment. In a way, I just wanted [my second son] to come too as it felt weird having one but not the other. Meanwhile, the worried mother wasnt allowed to visit Dylan in the NICU, as she was advised by doctors to be on complete bed rest to ensure that the second baby would have a better chance of development. Thus, she watched Dylan from an iPad on an incubator. It is horrible seeing your tiny baby in an incubator and there is nothing you can do, Joanne shared. Unbeknownst to the mom, two days after, on Jan. 12 at 10:39 a.m., baby Oscar was born weighing 2 pounds (approx. 907 g). However, unlike his older brother, Oscar arrived without any medical complications despite being born two days apart. We always say the extra two days did Oscar the world of good as he had zero complications and was taken off the ventilation first, Joanne said. Two weeks after their boys birth, Joanne could finally hold her twins, and described them as delicate and poorly. Joanne Reilly with her 1-month-old twin boys. (Caters News) For the first few months that followed after their birth, Dylan and Oscar were kept apart. When they turned 3 months old, the boys started to share a cot. During this period, Joanne was worried if the two would be able to form a special sibling bond since they had spent the initial days of their life apart; however, the now-19-month-old twins are thriving and are affectionate toward each other. Three-month-old Dylan and Oscar share the same cot. (Caters News) [T]hey are very much aware that they are twinsthey cant settle without one another, Joanne said. If one leaves the room, then the other will cry. They also love to annoy one another. Eighteen-month-old Dylan and Oscar. (Caters News) The special preemies, who have had no major complications, even have an Instagram account, where Joanne chronicles the adventures of their tiny and playful lives. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc The Uttar Pradesh government will on Saturday table 17 bills in the assembly to replace ordinances promulgated after the last session of the state legislature. The bills include the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Properties Bill, 2020, that relates to putting up posters/hoardings by protesters and recovery of damages caused to public and private property during political agitations/processions and demonstrations. The state government had earlier promulgated the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Properties Ordinance, 2020, this year in the backdrop of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests. The bill to replace the ordinance seeks to empower the government to make protesters and rioters pay for the damages caused to public and private property. The state government has set up two tribunals in Lucknow and Meerut to investigate the cases of damage to property during the protests under the provisions of the ordinance. Opposition leader Ram Govind Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party, who is not attending the state session on medical advice, said as there was no provision for an appeal in a civil court against the tribunals orders, and hence his party would oppose the bill in the assembly. The state legislatures monsoon session began on Thursday and the state government proposed to table the bills in the state assembly on Friday. It, however, decided to take up Fridays agenda on Saturday as the House was adjourned after condoling the death of Janmjeya Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Deoria (Sadar) earlier in the day. The state government also proposes to repeal about 60 laws that have become obsolete and redundant over the years. A bill in this regard is likely to be tabled in the state assembly besides other bills. The Uttar Pradesh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Facilitation of Establishment and Operation) Bill 2020 is also likely to be tabled. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bengaluru, Aug 22 : Amid surge of Coronavirus cases in Karnataka, the state health department has recognized that unnecessary excessive oxygen therapy is being administered to patients, compelling it to issue guidelines on use of the gas, an official said on Saturday. In the event of oxygen saturation level being greater than or equal to 94 per cent in a Covid patient, the guidelines suggest no oxygen therapy but monitoring of vitals while regular treatment protocol is continued. "There is a non-judicious and excessive use of oxygen therapy being done without proper monitoring that is leading to its shortage, besides its waste and loss of money," said Additional Chief Secretary Jawaid Akhtar citing a study by the Clinical Expert Committee (CEC), which then issued the guidelines. Likewise, unregulated oxygen use has also led to an unprecedented surge in demand for the gas to treat Covid-19 patients. "All the health institutions and doctors are advised to strictly adhere to the recommended protocol," pointed out Akhtar. Incidentally, excess oxygen generation results in pulmonary oxygen toxicity. Free radicals generated in such a condition will damage the lung tissue. "Clinical oxygen toxicity is manifested in several ways. Normal subjects experience a decrease in vital capacity and a fall in DICO. Lung compliance is diminished. Tracheobronchitis, which produces substernal chest pain, may also occur," said the guidelines. Recently, two hospitals were compelled to shift patients at midnight because of oxygen supply disruption -- Kempe Gowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and C.V. Raman Hospital in Indiranagar. Because of the unexpected disruption, C.V. Raman Hospital shifted 17 Covid patients to other hospitals around midnight. With 7,571 more infections on Friday, the statewide Covid tally rose to 2.64 lakh cases in the southern state. The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has spoken about how the force planned to spend the N13 billion President Muhammadu Buhari approved to strengthen community policing. The Nation newspaper reported that Mr Adamu spoke on Friday at the one-year anniversary of the re-establishment of the Ministry of Police Affairs. According to the police boss, the funds will cater for equipment, sensitisation, and training of the local police which includes vigilante and neighborhood watch groups. He said the force have started training and town hall sensitisation for the community police officers who will be properly established next year. Speaking on why community policing became necessary, Mr Adamu said members will help to maintain peace, law and order in the community. He said an advisory committee that includes traditional leaders, religious leaders, transport workers and many more have been inaugurated in all the states. At the local government level we have the same strategy represented by the same group of community leaders. At the local government level again we have community policing committee which will have the same people from the ward and villages, he was quoted as saying. ALSO READ: The committee according to Mr Adamu would receive reports from officers and solve problems of crimes within communities. He, however, warned the community police against the possession of illegal weapons. For the benefit of doubt, anybody seen with any prohibited firearms will be arrested and prosecuted, regardless of their vigilante groups. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-23 01:16:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on July 17, 2020 shows the construction site of the Nam Theun 1 hydropower project in Borikhamxay Province, Laos. A group of Chinese builders have been working day and night in the vast Lancang-Mekong River Basin with strengthened measures on fighting COVID-19, pressing forward the construction of the China-Laos Railway to forge a thriving Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Economic Development Belt. (Sinohydro 3/Hangout via Xinhua) by Zhang Jianhua, Chanthaphaphone Mixayboua VIENTIANE, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese builders have been working day and night in the vast Lancang-Mekong River Basin with strengthened measures on fighting COVID-19, pressing forward the construction of the China-Laos Railway to forge a thriving Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Economic Development Belt. The China-Laos Railway is one of the key projects in the economic development belt. Braving the hardship posed by the mountains and forests in northern Laos, the PowerChina Sinohydro Bureau 3 Co., LTD (Sinohydro 3), one of the Chinese engineering companies participating in the construction of the railway, has spared no efforts in the construction. To prevent the infection of the virus, the project department established an epidemic prevention and control working group to monitor the implementation of the precautious measures, such as purchasing protective materials, disinfecting the construction base twice a day, working out staggered meal times, building isolation dormitories, raising awareness about the epidemic, and providing accommodation for local staff on the construction site, among others. These effective measures have secured the smooth progress of the construction of the railway. In February, drilling of the Sa Len No. 1 Tunnel and the Dalong No. 1 Tunnel were completed as planned. From March to August, the drilling of the Dalong No. 2 and other three tunnels along the China-Laos railway were also completed on time, laying a solid foundation for the railway to be opened to traffic in 2021. In Laos' Borikhamxay Province, the construction of the 650-MW Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Plant on a tributary of the Mekong river is progressing in an orderly manner. The Nam Theun 1 hydropower project is a key project jointly developed by the Lao and Thai governments. The construction of the power plant and related transmission lines are respectively carried out by Sinohydro 3 and China Gezhouba Group. Jie Xiangyang, the Sinohydro 3 project manager, told Xinhua recently that the project was progressing steadily. On April 26, the company cast 11,508 cubic meters of roller compacted concrete, breaking its record in Laos. On May 8, 13,792 cubic meters of concrete was cast and its daily casting quantity record in Southeast Asia was updated. On May 21, the company set a new record for casting 15,356 cubic meters of concrete in one day. The Chinese engineering company, which entered the construction site last December, has carried out hard work to gain the achievements. In view of the large number of workers returning to Laos from abroad, the Sinohydro 3 coordinated arrangements for personnel entry plans and implemented personnel information tracking for epidemic prevention. Meanwhile, as the delivery of some equipment from abroad was affected by the epidemic, the company tried its best to coordinate and finally managed to get the equipment by air transport before Laos closed its borders. In response to a series of lockdown measures in Laos, which caused difficulties in equipment and material supply, the company actively communicated with the project investor and relevant government departments to make sure the construction is carried out smoothly. In face of the tight project schedule caused by the early setting in of this year's rain season in Laos, the Chinese technical staff conducted a detailed review and improved the construction plan according to the actual situation. "At the front line of the epidemic prevention and control, we must be on standby around the clock... We should not let our guard down against any emergencies," said Li Xupeng, a safety manager of the Nam Ou 1 Hydropower Plant, which is one of the seven Nam Ou River cascade hydropower plants developed by PowerChina on Mekong's largest tributary in Laos. Enditem EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt has split from his wife Beverley Sharp, a spokesperson for the soap has confirmed. The actor, who plays Ian Beale, married dancer Beverley at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida back in 1998. The couple have two children together, 27-year-old Jessica and 23-year-old Samuel. A spokesperson for the BBC soap has confirmed that Adam and Beverley separated last year. Beverley and Adam separated in August 2019 and we ask that the familys privacy is respected, the statement read. The news of their separation comes after it was reported Adam would be written out of the soap when it returns from its break. EastEnders is off air until 7 September after filming was suspended due to coronavirus. Adam, who is EastEnders' longest-running cast member, having played Ian Beale since 1985, is set to be at the centre of an explosive twist that will lead to him not appearing on-screen for up to 10 weeks. Writers are staying tight-lipped about what happens, so its not known yet what the future will hold for the character, a source told the Daily Star. While the reason for the character's break has not been revealed, it is expected to be related to Ians involvement in the death of Dennis the son of Sharon (Letitia Dean). Earlier this year, Adam revealed that he has been bombarded with memes of his characters famous crying scene every single day since the clip aired in 2014. I must get sent that clip three times a day if not more, he told Stacey Dooley in an episode of Secrets from the Square. "That gets so taken out of context now, it gets used for everything, for 'I've run out of toilet paper." India to have 6.8 million fewer female births by 2030 due to abortion: study Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment India will have approximately 6.8 million missing female births between 2017 and 2030 because of sex-selective abortions, according to a recently published study. Fengqing Chao at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, and her colleagues had their paper published by PLOS ONE on Wednesday, titled Probabilistic projection of the sex ratio at birth and missing female births by State and Union Territory in India. According to the paper, the sex birth ratio (SBR) of India has been imbalanced since the 1970s and is projected to result in 6.8 million fewer female births by 2030. The researchers attributed this to a combination of the intensity of son preference in Indian culture and fertility squeeze, or a pressure to have a smaller family household. The masculinized SBR for India is a direct result of the practice of sex-selective abortions at the national level, explained the researchers, noting that different regions of the country vary on when this male birth preference began. Some states, such as Punjab, have experienced an early and rapid rise in birth masculinity since the 1980s, whereas in North Indian states, the masculinized SBR started to increase later. The researchers looked at the SBR estimates by states and union territories in India from 1990 to 2016, as well as data from the India Sample Registration System on total fertility rates and Indias Demographic and Health Surveys. We project that out of the 21 Indian States and UTs with SRS data, 16 will have imbalanced SBR between 2017 and 2030, they continued. Among these 16 States/UTs, the largest contribution to the female births deficit is projected to be from Uttar Pradesh, with a cumulative number of missing female births projected to be 2.0 [1.9; 2.2] million from 2017 to 2030. The researchers proposed better identification, monitoring, and education in the worst affected regions of India as part of the solution to the issue of missing female births. Our study highlights the need to strengthen policies that advocate for gender equity and the introduction of support measures to counteract existing gender biases that adequately target each regional context, they concluded. Future work may include additional sources of heterogeneity, such as education, religion, and ethnicity, for projecting the SBR in India and extending the SRB predictions for longer-term projections. Jonathan Abbamonte, research analyst at the Population Research Institute, wrote in an op-ed piece published by The Christian Post last year that India is not the only nation facing a disproportionately high number of male births due to sex-selective abortion. Abbamonte also named China, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, nations in the Balkan Peninsula of Europe as problem areas where millions of girls have been lost as a result. In India alone, I have found that approximately 15.8 million girls have been eliminated through sex-selective abortion and other forms of prenatal daughter elimination since 1990, he wrote in 2019. To put that in perspective, that is roughly the equivalent of the population of Portugal and Finland combined. In 2014, former President Jimmy Carter told David Letterman in an interview that he considered sex-selective abortion the "worst human rights abuse on earth." He added, "160 million girls are now missing from the face of the earth because they were murdered at birth by their parents or either selectively aborted when their parents find out that the fetus is a girl." "Well, it's the worst human rights abuse on earth and it's basically unaddressed So that many people are missing and they're all girls who are missing." In the United States, several states have considered and even passed bans on sex-selective abortion, only to face legal battles over their constitutionality by pro-choice groups. Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a ruling allowing Arkansas to enforce a law passed in 2017 banning sex-selective abortions. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge celebrated the decision, saying in a statement that Arkansas has taken a strong stance to protect the unborn from inhumane treatment. As Arkansas chief legal officer, I have always advocated for the lives of unborn children and will continue to defend our states legal right to protect the unborn, stated Rutledge. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization with historic ties to Planned Parenthood, has argued that banning sex-selective abortions would not resolve the issues they create. Evidence from the global context indicates that sex-selective abortion bans do not work to prevent sex selection, because these bans do nothing to challenge the phenomenon of son preference or its underlying causes and they are difficult to enforce, argued the Institute in a post from January. Also, sex-selective abortion is only one of several medical methods of choosing the sex of a fetus; others, such as sperm sorting and preimplantation genetic diagnostics, remain legal under state bans on sex-selective abortion. Nearly 20 years later, Shirley Isadore says she still wants to know why a Portland police officer shot and killed her daughter, Kendra James. Isadore plans to join a Black Lives Matter march on Washington, D.C., next Friday in memory of her 21-year-old daughter and others killed by police. Im very angry. I get no peace and I get no justice, Isadore, 59, told those gathered at community listening session called Say Her Name, Hear Her Voice. Isadore said her daughters sons, who were 3 and 18 months when James died in May 2003, are now 20 and 18. Its been 17 years, and Im still not OK, Isadore said, but I have to be for them. Isadore was invited to address the racial equity group of the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing, a police oversight panel of volunteers. The committee formed as one of the requirements of the citys settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice after federal investigators in 2012 found that Portland police had shown a pattern of using excessive force against people with mental illness. Officer Scott McCollister shot James about 2:50 a.m. on May 5, 2003, as she tried to drive away from a traffic stop on North Skidmore Street. The officer told investigators that 80 percent of his body was in the car, trying to get James out, when she put the car into drive. He testified that he fired one shot from his 9mm handgun because he feared for his life. James died from a single bullet that entered below her lower left hip, traveled upward and stopped beneath her right breast. A Multnomah County grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by the officer. James was in the back seat of a Chevrolet Cavalier that police began following as it left the parking lot of the Budget Motel on North Interstate Avenue. The car went through a stop sign before turning onto Skidmore and police pulled it over. The driver didnt have a license, and police removed both him and a second man who had been in the front passenger seat without incident, but James then hopped into the drivers seat, police said. Although then-Police Chief Mark Kroeker said McCollisters use of deadly force didnt violate Police Bureau policy or state law, he found that McCollister shouldnt have put himself in the car and in a position where he had to fire his gun. Kroeker issued a six-page disciplinary letter that criticized McCollisters lack of tactical planning in deciding how to get James out of the car and described how it led to the fatal shooting. McCollister entered the car, unholstered his gun inside the car and failed to use his pepper spray properly. Another officer tried to use a Taser on James, but it was ineffective. A state arbitrator overturned Kroekers 5 -month suspension of McCollister, faulting the bureau for acting before it conducted a full internal affairs investigation of the shooting. Then-police union President Robert King, now the mayors public safety liaison, praised the arbitrators ruling, saying the officer did what was necessary to defend himself. James, who had been wanted on a misdemeanor warrant, was left handcuffed on the ground and unattended after she was shot. Police later learned that the officers involved met with one another or talked by phone before detectives interviewed them. Isadore said she still cant conceive how the officer who shot her daughter decided reaching for a gun was the only way out. Police had no reason to fear her daughter, Isadore said. She still wonders why her daughter wasnt removed from the car and sitting on the curb with the other passenger. Police said James didnt listen to police requests to step out to face arrest for a failure to appear in court warrant. Now, Isadore said, she relies on God and prayer for solace that she cant find in answers. I know Im never going to get what I need, she said. I just had to let go I do believe God has my back. For me, the name of Kendra James was really an important flashpoint in our city, said community activist Joyce Harris. I remember when we marched. I remember when we rallied. We raised her name. Longtime community activists Joyce Harris and former state Sen. Avel Gordly applauded Isadore for speaking out Thursday night. Harris and Gordly helped push for the Justice Department investigation, and Gordly urged the public release of grand jury transcripts in police shootings. Harris said Black women killed by police or who die from other violence dont get the same attention as Black men in similar circumstances. For me, the name of Kendra James was really an important flashpoint in our city, Harris said. I remember when we marched. I remember when we rallied. We raised her name. Harris also attended a 10-year anniversary vigil marking James death on the North Skidmore Interstate 5 overpass where the shooting occurred and recalled buying a dozen red roses to place at the site in her memory. We were traumatized about Kendras killing, Harris said. I remember the sick feeling in my stomach when I read the interviews of the police officers. The Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing plans to pay for three shirts to be made with Kendra James photo on front for Isadore and her family members to wear to Washington on Friday. With each subsequent police killing, Isadore said she relives the loss of her daughter. I know how they feel and I know what theyre going through, she said of families around the country whose loved ones have died at police hands. She said she prays for them. James, who grew up in North Portland, had been in and out of jail most of her adult life and struggled with a crack addiction. Near the time of her death, James had called Sister Cathy at the Rose Haven day shelter, Isadore said. Her daughter was prepared to change her life and wanted to be a better mother, she said. But she never got the opportunity, said Isadore, who worked for Rose Haven then. Shortly before her daughter died, Isadore said she spotted a blue dress and bought it simply because I thought Kendra would like that. It was the one, she said, she buried her daughter in. -- 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. 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 Citigroup Inc filed a third lawsuit on Friday in its latest attempt to recoup nearly $1 billion it mistakenly sent to lenders of Revlon Inc. The third largest U.S. bank has so far sued a dozen firms after an "operational error" that caused it to transfer $900 million of its own funds to Revlon creditors one day after the troubled cosmetics company was sued over its restructuring tactics. Several hundred million has already been returned the bank, Citi said in an emailed statement. But it has had to take legal action to recover over $500 million from lenders who are refusing to return the payment. "All of the funds owed to Citi have now either been returned or frozen by court order," the bank said in the statement. "We believe the law is on our side and that we will recover the outstanding funds." 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 MONTREALA 19-year-old in Quebec has died from complications linked to COVID-19, the Health Department confirmed Friday, marking the first time since the pandemic hit that someone in the province under the age of 20 has succumbed to the disease. Spokeswoman Marie-Claude Lacasse said in an emailed statement the Health Department cannot release any information about the identity of the person who died, or any details about the death. The province said 3,279 people between the ages of 10 and 19 have tested positive for COVID-19 to date. Among those cases, 31 people needed to be hospitalized, including six who were in intensive care. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu offered her condolences to the family of the 19-year-old Friday, as did Quebec Premier Francois Legault. Its hard to find words for how much suffering that family must be going through right now, Hajdu told a news conference in Ottawa. Its troubling, its worrying, Legault told reporters northeast of Montreal, regarding the young mans death. (COVID-19) attacks vulnerable people more, people who are older, but young people are not immune, the premier said, stressing the need to wear a mask to prevent the potential spread of the deadly virus. Dr. Brian Ward, a professor of infectious diseases at the McGill University Health Centre, said while COVID-19 poses a greater risk to older people and individuals with medical problems, young people can still become seriously ill from the disease. Its not the first death in the world of somebody under the age of 20, Ward said in an interview Friday. And so, as long as Canada continues to accumulate cases, we can expect more deaths across the age range. Dr. Earl Rubin, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at the Montreal Childrens Hospital, said young people dying from COVID-19 is a very rare occurrence, and most youth who do test positive do not need to be hospitalized. But, he said, the 19-year-olds death may serve as an important reminder for young people to follow public health guidelines. It is a wake-up call that (COVID-19) is still an illness that they have to be aware of and do whatever they can to mitigate the chance of acquiring it and then transmitting it to others, Rubin said in an interview Friday. It just reinforces that we are far from out of the woods and with a second wave potentially upon us, its important to remember and to heed and learn from it, more than anything else. Meanwhile, Quebec reported 93 new COVID-19 cases Friday, for a total of 61,495. Public health officials also reported three more deaths attributed to COVID-19. They said one death occurred in the past 24 hours while two others occurred between Aug. 14-20. Quebec has reported a total of 5,733 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus. The number of hospitalizations dropped by 10 to a total of 136 on Friday. Of those, 23 people are in intensive care, two fewer than a day earlier. Authorities said they conducted 16,164 COVID-19 tests Wednesday, the last day for which testing data is available. Read more about: Knitting has become a new booming industry in Dachong Village, Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region . [For China Daily/Wang Kaihao] Before 2018, when a drivable road finally reached this stockade village in Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the only way out for locals living on the mountain was by foot. The distance to the nearest town, which took about four hours on foot to reach, was enough to besiege residents of Dachong Village with a difficult life. Nearly 500 people from 87 families live in the village, which is home to the Tuyao Community, a part of the Yao ethnic group. Tuyao literally means "indigenous Yao", which not only indicates the preservation of the traditional lifestyle and culture of the ethnic group, but also shows that its development was once blocked by poor transportation links. Ancestors of Tuyao people migrated to Hezhou from elsewhere about 700 years ago. However, when they arrived, as the better farming land had been occupied by locals, these "new residents" had to climb up the mountains, where there was little land left to cultivate crops. To make ends meet, Pan Qinglan, a 44-year-old woman, had to carry wild tea leaves, ginger and wood to the next town to exchange for rice, oil and other food. "The path was dangerous," Pan recalls. "But we had no choice. It was hard to grow crops here... We set off when it was still dark. To stave off the fear, we walked in groups and always sang songs." Landslides were a regular occurrence as a result of the area's changeable weather. Even on a sunny day, cliffs and rivers were still obstacles that needed to be overcome. "Fairs were organized several times a month in the town," she says. "We would make sure to get everything we needed in a single visit." Pan Jieyin raised 500 packages of tea leaves at home. [For China Daily/Wang Kaihao] It often took villagers two to three days to finish one "shopping tour "and they would stay overnight in the town. Even while recalling the tough years, Pan wears a smile. For first-time visitors to the village, it indeed needs imagination to picture the old days of Dachong, which has experienced a huge shift in fortunes over the past few years. According to Zhao Wanxing, the Party chief of Shidong, the village complex in which Dachong is a part, in 2014, about 90 percent of people in Dachong lived under the poverty line and the annual income per capita was just over 3,000 yuan ($433). "This is the debt left by history and nature which we have to pay," Zhao says. "Upon hearing the news there would be a road built, many villagers volunteered to join the construction team. They learned quickly from construction workers." Work on the paved roads began in 2016 and, in 2018, a nearly 10 million yuan fund from central and local governments was also allocated to improve the local infrastructure. Pan and her husband, Feng Qiubao, were among the first ones to join the construction team. Pan says: "Building a road was our biggest dream." When entering Dachong, people will see some stone slabs paving the entry of stockade. They are carefully chosen from the leftover materials from the construction of the road as "a monument", to mark the locals' great effort. It now takes the couple just half an hour on a motorbike to reach the town. As always, the villagers of Dachong do not want to forget their past. For example, electricity was wired into the village in 2008.Before that, people relied on a dynamo system to generate power. "We take care of the dynamo and exhibit it in the village, making sure it still functions well," Feng says. "That not only bears our nostalgia, but also reminds the younger generation to cherish the better life they have today." The road leading to Dachong brings more tourists and opportunities for prosperity. [For China Daily/Wang Kaihao] Pan Manbao (L) and Feng Qiugu [For China Daily/Shi Ruipeng] Hoard of Tea After their "biggest dream" was realized, the villagers soon found many more things to dream of. In 2018, Zhou Huafeng, a tea entrepreneur from Hunan Province, was invited by the local government to visit Dachong to see whether there were any opportunities to boost the local economy. Upon a first glance of the old houses in the village, he was overjoyed. "Once I saw those earthen houses, I thought of my childhood," Zhou recalls. "Such traditional architecture used to be common in my hometown, but has almost disappeared as people's lifestyle has changed." In Zhou's eyes, those earthen housesor more specifically their dark, well-ventilated wooden atticswould be perfect warehouses for the natural fermentation of dark teas. "I found that some villagers also used their attics to store tea in stacks of gunny bags," Zhou says. "What I needed to do was to inherit that tradition so that it could benefit more people." Pan Jieyin is from one of 12 households in Dachong participating in Zhou's project. They call it "raising", or aging tea. His livelihood used to come from selling wood and doing odd jobs. Feng Qiubao (L) and Pan Qinglan [For China Daily/Wang Kaihao] Now, every morning and evening, he lights a small bonfire in the atrium to smoke the tea. To fully arouse the aroma, this is a key process in the tea's fermentation, which can take more than a year to complete. When it comes to dark teas, the longer the fermentation, the more valuable the product. The only other thing he needs to do is to rotate the packages of tea from time to time to ensure they all get evenly smoked. Upon seeing neighbors demolishing their old houses and building new ones, Pan Jieyin wanted to follow suit. "I didn't realize my old house was so valuable until I started aging tea," he laughs. "Now I have to take good care of it. You see, patience is important, not only in making good tea, but also in life in general." Pan Jieyin has aged 500 packages of tea leaves. For each package, he will get 30 yuan a year. Zhou has also encouraged him to grow tea to earn extra money and, as a result, Pan Jieyin's annual income has increased to 30,000 yuan. Pan Manbao, 36, and his 33-year-old wife, Feng Qiugu, have also found prosperity in tea. Their impoverished life forced them to hold off on having their wedding until they finally saved 20,000 yuan, seven years after registering for marriage. However, last year alone, they earned 12,000 yuan. So they decided to take a further 100 tea packages to mature at home this year. "It's much easier to save money now," Feng Qiugu says. "We don't need to engage in heavy labor by carrying our produce for a long way on foot." Pan Qinglan [For China Daily/Shi Ruipeng] Knitting a Brighter Future Resources in Dachong are abundant, and the only thing needed is perhaps a keen eye. As bamboo can be found all over the mountains, Zhou and villagers have concocted another way to boost the value of their product to make a pretty, handmade package in which the dark tea can be sold at a higher price. Getting rid of the old gunny bags, they make knitted bamboo baskets to hold the tea leaves. In 2018, Pan Qinglan, Feng Qiugu, and more than 100 women in the village, were offered the opportunity to knit the baskets. Each product nets its knitter 9 yuan. "When I was a kid, I saw my grandma and mother knit baskets, and I also knitted some for daily use, like every family here did," Pan Qinglan says. "But nobody ever thought this craft could also make money." Pan Qinglan regrets that she is not very skillful, but the workshop also offers training programs to hone their basket-making technique, particularly those suited to tea fermentation. The best craftswomen can fashion over 20 baskets a day. "I can only make 10, but it's OK," Pan Qinglan says. "It doesn't interfere with my farm work. I can do it whenever I have time, like people in cities sometimes also knit sweaters." She earned over 6,000 yuan in 2018 alone from basket-making, and the villagers in Dachong can collectively earn around 600,000 yuan annually from the baskets. Nowadays, there are also a greater number of vehicles arriving in the village to order local produce. Pan Qinglan and Feng Qiubao's ginger has become popular, and they also operate a fishpond. Pan Manbao has started keeping bees, from which he earned 6,000 yuan last year. "My wife makes extra money by knitting," Pan Manbao says. "I cannot lag behind. I have to start my own business." The recent statistics show that the average income per capita in Dachong reached 9,500 yuan in 2019, tripling in five years. But Zhao, the Party chief, plans to introduce new businesses to make villagers richer. "We see tourists drive to the village every day, from nearby cities and from (nearby) Guangdong province," he says. "Tourism can be the next booming industry if we keep improving the infrastructure." Traditional residential houses in Dachong offer perfect venues to ferment black tea. [For China Daily/Wang Kaihao] Wooden boardwalks and an observation deck have recently been built in the village to act as tourist tracks for future visitors, while some villagers, like Feng Qiubao, plan to turn their houses into homestay inns. And he has other plans. The couple have never traveled outside Guangxi. Their daughter, who is graduating from college, abandoned her job as a civil servant with the local government and chose to work in Guangdong with the reasoning that "the world is big, and I'd like to see it". An open-minded Feng Qiubao respects his daughter's decision. He also knows it is necessary to catch up with the fast-changing world, even though they live deep in the mountains. Broadband internet network facilities will be introduced into the village later this year. "When we got married and first heard people talk about 'tourism' some years ago, I didn't even know what the word meant," he says. "But life is getting better now. Seeing tourists come here, we'd like to be tourists to travel to faraway places as well. If we can buy a car, that will be even better." (Source: China Daily) Quebec, With a History of Close Ties With Beijing, Hit Hard by CCP Virus As the CCP virus continues to rage the world, Canada is getting hit hard by COVID-19, with Quebec province being the worst region, accounting for more than half of the countrys confirmed cases and deaths. Quebec officials have cultivated close relations with the Chinese Communist Party in the past. Joseph Jacques Jean Chretien was a former Prime Minister of Canada, and during his ten years as the premier, he met with Jiang Zemin, the CCP former leader, 17 times. In 1994, Chretien signed a $9 billion trade deal with China. In 1997, Canada withdrew its support for a UN resolution condemning the CCPs human rights abuses and changed its public criticism of the CCPs violation of human rights to a private dialogue. Chretiens successor, former Prime Minister Paul Martin, maintained Chretiens policy towards China. SSR death probe: The CBI on Saturday has reached Sushant Singh Rajput's residence along with Siddharth Pithani and cook Neeraj. CBI has also collected important documents from the Mumbai and Bihar police. A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs residence to further the probe. This time, they were accompanied by SSRs flatmate Siddharth Pithani and his cook Neeraj. Reports are rife that agency will try to recreate the events and try to connect the dots as to what might have happened on the intervening night of June 13 and June 14. As per latest reports, CBI grilled Neeraj on early Saturday morning. Some of the questions posed to him included what exactly happened on June 13, i.e the night before Sushants demise, who were present, the actors behavior with people, whether he had his meals on time, who was the first person to see his body and who got his body down. CBI has also collected important documents from the Mumbai and Bihar police, which will be now examined by a team of doctors at AIIMS. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is undertaking a separate probe into the money laundering matter. After interrogating Rhea Chakraborty and her family, the agency recently recorded the actors sister Priyanka Singhs statements. Maharashtra: Neeraj and Sidharth Pithani along with the CBI team outside the residence of #SushantSinghRajput in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/SbiGOWzpKV ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020 BJP MLA and Sushants relative Niraj Kumar Babloo expressed on Sunday that the CBI probe is moving in the right direction and they are hopeful that the accused will be arrested soon. Upset with the direction in which SSR death probe by Maharashtra police was heading, the actors father lodged an FIR against Rhea, her family members and others in Bihar. This complaint was followed by a demand for CBI intervention, which was recently accepted by the top court. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.22 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Lithuania amounted to $314.6 million over 1H2020, compared to $167.6 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee. The share of Lithuania in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 0.7 percent during the reporting period compared to 0.4 percent during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export to Lithuania amounted to $267.1 million over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $138.9 million during the same period of 2019. Lithuanias share in the total volume of Kazakhstans export also amounted to 1 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.5 percent during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Lithuania stood at about $47.5 million over the reporting period, compared to $28.7 million during the same period of 2019. Lithuanias share in the total volume of Kazakhstans import amounted to 0.3 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.2 percent during the same period of 2019. The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $42.5 billion over the period from Jan. through June 2020 which indicates a decrease from $46.1 billion during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export amounted to $26 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($28.6 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $16.5 billion ($17.5 billion in 2019). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Joe Biden said he would not hesitate to shut down the country again if scientists recommended the measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In his first joint interview with running mate Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee criticised his opponent Donald Trumps rush to reopen after a nationwide lockdown as a fundamental flaw in his handling of the pandemic. I would shut it down; I would listen to the scientists, Mr Biden told ABC, when asked how he would respond if experts recommended it. I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. Because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus. That is the fundamental flaw of this administrations thinking to begin with, he added. More than 175,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began the highest number of deaths anywhere in the world. It also has the most confirmed cases, at more than 5.6 million. After playing down the threat of the pandemic when it first arrived in the US, the Trump administration moved quickly to reopen areas across the country in order to prevent economic damage. Mr Trump famously said we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself, in reference to the economic impact the shutdown had caused. Many states who rushed to reopen are now facing surges of cases again. Georgia, Florida and Texas were among the first to reopen, now they are leading the country in the number of new cases per capita. Mr Biden said beating the virus was the only way to get the economy moving again. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus, he said. ABC released excerpts of the interview on Friday, ahead of its broadcast on Sunday. Mr Bidens comments were followed a day later by an unsubstantiated claim by president Trump that the deep state is delaying a coronavirus vaccine until after the election. The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics, he wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, was nominated by Mr Trump for the role in 2019. Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Saturday contempt power being used as a sledgehammer, in the context of the case involving lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan which is being heard by the Supreme Court. The top court had on August 14 held Bhushan guilty of contempt of court for two tweets the first, on June 27, where he was critical of the top court and the role of the last four chief justices, and, the second, on June 29, where he criticised the current CJI. The three-judge bench had said the tweets cannot be said to be a fair criticism of the functioning of the judiciary made in the public interest. Prashant Bhushan Contempt power being used as a sledgehammer Why are Courts helpless when institutions that need to protect the constitution and the laws show " open contempt " for both ? Larger issues are at stake History will judge the Court for having let us down Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 22, 2020 Prashant Bhushan Contempt power being used as a sledgehammer Why are Courts helpless when institutions that need to protect the constitution and the laws show open contempt for both ? Larger issues are at stake History will judge the Court for having let us down, Sibal, who is also a senior lawyer, tweeted. Before Sibal, the Congress had on Thursday said the law has to be applied in an even-handed, fair and balanced manner in the context of the contempt case. Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the concerns raised by those after the judgment are certainly not in any manner false or frivolous. They cannot be dismissed off hand and deserve a lot of careful thinking because they include former judges of that very court, they include precedence and they include the basic spirit of the Supreme Court that its chest is larger than any chest in India and its shoulders being wider than any shoulder in India, Singhvi had said. The Supreme Court on Thursday granted two days to Bhushan to reconsider his defiant statement refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets against the judiciary. Bhushan told a bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, that he would consult his lawyers and think over the top courts suggestion. She's his muse: Jamie Hince can barely keep his hands off supermodel wife Kate Moss as the couple indulge in rare PDA They've just returned from a sunshine break in Formentera, Spain and it looks as if the holiday spirit has stayed with supermodel Kate Moss, 40, and her rocker husband Jamie Hince, 45. The couple were pictured canoodling as they sat on a bench outside a sushi restaurant in Hampstead, London, while Kate clutched her shopping bags. Gigging as Jamie pulled her in for an embrace, the couple looked like newlyweds as they puckered up to one another. Scroll down for video In love: Kate Moss and husband Jamie Hince can't keep their hands off one another as they kiss outside a restaurant in Hampstead Looking good: Kate looked incredible in a black fringed jacket and jeans At one point, Kate showed her man something on her mobile phone, which seemed to have them both in stitches. The Croydon born supermodel looked incredible in a black fringed jacket which she teamed with a T-shirt and her trademark cropped skinny jeans. She also wore a cute pair of shoe boots in grey - but Kate loves them so much, she has been spotted in a black version of the pair before. Loads of gossip: The couple appeared to be deep in conversation as they enjoyed their little sit-down Back to reality: Kate and Jamie have just returned from their holiday in Formentera, Spain Smooch central: The couple locked lips on more than one occasion Shoe-business: Kate was rocking her beloved pair of shoe boots which she has in two colours Shop til you drop: Killers' Hince chatted on his phone while holding a giant pink shopping bag The couple later caught up with Jefferson Hack, the father of Kate's only child, Lila, 11 - Moss and Hack have remained close friends since their split. Kate and Jamie left their holiday destination on Friday via a private jet plane, but not before they stopped to have their picture taken with the pilot. The lovestruck pair have been in Spain since the beginning of August, having arrived in time for Ricardo Tisci's lavish 40th birthday party. Kate also popped over to Cannes, France, for Madonna's 56th birthday party. Rocking it: The supermodel looked incredibly stylish in her skinny jeans and T-shirt combo Tousled style: The Croydon-born beauty's sunkissed locks were windswept Bags of style: The 40-year-old looked like she had picked up some treats along the way Pleased with herself: Moss picked up some more footwear from shoe shop Ash Kate and Jamie have been joined in Formentera by Liv Tyler the daughter of Aerosmith front-man Steven Tyler and her British beau Dave Gardner. And, in the midst of sunning herself, Kate did take time out to take part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, after being nominated by her photographer pal Mario Testino. And the model took the chance to nominate her fellow holiday maker, Liv, before she was doused by six beer buckets of freezing cold water. Still friends: The pair caught up with Jefferson Hack, the father of Kate's 110year-old daughter Lila Grace Belarus strongman orders army to defend borders ahead of protests An admirer shows support for President Lukashenko, who vowed to "protect the territorial integrity of our country" ahead of a major rally which the opposition has called for Sunday Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday ordered his defence minister to take "stringent measures" to defend the country's territorial integrity after mass protests erupted against his claim to election victory. The 65-year-old authoritarian leader, who said he won a sixth presidential term with 80 percent of the vote in the August 9 ballot, made the comments while inspecting military units in Grodno, near Belarus's border with Poland, according to the president's press service. Lukashenko denounced the recent mass protests, which he said were receiving support from Western countries, and ordered the army to defend western Belarus, which he described as "a pearl". "It involves taking the most stringent measures to protect the territorial integrity of our country," Lukashenko said. His visit comes ahead of large-scale military exercises planned in the Grodno region between August 28 and 31. The former collective farm director said that NATO troops in Poland and Lithuania were "seriously stirring" near their borders with Belarus and ordered his troops into full combat readiness. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda denied the accusation Saturday. "The regime is trying to divert attention from Belarus's internal problems at any cost with totally baseless statements about imaginary external threats," Nauseda told AFP. Lithuania's foreign ministry also announced Saturday that US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will visit Lithuania and Russia next week for talks on the elections fallout. - Mass protests - Opponents of Europe's longest serving leader have organised strikes and the largest demonstrations in the ex-Soviet country's recent history to protest his re-election and demand that he stand down. The opposition has called for a major rally in Minsk on Sunday after more than 100,000 people flooded onto the streets of the capital and other cities in Belarus last weekend demanding Lukashenko's resignation. Story continues The European Union this week rejected his re-election and vowed to levy sanctions against what it said was a substantial number of people responsible for rigging the vote and cracking down on protests. The Belarusian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the opposition's Coordination Council, whose members are seeking new elections and a peaceful transition of power. Lukashenko has rejected the idea of holding another ballot, dismissed calls to resign and accused the opposition of attempting to seize power. On Friday he vowed to "solve the problem" of the protest movement. Lukashenko's election challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who is now in exile in Lithuania, said this week that Belarusians would "never accept the current leadership again" after the crackdown on post-election protests. burs-amj/jbr/cdw Mumbai, Aug 22 : While the CBI has taken over the Sushant Singh Rajput probe, his fans on social media seem convinced the late actor was murdered. On Saturday, Twitter was abuzz with a hashtag demanding that the killers of SSR be arrested. Tweets posted with the hashtag #ArrestSSRKillers not only demand that culprits be brought to book, but have also been used to troll filmmaker Karan Johar, who returned to Twitter after a couple of months. "CDR of SSR's residence Mount Blanc owner and owner's manager must be checked. Bandra Police has been in constant touch with the owner. CBI should grill the Real Estate Agent who got this Rental Deal to SSR. He's a very close associate of Rhea for years! #ArrestSSRKillers," tweeted a user. "AIIMS senior officials demanded - -Original PM reports -viscera reports -PM vidrography tape -Forensic pictures They will analyze all those because they found it all misleading! #ArrestSSRKillers," another user commented. Questions are also being raised by fans in social media about the role of Bollywood producer Sandip Ssingh. "Many of you have asked, do I believe what Surjeet Singh Rathore said? My answer is honestly I don't! I feel he is staged! Rhea is just a pawn, a spacegoat! Sandeep Singh is crisis Manager! But the mastermind is someone way too powerful! #ArrestSSRKillers," another user opined. "SANDIP caught in his own web of lies. He admits dat he accesses SSR's PAN &Aadhar card. Who handed over SSR's PAN & Aadhar to Sandip. Sandip was not in touch with SSR from the past 1 year & suddenly on d day of SSR's death. #ArrestSSRKillers," observed a user. "Behind every Sorry there is an Untold Story. Nation wants to know the Story of Sorry Babu!! #ArrestSSRKillers," shared a user taking a dig at Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, who had reportedly uttered the words "Sorry Babu" after seeing his dead body at Cooper Hospital on the day of autopsy. Netizens also did not spare the chance of trolling filmmaker Karan Johar who on Saturday tweeted for the first time after his last tweet on June 14. Back in June, Johat had tweeted to mourn Sushant's demise. Johar has been at the subject of memes and trolls ever since Sushant's death, due to his reputation of favouring star kids over outsiders and promoting a culture of nepotism within the industry. Many netizens believe Sushant had been a victim of such favouritism in Bollywood. "May the power of Lord Ganesh protect you and your loved ones from all evil....may the power enhance all positivity and spread only love...please stay safe," Karan Johar tweeted from his verified account on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Saturday. Commenting on his tweet, a user wrote: "Look Who is Telling About Spreading Positivity, Love. Coffee with karan Show Motive is to Spread Negativity, Hate, and Bullying. Dual Face Demon. Get ready. Karma will serve you what you have paid for. #ArrestSSRKillers." "Thank you for your kind words for the public. However Lord Ganesha sees everything and protects those who are good hearted and not sinful. Unfortunately your own words cannot be applied to you since your heart is as black as coal & a soul which you have already sold to the devil," tweeted another user. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Vietnam has managed to increase cargo trains to offset restricted passenger transport due to COVID-19 In August, Yen Vien and Dong Anh railway stations welcomed cargo trains one after the other, with the majority being international containers. Nguyen Hoang Thanh, deputy director of Railway Transport and Trade JSC (Ratraco), said that cargo is gathered at the stations and then transported to China, then to Central Asian nations, and then Europe. Up till now, Ratraco has been conveying cargo by train to countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Rusia, Tajikistan, Poland, the UK, Germany, and more. Goods include electronics, textile and garment, footwear, cosmetics, frozen food, and fruit. In the first six months of 2020, Ratraco operated two to three pairs of trains a week, with 26-30 containers each. The total number of containers for export was 851, with 840 for imports. Le Quang Dan, head of the Marketing Division of Hanoi Railway Transport JSC (Haraco), said that its revenue from cargo transport rose 12 per cent on-year in the first half of 2020, with cargo transport on international routes counting for the majority. According to Nguyen Chinh Nam, director of the Planning and Business Department at state-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways (VNR), amid the difficulties in passenger trains, the railway industry strengthened cargo trains, including two-way international transport. Railway transport firms have diversified their products and services for international transport to attract customers. They include self-power generation frozen container trains to convey frozen products, and fruit for import-export. In the first half, despite socioeconomic difficulties due to the pandemic and a fall in domestic transport demands, import-export activities by train reached 421,000 tonnes, up 10 per cent on-year. In 2019, Vietnam ran 111 container trains via the Dong Dang-Pingxiang border gate, 60 of which were on the Vietnam-China route with the volume of 1,688 TEU, and 51 others on the China-Vietnam route with 1,300 TEU. Han Nhu Quynh, director of the International Cooperation and Sci-tech Department at VNR, said that VNR is an official member of the Organisation for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) since 1956. The OSJD now has 28 member countries with more than 276,000km of railways in total and transportation capacity of five billion tonnes of cargo and 3.5 billion passengers. This is a big advantage for Vietnamese railways to cooperate with the railways of other countries, thus boosting international trains. Thanh of Ratraco noted that the railway route from Vietnam to Russia, Central Asian nations, and Europe with transit in China and Kazakhstan is often referred to as the Silk Road. In addition, other potential railway routes include the direct route to China-Russia-Europe, and the China-Mongolia-Russia-Europe. The advantage of trains is they can transport huge volumes safely, and transport time of 18-20 days compared to the 40-45 days by sea, said Thanh, adding that, We are working to replace by-transit cargo trains with trains from Thailand and Laos to China, and then from China to Cambodia and vice versa. We are also working to transport Less than Container Load (LCL) from Russia to Vietnam, with the first train to run in late September, making it the first shipment by Vietnam railways. Cancelled: Delta Air Lines will no longer link Shannon to New York Shannon Airport has confirmed that Delta Air Lines will not resume its seasonal services to New York next year. The blow follows June's announcement that United Airlines also won't relaunch its seasonal links with Shannon in 2021. Delta had used JFK Airport while United flew in to Newark Airport across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Delta's move leaves Shannon with two potential transatlantic operators next year: Aer Lingus and American Airlines. Currently only Ryanair operates short-haul passenger routes from the west of Ireland airport. "Delta have advised Shannon Airport that with demand at an all-time low across their network, they are cutting their transatlantic capacity next year and will be concentrating mainly on hub-to-hub activity and major cities," Shannon Group said in a statement. "The aviation industry is on its knees," said Shannon Group chief executive Mary Considine. "The industry urgently needs immediate Government support to fulfil its role in providing vital air connectivity to regions which underpin business and tourism and help drive the wider national economic recovery." Ms Considine said Shannon hoped to woo Delta back in 2022. The Atlanta-based airline made Shannon its first Irish stop in 1986. "We will work closely with the airline to ensure the earliest possible resumption of this popular service for Shannon," she said. EDMONTONThe Kenney government has turned down a request from the Alberta Teachers Association to delay the start of the school year until after Sept. 7, Labour Day. The association, which has 46,000 members across the province, has said teachers, principals and other staff need more time to prepare for students due to COVID-19. The government has said students are to return to class as early as Sept. 1. Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says the government will leave it up to individual school boards to decide on when classes should resume. LaGrange says after reviewing all the planned re-entry dates for schools across the province, there is time to allow teachers to prepare for re-entry before their students arrive. She says these plans and timelines were created by school boards who are following the expert medical advice of Albertas chief medical officer of health. These partners remain confident, as do I, that the school re-entry plan already provides local school authorities with the autonomy and flexibility to ensure local needs are met and to prepare schools for a safe re-entry, LaGrange said Friday in a release. I would like to reinforce that I continue to support school boards using this flexibility to adjust their plans if necessary in the coming days as they make preparations for a safe return to school. Association president Jason Schilling said teachers want to ensure that school is a safe place for themselves and the students they care for. He said time is rapidly running out to see this happen. The Minister in her statement today reiterated that school boards have the freedom to manage restart as they see fit, he said in a release. Clearly, parents and members of the public who have concerns about schooling during the pandemic will now need to hold their elected school board trustees accountable for the consequences. The association has said there needs to be increased physical distancing through reduced class sizes, funding for better protective equipment and better plans for screening and testing students and staff for COVID-19. Read more about: Benjamin, a patient at Chino Avenue Congregate Home, came to the facility in a coma and on a ventilaor. He is now alert, talking, learning how to eat, and will return home to his family. He is shown with nurse Concepcion Razon. It is a great, miraculous story, thanks be to God, said director Steve Martinson. Suspected ISIS Operative Arrested With Explosives in Delhi A suspected operative of the Islamic State or ISIS terror group was arrested with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) after an exchange of fire with policemen in central Delhi's Ridge Road area, the Delhi Police said. The shootout took place along the Dhaula Kuan-Karol Bagh route. READ MORE India Records Highest Single-day Spike of 69,874 Cases, Tally Mounts to 29,75,701 With a record spike of 69,874 infections in a day, India's COVID-19 tally increased to 29,75,701, while the recoveries surged to 22,22,577 pushing the recovery rate to 74.69 per cent. The death toll climbed to 55,794 with 945 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. READ MORE Plane Carrying Poisoned Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Leaves Russia for Germany A plane carrying a Russian dissident who is in a coma after a suspected poisoning left for a German hospital following much wrangling over Alexei Navalny's condition and treatment. The plane could be seen taking off from an airport in the Siberian city of Omsk just after 8 am local time. READ MORE Is it Mika Pints? Paints? Or Ponce? Democrats Reply in Kind as Top Republicans Mispronounce Kamala Democrats point out that when top Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, mispronounce Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris' first name, its not just disrespectful, its racist. Mispronunciations have been rampant in the days since the California senator became the first Black woman and the first Asian American woman named to a major partys ticket. READ MORE Sushant Singh Rajput's Niece Posts Emotional Post for Her 'Gulshan Mama' Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs niece Katyayni Arya Rajput shared an emotional post remembering her Gulshan mama. In her post, the actor's niece writes that she never thought she'd see such a day when she would never be able to hear her uncles voice again. She also shared a loving picture with Sushant, where he can be seen hugging his niece. READ MORE. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are still investigating two incidents on Staten Island that are believed to be connected to a spree of thefts at Santander Bank branch ATMs in New York and New Jersey. The NYPD responded to a report of scheme to defraud at 9 a.m. Aug. 15 at a Santander Bank at 6975 Amboy Road in Tottenville after a person withdrew an unknown amount of money from an ATM, according to a statement from the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Three days later, on Tuesday, the NYPD responded to another Santander Bank at 1320 Hylan Blvd. in Grasmere after a person attempted to withdraw an unknown amount of currency with a VISA Debit Card as part of a citywide scheme, the NYPD said in the statement. No arrests have been made in either incident, police said. Both incidents are believed to part of a citywide scheme, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. Police also responded around 7 a.m. Tuesday to a Santander Bank at Amboy Road and Nelson Avenue, where perpetrators were attempting to access an ATM when there were reports of shots fired, according to a law enforcement source -- perhaps indicating a dispute between suspects. The NYPD recovered two bullet shells at the bank, an NYPD spokesman said. One of the two shots hit a window at a deli near the bank. The perpetrators fled that incident in several vehicles, some of which were abandoned at Hylan Boulevard and Ebbitts Street in New Dorp near another Santander Bank branch. The incident sparked a massive manhunt on Staten Island and the company closed some of its in-branch ATM machines amid reports of suspicious activity, a spokeswoman for the company previously told the Advance/SILive.com. Authorities are probing whether two suspects from Brooklyn who were arrested during a dramatic pursuit after a loaded gun allegedly was tossed out the window of a luxury car in Great Kills are connected to the Amboy Road incident, a source said. Heavily-armed cops searching the woods outside Great Kills Park on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Irene Spezzamonte) A video posted to social media showing viewers how to take advantage of a technological glitch to use prepaid debit cards for unlimited withdrawals at Santander Banks might have showed people how to scam the ATMS, a source with knowledge of the investigation previously told the Advance/SILive.com. At least 100 people have been arrested in New Jersey in connection with the scheme, according to the Advances sister website, NJ.com. Thai police have responded to a mass demonstration in Bangkok last Sunday with a series of arrests. The rally was part of the eruption of student-led protests across Thailand over the past month. Seven prominent members of the student movement organising the protests, Free Youth, were arrested this week on charges including sedition and inciting public unrest. Students raise three-fingers, symbol of resistance salute, during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand [Credit: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit] Six of the leaders were specifically targeted for their participation in a Bangkok student rally on July 18, which sparked the recent wave of anti-government protests. Since then, rallies have proceeded on an almost daily basis. While originally confined to major universities, the movement has since gained wider support among students and workers around the country, as demonstrated in the Sunday protest, Thailands largest since the 2014 military coup. The three main demands of the protest leaders are to dissolve parliament, end the state persecution of political opponents, and rewrite the current constitution, which was drafted by the military junta. Arrest warrants were issued during the Sunday rally for 15 leaders of Free Youth. According to the Thai Enquirer, a coordinated police operation was conducted throughout Wednesday night. The six people arrested over the July 18 protest were Baramee Chairat, Suwanna Tanlek, Korakot Saengyangpant, Natthawut Somboonsap, Tossaporn Sinsomboon, and Thanee Sasom. The protest at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, 16 August [Credit: @TaraAbhasakun, Twitter] Police also apprehended rappers Thanayuth Na Ayutthaya and Dechathon Bamrungmuang, leader of the highly popular and notorious hip-hop group Rap Against Dictatorship, for their performances at the protest. The seventh protest leader targeted was Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer and leading figure in the Thai protests. Anon was arrested, for the second time this month, over a speech on August 3 calling for reform of the monarchy. In Thailand, anyone who defames, insults or threatens the royal family can be prosecuted for violating the draconian law of lese majeste, and faces up to 15 years in jail. Ever since Anons speech, student protests have openly criticised the political role of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, whose power over the constitution, the armed forces, and the palace fortune has grown considerably since he was installed in 2016. The lese majeste law has been used to silence political opposition as many as 90 times since the 2014 military coup. However, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, former head of the military junta, has reportedly received instructions from the King not to use the law, for now. Anon was charged instead with sedition, which carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years. Anon joined the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights organisation after 2006, when the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a military coup. He became known as a lawyer for the Red Shirts (a grouping of Shinawatra supporters who staged protests in 2010) and lese majeste offenders. He has previously been charged in 13 cases for involvement in anti-junta protests. Protesters at Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok [Credit: @ChingCh14270983, Twitter] State repression of the protests has been ratcheted up since criticism of the monarchy emerged as a focal point of the movement. Earlier this month, two other student leadersboth known critics of the monarchyfaced arrest for sedition: Panupong Jadnok, a member of student group Eastern Youth for Democracy, based in Rayong Province; and Parit Chirawak, co-founder and former president of the Student Union of Thailand. At a rally in Phitsanulok Province on August 9, six youth leaders were abducted by men claiming to be Border Patrol policemen, in an attempt to derail the protest. Prachatai reported that so far five planned protests have been blocked by intervention from authorities. Six further arrest warrants were also issued on Wednesday for students who led the August 10 Thammasat University protest, in which specific demands to reform the monarchy were first outlined. In spite of these efforts, the protest movement continues to grow. This week saw whole classrooms in at least eight high schools across Bangkok wear white ribbons and raise three-fingered salutes during the national anthem, in a sign of solidarity with the protests. On Wednesday, hundreds of high school students gathered outside the Ministry of Education building, calling for greater freedom in schools as well as reiterating the movements three demands. Yesterday a major student rally took place in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, at which Panupong Jadnok spoke about the reform of the monarchy to loud cheers of support from crowds of high school students. The North-Eastern Student Assembly Network will be holding a protest today in Khong Kaen at 5:00 p.m. and Free Youth is advertising a demonstration tomorrow at Bangkoks Kasetsart University, which will likely draw a large gathering of students from across the city. Student rally at a high school in Yala Province on Tuesday [Credit: @Bricks_Dmocrazy, Twitter] Several of the arrested leaders, now released on bail, have indicated on social media that they will continue to be involved in rallies. As police sought to detain them, they stood in the Criminal Court with a number of MPs from the Move Forward Party and opposition Pheu Thai Party as guarantors. Senators appointed by the junta have expressed suspicions that Free Youth is a front for opposition political groups, as with the Shinawatra-backed Red Shirts. In particular, they are investigating the funding for the large protests, which have included concerts, extensive lighting, and giant LED screens. On its Facebook page, Free Youth has rejected these claims, saying: Our funds come from the masses, who support us only because this is a movement of young people, by young people, and for young people. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of now-defunct Future Forward Party, has said he played no role in funding the protests, which first began in February when the party, which attracted support from young people, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court. Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Apirat Kongsompong is attempting to incite popular hatred against the protesters, saying last week: The coronavirus can be cured, but the disease of chung-chart [nation-hating] cannot be cured. Apirats use of this term, used by past military regimes to rally far-right nationalist forces against internal opposition, is significant. The media, subject to intense pressure from the Prayuth government, has mostly refrained from reporting protesters demands regarding the monarchy at all. Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan warned after last Sundays rally that there was a limit to how far students should go. This weeks crackdown on the movements leadership expresses fears in the ruling class that the protests could broaden and intersect with widespread discontent in the working population amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Social inequality in Thailand, which greatly increased under the juntas rule, is set to skyrocket due to the pandemics impact and the likelihood of a major economic contraction this year. A Credit Suisse report last year named the country the most unequal in the world, with the richest 1 percent of the population owning 66.9 percent of the nations wealth. Chandigarh/New Delhi: The Border Security Force shot dead five intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab early Saturday, a senior BSF officer said. This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the over 3,300 km-long border with Pakistan in more than a decade, officials said. Punjab shares a 553-km-long frontier with Pakistan, apart from Jammu, Rajasthan and Gujarat, who together constitute the remaining part of the International Border. The senior officer said "alert troops of the 103rd battalion noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating the IB" in the Taran Taran district of Punjab. When asked to stop, the intruders fired on BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence. Subsequently, five intruders were shot dead, he said. Another BSF official said the incident happened around 4:45 am near the 'dal' border post that is close to the Bhikhiwind town of the district. BSF troops, officials said, first noticed suspicious activity at the border around midnight and launched a "focussed" surveillance on the intruders and set up multiple ambushes along the front after which the "contact was established" early morning, just behind the IB fence. The intruders were seen carrying rifles and were taking the aid of the 'sarkanda' or tall grass to sneak into India, they said. A photo collage released by the BSF showed two bodies piled on each other while the three others were lying separately in the slushy green tall grass. Some weapons and backpacks were visible in the photographs and the intrudes were wearing T-shirts or shirts and full pants. The second BSF official said one AK-47 rifle and two pistols have been found. An intensive search is underway to find other possible weapons carried by the infiltrators. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-23 02:27:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the Yemeni government on Saturday launched a large military offensive against the Houthi rebels in the southern province of Dhalea, a military official told Xinhua. The joint pro-government forces, covered by warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition, attacked several locations of the Houthi rebels in the northern part of Dhalea, said a local military official on condition of anonymity. The pro-government forces managed to capture two villages from the Houthis' control following hours of armed confrontations, he added. The military source confirmed that an unknown number of deaths and injuries were recorded on both sides during the battles that are still going on sporadically. Local residents also said a number of airstrikes were carried out by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi sites in the north and west of Dhalea Province. Last year, the Iran-allied Houthi fighters launched a series of intense armed attacks on the positions of the Yemeni government forces and succeeded in seizing key areas on the outskirts of Dhalea. The areas in the north and west of Dhalea have been witnessing non-stop fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for about four years. Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militias forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile. Enditem Pompeo Defends U.S. Move To Trigger 'Snapback' Of Sanctions On Iran By RFE/RL August 21, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended Washington's move to formally begin the process of activating a mechanism aimed at reimposing UN sanctions on Iran citing Iranian violations of a 2015 nuclear deal, which Washington exited in 2018. Pompeo on August 20 submitted a letter to the president of the UN Security Council notifying him of Iran's "significant" noncompliance with the terms of the landmark accord. The move marked the start of Washington's bid to trigger the so-called "snapback" procedure, which is opposed by its European allies on the 15-member council. "Our actions today too should come as no surprise to anyone," Pompeo told a news conference at the UN. "President Trump and this administration have discarded the fiction that the regime merely seeks a peaceful nuclear program." As set out by the resolution enshrining the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers, a so-called snapback would reimpose UN sanctions that were eased in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. But the U.S. move faces opposition at the Security Council, where other members have questioned the United States' right to do it since Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal more than two years ago and reimposed unilateral sanctions. The United States claims it remains a "participant" in the accord because it was listed as such in the UN resolution that enshrined it. Pompeo said it is "very plain" in the wording of resolution 2231, which enshrined the deal, that any signatory that finds Iran not in compliance has the capacity to request a snapback of the sanctions. "It's important to emphasize this: 2231 gave every one of the participant states the right to execute snapback unconditionally," Pompeo said, defending the U.S. move. 'Serious And Profound Crisis' In a letter to the United Nations, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the U.S. has no right to trigger the reimposition of all UN sanctions on his country while calling on Security Council members to reject Washington's move. "The U.S. push to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran will have dangerous consequences ... Iran has exercised restraint in good faith ... Now it is the international community's turn to counter the unlawful push by the United States," Zarif said in the letter. Iranian state TV said the letter was sent to the head of the UN Security Council by Iran's UN envoy Majid Takhteravanchi, who said he was confident that the Security Council would reject the U.S. move. "A permanent member of the Security Council is acting like a child, is being ridiculed by the other members of the international community," he told reporters. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on August 20 that the U.S. move to reinstate UN sanctions will "lead to nothing" while "creating a very serious and profound crisis in the UN Security Council," according to Interfax. France, Germany and Britain said they cannot support the U.S. move to restore United Nations sanctions on Iran, saying the action is incompatible with efforts to support the Iran nuclear deal. "In order to preserve the agreement, we urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with its nuclear commitments and return to full compliance without delay," the three nations said in a joint statement. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, AFP, AP, Fox News, and Interfax Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo- defends-u-s-move-to-trigger-snapback-of- sanctions-on-iran/30795101.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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) The Department of Education has called for more applications for teacher broadcasters for its radio and television platforms. Education Undersecretary Alain Pascua shared the agency's memorandum on Friday announcing another batch of recruitment of public school teachers for its distance learning program, even though classes were initially scheduled to open on August 24. Among the requirements for applicants are experience in social media content creation, strong internet connection, as well as a technical support team to help in recording and editing videos and audio lectures. The agency's television program DepEd TV earlier faced backlash over grammatical errors in broadcasts during a dry run. The government recently decided to move the opening of classes for public schools to October 5 amid calls to delay them due to limited resources and preparation. On the other hand, private schools were given the go signal to start ahead. Kansas City Artsy Redux Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art eager to welcome back guests KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It's been a difficult year for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. "It's been a very trying time, just like for everyone in Kansas City and in the nation and around the world, because of the uncertainty of the times," museum director Julian Zugazagoitia said. Talk For The Troops 'Serving those who serve': KC based military radio show honoring, supporting troops worldwide Hide Transcript Show Transcript KELLY: AMERICA'S ONLY NATIONALLY SYNDICATED MILITARY RADIO SHOW IS IN KANSAS CITY. OUR ROB HUGHES EXPLAINS HOW THE NATIONAL DEFENSE RADIO SHOW SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE US. WELCOME BACK. I WANT TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT. ROB: 15 YEARS AGO, RANDY MILLER AND JERRY NEWBERRY STARTED A RADIO SHOW TO SHOWCASE THE VFW. Local Connection After Tragedy Parents of man who killed Officer Mosher find unexpected kindness from his parents OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - It's been a little more than three months since Overland Park Officer Mike Mosher was killed after pulling over a hit-and run suspect. But the mother of the man who killed Mosher said she's found kindness from an unlikely source, and it's helping the family heal. Hottie Listens Closely Playboy Model Sara Jean Underwood Calls out Donald Trump Over Neil Young Song Usage Sara Jean Underwood has joined the calls against President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign's use of a classic Neil Young tune. The Playboy model took to Twitter on Friday to call out the president for closing his rally at Mt. Rushmore with 'Rockin' in the Free World.'In the tweet, [...] Veep Peeking Early??? Why Joe Biden's bounce might not be coming But those kinds of changes appear to be a thing of the past. In recent elections, any bounces for the nominees have been muted. In 2016, Trump claimed he came out of his convention in Cleveland with "the biggest bounce that anyone can remember" - an assertion that didn't match the overall evidence, which showed him with only a small bump. Party Amid Coronavirus Trump to attend Republican convention as Biden promises coronavirus action Donald Trump is set to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday, to attend in person as delegates to the Republican National Convention renominate him for US president. 'I decided I had to do something': can young voters flip a key swing county against Trump? Scam Accusations Persist 'We Build the Wall' Victim: 'I Wish Them Well in Their Cavity Searches' A south Texas butterfly conservationist has a message for Steve Bannon and three others arrested on Thursday for fraud and money laundering in what the feds describe as a border wall fundraising scheme. "I just wish them well in their cavity searches," says Marianna Trevino-Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center. Tragic Count Continues Global coronavirus death toll tops 800,000 Global coronavirus deaths surged past 800,000 people on Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University data which came less than 24 hours after the World Health Organization said it hoped the pandemic would last for less than two years. Zuck Fact Check Coming Soon Facebook is reportedly planning for Trump to meddle with election results "Facebook employees are laying out contingency plans and walking through postelection scenarios that include attempts by Mr. Trump or his campaign to use the platform to delegitimize the results," The New York Times reports. Kansas City Celebrates Diversity From Safe Distance Weekend Possibilities | Be The DJ at Border Brewing, KC Ethnic Enrichment Fest A low-key weekend might be just what the doctor ordered before shutting the door on what may be the strangest summer ever and getting school - in some form - back in session. You can choose from virtual events like the Ethnic Enrichment Festival or a trendy Crossroads pop-up. Cowtown Human Interest 'There's good people in this world': Local man goes to great lengths to return lost wallet RAYTOWN, Mo. - A metro man is amazed and grateful for the lengths another man went to in order to return his lost wallet. Bobby Dehart stopped at the Phillips 66, near 87th and Raytown Road, on Wednesday to pump gas. Little did he know, he had dropped his wallet on the way into the [...] Katie Calls Scorcher Temperatures in 90s for Saturday, small rain chance Sunday Hide Transcript Show Transcript LEMONS FOR SURE. YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING OF ALL THE NEW WEATHER TERMS PEOPLE ARE GETTING REACQUAINTED WITH IN 2020 DURATION. OH, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE TERM FUJIWARA. Right now hottie, influencer and presenterinspires our peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Take a peek:is the song of the day, this is thefor right now . . .Developing . . . Brayden Harrington sat in his home, speaking to a mobile phone camera and reading carefully from a piece of paper. He looked up and told the world how the former vice president, by speaking about his own experience, had helped him overcome a difficult challenge. We stutter, Brayden said in a video that aired shortly before Mr Biden accepted his partys presidential nomination on the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Joe Biden made me feel more confident about something that's bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared. Imagine what he could do for all of us The teenager, from Concord, New Hampshire, got stuck briefly on the s sound and bravely worked his way through the word. His face showed strain but also determination to force out the sound. Its really amazing to hear that someone became vice president despite stuttering, Brayden said. He told me about a book of poems by Yeats that he would read out loud to practice. Advertisement Mr Biden has spoken frequently about how overcoming a stutter was one of the hardest things he has done in life. Brayden and Mr Biden met at a CNN town hall event in Concord in February, where the politician spoke about overcoming a severe childhood stutter. He has talked frequently publicly through the years about the anger and frustration of being mocked by classmates and a nun in Catholic school and how that motivated him to work to overcome it. It has nothing to do with your intellectual makeup, he said at the town hall. After the event, Mr Biden invited Brayden backstage to talk more about learning to control a stutter. Mr Biden noted that he had practised by speaking as he looked at himself in the mirror. He also gave the boy a speech he had prepared for delivery, complete with markings he had made on its pages that showed where he had time to take breaks and pauses so that the words would come out more smoothly. Brayden held up that speech for convention viewers. Im just trying to be a kid, Brayden said. And in a short amount of time, Joe Biden made me feel more confident about something thats bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared. Imagine what he could do for all of us. He added: Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to. Mr Biden has talked about his stutter frequently on the presidential campaign trail and how it sometimes returns on certain words, especially if he is tired. After he talked about it during a Democratic primary debate in December and even started to make the sounds of a stutter then-White House press secretary Sarah Sanders ridiculed Mr Biden on Twitter. The tweet was later deleted and Ms Sanders apologised. Mr Biden said afterwards that he had no regrets because I know what its like to be humiliated. By PTI NEW DELHI: India has the "best" COVID-19 recovery rate of about 75 per cent, which is improving very day, and the "lowest" mortality rate of 1.87 per cent in the world, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday. After inaugurating a 10-bed make-shift hospital of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Ghaziabad near Delhi, he said India began formulating its strategy against coronavirus from January 8 as soon as the world came to know about the outbreak of the disease. Vardhan said "many intelligent people, scientists and naysayers" had estimated that India, with a population of about 135 crore, will see 300 million COVID-19 cases and about 5-6 million people will die by July-August, and the country's healthcare system was "incapable" to combat the disease. "However, I am happy to say that in the eighth month of the battle, India has the best recovery rate of 75 per cent and against an estimate of 300 million affected we have not even reached 3 million cases." "In fact, 2.2 million patients have recovered and gone home and another seven lakh are going to be cured very soon," he said. The minister said these successes were achieved due to the "coordinated" efforts with the participation of everyone -- the government and the people. India has the lowest mortality rate of 1.87 per cent in the world, he said, adding the recovery rate was improved every day. "We started with only one testing laboratory in Pune but we scaled up our diagnostic capabilities and strengthened our testing capacity." "Today, India has 1,511 testing labs for COVID-19 and on Friday we tested over one million samples that was about 10.23 lakh samples," the minister said. In such a little time, 15,000 dedicated COVID care hospitals with 15 lakh beds were set up across the country and if the quarantine facilities are added to it there are 25 lakh beds, Vardhan said. The minister congratulated the NDRF for its contribution in the COVID-19 battle as well as in disaster management. In a statement, the NDRF said the hospital inaugurated by the minister is located at its eighth battalion camp in Ghaziabad and has been developed in collaboration with CSIR's constituent laboratory called the Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee. "The makeshift hospital is designed to provide a primary health facility with safety, security and a comfortable living environment." "This fully air-conditioned pre-fabricated makeshift hospital is equipped with various modern facilities like paramonitors, defibrillators and ECG machines," the NDRF said. The hospital is planned to serve in disaster stage including for use in a long pandemic or emergency situations, it said. NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said the force is planning "to procure all its disaster response equipment and tools from the DRDO and CSIR to promote the Make in India campaign." The force was raised in 2006 and has its 12 battalions, comprising about 13,000 personnel, based at various locations in the country. Postal workers and community members rally to save the U.S. Postal Service Saturday in front of the historic Benjamin Franklin Post Office on Market Street in Old City. Read more A group of about 100 supporters of the U.S. Postal Service demonstrated in front of the Benjamin Franklin Post Office on Saturday, calling for the resignation of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after another week of alarm about changes to the Postal Service and their effect on mail voting. The rally, part of a national action that began at 11 a.m., came the day after DeJoy told Congress that the Postal Service would be able to handle voting by mail in November despite policy changes he made that have led to mail delays and disruptions across the country. But Democrats and other DeJoy critics pushed for emergency funding for the agency and raised concerns that his changes could impede the ability of Americans to have their votes counted amid the coronavirus pandemic. Also on Friday, Pennsylvania led five other states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against DeJoy and the Postal Service. The suit claims that the service delays could disenfranchise voters and that DeJoys suspension of policy changes until after the election only addressed some of the issues. DeJoy, a top Republican donor who was appointed by President Donald Trump in May, said Friday that the Postal Service would prioritize election mail even as Trump continued to attack mail voting with conspiracy theories. READ MORE: "We are being politicized": Follow a Postal Service worker on his demanding Upper Darby route Standing outside the historic post office at Third and Market Streets, Gail Lopez-Henriquez, 65, held up a sign for oncoming traffic to see: Fight to Save OUR Postal Service! She said she got a thumbs-up from drivers and hoped it would urge passersby to call their lawmakers. My most immediate concern is about the election, said Lopez-Henriquez, of Center City. For this election especially, were going to be depending on the post office. ... Im very concerned that, especially if the pandemic gets worse, people will be afraid to go and vote, and that would disenfranchise everybody, regardless of their political views. The rally was one of 450 scheduled nationwide as part of a day of action dubbed Save the Post Office Saturday. It was one of many in the Philadelphia area; people had pledged to show up at post offices in Chestnut Hill, Media, Germantown, Collingswood, Elkins Park, and elsewhere, according to the organization MoveOn. The group encouraged people across the country to show up at their local post offices at 11 a.m. to save the post office from Trump. Together, were coming together to support a beloved system that every American relies on, said Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn, in a statement. Its how millions get our medicines, send holiday greetings and receive the resources we depend on. And, in this pandemic, the mail is how millions of us will deliver our democracy. We reject these attacks on the USPS. We demand full restoration of machines and personnel plus full funding for the post office. READ MORE: Have you noticed problems with mail in your area? Tell us about it. Some neighborhoods in Philadelphia have gone as long as three weeks without mail amid the service disruptions. Several of the areas lawmakers earlier this month called the changes and lack of funding an insidious attempt to undermine mail delivery. Last week, the Postal Service warned 46 states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware that some mail ballots might not be delivered on time to meet the states deadlines for being counted. The Pennsylvania Department of State has asked the state Supreme Court to extend mail ballot deadlines because of delivery concerns, and New Jersey has already allowed seven days after Election Day for mailed ballots to be counted. READ MORE: Pennsylvania officially sues USPS over mail delays as postmaster general blames coronavirus Lopez-Henriquez, whose grandfather worked for the Postal Service, said she was concerned about funding for the Postal Service even before the coronavirus pandemic and the recent changes. I do think that, in general, the public is concerned about protecting the Postal Service, so I was glad to be there, she said of the rally. I was glad that people could see it. Whether they knew about it already or didnt, it gave a feeling of urgency. Joe Piette, of Upper Darby, a retired mail carrier and member of the National Association for Letter Carriers, was one of four rally organizers at the Old City post office Saturday. DeJoy doesnt understand that this is a service, made so in the Constitution. Its not a business. It allows everyone to be able to afford to send mail, regardless of where they live in the United States, said Piette, a 30-year veteran of the Postal Service who was a shop steward before he retired in 2011. He added, DeJoy has been talking about the mail as a business. The more they privatize, the higher the rates will be. It will be unaffordable. Compare the rates between the Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx, and the post office is much cheaper. READ MORE: House passes bill to restore Postal Service cuts with $25 billion in funding Piette is active on a Facebook group called Save Our Postal Service and holds meetings every week. We also had rallies today in Media and King of Prussia, and its everyday people trying to defend the post offices in their neighborhoods, he said. Saturdays rally point at 316 Market St. holds particular significance, he said. Its the first post office ever, created by Ben Franklin, even before the writing of the Constitution, Piette said. Its a museum, but its also a working post office. You can walk in, buy stamps, and mail a letter. As we were rallying, people were actually using the post office. Staff writer Erin Arvedlund contributed to this article. West African leaders from regional bloc Ecowas kick off a high-stakes mission to Mali on Saturday in a bid to reverse Tuesday's military coup. Member heads of state want ousted leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to be reinstated, but Malians have cheered his resignation. It is the latest sign of the widening schism between the bloc and civilians. A delicate balancing act lies ahead for the Ecowas delegation as it tries to restore constitutional order to Mali, while at the same time acknowledging the public's desire for change. The architect of that mission is former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. He was the mediator between ousted leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and an opposition coalition, known as the June 5 Movement, during last month's talks that failed to end the deadlock. Jonathan has said he hopes Saturday "to help the search for solutions" after this week's coup, and will be flanked by the president of the Ecowas Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, and Niger's foreign minister, Kalla Ankourao. A junta official told AFP that the envoys would be received "with pleasure... it is important to talk to our brothers." However, chances of a breakthrough appear slim reckon analysts, largely due to a misunderstanding between Ecowas and ordinary Malians. Crossing red line "The mediation by Ecowas has been ongoing, they've met with all different stakeholders but they have not integrated at all the claims of civil society and opposition parties," says Sten Hagberg, a professor in Cultural Anthropology at Uppsala University in Sweden. Those claims include an end to escalating corruption, the embezzlement of public funds and access to education. Demands, which in Hagberg's view, have been largely ignored. "None of this has been integrated in the mediation attempts, because the stepping down of the president is a red line they cannot cross," he told RFI. The 15-member bloc is composed of leaders who are also facing demands for reform in their own countries, and who fear that Mali's collapse could set a precedent in the region. In the cases of Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire, their presidents have altered the rules to allow them to stay in power beyond their mandated terms. "Many people in Mali and elsewhere in West Africa say that Ecowas is almost like a labour union of presidents," continues Hagberg. The coup in Mali has put Ecowas' reputation as a champion of democracy to the test. "People are saying we need an Ecowas of West African peoples not of presidents," he said. Paying high price While Malians have expressed widespread support for the military coup, it has been met with almost universal condemnation abroad. This paradox can be explained by the country's security crisis, which has spilled over into neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger. "The security crisis in Mali since 2011-2012 has led to a situation whereby for the international community, the stability of Mali is key," says the Uppsala University professor, referring to fears that Mali's conflict is driving illegal migration to Europe. "But on the other hand who is paying the price? It's the Malian people. There are no schools that have opened in months if not years. The public health service is not working. Even the army has been lacking military equipment and these are the people who are fighting terrorist groups." For Hagberg, the international community has "invested everything in Keita" for the price of stability. It is a price that Malians are no longer willing to pay. Would you like to charter a private jet? It might be more affordable than you think. Photo: Getty. Coronavirus has seen private jet flights rocket as wealthy passengers have sought safe ways to travel. When travel restrictions eased in Europe Charter airline company Air Partner saw a 321% increase in private jet requests compared to last year. And Charter Service, the world's largest aircraft charter broker, has reported a 93% rise in new customer enquiries. Households are joining bubbles and sharing the cost of chartering an aircraft together making the elite form of transportation more affordable. Private air travel is becoming more attractive due to the ability to social distance, avoid queues and crowds, and be seated in a clean environment. There are 700 touch points for potentially passing on contagion in the average commercial flight, according to research by jet charter operator GlobeAir. This compares to just 20 in a private plane. And if you charter a plane in a large group the price becomes more economical. For example Europe's largest private jet operator AirX, which charters the Citation X carrying eight passengers, charges around 30,000 ($39,200) for a return trip to Malaga in the peak season - that's 3,750 per person. READ MORE: What's next for restaurants as Eat Out to Help Out winds down? Meanwhile Air Partner will currently charter a party of 12 to Nice, Pisa and Mykonos for 1,392, 1,633 and 2,592 respectively, per person for a one way trip. Prices include all taxes, Air Passenger Duty, insurance, catering and fixed-base operator handling, according to a This is Money report. And Christmas trips could prove even more affordable with Air Partner quoting a one way trip in early December from Biggin Hill to Munich at around 1,188 each, for a full capacity eight seater plane. Mark Briffa, chief executive of Air Partner, told the Mail: "Private aviation gives clients the confidence to feel secure and safe in a COVID-19 world. Private jet travel gives clients the reassurance to travel safely and will continue to grow in popularity." The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in Northern Ireland has now reached 866, according to new figures. It comes amid a rise in fatalities linked to the virus. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said there were seven deaths involving Covid-19 in the week to last Friday. This is up from four during the previous week, to August 7. The total number of deaths in the region, to August 14, according to Nisra, is 866. Of these deaths, 456 (52.7%) took place in hospital, 351 (40.5%) in care homes, 51 (5.9%) at residential addresses or other locations and eight (0.9%) in hospices. The 359 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 81 separate establishments. The equivalent number of deaths of people with Covid-19 recorded in the daily figures reported by the Department of Health to August 14 was 558. The department's figures are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the Nisra figures are based on the information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals, and the patients may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus. Separate case figures released by the Department of Health yesterday showed it had recorded a further 20 cases of the virus and no further deaths. The total number of cases is now 6,576. Eight of the new cases were in the Belfast area. Just one was recorded in Mid and East Antrim, where concerns have been raised about a surge in incidents. The Republic's health authorities last night confirmed 79 more cases of Covid-19, but said there have been no further deaths. Health minister Robin Swann said the R-number in Northern Ireland is currently 1.3. On Thursday he announced new restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the virus. The number of people meeting indoors is to be reduced to six from no more than two households. The limit on numbers at outdoor gatherings will fall from 30 to 15. Meanwhile, Mr Swann also announced there would be focused PSNI enforcement of coronavirus regulations in hotspot areas. Ejaz Kaiser By Express News Service RAIPUR: The metro trains in the country will now run on the indigenously manufactured rails built in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh. The Joka-Esplanade Metro in Kolkata is the first to use such rails made by Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) from its Raigarh-based plant, some 220 km east of Raipur. The head hardened (HH) rail produced at the companys Raigarh plant is intended for high-speed rails. Now 20 percent of the requirement of head hard rails in India will be sourced indigenously, which is seen as a major step towards the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Make-in-India) initiative. The Joka-Esplanade metro is laying 1080 grade HH rail tracks prepared by JSPL using an additional heat treatment system, said DK Saraogi, chief operating officer, JSPL. Earlier all the Metros across the country have so far been operating on rails imported from Japan, Europe, and other foreign companies. The specially designed HH tracks at Raigarh steel plant accomplished the internationally defined standards of high speed (over 250 km per hour) for trains. These tracks are far stronger than common rail tracks. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has selected JSPL's head hardened rails through a rigorous auction process after tightening up to international standards. The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) have successfully tested JSPL's railways on international standards in every manner and has given its approval, Saraogi added. RVNL, which is the agency bringing about the Joka-Esplanade Metro project, has placed order to procure the HH rails from JSPL through a rigorous bidding process, JSPL officials stated. It is believed that the manufacture of world-class rails in the country will also save foreign exchange. Sofia Vergara is insisting that she was not the butt of Ellen DeGeneres' jokes. On Friday, the Modern Family star, 48, attempted to clear the air with a tweet, after a clip of her appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show went viral. In the clip, Ellen, 62, is seen discussing and making fun of Sofia's English-speaking skills during multiple show tapings, which has given fans pause as the embattled host has gained scrutiny of late with regard to how she treats others. Clearing the air: Sofia Vergara is speaking out after a clip of her appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show went viral on Twitter In the clip: Ellen is seen making fun of Sofia's English-speaking skills on multiple occasions, which has given fans pause as the host has gained scrutiny as to how she treats others But when Vergara tweeted that she and the daytime chat star were just 'two comedians having fun with each other to entertain. 'I was never a victim guys,' Sofia continued. 'I was always in on the joke.' The Barranquilla, Colombia-born TV star included a clip showing the pair reminiscing about filming CoverGirl commercials together in 2015, which also showed Ellen taking friendly jabs at Sofia for her famously heavily-accented English. Setting the record straight: On Friday, Sofia attempted to clear the air with a tweet of her own Anything for a joke: Vergara tweeted that she and the daytime chat star were just 'two comedians having fun with each other to entertain'; Ellen seen in January 'I was never a victim guys': Sofia is insisting that she was never the butt of DeGeneres's jokes 'They give her the hardest lines too because we have to describe what's in the CoverGirl makeup and she has such a hard time pronouncing any of the ingredients,' Ellen is heard joking in the snippet. Sofia replies, 'I think because you are much more famous than me and older than me so they give you priority and you read the script first and then you're the one that makes me say those words, because there's no way.' 'They make her look pretty and make me say the important information,' she adds, laughing. The Colombia-born TV star included a clip showing the pair in 2015, which also showed Ellen taking friendly jabs at Sofia for her famously heavily-accented English Quite a pair: They were reminiscing about filming their CoverGirl commercials together Sofia's support of Ellen comes as the daytime host continues to do damage-control after a rough summer, which saw her public persona plummet from good-natured funnywoman to behind-the-scenes queen of mean. On Thursday, Variety reported that DeGeneres is 'increasing staff benefits' like paid sick leave and a better medical leave policy for employees, after several reports surfaced last month from disgruntled workers making claims of a toxic workplace environment and even instances of racism and sexism. The measures include 'increased paid time off and a liberal medical leave policy' and are already having the desired effect of boosting morale, an insider said. An internal investigation into the allegations is being conducted by WarnerMedia, along with claims of a concurrent internal investigation from DeGeneres herself. Good-natured funnywoman to behind-the-scenes queen of mean: Sofia's support of Ellen comes as the daytime host continues to do damage-control after a rough summer Thus far, three top producers have been fired by Ellen as a result of the WarnerMedia inquiry. Additionally, she apologized to staff in an emotional video call last Monday, and also denied rumors that she won't let people look her in the eye. The investigation was first sparked by a Buzzfeed expose into the show last month. The July 16 article revealed claims made by one current and 10 former employees of Ellen's talk show saying they experienced racism, fear and intimidation while working on the long-running series and accusing producers of bullying. The show then faced additional accusations about sexual misconduct in a second BuzzFeed News article on July 30, in which dozens of men and women accused Leman, Glavin and Norman of sexual harassment, misconduct or assault. When Steve Bannon did his perp walk from a Manhattan courthouse on Friday, he did look like hed just stepped off a yacht. He had a Riviera tan and the kind of silver mane only the malignantly rich seem able to cultivate luxuriant but sleazy. He was rumpled, like he had been recently displaced from a linen-covered sun lounge. He looked like someone who had just finished shouting at a poolboy. The running mates ... Kamala Harris with Joe Biden at the Democratic Convention. Credit:AP Bannon had, of course, just stepped off a yacht, a $35 million one belonging to a fugitive Chinese billionaire, who is named in press reports as a business associate of his, a term which always seems to adhere to the dodgiest of folk. Donald Trumps former chief strategist, the man who leveraged the Presidents longstanding racist impulses into electoral advantage, used his arrest on fraud charges to do what he does best: promote a conspiracy theory. This entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall, Bannon told reporters. Donald Trumps former campaign chairman Steve Bannon joked about fraud at a We Build the Wall fundraising event, in a clip that has resurfaced the day after his arrest. Mr Bannon was indicted on Thursday, alongside three others, for allegedly funnelling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the We Build the Wall online fundraising campaign to the founder of the organisation, Brian Kolfage, who was among those charged. We Build the Wall started as a GoFundMe campaign in 2018, and was created to help raise money from public funding to go directly towards building the the US-Mexico border wall at a time when the president was struggling with Congress. Acting US attorney Audrey Strauss confirmed on Thursday that Mr Bannon was arrested while aboard a 150-foot yacht in the Long Island Sound, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). In a clip that was uploaded to Twitter on Friday by Buzzfeed reporter Ryan Mac, Mr Bannon can be seen joking about Mr Kolfage taking money from the campaign during a fundraising WALL-A-THON. Were off the coast of Saint-Tropez in southern France, in the Mediterranean. Were on the million dollar yacht, Mr Bannon joked, before later clarifying that they were co-hosting the event in Sunland Park, New Mexico. The Trump administrations former White House chief strategist then puts his hand on Mr Kolfages shoulder and jokes: Brian Kolfage, he took all that money from Build the Wall. On Thursday, Mr Bannon denied all the charges against him, and claimed that this entire fiasco is to stop people who want to build the wall, as he left federal court in Manhattan, New York. He has been accused of taking $1m (764,855) from the campaign funnelled through a nonprofit organisation under his control and of using hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover personal expenses. Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Kolfage, a US Air Force veteran, covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 (267,669) in funds raised by We Build the Wall. In a separate clip from 2018 that was uploaded to Twitter on Thursday by CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski, Donald Trump Jr praised the We Build the Wall crowdfunding campaign and Mr Kolfage. Brian thanks so much for all your sacrifices, doing this and showing really what capitalisms all about, he said. This is private enterprise at its finest. Doing it better, faster, cheaper than anything else. What you guys are doing is pretty amazing. Started from a grassroots effort and its just doing some wonderful things for an important issue. In reaction to the arrests on Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement, where she attempted to distance the president from the campaign and Mr Bannon. As everyone knows, President Trump has no involvement in this project and felt it was only being done in order to showboat, and perhaps raise funds, she said. A follow up statement from the White House read: President Trump has not been involved with Steve Bannon since the campaign and the early part of the administration, and he does not know the people involved with this project. Mr Trump commented on the situation himself later on Thursday, saying: I feel very badly, and adding: I havent been dealing with him for a long period of time as most of the people in this room know. He was involved in our campaign ... and for a small part of the administration, very early on. Havent been dealing with him at all. Police hope to seize hundreds of millions of rupees from drug lords By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s): Extensive investigations have been launched to identify and seize the assets of known drug lords who are known to have made hundreds of millions of rupees through this illegal trade, Police say. The Western Provinces Senior Deputy Inspector General Deshabandu Tennakoon said that under the Money Laundering Act, the Police would charge the underworld narcotic smugglers and this would enable the authorities to seize their assets. He said intelligence collected by interrogating drug users and drug distributors had helped police to establish that there were about 25 underworld gangs operating in Colombo, and about 20 of these were currently active. Underworld gangs and drugs are two sides of the same coin, as drug distribution is the main income of such groups, he said. SDIG Tennakoon said they had identified and traced networks of drug distributors and found that some networks continued to be run by imprisoned convicts. During recent raids, Police had arrested 388 suspects linked to drug trafficking, seized about 20 vehicles, various properties and millions of rupees in cash, he said. Police had also obtained Interpol red notices to bring down key underworld figures who were directing drug trafficking from abroad. While implementing such measures, SDIG Tennakoon said efforts were also being made to rehabilitate drug addicts and stop the distribution of narcotic tablets which act as a pathway to lure young people to hard drugs. This week, the Police busted a drug distribution network operating from Padukka, Kolonnawa and Matara. We first identified a 30-year-old drug addict in Padukka. He had only a few grams of heroin in his possession. We then learned that he received the drugs from another addict who was staying at a tea shop close to the place where the first addict was found, Padukka Police Inspector Ajith Nishanka said. The Police then nabbed the second addict and detained him. Under interrogation, the suspect revealed details of a dealer in Kolonnawa. The Police then compelled the drug addict to arrange a meeting with the Kolonnawa drug dealer to carry out the drug transaction. The Police then set their officers near the designated spot and nabbed the dealer when he arrived at the spot. He was found to have 10 grams of heroin. The dealer we arrested revealed details of another dealer who is also stationed at Kolonnawa. He sells far larger quantities of drugs. Then according to the information gathered we raided the house of the second dealer, however neither the 49-year-old suspected second drug dealer nor the drugs were found, Inspector Nishanka said. While the suspect had evaded arrest, Inspector Nishanka said the Police learned of a shop belonging to the suspected second drug distributor. It was located on the second floor of a building in Kolonnawa. We took a chance, raided the shop and found 1kg of heroin and the suspected drug dealer. He had drugs valued at Rs 12 million with him. Both alleged drug dealers were produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate, where police were granted powers to hold and interrogate the 49-year-old second suspect under detention orders, while the first suspect was remanded. Both suspected drug addicts were produced before the Avissawella Magistrate, who fined and released them. The Padukka Police Inspector said they also learned that the head of the drug trafficking network resided in Matara. Though an operation was launched to nab him, the main suspect had evaded arrest. But the Police hoped to nab him soon. New draft Canadian 144 MHz Band Plan Canada's national amateur radio society the RAC has released a new draft 144 MHz band plan It has been drawn up by the Radio Amateurs of Canada Band Planning Committee. The RAC band planning committees prepare interim band plans after consulting with Amateurs across the country. These plans not only take into account the wishes of Canadian Amateurs, but are also coordinated with band usage in other countries through membership in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). This draft band plan gives the 2m Satellite allocations as: 145.500-145.590 ARISS Links - Space Communications Exclusive 145.790-145.800 No transmissions. Guard Band to protect Satellite Sub-band 145.800-146.000 Amateur Satellite Uplink / Downlink and ARISS Exclusive. Surprisingly the satellite segment at 144.000-144.025 MHz agreed by IARU Region 2 in 2013 has been omitted. National band plans of necessity reflect local conditions, the Canadian 2m band extends from 144-148 MHz so is different in many aspects from the band plans in the British Isles and Europe which cater for a narrower 144-146 MHz allocation. The RAC do suggest some segments for what they describe as Wide Band Data Modes. Note in this context Wide Band means up to 30 kHz, these segments are: 144.310-144.500 144.900-145.100 145.590-145.790 147.435-147.585 The draft band plan can be downloaded from https://www.rac.ca/proposed-two-metre-2m-band-plan/ Delhis Tihar jail authorities have started allowing virtual meetings between prisoners and their families months after they were forced to stop visitors from meeting their jailed relatives at the prison on March 24 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic that prompted social distancing measures to check its spread. Officials said virtual meetings and the online court hearing have helped to the extent that they have no cases of active Covid-19 prisoners as on Saturday even as the complex is one of the largest and the most crowded in the country with around 14,000 prisoners. The last two prisoners, who had contracted Covid-19 on August 3, tested negative for the disease on Thursday, said Tihars director-general, Sandeep Goel. Officials said virtual meetings started in jail numbers 4 and 6 last week. The facility will be extended across all the 15 jails in the complex -- Mandoli, Rohini and Tihar. HT had on July 28 reported the prison authorities would soon start virtual visits for prisoners. None of the prisoners have met their family members since the visits were cancelled in March. Earlier, prisoners were allowed to meet their members twice a week. They would also meet during court hearings. With so many prisoners, maintaining social distancing inside the prison complex is a challenge. Of the 1,400 inmates in Uttar Pradeshs Basti jail, at least 191 tested Covid-19 positive last week. Last month, of the 1,049 inmates in Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) district jail, 228 were found positive for the disease. Tihar officials said they have managed to contain the spread of the disease because of the measures they have taken. The measures include isolating all new prisoners for the first 14 days in a separate cell before lodging them with other inmates. All court hearings are being held via video conferencing within the prison complex. Goel said across all jails, prisoners are now interacting with their lawyers over video conferencing. The first Covid-19 case inside the Tihar prison complex was reported on May 13. A total of 63 prisoners and 169 jail officials have tested positive to date. Two prisoners, both elderly inmates, died of the disease on June 15 and July 4, while others have recovered. Among jail officers, two are still Covid-19 positive. A prison officer, who did not wish to be named, said, During the early days of the [Covid-19] lockdown, many feared that the disease would spread rapidly inside Tihar and controlling it would be difficult. It is a result of many measures that we managed to contain the virus compared to other jails in the country. We suspended the visits of all outsiders. Around 4,000 have been released on interim bail and parole. All court hearings are held virtually and so are the prisoners meeting with their lawyers. Also, we started in-house production of masks and sanitisers. There is no shortage of those essential items. Some prisons in the UK and the US are offering similar virtual visitation facilities to cope with the restrictions on movement and interactions necessitated by Covid-19. Byculla jail in Mumbai has started video conferencing for women inmates. The prisoners in Tihar have also stayed in touch with their families through the telephone. Every prisoner is allowed a five-minute call every day. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A local community group has raised concerns about plans for a proposed windfarm on the Sligo/Leitrim border. Wind Aware Dromahair say the construction of Croagh Windfarm, being undertaken by Coillte, will mean the turbines will "totally dominate and alter the local landscape and that of the surrounding area to the extent of being clearly visible right across six counties." The windfarm is set to take in an area right along the Sligo-Leitrim border incorporating a number of townlands. In a press release issued last week, the group said that if the "proposal was for an environmentally appropriate, community-based, sustainable project which aligns with the aims and objectives of North Leitrim Sustainable Energy Community and creates long-term employment in this area, it would be wholeheartedly welcomed and supported." Spokesperson for the group, Adrienne Diamond, stated: "The threatened area is home to several endangered avian and mammalian species including the Annex 1 listed Hen Harrier and Corncrake, as well as bats including the Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Leisler's, Daubenton's and Brown long-eared bats. Ms Diamond continued: "How can the destruction of native bog and its replacement by thousands of tonnes of concrete and steel be regarded as being environmentally friendly? "Undisturbed and undrained bog is now universally recognised as a vitally important carbon storage reservoir. Furthermore, this landscape, like Shaas Mountain where a massive mudslide occurred as recently as June this year, is highly vulnerable to landslides, causing huge degradation, pollution and extermination of aquatic life in the many surrounding rivers and streams." The group say they have garnered significant community support, and held a public meeting last September. In opposing the planning proposals Coillte have submitted to Sligo and Leitrim County Councils, Wind Aware Dromahair says they are "challenging Coillte". "We want a green future for Leitrim and Sligo by continuing to cut carbon emissions and by leading the way with imaginative, sustainable, small scale renewable projects that are suited to our sensitive, beautiful landscape and truly create local employment. "Our small rural community is taking on a giant. We are challenging Coillte, the supposed leaders of the wind energy industry in Ireland. We are fighting to save our health, our homes, our way of life and what remains of our irreplaceable beautiful landscape. This is a local issue, a national issue and above all it is an ethical issue." Coillte were contacted for comment yesterday (Monday, 17th) but had yet to respond at the time of going to print. Porterville, CA (93257) Today Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. As a pastor, professor and leader in the Manitoba and Canadian Mennonite Brethren church, former Winnipegger John Regehr was a trailblazer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 22/8/2020 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As a pastor, professor and leader in the Manitoba and Canadian Mennonite Brethren church, former Winnipegger John Regehr was a trailblazer. With encouragement from his wife, Mary, he embraced feminism in the 1950s long before it became acceptable in the denomination. Submitted John Regehr As a Bible college professor from the 1960s to 1990s, he promoted an inclusive and accepting kind of Christianity that put him at odds with some of members of the denomination. As pastor, he was open and candid about his personal and theological questions and struggles at a time when people expected church leaders to always be confident and strong. So, it isnt surprising Regehr, 93, continued his trailblazing ways when he chose medical assistance in dying (MAID) last November. "He was ready to go," says his son, Rennie, a retired music professor and former first violist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. "He had lived a full life. He knew it was time." For Regehr, a member of the McIvor Mennonite Brethren Church in North Kildonan, the last few years had been difficult. Mary died in 2014. At the age of 90 he needed life-saving heart surgery. The surgery went well, but a few months later he fell and broke his hip. He recovered, continuing to live independently. But over the next few years there were more falls and more trips to emergency. On Oct. 18, he was admitted to Concordia Hospital with severe pain in his hip. This time it was clear he would never be able to go back home again. "He was exhausted. He had no more projects and didnt want to stay alive for the only purpose of remaining alive," says Rennie. "He didnt want to lie in bed for who knows how long, waiting for death to come." On Nov. 1, he called his children together for a conversation about death. "He asked us if it was OK for him to die," Rennie says. "He wanted our support and blessing." Regehrs other son, Mark, admits he was taken aback at first. "I was caught off guard when he suggested it," he says. "But I quickly saw his point of view." While finding it hard to hear his request, daughter Jenny was not surprised; her dad had spoken many times about being ready to die. "He had made his mind up," she says. When Regehr asked medical staff about ways to hasten his dying, they suggested he stop eating an option that didnt appeal to him. What about MAID; was he eligible? It turned out he was. "His face lit up," Rennie says, remembering his reaction upon hearing he qualified. While the news put Regehr at ease, his family worried his decision might cast a pall over their dads life of service to the church. As Jenny put it, she was supportive of her dads decision but concerned about the reaction of others. "I worried this would define his lifes work," she says. But when they saw how convinced he was, they offered their full support. Since Concordia doesnt allow MAID, on Nov. 7 Regehr was moved by ambulance to Health Sciences Centre. In his hospital room, Regehr was joined by his family and two pastor friends. Scripture was read and he was asked: "John, can anything separate you from the love of Christ?" He shook his head emphatically and with a strong voice answered: "No!" Then, as Rennie played one of his favourite hymns on the viola, Regehr slipped away. For Rennie, it was a powerful experience. "To see my dad surrounded by people who loved him deeply, lovingly participating in a compassionate, painless, and comfortable death was overwhelming. It was wrenching and beautiful all at the same time," he says. Looking back, the children agree MAID was the right thing for their dad. "He was ready to go," says Jenny. As for the church he served for so long, they say their father wanted his decision to start a discussion in his denomination about death and dying. "When we asked if he wanted us to share this, he said yes," says Jenny. "I saw his decision as the professor giving his last teaching, or the pastor preaching his last sermon," says Mark. For those who might question Regehrs decision on theological grounds that only God can decide when someone should die Rennie says his dad had no doubts. "The inner work had been done long before," he says, noting his dad had spent a lot of time thinking and praying about it. "He had complete trust in a loving and accepting God." The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Plus, he adds, his dad "felt he had already played God earlier by deciding to have life-saving heart surgery. He felt death had already come calling for him then, but he had not been willing to go." Before he died, Regehr anticipated some might be critical of his decision based on pro-life grounds. He told his kids that anyone who insisted he should have continued in a "torturous, useless struggle to survive" might not really be pro-life from a caring, compassionate point of view, "but more a slave to that ideology." Looking back, Rennie says "my dad died in dignity, surrounded by the love of the people he had invited to his passage. He died in a way that was congruent with his theology, with his experience of and with God. And his decision was aligned with who he was as a trailblazer, living slightly ahead of the curve, as a person who thought through issues deeply, and as a person living and willing to die by his principles and convictions." As for Mark, he has decided to honour and remember his father by having something his dad said tattooed on his arm. "My wings are poised. Im ready for flight," it says. "Its what he said when the doctor asked if he was ready to die," Mark says. faith@freepress.mb.ca In the summer of 1940, with the threat of German invasion in the air, some of the wealthy and influential of Britain began privately evacuating their children to the USA and Canada. The result was an impression of grave social injustice. When the Conservative MP and socialite Henry Chips Channon delivered his son Paul for evacuation he recalled that: there was a queue of Rolls-Royces and liveried servants, and mountains of trunks. It seemed that everyone we knew was there. Those sent overseas at their parents expense included children with the surnames Mountbatten, Bowes Lyon, Sitwell and Guinness, families high in the upper echelons of British society. One atypical evacuee, Jessica Mann, the daughter of German Jewish refugees whose parents were determined to ensure her safety, recalled hearing children who escaped the UK called horrid little cowards who ran away. The Queen insulated the royal family from such public resentment by choosing not to send princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose to Canada because, as she said: The children will not leave unless I do. I shall not leave unless their father does, and the king will not leave the country in any circumstances, whatever. Nazi propagandist William Joyce (aka Lord Haw-Haw) ruthlessly exploited the implication that Britains richest families were getting their children away from danger. In his regular radio broadcasts from Germany, Haw-Haw stigmatised Britains elite as the rich, the wealthy, the plutocratic caste. He said they had provoked the war in order to profit from it, but now that the worst is about to come to the worst, they quietly vanish from the scene. In a remarkable coincidence of opinion, the BBCs most popular broadcaster, JB Priestley, a dedicated socialist, agreed that overseas evacuation should not be for the rich alone. Anticipating imminent invasion by half-crazy German youths, Priestley told millions of listeners to his Postscript on June 16 1940 that he wished we could send all of our children out of this island, every boy and girl of them across the sea to the wide Dominions and turn Britain into the greatest fortress the world has known. Story continues This done, he added, we could fight and fight these Nazis until we broke their black hearts. Priestleys support for an inclusive scheme of overseas evacuation encouraged a similar alliance of right and left in parliament. Popular policy The Childrens Overseas Reception Scheme (CORS) was an emergency project to evacuate British children to the Dominions at public expense which was announced in early June. On June 17, the Ministry of Informations Home Intelligence team in Manchester reported that: Evacuation of women and children to Dominions has caught popular fancy. Two days later, an intelligence summary revealed that many men would be glad to see women and children go to Canada. It added that: The number of women making enquiries about taking or sending children to the Dominions is hourly increasing. The under-secretary of state for dominion affairs, Geoffrey Shakespeare, told MPs that the essence of our scheme is that there should be no discrimination and no special facilities for a privileged few. Instead, he proposed a balanced migration representing a cross-section of British children. Clement Attlee, the Labour leader, spoke in support, declaring: I think it absolutely right that there should not be privilege for one lot of people as against another. I think it is right that a fair sample of the population should be sent overseas. Class concerns My research into newspaper archives (sadly not available online except by subscription) has revealed that newspapers on both left and right agreed. On July 3, the conservative Daily Express set the tone, and identified a weakness in CORS: the number that could be offered places would not be sufficient to meet demand. In an editorial headlined To go or not to go? The Rich go first, the Express protested that: while the Government is arranging to evacuate the 20,000, there is another kind of evacuation. It is carried out by well-to-do parents who can pay their childrens passage and arrange for them to be supported by relatives or friends overseas. Poorer parents whose children are left behind feel a grievance and a just grievance, at the children of the rich who are being sent to safety. At the other end of the political spectrum, the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror deployed American opinion to assist its criticism of class bias in overseas evacuation. The Mirror reported that: The suggestion that so far only children of titled and wealthy Britons have been evacuated to the United States is strongly criticised by the American Committee in London for the evacuation of children. A week later, the Mirror identified children who had just arrived in New York aboard the luxury liner SS Washington. They included the two daughters of Lord and Lady Mountbatten. The Manchester Guardian hoped evacuation ships would soon be filled with young emigrants from all classes of the community. Presciently, it also acknowledged that CORS was fraught with risk. Parents should weigh the dangers to be faced in this country against the risks to which every ship that leaves our shores is subjected. The controversy over CORS illustrates the extent of class division in Britain in 1940. Newspapers advertised it and the wartime coalition made initially faltering efforts to respond. Danger ensured that it could not last. In July, it was suspended. Besieged Britain could not afford to send the Royal Navy to protect evacuation ships. CORS was formally abandoned after the sinking of the City of Benares in the North Atlantic on the evening of September 17. When she was torpedoed, Benares was carrying 90 CORS children to Canada. She was also carrying private evacuees. Class segregation determined the likelihood of survival. The CORS children were sleeping in bunks deep in the bowels of the ship. Children moving overseas at their parents expense had first class accommodation closer to the lifeboats. Some 83 of the CORS evacuees lost their lives. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Tim Luckhurst has received research funding from News UK and Ireland Ltd. He is a member of the Society of Editors and the Free Speech Union. This article is based on research for his current work in progress, a book for Bloomsbury Academic under the provisional title Reporting the Second World War: Newspapers and the Public in Wartime Britain. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - Senior South Korean and Chinese officials on Saturday reaffirmed plans to arrange a summit between their leaders at an early date once coronavirus concerns subside, Seouls presidential office said. At a meeting in the South Korean port city of Busan, top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi and South Koreas national security adviser, Suh Hoon, also discussed the international standoff over North Koreas nuclear weapons program and rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, the Blue House said in a statement. The government of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been eager to improve bilateral relations that have been strained since South Korea deployed a U.S. anti-missile system on its soil in 2017 over Chinese objections. Moon had hoped to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Seoul during the earlier half of the year, but the spread of COVID-19 prevented the visit. Yang, a Politburo member of the Chinese Communist Partys powerful Central Committee, promised constant communication and co-operation with South Korea while supporting efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and stabilize peace, according to the Blue House, which didnt provide further details. Moons government is eager to resume engagement with North Korea, which has virtually cut off all inter-Korean co-operation amid nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration that have stalled over disagreements in exchanging sanctions relief for nuclear disarmament. China, North Koreas major ally and economic lifeline, had endorsed the easing of U.S.-led sanctions and pressure to induce denuclearization steps from the North. During the Busan meeting, Yang also briefed Suh on Chinas position regarding its intensifying row with the Trump administration that has expanded from trade issues and now includes Hong Kong, Chinese Muslims, spying accusations and control of the South China Sea. Suh said co-prosperity and friendly co-operation between Washington and Beijing are critical for the interests of Northeast Asia and the world, the Blue House said. Rising U.S.-Chinese tensions have rattled South Korea, which worries about being squeezed between its main military ally and biggest trading partner. A truck driver has been convicted of transporting 69 adults and 14 juveniles who had crossed the border illegally. Following a bench trial on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana found Francisco Heredia-Sanchez guilty of conspiracy to transport immigrants within the United States, and transport and attempt to transport the immigrants for financial gain. His sentencing date is pending. The case unfolded Jan. 26., when Heredia-Sanchez arrived in a blue tractor hauling a white trailer at the Interstate 35 checkpoint at about 6:10 a.m. Before he could answer what he was hauling, a K-9 unit alerted to possible contraband within the cargo area. Heredia-Sanchez was then referred to secondary inspection. Agents removed the trailers seal and observed multiple people inside the trailer. In total, there were 69 adults and 14 juveniles. Ten of those 14 juveniles were traveling unaccompanied. All had crossed the border illegally. Heredia-Sanchez told authorities he had not worked in four months, aside from assisting his cousin at a bodega in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, from time to time. Heredia-Sanchez stated he had contacted a man who told him he needed someone to pick up a tractor. Heredia-Sanchez stated the man picked him up and dropped him off near the Walmart on Loop 20 in Laredo. The man told him there were auto parts inside the locked trailer. Heredia-Sanchez stated he asked the man where the paperwork was, and he told him it was in the tractor. Heredia-Sanchez claimed he could not find it. Heredia-Sanchez called the man, but he did not answer. Heredia-Sanchez claimed he was to be paid 42 cents per mile driven to San Antonio. He claimed ownership of three cellphones inside the tractor. Authorities said he also had $913 and 26,520 Mexican pesos, or $1,326. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that for the country to have a viable railway system, it was imperative to meet the needs of the people who man the system to find satisfaction in their work. He therefore pointed out that the issues of salaries and pension for the railway workers was of much importance to be addressed with proper and befitting arrangement. President Akufo-Addo made the remark when he addressed a durbar held in his honour at the Railway Training School after inspecting the Essiam Bypass as part of activities to end his two-day tour to the Western Region. The issue of salary and pension is of a high priority for me and my government, so be rest assured that we will address it with a better pension system for railway workers that commensurate and fits so that when they are doing their work they can retire in a dignified way he emphasized. He bemoaned "we do not appreciate the value of our railway system and allowed it to be wasted away after independence, but now the entire world has understood that railway travel and the movement of cargo is the most efficient and environmentally free form of transport in the world". The President said in this regard, his government has resolved to revive the sector in the country and would make sure that the sector which was once vibrant bounces back to life. I am going to find the money, find the resources and I am going to revive the railway system. The President eulogized the Minister for Railways, Mr Joe Ghartey who also hails from the centre of the railway sector and said he has the confidence in him to champion the renaissance and revival of the railway sector. He pointed out that his commitment to reviving the railway system was unconditional and non-negotiable and for that matter Ghanaians should have confidence in him and give four more years to him to deliver the resolution. Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, recounted that Ghanas independence could not have been achieved without the workers of the railway sector and lamented how it was left to waste. He expressed the hope that the resolution of the President to revive the sector would not be a mirage or a chase after the wind and rallied the support of all stakeholders to help the Presidents vision to come through. 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 Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given the strongest signal yet the federal government could consider scrapping the impending increase in the superannuation guarantee, depending on the economic recovery from the pandemic. Mr Morrison said on Friday delaying the legislated increases in employer super contributions from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent by 2025, which would add up to $20 billion a year to super funds to assist workers in retirement, was something the government has to "carefully consider". Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday the government would consider a delay in the super guarantee if necessary. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "Prior to the election it was certainly my view, and I've articulated that, that those were legislated ... increases and we had no plans to change any of those," he said. "COVID-19 has occurred. Peoples' jobs are at risk." A pair of glasses believed to belong to Mahatma Gandhi were found in an envelope by Staff at East Bristol Auctions a few days ago. They were found casually hanging from auctioneer Andy Stowe's letterbox and were set to be auctioned for more than $19,000 (Rs 14 lakh, approximately) in Britain. However, the glasses sold for over 18 times the bidding amount; for $340,330 or Rs 2.5 crore! EAST BRISTOL AUCTIONS LTD The spectacles were reportedly bought through a phone bid by an American collector after six minutes of bidding. Auctioneer Andrew Stowe in whose letterbox the glasses were found said it was a new record for East Bristol Auctions and reportedly called it "the star lot of the century." Also Read: Bill Written By John Lewis Passed To Promote Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr's Legacies Youtube Mr Stowe informed that the owner of the glasses was an elderly man from Mangotsfield who plans to split the money with his daughter. "It's a phenomenal result. These glasses represent not only an auction record for us, but a find of international historical importance," Mr Stowe reportedly said. Previously when the owner was told the value of the glasses, Stowe said they nearly had a heart attack. The moment Gandhi's Glasses sell for 260,000 (apologies for poor quality) - an incredible result for a very special pair of spectacles. A true honour and a real thrill to be a part of something so special. pic.twitter.com/HY6QqeHFvN Andrew Stowe (@Auction_Andy) August 21, 2020 According to reports, the glasses are believed to have been in the family of the unnamed elderly man vendor in England, who was told by his father that they were a gift to his uncle when he was working for British Petroleum in South Africa between 1910 and 1930. EAST BRISTOL AUCTIONS LTD "The vendor's uncle definitely worked for British Petroleum in South Africa, and I believe Mahatma Gandhi didn't wear glasses until the late 1910s early 1920s," Stowe had said. It is likely that the glasses are one of Mahatma Gandhi's earliest pairs during his time in South Africa. Also Read: California State University Refuses To Take Down Mahatma Gandhi Statue In Solidarity With BLM The Turkish government formally converted a former Byzantine church into a mosque Friday, a move that came a month after it drew praise from the faithful and international opposition for similarly turning Istanbuls landmark Hagia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer. A decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published in the countrys Official Gazette, said Istanbuls Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, was handed to Turkeys religious authority, which would open up the structure for Muslim prayers. Like the Hagia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, the historic Chora church had operated as a museum for decades before Erdogan ordered it restored as a mosque. The church, situated near the ancient city walls, is famed for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. It dates to the fourth century, although the edifice took on its current form in the 11th12th centuries. The structure served as a mosque during the Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945. A court decision last year canceled the buildings status as a museum, paving the way for Fridays decision. Image: Emrah Gurel / AP Photo And as with the Hagia Sophia, the decision to transform the Chora church museum back into a mosque is seen as geared to consolidate the conservative and religious support base of Erdogans ruling party at a time when his popularity is sagging amid an economic downturn. Greeces Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the move, saying that Turkish authorities are once again brutally insulting the character of another UN-listed world heritage site. This is a provocation against all believers, the Greek ministry said in a statement. We urge Turkey to return to the 21st century, and the mutual respect, dialogue and understanding between civilizations. Protestant believers agree. The Hagia Sophia is just another attack on us as Christians, and very sad for the Armenians, the Orthodox, and the Catholics, Soner Tufan, head of Turkeys estimated 7,000-member Protestant community, told CT last June, in anticipation of the initial court decision. The government doesnt look after us, or give us our rights. A chief complaint of Protestants in Turkey has been the surge in denials for residency permit renewals of expatriate Christian workers, and the deportation of others. The total is now more than 50. Elpidophoros, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of America, wrote on Twitter: After the tragic transgression with Hagia Sophia, now the Monastery of Chora, this exquisite offering of Byzantine culture to the world! The pleas and exhortations of the international community are ignored, he wrote. And while churches-turned-museums are being converted into mosques, other historic Christians buildings are left in disrepair. The seventh century Cathedral of Mren, located near Kars on the Armenian border, like others, could crumble to the ground any day now, Christina Maranci, professor of Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University, told CT last July. She believes Turkish policy toward its Christian heritage is often one of slow bureaucracy and purposeful neglect. In a 1974 survey of the once numerous Armenian community, UNESCO documented 913 historic buildings [including churches] declared empty, 464 vanished completely, 252 in ruins, and 197 in need of restoration. But the recent conversion of churches into mosques is not new. In 1993, Maranci observed such transformation of the 10th-century Cathedral of the Holy Apostles in Kars, on the Armenian border. And in 2013, CT reported on the conversion of the smaller Church of Hagia Sophia, on the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon. Im not surprised by the declaration of Erdogan, it was very much in line with historic Turkish policy, Arda Ekmekji, a Sorbonne-educated archaeologist and dean of arts and sciences at Lebanons Armenian evangelical Haigazian University, told CT in July. Ataturk was the only exception to extremist Turks camouflaged as Europeans. Image: Emrah Gurel / AP Photo Several Istanbul residents rushed to the building Friday, some hoping to hold prayers there, Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Like the Hagia Sophia, this is an important mosque for Muslims, the agency quoted Istanbul resident Cuma Er as saying. We came here to pray after we learned about the decision. But we have been told that it has not yet been opened for prayers. We are waiting for the opening. Last month, Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia in 86 years, brushing aside the international criticism and calls for the monument to be kept as a museum in recognition of Istanbuls multi-faith heritage. As many as 350,000 took part in the prayers outside the structure. It was not immediately known when the first prayers would be held in the newly converted Chora mosque. It is so sad, said Tufan. If you do not act, they will continue. Post-Brexit UK-EU deal not easy to achieve, says British chief negotiator Global Times Source: Published: 2020/8/21 22:44:06 A post-Brexit deal between Britain and the European Union will not be easy to achieve, the British government's chief negotiator David Frost said Friday after the latest round of talks ended. "We have just concluded the seventh round of negotiations with the EU. As I said last week, agreement is still possible, and it is still our goal, but it is clear that it will not be easy to achieve," Frost said in the statement released Friday. At the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Brussels, Frost said substantive work continues to be necessary across a range of different areas of potential Britain-EU future cooperation if an agreement is to be delivered. "We have had useful discussions this week but there has been little progress," Frost said. "The EU is still insisting not only that we must accept continuity with EU state aid and fisheries policy, but also that this must be agreed before any further substantive work can be done in any other area of the negotiation, including on legal texts," he added. Frost said the EU stance made it unnecessarily difficult to make progress. There are other significant areas which remain to be resolved and, even where there is a broad understanding between negotiators, there is a lot of detail to work through, he said, adding: "Time is short for both sides." Frost said Britain will continue to work hard to reach an agreement with the EU, adding that chief negotiators and their teams have agreed to remain in close contact over the next two weeks before the next round of talks in London in the week of Sept. 7. On fisheries, one of the sticking points, London says its position remains unchanged, insisting that it will not accept any proposals which compromise British sovereignty over its own fishing waters. Local media reported that there was no progress during the latest round of talks on quota sharing. The EU reiterated that British position was a no go for Brussels, and the EU was only prepared to accept minor changes at best. On the other major issue of a so-called level playing field, a key challenge remains on subsidy control. Britain ended its EU membership on Jan 31 but is still following EU rules during the transition period until Dec 31 to enable a permanent future trade deal to be reached. During this period, Britain would have to pay into EU funds but have no say in laws imposed by Brussels. The EU's chief negotiator for relations with Britain, Michel Barnier, has said a draft agreement needs to be in place by October to enable it to be ratified by the EU's 27 member states. Speaking during a press conference in Brussels on Friday, Barnier said he was "disappointed, concerned and surprised" and the latest talks were "going backwards" rather than forwards. If Britain and the EU fail to secure a trade deal before the transitional period expires, both sides will trade under the World Trade Organization terms, under which new border controls and tariffs will mean extra cost for their trade. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader in a coma after a suspected poisoning, is in hospital after being flown into Berlin for treatment. The 44-year-old fell unconscious on a plane on Thursday and was taken to intensive care in Omsk, Siberia. The politician, who is a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin, has now been allowed to go to Germany but only after much wrangling that his supporters denounced as a ploy by authorities to stall until any poison in his system would be no longer traceable. His wife has also accused authorities of trying to buy time for this reason. Mr Navalny landed in Berlin early on Saturday, and was flown by air ambulance, arranged by the Cinema for Peace Foundation, to the capitals main hospital. Doctors in Omsk had initially said he was too unstable to move, but relented when the charity that had organised the plane said German doctors who examined the politician said he was fit to be transported. Charite Hospital in Berlin said in a statement that it would provide an update about his condition and further treatment once tests have been completed and after consulting with his family. Cinema for Peace founder Jaka Bizilj, a Slovenian-born activist and filmmaker, was quoted by Bild as saying Mr Navalnys condition was stable during the flight and after landing. Kira Yarmysh, Mr Navalnys spokesperson, said on Twitter that This is another proof that nothing was preventing Navalny from being transported, and it was necessary to do so as early as possible. The Kremlin denied that resistance to the transfer was political, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying that it was purely a medical decision. Mr Navalny fell ill on Thursday while he was on a plane heading to Siberia and was unconscious by the time the plane landed. His supporters believe that tea he drank was laced with poison, and that the Kremlin is behind both his illness and the delay in transferring him to a top German hospital. A senior doctor at the Omsk hospital claimed earlier this week medics were satisfied there was no poison in his blood. Shortly after, the hospitals chief clinician, Andrei Mukharovsky, said doctors had only working diagnoses, claiming the most likely of these was a carbohydrate imbalance ... possibly caused by a sharp drop in blood sugar levels. Mr Bizilj, speaking to reporters outside Charite on Saturday, said his health condition is very worrying. We got a very clear message from the doctors that if there had not been an emergency landing in Omsk, he would have died, adding that it would be up to doctors and Mr Navalnys family to provide further information on his condition. The most prominent member of Russias opposition, Mr Navalny campaigned to challenge Mr Putin in the 2018 presidential election but was barred from running. Since then, he has been promoting opposition candidates in regional elections, challenging members of the ruling party, United Russia. His Foundation for Fighting Corruption has been exposing graft among government officials, including some at the highest level. But he had to shut the foundation last month after a financially devastating lawsuit from a businessman with close ties to the Kremlin. Additional reporting by agencies Days after Sonia Gandhi completed a year as interim president of the party, Congress has convened a meeting of its working committee in which the issue of party leadership is likely to be discussed. Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal said in a tweet on Saturday that meeting of (CWC) will be held on August 24 at 11 am through video conferencing. There has been a debate in the Congress on the issue of leadership with a section of the party pitching for return of Rahul Gandhi as party president. Rahul Gandhi has been leading the party's attack on the Modi government on a range of issues including border tensions with China. Sonia Gandhi completed one year as party chief earlier this month. She took over the reigns of the party for a second time after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief following Congress suffering its second successive defeat in Lok Sahba polls in 2019. Sections of the party feel that the uncertainty over the leadership issue should end soon as it will help the party take on the BJP-led government more forcefully. . (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Approximately 95% of CUNY classes this fall will be held entirely online, but on Friday elected officials, teachers, and representatives from a union representing faculty called for delays to all in-person activities in the system over coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. During an online press conference, the group called for CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez and Hunter College President Jennifer Raab to ensure building safety before classes are scheduled to resume Wednesday. Christina Moore, a teacher at the Hunter College High School in Manhattan, criticized the planned reopening strategy at her schools facility. In the absence of real engagement and agreed upon independent verification that the ventilation system is adequate, we believe teaching remotely is currently the only safe and responsible option, she said. Moores school has a tentative reopening date of Sept. 10. CUNY spokesman Frank Sobrino said only 2% of courses will be entirely in-person, and anyone entering campus will be required to undergo a health screening. Students and staff will be required to wear masks and stay six feet apart in classrooms. Additionally, occupancy limits will be applied and enforced in all campus spaces, including classrooms, and each classroom will undergo deep cleanings multiple times per day. In the face of unprecedented challenges, CUNY is working harder than ever to deliver a high-quality education, Sobrino said. We believe this is the safest and most effective way to maintain the academic momentum of our students while safeguarding the health and safety of the entire university community. Union officials estimate that even with the limited in-person activity, up to 1,000 faculty and 10,000 students could have some face-to-face instruction this fall. Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen and Dr. Jean Grassman, a professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy specializing in workplace health and safety, raised concerns about outdated ventilation systems in the CUNY system and the availability of cleaning supplies. We now know that the dominant route of coronavirus transmission is through the air by respiratory aerosols, tiny particles that travel many meters when we speak, cough, exhale or sing, Grassman said. These aerosols are capable of easily crossing a typical classroom and can actually be spread farther by a HVAC system with inadequate filtration. Chile's environmental protection service said Friday it had slapped a record $6.6 million fine on a Norwegian salmon producer for the 2018 escape of 690,000 antibiotic-fed fish. The fine, handed to salmon farming company Mowi, formerly known as Marina Harvest, was the largest ever for an environmental offense in the South American country. The charge of 5.3 billion pesos ($6.6 million) was in response to the "irreparable environmental damage produced by the mass escape of salmon" from the Punta Redonda farm in Chile's Los Lagos region, around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the capital Santiago. The service also handed the company an additional 2.7 million peso fine "for not having adequate facilities to dispose of dead fish." The salmon, which were given antibiotics that are unsuitable for human consumption, escaped after their cages were damaged by a storm. The escape poses an environmental risk because the fish are an invasive and predatory species which are likely to cause a reduction in the number of endemic species in the region and alter the marine habitat, the service said. It added that the salmon also present a risk to the wild fauna and salmon from other farms due to the possibility of transmitting pathogens and disease. Mowi, which has two weeks to appeal, has yet to comment publically on the fine. The Chilean salmon industry, the second largest in the world, uses 1,400 times more antibiotics per ton than farms in Norway, the biggest producer on the planet, according to environmental organization Oceana. msa/apg/mls/bc/bfm Advertisement Australians are being warned 'history could repeat itself' if anti-maskers continue to refuse health advice as the nation battles to control the coronavirus outbreak. An expert on the Spanish Flu in Australia says a widespread rejection of face coverings during the 1919 epidemic was what caused a second wave. It was twice as deadly as the first, with double the amount of severe cases and deaths. About 15,000 Australians lost their lives in the pneumonic influenza pandemic - the technical term for the Spanish Flu in Australia - after it 'escaped' from Victoria in January 1919. An expert on the Spanish Flu in Australia says a widespread rejection of face coverings during the 1919 epidemic was what caused a second wave. Pictured: Three medical workers leaving the Riley St Depot in Surry Hills to visit a case About 15,000 Australians lost their lives in the pneumonic influenza pandemic after it 'escaped' from Victoria in January 1919. Pictured: Inoculation at a special depot in Sydney's Hyde Park at the height of the epidemic Peter Hobbins, a principal historian at Artefact Heritage Services, said: 'Broadly, the second wave in 1919 was much deadlier than the first and it came about because of that push back against the regulations - often very much at a local level.' Face coverings were derided and became known as 'muzzles' or a 'nosebag habit' during the epidemic. They were misused by many while smoking cigarettes or eating out, and were considered unseemly at social events and outings. Face coverings were derided and became known as 'muzzles' or a 'nosebag habit' during the epidemic. Pictured: Troops lining up on the deck of a ship before landing at quarantine in Victoria during February 1919 Masks were misused by many while smoking cigarettes or eating out, and were considered unseemly at social events and outings. Pictured: A meeting held on a footbridge at the border of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta in Queensland 'Some people tried to do the right thing but there was definitely a lot of push back from patrons - particularly those attending social occasions, like going to the pictures,' Mr Hobbins, an affiliate of Sydney University's history department, said. 'They thought it made them look sick or ludicrous.' Newspaper clippings dating back to 1919 shows the extent of the public disdain for masks. Some said mask usage sparked protests and made children cry out of ugliness, such as The Sun's The Man And The Mask article on February 19, 1919. The article compared wearing an influenza mask to having 'a snout like a Berkshire pig, and a long bag hanging beneath'. The Spanish Flu rapidly spread across the country but was twice as deadly during the second wave. Pictured: A man wearing a mask to combat the epidemic in 1919 'Consequently when he first appeared in public in the unsightly thing, he nervously watched for signs of amusement or ridicule in the bearing of the passer-by,' the article read. Another article in The Register, South Australia's first newspaper, on February 6, 1919, encouraged readers to question whether to 'muzzle' themselves 'like an ill-tempered puppy dog, or retire behind the larger kind, like an Eastern woman of high rank'. The contempt for mask wearing in 1919 is similar to how anti-maskers are reacting to restrictions and mask requirements or suggestions during this year's pandemic, Mr Hobbins said. The Sun's The Man And The Mask article on February 19, 1919, (pictured) compared wearing an influenza mask to having 'a snout like a Berkshire pig, and a long bag hanging beneath' The use of three-layered cloth or single-use face masks has been heavily suggested in multiple states and mandated in Victoria as it tackles its second wave of the coronavirus. As of 9pm on Saturday, there have been 24,602 infections and 485 deaths nationwide since January 22. Australians relied heavily on newspapers, community meetings, notice boards and word of mouth for information in 1919. While people today have access to around the clock information, updates and health advice. The contempt for mask wearing in 1919 is similar to how anti-maskers are reacting to restrictions and mask requirements or suggestions during 2020's pandemic health professionals in 1919 A makeshift hospital at the Royal Exhibition building in Melbourne for victims of the Spanish Flu in 1919 Australians also used 'inhalation chambers' in 1919 and breathed in zinc sulfate gases for an hour a day, which 'was considered a disinfection of the airways'. 'Yes, I do think history could repeat itself if there is major push back like there was in 1919,' Mr Hobbins said. 'The similarities I see today are a lot like what worked in 1919 - we're resorting to quarantine, social distancing and isolation, and we call supportive care when somebody becomes sick. 'In the first half of the year, I saw many signs we looked out for each other the way our ancestors did in 1919. 'Australia should be proud of what its achieved so far.' Australians using 'inhalation chambers' - otherwise known as an inhalatorium - to breathe zinc sulfate gases for an hour a day, which 'was considered a disinfection of the airways' during the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1919. Pictured: Female employees at Kodak's Abbotsford factory However, without a vaccine, Mr Hobbins said following state-by-state rules and suggestions by health professionals was vital to beating the pandemic. His advice followed some Australians making a mockery of the safety measures put in place. There have been multiple instances of Australians deliberately spitting and coughing on others, flying interstate without permissions, refusing to wear masks and lying on border declaration forms to avoid hotel quarantine. 'We still don't have a vaccine or a targeted anti-COVID drug treatment today that's solving the problem so we have to resort to these measures to take pressure of hospital beds,' Mr Hobbins said. 'Abiding by the rules is the only way we can see people through the crisis and that's how it was in 1919 as well.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 13:27:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Belarus has been seeing mass protests after incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in the Aug. 6 elections, sparking worldwide attention and concern. The country's opposition, which gathers around presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, rejected the election results and accused the authorities of massive falsifications during the voting. The situation has triggered various reactions in the international community, with the United States and the European Union preparing to step in and other organizations and countries calling for constraint and urging outside forces not to interfere in Belarus' internal affairs. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is going to visit Russia and Lithuania soon to discuss the crisis in Belarus, Reuters reported Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto discussed the situation in Belarus over the phone Friday, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin statement said Putin reaffirmed Russia's stance that "meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and attempting to exert external pressure on the legitimate authorities are unacceptable." Finland expressed the hope that the situation in Belarus can return to normal as soon as possible, the statement added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei opposed external interference in the recent events in Belarus in a phone conversation Friday. "It was noted that the solution of the existing problems in Belarus is its internal affairs and it does not require external intervention and even more so instructions about who and how to conduct dialogue," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. According to the statement, Lavrov and Makei emphasized the need for all external forces to respect the sovereignty and independence of Belarus. They also underlined the necessity of dropping attempts to provoke confrontation in Belarusian society and undermine the normalization of the situation. Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia is ready to help resolve the situation in Belarus if its leadership wants it, but will not interfere in its internal affairs. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for restraint and calm in Belarus and called on Belarusians to address post-election grievances through dialogue to preserve peace in the country, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Thursday that the European Union (EU) facilitate a dialogue in Belarus along with other institutions and Russia. "We hope that this dialogue can be established by the Belarusians themselves. But the EU stands ready to accompany them -- if our role of mediation can be useful and desired by the Belarusians, with other institutions, notably the OSCE, and including Russia," said Macron. Macron made the remarks at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following their meeting at Macron's Mediterranean presidential retreat, Fort de Bregancon. Merkel said that Lukashenko "has not sought to speak" to any EU leaders. "It is clear we are telling Putin that we are seeking a dialogue," she added. China believes that Belarus can maintain political stability and social tranquility through its own efforts, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday at a press briefing. China has always respected the development path chosen by the Belarusian people and their efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, security and development, Zhao said. China is aware that the domestic situation in Belarus has become complicated, Zhao said, adding that "as good friends and partners, we do not hope that the situation in Belarus will escalate into chaos and oppose external forces triggering division and disturbances in Belarusian society." Enditem New Delhi: According to reports, the IT sleuths found unaccounted cash deposit worth Rs. 36.40 cr submitted in a company named Radhika Gems. The ammount was later tranferrred to NC Jewelers account in Axis Bank. 1. Delhi: I-T dept seizes Rs 39 cr from 9 fake accounts in Kotak Mahindra's KG Marg Branch; Bank denies allegations In yet another shocking case, Income Tax department on Thursday seized Rs 39 Crore from at least nine fake accounts being operated under various names by one Ramesh Chand and Raj Kumar in Kotak Mahindra Bank's KG Marg branch in Central Delhi. 2. Accept olive branch extended by Pak and join CPEC: Chinese media suggests India China will strongly oppose any attempt to label Pakistan as supporting terrorism, Chinese official media on Friday said and suggested India to accept the olive branch extended by a top Pakistani military General to participate in the USD 46 billion economic corridor. 3. Over 70 per cent Tata Motors shareholders vote in favour of resolution to remove Nusli Wadia from board There was more than a general consensus among the shareholders of Tata Motors as over 70 per cent voted have voted to remove independent director Nusli Wadia from the board of directors. 4.SC refuses urgent hearing on plea challenging tax exemption to political parties, next hearing on Jan 11 Supreme Court on Friday refused to give urgent hearing to a writ petition challenging Tax exemption to political parties. 5. Trials of 2016: Kejriwal, Kanhiya, Mallya and other big wigs who faced legal troubles this year The year saw trial courts in Delhi dealing with high-profile cases involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and liquor baron Vijay Mallya while the attack on JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar by men in black robes also made news. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.The payments were approved by Westminster in January, but have been repeatedly delayed by a dispute over the definition of a victim in Northern Ireland.
Republicans believe former IRA members should be eligible for the scheme, but civilians injured during 30 years of violence object to that.
With Sinn Fein refusing to designate a department in the devolved government to implement it, two victims had challenged the delay in the High Court.
Mr Justice McAlinden, said there was a "clear, unconditional obligation" to designate a department and any argument to the contrary was "obtuse, absurd and irrational."
During the hearing, the High Court judge had accused deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill of attempting to "subvert the rule of law for political ends."
Northern Ireland's first minister Arlene Foster immediately tweeted: "This is a welcome judgment. Now time for Sinn Fein to prioritise innocent victims rather than bombers."
In a statement, Ms O'Neill, who is the deputy leader of Sinn Fein, said she remained convinced the scheme would be "exclusionary, discriminatory and divisive".
But she conceded "in light of the court ruling" that she was left with "no alternative" other than to designate a department to implement it.
The challenge was brought by Jennifer McNern, who lost both legs in a bombing in 1972, and Brian Turley, a victim from the "hooded men" case.
Mr Turley, who was arrested and interrogated by the British Army in 1971, asked how the executive could explain "the profound unprofessionalism of their approach to victims".
"As a survivor of torture, I was left with long-term injuries as a result of the actions of the state. The delay in having to wait on my right to a pension can only be described as another form of torture," he added.
Ms McNern said she and other "forgotten victims and survivors" had campaigned for years and should not have had to take the case.
"None of us were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were at home with our families. We were at work. We were in a cafe having a coffee. We were coming home after a day out or an evening at the cinema," she said.
"There were people in the wrong place and they catastrophically changed our lives for ever."
George W Bush Endorses Collins in Crucial Senate Race Former Republican President George W. Bush endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for reelection, a potential boost to Collins as she tries to fend off challenger Sara Gideon. Shes honest. Shes forthright, Bush told reporters on Friday in Kennebunkport after meeting with the senator at her house. She brings dignity into a world that has gotten really ugly. The political world is uglier than I can ever remember it. The remarks were reported by the Associated Press and partially relayed by video from Newscenter Maine. Bush recalled trying to sway Collins on certain issues when he was in office, and she would tell him to his face that she wasnt voting the way he wanted her to because it wouldnt be in the best interests of Maine. The senator, he added, is influential, independent, and smart. Former first lady Laura Bush said she opposes the way advertisements are portraying Collins, giving her motivation to speak up in support of her. Former President George W. Bush speaks about Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), left, as she removes her mask before speaking, while former first lady Laura Bush looks on, in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Mary Schwalm/AP Photo) Bush, the nations 43 president, rarely issues endorsements and the backing of Collins appeared to be the first time hes endorsed a candidate this election cycle. Collins said she was happy for the support and called herself an admirer of the Bushes. The backing means the world to me, she said in a statement. Gideon, the 48-year-old Maine House speaker, is considered to have a legitimate chance of unseating Collins. She was endorsed by former Democratic President Barack Obama this month. Her campaign didnt respond to a request for comment. Republicans and Democrats are jockeying to control the Senate after the upcoming election. The GOP has a 53-47 majority, counting two independents for Democrats who are so to the left that theyre typically grouped with the minority. But 23 Republican senators face reelection battles this year, compared to 12 Democrats. Collins, 67, is known as willing to side with the other party at times, and hasnt been afraid to publicly oppose President Donald Trump. The president has not endorsed Collins. She has not said she will vote for him. Collins, who has been a senator since 1997, took time outside her home to praise Trumps challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. Ive known Joe Biden for decades, literally. We have a very good relationship. Obviously, I dont agree with him on some issues, and we have philosophical differences, but I certainly consider him to be a person that I like and enjoy being with, she said. NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Airbus SE ("Airbus" or the "Company")(OTCMKTS: EADSY; EADSF) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and indexed under 20-cv-10084, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise, acquired Airbus securities in the U.S. between February 24, 2016, and July 30, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Airbus securities during the class period, you have until October 5, 2020 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Airbus was founded in 2000 and is based in Leiden, the Netherlands. The Company is a multinational aerospace corporation, operating through its Commercial Aircraft, Defense and Space, and Helicopters divisions. The Company's American Depository Receipts ("ADRs") trade in the U.S. on the over-the-counter market (the "OTC") under the ticker symbol "EADSY," and the Company's foreign ordinary shares ("foreign ordinaries") trade in the U.S. on the OTC under the ticker symbol "EADSF." In August 2012, the United Kingdom ("U.K.") Serious Fraud Office ("SFO") announced that it had opened a formal criminal investigation into one of Airbus's subsidiaries, GPT Special Project Management Ltd. ("GPT"), which Airbus acquired in 2007. The allegations called into question a service contract entered into by GPT prior to its acquisition by Airbus, relating to activities conducted by GPT in Saudi Arabia. Unbeknownst to investors and the public, however, Airbus was at an increased and foreseeable risk of facing significant potential liabilities for other alleged illegal activities that would later be investigated by governmental authorities around the world. These activities, combined with the investigation into GPT, implicated all three of Airbus's divisions, calling into question the sustainability of the Company's reported earnings during the Class Period. The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (i) that Airbus's policies and protocols were insufficient to ensure the Company's compliance with relevant anti-corruption laws and regulations; (ii) that, consequently, Airbus engaged in bribery, corruption, and fraud in order to enhance its business with respect to its commercial aircraft, helicopter, and defense deals; (iii) that, as a result, Airbus's earnings were derived in part from unlawful conduct and therefore unsustainable; (iv) the full scope and severity of Airbus's misconduct; (v) that resolution of government investigations of Airbus would foreseeably cost Airbus billions of dollars in settlements and legal fees and subject the Company to significant continuing government investigation and oversight; and (vi) that, as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On August 8, 2016, Reuters reported that the U.K. had opened a corruption probe into Airbus. Specifically, the SFO announced that it had "opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption in the civil aviation business of Airbus," which "relate to irregularities concerning third party consultants." The investigation followed Airbus's flagging of "misstatements and omissions" involving outside contractors in certain export financing applications to U.K. regulators and the European Export Credit Agencies earlier in the year, which the Company had found through an internal probe. On this news, Airbus ADRs fell $0.21 per share, or 1.49%, to close at $13.86 per share on August 8, 2016, and Airbus foreign ordinaries fell $0.82 per share, or 1.45%, to close at $55.58 per share on August 8, 2016. France and the U.S. later opened their investigations into the subject of the SFO's allegations in 2017 and 2018, respectively. On January 31, 2020, media outlets reported that Airbus had agreed to a deal with U.S., U.K., and French prosecutors to settle bribery and export-control violations against the Company for 3.6 billion ($4 billion). Pursuant to the settlement, Airbus also agreed to appoint an external compliance officer for at least two years to monitor the Company's handling of its defense-related sales and disclosures. On this news, Airbus ADRs fell $0.72 per share, or 1.93%, to close at $36.68 per share on January 31, 2020, and Airbus foreign ordinaries fell $2.21 per share, or 1.48%, to close at $147.00 per share on January 31, 2020. Then, on March 15, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that Airbus executives had previously raised red flags about fees paid to a number of middlemen working with its helicopter division, led at the time by the Company's current Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), Defendant Guillaume M.J.D. Faury ("Faury"), that may have violated global bribery and corruption rules, according to internal documents related to Airbus's $4 billion bribery settlement, which were not previously made public and/or reported. On this news, Airbus ADRs fell $3.44 per share, or 15.71%, to close at $18.46 per share on March 16, 2020, and Airbus foreign ordinaries fell $7.97 per share, or 9.3%, to close at $77.75 per share on March 16, 2020. Finally, on July 30, 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that the SFO had charged GPT and three individuals with corruption in connection with a defense contract the U.K. had arranged with Saudi Arabia. These charges were the culmination of the investigations initiated by the SFO back in August 2012. On this news, Airbus ADRs fell $0.67 per share, or 3.56%, to close at $18.13 per share on July 31, 2020, and Airbus foreign ordinaries fell $2.85 per share, or 3.8%, to close at $72.10 per share on July 31, 2020. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com We dont know Clive Palmer and we have no time for his antics. However, not even the eccentric billionaire should be treated as disgracefully as he has been by the West Australian government. A week ago, the Labor government of Premier Mark McGowan, shamefully backed by the Liberal opposition, passed legislation that extinguishes the legal rights of Palmers Mineralogy. If it can happen Clive Palmer, it can hapen to any of us. Credit:Nine In 2002, the flamboyant businessmans flagship company made an agreement with the WA government for the exploration and development of an iron ore deposit. Subsequently, disputes arose and, under the provisions of the 2002 agreement, were referred to independent arbitration before a retired High Court judge. That judge has twice found in favour of Mineralogy and damages are to be assessed at hearings later this year. The government fears it will lose the case and pay a large compensation bill up to about $30 billion, though other sources claim any award to Palmer could be a small fraction of that. Anuja Susan Varghese By Express News Service KOCHI: After a harrowing period of nearly two months when Covid hit Karunalayam a care home and convent of the Sisters of Destitute at Thrikkakara its administration and inmates are relieved now as swab samples of a majority of the inmates finally tested negative for Covid-19. Over 100 inmates, including nuns, among the 134 residents of the convent had tested positive in July. Now, only two are under treatment. The inmates here are mostly aged over 60 and many are physically and mentally unstable. They need assistance from the nuns for their daily chores and were in deep mental distress during the period. There are inmates with comorbidities also, and we were apprehensive of their health. Many of the inmates had tested positive for Covid, and two sadly died of it, said Fr Jose Vailikodath, who is in charge of Karunalayam. Meanwhile, three inmates with severe symptoms were shifted to Government Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery. One of them tested negative. A health official said the care home was converted into a Covid First-line Treatment Centre after considering the mental condition of the inmates. Many required the aid of nuns at the convent, who used to take care of them. Shifting them to another hospital or centre was not considered prudent, said the official. It is believed the inmates may have contracted the virus from the nuns who visited the care home and assisted in prayers at other convents. Earlier, over 27 nuns at Keezhmad and eight at a convent in Kuzhippilly had tested positive. Advertisement A dashcam has captured people making the terrifying drive through the California wildfires that have now killed six with two of the blazes now in the top ten biggest ever seen in the state, as Governor Newsom pleads with Canada and Australia to send help. Horrifying footage showed the scenes from a car driving through the raging flames of the Hennessey Fire in Napa County as heavy smoke filled the air and burning trees overhead dangerously threatened to topple. At least six people have been killed as a staggering 560 fires continue to spread uncontrollably across the state of California. More than 771,000 acres have been destroyed - bigger than the whole state of Rhode Island - as the wildfires wipe out homes, trees and entire neighborhoods that they find in their paths. Much of the destruction can be put down to two massive blazes - the SCU Lightning Complex and the LNU Lightning Complex - which officials today said have grown to some of the largest ever seen in the state's history. As the almost 12,000 firefighters drafted in to tackle the wildfires struggle to bring the burgeoning crisis under control, the governor issued an SOS call to other leaders and nations to help save the Golden State. This comes as 14 other US states are now grappling with wildfires on their own land and as smoke pollution from California billows as far as Nebraska. A dashcam has captured people making the terrifying drive through the California wildfires that have now killed six Horrifying footage showed the scenes from a car driving through the raging flames of the Hennessey Fire in Napa County Heavy smoke fills the air with burning trees overhead dangerously threatening to topple onto cars A staggering 560 fires continue to spread uncontrollably across the state of California, with at least six people so far killed by the deadly, uncontrollable blazes Dozens of wildfires across Central and Northern California more than doubled in size Friday, becoming some of the largest in the state's history and threatening small towns in their path. More than 500 homes and buildings have been destroyed and 43 firefighters and civilians have been hurt in the week-long scenes of destruction. Four people died in the LNU Complex fire in the North Bay area that has so far destroyed more than 480 homes and structures and burned more than 219,000 acres. The victims were found inside a burned down home in Napa County where, just over a week ago, people were enjoying vineyards in the famed wine country. Another victim - a utility crewman - died Wednesday while he was helping clear electrical hazards for first-responders at the same fire. This came after a firefighter helicopter pilot was killed in a crash in Fresno County earlier that day. Two of the blazes now in the top ten biggest ever seen in the state, as Governor Newsom pleads with Canada and Australia to send help A structure on fire along the Big Basin Highway during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires in Boulder Creek Thursday More than 771,000 acres have been destroyed - bigger than the whole state of Rhode Island - as the wildfires wipe out homes, trees and entire neighborhoods that they find in their paths. Pictured Boulder Creek Fears are mounting for the safety of residents across the state as Gov. Newsom admitted Friday that California is 'putting everything we have' into tackling the wildfires but it has not been enough to halt them in their tracks. He warned that two of the fires - the SCU Lightning Complex and the LNU Lightning Complex - are the seventh-largest and 10th-largest fires the state has ever seen in its recent history. The LNU alone has almost quadrupled in size over the last two days, stretching across 220,000 acres from Napa County to four surrounding counties. The number of fire crew drafted in to fight the LNU doubled to more than 1,000 Friday in desperate efforts to bring it under control. 'We are not naive by any stretch about how deadly this moment is and why it is essential... that you heed evacuation orders and that you take them seriously,' Newsom said. Ten states, including Oregon, New Mexico and Texas, have already sent in fire crews to help the embattled state and the governor is now urging Canada and Australia to send help as the state's resources buckle under the strain. Locals are also begging for more assistance after many have been forced to take matters into their own hands, with homeowners working side-by-side professional crews hosing down burning redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park. 'We need HELP in the Santa Cruz mountains. SEND IN THE NATIONAL GUARD NOW!' San Jose State University professor Scott Myers-Lipton begged on Twitter. Embers blow from a burning tree stump during the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in Boulder Creek. Much of the destruction across the state can be put down to the two massive blazes - the SCU Lightning Complex and the LNU Lightning Complex - which are now some of the biggest in the state's history Fire crews move along a highway near San Francisco. As the near-on 12,000 firefighters drafted in struggle to bring the burgeoning crisis under control, the governor issued an SOS call to other states and nations to help save the Golden State More than 500 homes and buildings have been destroyed and 43 firefighters and civilians have been hurt in the blazes Dozens of wildfires across Central and Northern California more than doubled in size Friday, becoming some of the largest in state history and threatening small towns in the path Rescue teams battle one of the 560 blazes ravaging the state. This comes as 14 other US states are now grappling with wildfires on their own land and as smoke pollution from California billows into neighboring Nebraska Fire crews are fighting a losing battle and 175,000 people have been told to flee their homes in droves. With nowhere to turn but evacuation shelters, Californians now face the added dilemma of risking the coronavirus pandemic. Medical experts warned the pandemic poses a greater risk amid the health hazards of the smoky air and extreme heat, especially for older adults and those with respiratory conditions. Meanwhile, campers and rangers were swiftly evacuated from the Big Basin Redwoods State Park this week before the flames tore in, destroying the historic buildings in what was the state's oldest park. Its historic headquarters, lodge, ranger office, nature museum, store, maintenance shop and multiple park residences have all been reduced to embers. Flames engulf trees along the Big Basin Highway during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Thursday. Governor Newsom pleaded with Canada and Australia to send help Friday Four people died in the LNU Complex fire in the North Bay area that has so far destroyed more than 480 homes and structures and burned more than 219,000 acres Firefighter carries a hose as he defends a home during the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in Boulder Creek More than 771,000 acres have been destroyed - bigger than the whole state of Rhode Island Firefighters battle the Hennessy Fire in Napa County this week as the fire spread to four other counties Dangerously poor air quality is now moving beyond the addled state to neighboring states including Nebraska, the National Weather Service warned. Another 14 Western states are facing their own crises as high temperatures have now sparked devastating wildfires beyond the Golden State. Arizona and Oregon have been hard hit with 12 active large fires spreading through areas. In Colorado, the Pine Gulch Fire in Colorado has burned more than 125,000 acres making it the second largest fire in the state's history. Bengaluru, Aug 23 : With the single-day spike of 7,330 new Covid-19 cases, Karnataka's Covid tally reached 2,71,876 on Saturday, the health department said. Bengaluru registered close to 3,000 cases with 2,979 infections, raising the city tally to 1.05 lakh cases, out of which active cases stand at 34,224. Among other places, Ballari accounted for 533 infections, followed by Udupi (348), Belagavi (312), Davangere (277), Dharwad (253), Dakshina Kannada (228) and Shivamogga (221). In the past 24 hours, 93 more patients succumbed to the virus, leading to the statewide toll rising to 4,615. For the past several days, Karnataka has been registering a good number of recoveries. On Saturday, 7,626 more patients have recovered from the virus, raising the total number of recoveries to 1.84 lakh. Of the 2.71 lakh cases, 82,677 are active even as 727 are in the ICU. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Tuesday has dismayed Mali's international partners, who fear it could further destabilise the former French colony and West Africa's entire Sahel region The United States said on Friday it had suspended cooperation with Mali's military in response to the overthrow of the president, as thousands gathered in the capital to celebrate the junta's takeover. The ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Tuesday has dismayed Mali's international partners, who fear it could further destabilise the former French colony and West Africa's entire Sahel region. "Let me say categorically there is no further training or support of Malian armed forces full-stop. We have halted everything until such time as we can clarify the situation," the U.S. Sahel envoy J. Peter Pham told journalists. The United States regularly provides training to soldiers in Mali, including several of the officers who led the coup. It also offers intelligence support to France's Barkhane forces, who are there to fight affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State. Pham said a decision on whether Washington would designate the actions a coup, which could trigger a cut-off of direct support to the government, had to go through a legal review. A Pentagon spokesperson referred on Friday to the events as an "act of mutiny". Supporters of the junta filled Independence Square in the capital, Bamako, which has been largely peaceful since Tuesday's turmoil. Many of them sang, danced, tooted vuvuzelas and waved banners thanking the mutineers. "It's a scene of joy. God delivered us from the hands of evil, we are happy, we are behind our army," said a 59-year-old farmer who gave his name only as Souleymane. Some protesters also showed their disapproval of different foreign powers. One sign had the words "Barkhane" and "MINUSMA" crossed out, the latter a reference to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Mali. Meanwhile a couple of Russian flags could be seen waving in the crowd. Russia's ambassador to Mali has met representatives of the junta, Russian state news agency RIA reported. France said on Thursday that Barkhane's operations would continue despite the coup. TRANSITION The junta leaders have said they acted because the country was sinking into chaos and insecurity that they said was largely the fault of poor government. They have promised to oversee a transition to elections within a "reasonable" amount of time. Junta spokesman Ismael Wague said on Thursday that the officers were holding talks with political leaders that would lead to the appointment of a transitional president. They have held Keita since detaining him and forcing him to dissolve parliament and resign. A United Nations human rights team visited Keita and 13 other senior figures held by the junta late on Thursday, spokeswoman Liz Throssell said. "There are no indications that these people have been ill-treated," she told a news briefing in Geneva, where she called for their release. Earlier on Friday, the mutineers freed Finance Minister Abdoulaye Daffe and the president's private secretary, Sabane Mahalmoudou, the head of Keita's party, Bocary Treta, said. A delegation from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is expected to arrive in Bamako on Saturday, after the bloc held an emergency summit aimed at reversing Keita's ouster. ECOWAS has already suspended Mali's membership, shut off borders and halted financial flows to the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Wet weather and the rise in Covid-19 cases in parts of Co Antrim did not deter shoppers from hitting the high street in Ballymena yesterday. A sign proudly supporting the NHS at the Seven Towers roundabout on the outskirts of the town was reflected by the vast majority of people sticking to the guidelines. It was feared that Health Minister Robin Swann was going to introduce potential lockdowns in Belfast and towns such as Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena following a spike in positive Covid-19 cases. However, the Executive opted for more nuanced measures, with people told to reduce gatherings - both indoor and outdoor - across Northern Ireland. Mr Swann also said the PSNI will focus enforcement action on "hotspot areas", such as Mid and East Antrim, to curb the virus's spread. Despite yesterday's heavy rain, Ballymena's high street was buzzing with shoppers and commuters. And while the PSNI will put more focus on enforcement in hotspots from Monday, yesterday most were complying with the regulations, with face coverings and social distancing all in place. The cafes were packed with those stopping for a quick bite to eat and a break from the downpour. An employee at Danske Bank was even disinfecting a cash machine. People had a mixed reaction to the tightened guidelines, and whether the PSNI can or will enforce them. Judith Dickson from the town said she was worried about the rise in Covid-19 cases in the area but said "it's all our own fault". "I think the guidelines will be enforced if they can and if the police have the manpower, but I don't think they do," she said. "It's up to people to report it but I don't think they will." Gavin McCandless, who lives on the outskirts of the town, felt the "temporary" measures were necessary to keep everyone safe. Meanwhile, Sam Cree, who said he had the virus as far back as January, was in no doubt that a second wave was on its way. After developing a dry cough and losing his sense of taste and smell, Mr Cree was convinced he contracted Covid-19 but said he has fully recovered. He added that Mr Swann was correct in bringing down the gathering restrictions but was not impressed with the number of people visiting pubs. "I just think there will be a second wave and people will have to learn to wear their masks going into shops," he said. Charlotte Weir and her friend Beverley Connor were much more critical of Stormont's politicians and the PSNI in how they have handled the virus. "Are there even enough police to stretch themselves that far and land at people's doors?" Charlotte asked. "I just don't think the politicians have a clue what they're doing anymore to be honest." Beverley said: "I don't think there's a chance the police will come in and enforce everything. There's not enough of them." Bridget Mullen criticised the new lockdown measures and felt that allowing six people into your home is nowhere near as bad as staging a wedding with 30 to 50 people. "I think the younger people are more lackadaisical because they don't think it will affect them," she added. The queues to get on the beach stretched along the road as temperatures rose to 30C at midday. None of this seemed to put off the crowd of mostly young sunbathers waiting to find a free spot to brush up on their tan in Llafranch, a Costa Brava resort where the late British writer Tom Sharpe made his home. As Spaniards have taken to socialising with gusto since the end of lockdown, it is scenes like this which have been blamed for the country having the fastest rising caseload for coronavirus in Europe. Its all around us. A family of thousands of different chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been used in everything from non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, to the wrappers that carry cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches from fast-food restaurants. They withstand heat, they withstand grease, Shawn LaTourette, a deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said of PFAS. That was what made them so beneficial. Better living through chemistry, or so they say. The health effects of PFAS are still being studied, but there is already evidence that the chemicals are linked to increased cancer risk and decreased infant birth rate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ubiquity of PFAS means the everyday waste produced by society is laced with these chemicals. That leaves scientists grappling with a major question: How should we handle the PFAS in our trash? As part of the quest for answers, the federal government is preparing to run an experiment at a New Jersey incinerator. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to burn two non-toxic gases in Rahway as part of an upcoming study, according to an EPA spokesperson. The study has the blessing of the DEP and would be conducted at the Union County Resource Recovery Facility, a municipal waste incinerator operated by the Morristown-based Covanta. The goal is to determine if such incinerators can break down PFAS. This research benefits states and communities by deepening our understanding of PFAS compounds and how well they are destroyed through incineration, the EPA said in a statement. But environmental justice advocates, who are skeptical of the experiments safety and federal governments intentions, have questions of their own. Why is the EPA conducting this study in Rahway, a city with large communities of color and a higher proportion of people in poverty than New Jersey as whole? And why has the DEP allowed this study to be developed without community input? Now, after activist pushback and with a major procedural obstacle in the way, the EPA isnt sure when the study will actually be conducted. How the study would work No PFAS will be burned during the Rahway experiment, LaTourette said. Instead, the EPA plans to inject two non-toxic compounds carbon tetraflouride (CF4) and hexafluoroethane (C2F6), according to the DEP into the incinerator. Scientists hope that studying how the two compounds break down in the incinerator will give a glimpse into how PFAS acts in the same situation, because their chemical structures are similar to PFAS. LaTourette said the substitute chemicals are already commonly found in incinerators, and DEP scientists are confident the experiment will be safe for the surrounding community. Its not as though this is something new that isnt there before, LaTourette said. Its certainly not harmful, and definitely not nefarious. The EPA said the experiment will be conducted over a three-day period, and the two substitute compounds will be burned for a few hours each day. During the study, Covanta would operate the incinerator as normal. As part of the study, EPA researchers will also analyze samples collected from the incinerator to see if PFAS are being emitted through the burning of everyday trash. If the study shows that municipal incinerators are not effective at destroying PFAS, LaTourette said there would be new urgency to find new solutions to the trash problem. If that is happening, we must know it and we must design the technology and the regulatory structure and the processes to stop it, he said The biggest obstacle to the study moving forward is the Union County Utilities Authority, which owns the Rahway incinerator and leases it to Covanta for operation. The UCUA has not authorized any testing to be done at the facility in August or at any date in the future, the utilitys executive director Dan Sullivan told NJ Advance Media on Friday. Covanta confirmed that the UCUA approval is still missing. The U.S. EPA approached us to be part of a study and we tried to cooperate with their research team, but the UCUA, the owner of the facility, has not authorized it, Covanta spokeswoman Nicolle Robles told NJ Advance Media. There is a real need for robust scientific data to better understand the fate of PFAS in everyday products and waste, Robles added. We would look closely at any future opportunity to help study this important topic. Local concern The mere proposal of the study has drawn concern from local activists. Quanae Palmer-Chambliss, the president of the NAACPs Rahway chapter, just has to walk down her street to get a view of the incinerator that looms over the citys fourth ward. She has childhood memories of the incinerator too; she remembers her mother rallying the community against the facilitys construction as president of the same chapter. I remember when the incinerator was coming to Rahway, Palmer-Chambliss said. And I remember how hard the ladies of the NAACP fought to not have the incinerator built. Today, Palmer-Chambliss keeps a suspicious eye on the incinerator, which burns 1,500 tons of waste daily to generate enough electricity to power roughly 30,000 homes and businesses. She wonders how, if at all, emissions from the facility may affect local children. But Palmer-Chambliss said that before a conference call with the DEP on Friday, she had no idea that the EPA studied was being planned. Why did you choose an environmental justice community to do this study? Palmer-Chambliss asked rhetorically to NJ Advance Media after the DEP call. And if it is so harmless, why wasnt the community made aware? LaTourette said the conference call was an effort to quell misinformation and rumors that began circulating Thursday. Some participants described the call as tense, with the activists and community groups deeply skeptical of the information being presented by DEP. I think this is an illustration of what happens when you dont inform the community, said Judith Enck, who served as regional administrator for EPA Region 2 under President Barack Obama. I think they never expected anyone to find out about this, and thats part of why theyre playing catchup. It was Enck who first heard of the EPA study and alerted the New Jersey groups. Enck said she is not concerned about health impacts from CF4 and C2F6 being burned during the study. But she is worried about what the Trump administration could do with data from this study. Im concerned that the New Jersey DEP may not be intending this, but the Trump EPA might cherrypick data to justify sending PFAS to municipal incinerators, Enck said. Maria Lopez-Nunez, the deputy director of organizing and advocacy for the Ironbound Community Corporation, said she was disgusted that development of the EPA study was done without meaningful community engagement. She said it doesnt matter if the compounds being burned (CF4 and C2F6) are non-toxic; community members still deserve to know what could happen in their backyards. They thought that no one knew about it, which is just so offensive, Lopez-Nunez said of the researchers. As if science has never used people of color as guinea pigs, with things that they were sure was never going to cause damage. Theres a really sensitive history here that DEP was disrespecting. Strained relationships Covantas relationship with its host communities in New Jersey have been strained recently. In Newark, purple plumes occasionally spewing from the incinerator in the Ironbound neighborhood have caused public concern. In Camden, plans to build a microgrid has opponents arguing it could extend the life of a Covanta incinerator in that city, according to a TapInto report. The Rahway incinerator, which was first approved in 1985 and began commercial operation in 1994, has largely stayed out of the headlines. But in 2016, Covanta was fined $27,000 for violating the terms of its operating permit at the facility by accepting medical waste, according to DEP records. LaTourette said DEP views the study as a valuable scientific endeavor, and he praised Covanta for being a good research partner on the project. But he said he knows the community groups and the people they advocate for are inherently suspicious of anything to do with incinerators. And, he noted that the activists on Fridays call had a healthy and very legitimate skepticism of government, likely rooted in decades of systemic racism. We want to help the community through research and through and science. But just our saying this is not harmful, just our saying trust us, is not enough, LaTourette said. We have to build our trust with them. The concerns raised during the conference call spurred DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe to reach out to the EPA and secure the postponement of any testing in the immediate term, LaTourette said. He added that DEP is committed working with EPA to ensure a more thorough community engagement process in the lead-up to the study. As of now, between that postponement and the fact that the UCUA has not authorized any testing at the Rahway incinerator, there is no timeline for the EPA study. The possibility of the study came as state lawmakers in Trenton are pushing legislation aimed at protecting overburdened communities like Rahway from future pollution. The measure has vehement support from Gov. Phil Murphys administration. That makes the idea of the Rahway experiment particularly ironic to Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. Its like, really? The governor cares about environmental justice and cumulative impact, and now were going to be experimenting on an environmental justice community and the people of New Jersey in general? Tittel said. Lopez-Nunez, the Ironbound community leader, said DEPs handling of the EPA study has undermined trust in the state agency, which doesnt bode well for a coming rule-making process if the environmental justice bill becomes law. If DEP is serious about working with environmental justice communities, theyre off to a bad start, Lopez-Nunez said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. With mere days and weeks until the school year starts, the coronavirus has turned the academic world on its head. Reopening plans differ from district to district as schools work to find the right balance of safety and education. On Aug. 10, Pennsylvania State Education officials announced new guidelines and recommendations for how school districts and counties should prepare for the upcoming school year, causing some districts to rework plans at the last minute. With plenty of confusion surely circulating parent Facebook groups and student group texts, we rounded up each Lehigh and Northampton County public school districts education plans for a school year unlike any other. Allentown School District The Allentown school district announced in July that it would be opening virtually to start the school year. Information about the decision and the virtual campus can be found on its virtual campus portal. Bethlehem Area School District The school district will follow a hybrid learning model to begin the fall semester. Students with last names beginning with A through L will go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays while students with last names beginning with M through Z will learn online, and vice versa on Wednesdays and Fridays, with Mondays being an online learning day for all. More information can be found on BASDs reopening page of its website. Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 According to the information laid out in the path to reopening plan on its website, CLIU #21 will be fully reopening for the school year. The document includes more information and safety protocols for students, parents and faculty. Catasauqua Area School District Catasauqua schools Return to Learn plan includes four options: traditional learning, CASD Online, home teaching and a hybrid model. Each district building, Sheckler Elementary School, Catasauqua Middle School and Catasauqua High School, has its own Google site with building and grade-specific information. East Penn School District The school district has put a hybrid model, with options for fully online learning, in place to open the school year with students making up two groups. The districts reopening page on its website includes a calendar for the two groups attendance schedules. Northern Lehigh School District NLSD has updated its reopening plan and will be employing a blended model of education. The full 50-page plan, which includes the administration and faculty members on a pandemic safety team and their roles, can be found on the districts website. The district was planning for a full return to school but updated their decision on Aug. 10 after the recommendations made by the state. Northwestern Lehigh School District The school district will be employing a traditional model of education, though a commitment, which was due Aug. 10, asking parents/guardians and students to inform the school if they would instead be opting into online learning, a digital academy or homeschooling. Parkland School District On Aug. 13, the school district updated its plan to employ a hybrid learning format for the upcoming school year. Specific dates and information about the plan can be found on the Parkland websites reopening page. Calenders for Parkland Elementary School and the districts secondary schools hybrid learning schedules can be found as well. Salisbury Township School District The townships school district will begin the school year in a hybrid model, with details outlined on its website. Students with last names beginning with A through K will attend school on Monday and Tuesday, while last names beginning with L through Z will attend Thursday and Friday. All students will receive online instruction on Wednesday. The website also outlines the potential to go fully online. Southern Lehigh School District Superintendent Kathleen T. Evison reinforced the hybrid model in an Aug. 14 letter to parents and guardians. When students and staff physically attend school, a health screening is required before leaving home. Information on screening procedures and results can be found More resources are available on the districts reopening portal. Whitehall-Coplay School District In a statement from Aug. 14, the WCSD administration announced a hybrid model of learning would be implemented for the start of the school year. Students with last names A through L will attend school on Monday and Tuesday while students with last names M through Z will attend on Thursday and Friday. Bangor Area School District The school district detailed a plan for its hybrid learning start to the school year in a statement, as well as provided guidance for other at-home options. Other health and safety information is available on the districts website. Bethlehem Area School District The school district will follow a hybrid learning model to begin the fall semester. Students with last names beginning with A through L will go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays while students with last names beginning with M through Z will learn online, and vice versa on Wednesdays and Fridays, with Mondays being an online learning day for all. More information can be found on BASDs reopening page of its website. Catasauqua Area School District Catasauqua schools Return to Learn plan includes four options: traditional learning, CASD Online, home teaching and a hybrid model. Each district building, Sheckler Elementary School, Catasauqua Middle School and Catasauqua High School, has its own Google site with building and grade-specific information. Easton Area School District In an email to families, the school district outlines its three options: traditional learning in a hybrid model, which sees students in school two days a week and learning remotely the other three; Easton Cyber Academy, which is operated by a third-party vendor; and remote learning, which will include some live Zoom mini-classes. The plan was also a subject of a recent school board meeting. Nazareth Area School District On Aug. 11, the school district released an updated plan for hybrid learning on its homepage. The district also has a coronavirus resource page to consult. The plans weekly schedule sees Monday as a virtual learning day for all, with students with last names beginning with A through K going to school on Tuesday and Thursday while students with last names beginning with L through Z learn virtually, and vice versa on Wednesday and Friday. Northampton Area School District The school district has launched a separate website containing all information and possible plans for the upcoming school year. Currently, the district is in a hybrid model across all grade levels, according to the Aug. 12 video from Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik. Northern Lehigh School District NLSD has updated its reopening plan and will be employing a hybrid model of education. Students with last names beginning with A through L will attend school on Monday and Tuesday, while last names beginning with M through Z will attend Thursday and Friday students not physically in school will receive online instruction. All students will receive online instruction on Wednesday. The district has also made a new Google site specifically for hybrid learning resources. Pen Argyl School District After initially planning on a full return to school, the school district has opted for a hybrid model to start the year. The first months calendar that lays out the two groups of students alternating in-person and online learning is on the districts homepage. It also published a 20-minute video detailing the plan. Saucon Valley School District Saucon Valley will utilize a soft start to the school year on Aug. 24 and 25 with students in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 reporting to their respective buildings on Aug. 24 and grades 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 reporting on Aug. 25. Kindergarten students in Mrs. Arena, Mrs. Borger and Mrs. Dilennos classrooms will report on Aug. 24, and students in Mrs. Harvey, Mrs. Soulliard and Ms. Snyders classrooms will report on Aug. 25. Following the soft opening, the school district plans for a full reopening for the fall semester. Wilson Area School District - According to a letter from Superintendent Doug Wagner, the WASD is revising its reopening plan to incorporate a hybrid learning model for the upcoming school year. The plan became available to be viewed at 7 p.m. on Aug. 19. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. Written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda Hirokazu Kore-eda (born 1962) is a well-known Japanese film director, who has been making features since the mid-1990s, including Maborosi, Distance, Nobody Knows, Hana, Still Walking, After the Storm, The Third Murder and Shoplifters. In Kore-edas new film, The Truth (La verite), his first set outside Japan, a well-known French actress now in her 70s, Fabienne Dangeville (Catherine Deneuve), receives a visit at her elegant Paris home from her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), son-in-law Hank (Ethan Hawkewho has very little to do) and grand-daughter Charlotte (Clementine Grenier), who live in New York. Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche in The Truth Fabienne has just published a memoir, which manages to annoy numerous people with its omissions, falsifications and exaggerations. She is also busy shooting a science fiction art film, whose plot revolves around an ill woman (Manon Clavel) going into deep space (where the aging process slows down radically) to impede the progress of her disease and only returning to Earth once every seven years. Fabienne plays her daughter, who, because of her mothers peculiar situation, appears much older (You stay young, I keep getting older). Fabienne is self-involved, fussy and argumentative. She speaks her mind. On arrival, Lumir is angry that her mother broke her promise, or simply forgot, to allow her to read the manuscript before it was published. This never happened!, she later complains about some incident reported in the book. Fabienne responds blithely, I can pick and choose. Fabiennes assistant Luc (Alain Libolt) quits or threatens to because he is left out of the autobiography altogether. Her eccentric, down-on-his-luck former husband Pierre (Roger Van Hool) fares even worse. His daughter Lumir informs him, The book says youre dead. The presence of an old friend (and acting rival) of Fabiennes, Sarah, hovers over the proceedings. Lumir accuses Fabienne of years ago sleeping with a director and stealing a major part from Sarah. Her mother doesnt deny any of it. Sarah later died, drunk, in an accident. Sardonically, Fabienne tells Lumir, Its a shame you werent her daughter. The latter bitterly agrees. Fabienne has a crisis on the set of the science fiction movie, in part out of jealousy of the younger, talented actress, Manon, a rising star. She asks, Am I washed up as an actress?, and later, fleeing the studio, Fabienne exclaims, I cant act anymore. Lumir convinces her to return, arguing that running away is worse. Fabienne ends up performing well, and even becomes close to Manon, who reminds her of the dead Sarah. Ethan Hawke, Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and Clementine Grenier in The Truth There are interesting things in The Truth, and less interesting ones. We have been critical of Kore-eda in the past, sometimes quite critical. He belongs to a generation of filmmakers that (obviously, through no fault of its own) came of artistic age in the 1990s, a bad time, and who seemed intimidated by the bourgeois triumphalism of the era into shying away from any strong commitments or views. Instead, we were offeredat bestthe art of marking time, of stagnation, of little vignettes. In 2009, we wrote that we didnt share many critics high opinion of Kore-eda. We explained that we found his films generally dull and unenlightening. At present, art film critics too often mistake a self-consciously subdued (or simply non-committal) approach to life for a serious one. Kore-eda made a specialty of family relations and personal identity crises, largely divorced from history and the big changes in Japanese social life. His last two films, however, have proved more interesting. Shoplifters (2019), the WSWS explained, tells the story of a family that relies on shoplifting and other schemes to maintain its impoverished standard of living. The film, which bore some resemblance to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-hos more celebrated Parasite (also 2019), was sincere and at times caustic in its depiction of modern-day Tokyo. The family (not biologically related for the most part) in Shoplifters live in a small and cramped, flimsily constructed house cluttered with their personal effects and beds. All in all, life looks pretty awful in 21st century Japanese capitalism. Catherine Deneuve in The Truth The Truth is not concerned with such social issues, but it too has an appealing concreteness. The portions of the film that are not especially intriguing continue Kore-edas interest in the small change of intra-family vibrations, frictions and transitions. Lumirs banal and self-pitying complaints about Fabiennes insufficient attention to her as a child fall into this general category. Grown-ups who still bemoan their neglect as children only reveal they havent truly grown up and remain attached firmly to the parent in question. It is tedious in life, and tedious in art. One is entirely sympathetic to Fabienne when she notes that her daughter takes herself way too seriously. She might be referring to an entire generation of self-centered and self-obsessed affluent petty bourgeois. Fabienne may not represent the healthiest alternative, but she has figured some things out, including the fact that imperfect human beings make art and that they often are obliged to undergo personal sacrificeand inflict sacrifices on othersin that cause. Whether Kore-eda and Deneuve have the #MeToo witch-hunts in mind or not, the actress explains at one point, having had her failings as a mother and a friend enumerated (and having acknowledged them), You may not forgive me, but the public does. The artist as artist needs to be considered apart from his or her personal shortcomings. What counts most is the body of work, although this may be small consolation to those around the individual in question. Deneuve, of course, was one of the signatories to the open letter in January 2018 that criticized the #MeToo campaign, contrasting sexual assault with persistently or clumsily hitting on someone, and insisting that the two were not the same thing. The statement attacked #MeToo advocates for branding as traitors and accomplices those who made such a distinction, creating a climate of intimidation, where freedom of speech was today turning into its opposite. Deneuve has a long, complicated history as an actress. She appeared memorably in Jacques Demys The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and later, along with her sister Francoise Dorleac, in Demys The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). Deneuve gave at least two other especially notable performances in the 1960s, in Roman Polanskis Repulsion (1965), as a young woman who goes mad under the weight of her sexual neuroses and repression, and Luis Bunuels Belle de Jour (1967), about a respectable, middle class wife who degrades herself during the day in a high-class brothel. (Deneuve has had the temerity to defend Polanski in recent years against his bitter enemies among the French feminists and others.) Deneuve went on to appear in additional movies by Demy and Bunuel, along with films by Francois Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Melville, Mauro Bolognini, Robert Aldrich and many others. Oddly, she may not herself be haunted by the ghost of another actress, but her public perception has suffered that fate. Deneuves elder sister (by one year) Francoise Dorleac died tragically in a car accident in 1967 at the age of 25. Dorleac had already established herself as an accomplished, vivacious performer, in That Man from Rio (Philippe de Broca, 1964), The Soft Skin (Truffaut, 1964) and Cul-de-sac (Polanski, 1966). For many years, critics muttered under their breath that Deneuve was not nearly so lively or gifted as her late sister. Deneuve is a better actress today than she was decades ago, when she seemed chosen as much for her impeccable looks and demeanor, for what her physical appearance seemed to represent, as her artistic gifts. Critic Andrew Sarris, for example, described her casting in Polanskis Repulsion as inspired, adding that the lack of sensual anticipation in her [Deneuves] eyes masks insanity with innocence, while the irreproachable symmetry of her delicate features conveys an illusion of order and discipline in her personality, an illusion belied by the reality of her absentminded alienation from other human beings. Deneuve does amusingly well in Kore-edas film as an actress who suffers from self-centeredness, but has a keen nose for pretentiousness and absurdity, including the artistic variety. The weakest side of Kore-edas film is reflected in its title, The Truth, which may as well be wrapped in quotation marks several inches high. We are made to understand about sixor is it eight?times that no such thing as truth exists with any certainty. Memory cant be trusted, we learn, and then just for good measure, later on (twice!), You cant trust memories. (Just to drive home the point, unnecessarily, the film within the film is entitled Memories of My Mother.) These ideological trappings (one critic describes The Truth as a postmodern waltz of a film) seem almost unavoidable at present. It will be a healthy indicator when they dissipate. Meanwhile, fortunately, we still have the hard-headed, determined, quite energetic Deneuve-Fabienne, who seems oriented toward some of the more important, actually existing problems in life. The headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seen in Silver Spring, Md., in a file photograph. (Jason Reed/Reuters) FDA Deep State Crippling Efforts to Release CCP Virus Vaccine Before Election Day: Trump President Donald Trump blamed the deep state or others at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for delaying the availability of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus vaccine before Nov. 3, the day of the 2020 general election. The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics, he wrote in a Twitter post early morning Saturday. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! Deep state is a term used to describe a shadow government that works with the media and other dark forces from behind the scenes to advance their interests. Its unclear who the president was referring to in his post. Trump tagged Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner, in his post. Trump nominated Hahn, then chief medical executive at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, to be the head of FDA in November 2019. The Senate confirmed his nomination one month later. The FDA didnt respond to an email request for comment. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, speaks about the new CCP virus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, as Vice President Mike Pence listens, in Washington, on April 24, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Hahn said during an Aug. 11 interview with CNN that his agency will not compromise its scientific principles in reviewing CCP virus vaccine clinical trial data. Let me assure you that we will not cut corners, he said. All of our decisions will continue to be based on good science and the same careful deliberative processes we have always used when reviewing medical products. The CCP virus, also known as novel coronavirus, causes the disease COVID-19 and originated from Wuhan city in China, infecting over 23 million people and claiming the lives of more than 796,000 outside China, according to government data collected by Johns Hopkins University. The Chinese regime claimed that there are only 89,642 infections and 4,710 deaths inside China, a highly doubtful figure. Its widely reported that the Chinese regime covered up the outbreak and refused to share information with other countries. In America, more than 5.6 million people have reportedly been infected and over 175,000 have reportedly died from the disease. It has become a highly political issue leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden frequently uses the COVID-19 death toll to attack Trumps presidency. Meanwhile, the current president is trying to balance between controlling the pandemic and maintaining economic health. Trump put vaccine availability as one of the top priorities of his administration. Currently, three vaccines are in the final stage of clinical trials. Under White House orders, federal health agencies and the Defense Department are carrying out a plan dubbed Operation Warp Speed to deliver 300 million vaccine doses on a compressed timeline. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared on Wednesday that the FDA doesnt have the authority to regulate lab-developed tests for any condition including COVID-19, differing from the procedures amid H1N1 pandemic in 2009 and the Zika outbreak in 2015 and 2016. More than 100 million doses of a vaccine expectedly to be available before the end of the year and 500 million doses ready shortly thereafter, Trump said during a White House press briefing on Aug. 14. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said in July that hes cautiously optimistic that a vaccine will be available by the end of this year. But the availability of a large amount of doses will have to wait until early 2021. It is likely that in the beginning of next year we would have tens of millions of doses available as we get into 2021, several months in, you would have vaccine that would be widely available to people in the United States, he said during an interview with Washington Post. This will be the end of foreplay in our time," said the woman who hasn't had sex for 39 years, ominously. "Go on" said I, "tell me more." Before you read the rest of this piece, I must warn you there is dirty talk. So if you are agin sex talk, please move on to the crossword or the horoscope and don't be annoying the editor with complaints. What's more, I'm not as independent of the Independent as I used to be now that my pub is closed. My job could be on the line. The rest of the column is not really that dirty compared to the dirty talk telephone calls, which cost about a tenner a minute. The HSE said telephone sex was preferable to the old-fashioned traditional sex from long ago, when people actually touched each other. One of the head doctors said sex over the phone was the way to go. I'm fairly sure he wasn't advocating the ringing up of girls in the Far East by perverts. In Ireland in the old days, the only dirty talk out of the women was, "You ruined the good rug with the mud off of your wellingtons," or, "How did you get that porter stain all over your good white shirt?" Mrs 39 confirmed there was no dirty talk long ago and foreplay, she said, only came in when Benjy was bold in The Riordans. She's very forthright is our Mrs 39, for a woman who hasn't had sex for nearly four decades. "The HSE banned kissing," she said. "And that's a big part of foreplay. The young people got very good at the foreplay. I seen it on that programme Normal People. "The popes tried for years to ban sex before marriage and now the HSE steps in and there's no sex anymore." "Shocking, Mrs 39," said I. "Absolutely shocking," trying to draw her out. She took the bait. "But what I want to know is, what do they be doing with the phone, Billy?" "Beats me," said I, not wanting to talk dirty in front of a lady. I think Mrs 39 was labouring under the misapprehension the HSE was advising something which should not be tried out by any reader, under any circumstances, and also could lead to very poor coverage. Mrs 39 then made a statement which shook me up like the maelstrom-making vibrating machine they use for mixing the paint in Paddy Mulvihill's decor shop just across the road from our pub. At the beginning of Covid, there is no doubt but that painting was foreplay. There were lads daubing away all day and every brush stroke was a suggestive act of wanton invitation. Women love handymen. There's this man who called to Mrs 39's house to put in a pane of glass for her after the window was broken in by a capricious gust out of Storm Ellen on Tuesday night. He's an oul' buck and a few years back Mrs 39 dismissed his attentions by saying he "was only fit for holding balls of wool, or wetting the tae". I called up to the house to see if Mrs 39 and her dog Buble were alright after the big storm. I got a land. The oul' buck was there before me and he was wearing dungarees, with a utility belt, the likes of which you might see in a James Bond movie. The oul' buck was all business. He took a pencil stub from over his ear. (I suppose he could hardly have taken the stub from under his ear.) He started to make Xs on the window frame with the pencil, which he licked suggestively, ostensibly to make the graphite marks more visible. The handyman was wearing glasses that thick if you looked through them from back to front, Mars would be visible on a clear night. The oul' buck wasn't that far away from the president's letter, if you ask me. But he was game, I'll give him that. There was a lady who used to come into our pub when I was only a teenager and I overheard her complaining about her amorous husband who was near enough to the 90. She said: "You can't trust a man until he's at least six weeks dead." The crafty oul' buck was at the foreplay. Dungarees are a massive turn-on for the women. It's a well-known fact that all women, bar none, regret not having married a handyman. Then the oul' buck gave Buble a piece of chocolate from the utility belt. Mrs 39 dotes on Buble. The little terrier's tail was too short to wag so he licked the oul' buck's fingers. It's amazing me all day that Nphet hasn't yet banned the licking of fingers by dogs. So far as I know the giving of the paw is still legal. And I didn't see Buble sanitise. Mrs 39 looked on, admiringly. She often said Buble was a great judge of character but the truth was Buble would open the front door for a burglar if he threw a Cream Egg in the letterbox. I began to catastrophise. This is a word used by renowned psychologist Dr Harry Barry and it means fearing the worst. What if Mrs 39 was dying for the bit of sex now that it has been banned? Isn't it often the case that what we can't have is what we want the most? The oul' buck had the window fixed up in no time at all. The cunning chippy didn't charge a cent. What if Mrs 39 disobeyed the Government ban on sex? Where would that leave me? Sacked, that's where. No one would have the slightest interest in a column about a woman who had sex. Mrs 39 made the tea. The oul' buck brought buns - of course he did - and he didn't so much as drink the cup of tea as slurp it out of the saucer suggestively. We gave an hour drinking the tea. I wasn't going to leave the house until the oul' buck left. Finally, after hanging up three pictures, freeing a sink from congealed grease and setting a mouse trap, he had to go the doctor. Did the oul' buck ask for a prescription for the small blue pill that makes men more virile? Shuddering I was, with the fright of it. And as he left, the oul' buck said to Mrs 39, "I'll phone you later." She never would, would she? An innocent bystander who was shot in broad daylight in Brooklyn on Wednesday will likely never walk again after a bullet struck his spine while he walked with his wife to buy toothpaste from a nearby store. The tragic shooting is one of several incidents of gun violence in New York City, where homicides surged by 29 per cent to 244 from January 1 to August 2 from the same period last year. The five boroughs have also seen an 84.6 per cent rise in shooting victims to 1,017 during those dates compared with the same period in 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported. Sam Metcalfe, 33, survived the shooting while an 18-year-old man, Malcolm Amede, died near the intersection of Ocean and Woodruff avenues in Flatbush - just south of Prospect Park. Amede, a suspected gang member, was believed to be the shooters intended target. A GoFundMe account started to help Metcalfe and his wife, Sabrina, described how the tragic events unfolded. Sam Metcalfe, 33, a resident of the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, was left paralyzed on Wednesday after he was shot while walking with his wife, Sabrina (seen above with her husband in this undated file photo), as they were going to the store to buy toothpaste Video of the shooting's aftermath just south of Prospect Park on Wednesday shows Good Samaritans coming to the aid of Metcalfe as he lay wounded in the intersection of Ocean and Woodruff avenues in Flatbush The NYPD released this shocking footage from the shooting on Wednesday that left Metcalfe wounded On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Sabrina and her husband Sam left their Brooklyn apartment to go to the store and get some toothpaste, the organizer of the crowdfunding effort, Krysta Zagorski, wrote. She told him he didnt need to come but he wanted to hold the umbrella for her because it was raining and the umbrella was broken. While crossing an intersection less than five minutes from their building, shots rang out and Sam was hit. The intended victim (not Sam) was also shot multiple times and died as a result. Zagorski continued: Almost immediately, Sam couldnt feel his legs. We now know that the bullet hit his kidney and stopped when it hit his spine. They removed his kidney but his condition is too fragile to attempt to remove the bullet just yet. Doctors are still trying to stop the bleeding and Sam will likely never walk again. Malcolm Amede, 18, was fatally shot. Police believe Amede, a suspected member of the Crips gang, was the intended target of the shooting A woman at the scene stands over Amede's body after he was shot. A gun is seen just a few feet away toward the right side of the image Five people have been shot near this intersection in the last week, according to Zagorsky. Three of those who have been shot were killed. Sam and Sabrina have a long road ahead of them, she writes. Medical expenses will come later but, right now, I need help supporting them in any way possible. Neither are working as Sam fights for his life and she keeps vigil over him. His journey to recovery will be long and, during that time, I dont want either of them to have to worry about anything else. The GoFundMe campaign has exceeded its goal of $40,000. As of early Saturday morning, it has raised $42,150. THANK YOU, Zagorsky wrote. I cannot tell you how much your support means. Its a testament to how loved Sam and Sabrina are and how truly incredible people can be. Amede was fatally shot in the chest and arms, according to the New York Post. Law enforcement sources believe he is a member of the Crips and that the shooting was related to gang warfare. Surveillance footage released from the scene on Friday shows an unidentified gunman aiming a gun from the drivers seat of a BMW SUV just before 3:30pm. A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $42,000 as of early Sunday morning On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Sabrina and her husband Sam left their Brooklyn apartment to go to the store and get some toothpaste, the organizer of the crowdfunding effort, Krysta Zagorski, wrote She told him he didnt need to come but he wanted to hold the umbrella for her because it was raining and the umbrella was broken,' Zagorski wrote. The couple is seen in the above undated file photo Video from the scene shows the aftermath of the shooting. Bystanders are seen tending to Metcalfe and assuring him he was going to be OK. Cops found a gun at the scene that may have been dropped by one of the victims. 'This neighborhood is becoming a shooting gallery. Why won't it just stop?' one resident asked AM New York. It comes as the city endures a summer of soaring violent crime. Heat waves, high unemployment, and the grinding misery of social distancing restrictions have all contributed to an atmosphere in which tempers spin out of control, and verbal disputes between strangers often turn violent. As well, gang violence and turf wars have contributed to the shootings, police say. Last month, shooting incidents across the city were up 177 percent compared to last year. Murders were up 59 percent for the month, burglaries rose 31 percent, and auto thefts increased 53 percent. At least three people died and 12 were wounded overnight Thursday and into early Friday morning after a night of shooting mayhem across New York City, where violent crime continues to surge out of control. There were at least 11 separate shooting incidents spanning Brooklyn and the Bronx, where terrified residents have seen soaring violence in recent months. Thursday's first fatality came around 10pm, when a 23-year-old man was shot in the head and shoulder outside of a McDonald's in Downtown Brooklyn, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police respond to a McDonald's in Downtown Brooklyn, where a 23-year-old man was fatally shot at about 10pm on Thursday night Police recovered a gun at the scene, which they believe was dropped by the victim. The shooter, described as a black male in his 20s standing five-foot-ten and wearing a white bucket hat and black shirt, fled north on Flatbush Avenue, and remains at large. The two other fatal shootings took place in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx, just a few hours apart. At around 2am, a gunman opened fire in an apparent drive-by shooting on East 179th Street, striking three victims and killing one of them. The deceased victim, a 60-year-old man, was shot in the torso and pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital. Two others, ages 36 and 54, are hospitalized in stable condition. Then just two hours later, around 4.20am, a 44-year-old man was fatally shot in the back of the head on Park Avenue in the Bronx. As well, shortly before noon on Friday, an innocent bystander was shot and wounded in the ankle while she was sitting inside a Brooklyn nail salon. Shortly before noon on Friday, an innocent bystander was shot and wounded in the ankle while she was sitting inside a Brooklyn nail salon (above) The 68-year-old woman was in a nail salon on Pitkin Avenue when shots rang out The 68-year-old woman was in a nail salon on Pitkin Avenue when shots rang out. She was taken to Brookdale University Hospital. The suspects, described as two men wearing all black and face masks, fled the scene and are still at large. The other non-fatal shootings across the city on Thursday night and Friday morning included: Brooklyn, 10.49pm: Confirmed shots fired at 572 Warren Street. Brooklyn, 12.33am: Confirmed shots fired at 2525 Linden Boulevard. Brooklyn, 12.56am: One shot. Female victim self-transported to Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center and arrived with a gunshot wound. Brooklyn, 1.15am: Two shot. A 52-year-old man was shot in the arm, and a 23-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder outside 397 East 49th street in East Flatbush. Suspects fled in SUV. Bronx, 1.55am: Two shot. A 28-year-old man was shot in the chest and arm, and a 22-year-old woman was shot in the knee and back outside 1210 Gilbert Place. Police say the victims were uncooperative. Bronx, 2.28am: Confirmed shots fired at 1210 Gilbert Place. Brooklyn, 3.15am: One shot. A 27-year-old man was shot in front of 177 Sands Street. He was taken to Methodist Hospital in critical condition. Brooklyn, 3.30am: One shot. A 36-year-old man was shot in the right thigh outside 402 Nostrand Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant. He was hospitalized in stable condition and police describe him as highly uncooperative. Facing pressure from activists, as well as a mounting budget crisis, Mayor Bill de Blasio cut $1 billion from the NYPD's $6billion annual budget. The mayor has also boasted of the large number of inmates released from Rikers Island due to the pandemic, proudly declaring that city jails had the lowest inmate population since World War II. In the last five years the number of shootings fell to a low of 754 in 2018, but is now rising De Blasio (seen earlier this month) said on Monday that violent crime is 'painful' and 'horrible' and said that the NYPD is 'engaging the community more deeply' to try to stem the tide Police unions have blamed bail reform, police budget cuts, and anti-cop sentiment for the rise in violent crime. Last week, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the city's largest police union, took the unprecedented step of endorsing President Donald Trump's re-election campaign. Governor Andrew Cuomo has blamed police themselves for the rising crime, saying they have done 'very little' to come up with reform plans. He also threatened to pull funding from up to 500 departments across the state if they do not have reform plans in place by April 2021. De Blasio said on Monday that violent crime is 'painful' and 'horrible' and said that the NYPD is 'engaging the community more deeply' to try to stem the tide. Advertisement Andy Burnham has said the coronavirus restrictions in Greater Manchester are working and driving down case numbers amid fears of a second national lockdown if Britain sees rise in cases similar to Spain. The Greater Manchester mayor told the BBC that the numbers were beginning to 'move in the right direction' and hoped more boroughs could soon be released from restrictions. Lockdown regulations were imposed across the North West after seeing a rise in new infections, with Mr Burnham saying on Saturday that the restrictions were starting to work and had been put in place for good reason. Mr Burnham's comments come after a senior official warned that Britain could go into a second national lockdown if it sees a rise in cases like Spain. Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days. Pendle, which is in second place behind Oldham, has a rate of 67.3, down from 108.6. Andy Burnham (above) said the strict lockdown restrictions in Greater Manchester are seeing infection numbers beginning to 'move in the right direction', as he hopes boroughs could soon be released from the regulations Figures published on Friday show there were 71.7 new cases per 100,000 people in Oldham in the seven days to August 18, down from 112.2 over the previous seven days. Pictured, Oldham shops on August 20 Speaking on BBC News on Saturday, Mr Burnham said: 'I think we are beginning to see the numbers move in the right direction and that includes Oldham, which saw a noticeable fall in the number of cases this week, and we have begun to see falls in other Greater Manchester boroughs as well. 'We had the restrictions introduced about three weeks ago and I would say we have begun to see these restrictions are now working, so fingers crossed we can see more boroughs released from these measures soon. 'But on the whole we think it was right to put these restrictions in and hopefully people can see now they were put in for a good reason.' Ministers said Wigan, Darwen and Rossendale have seen cases drop and will soon be released from lockdown rules currently enforced in Greater Manchester as well as parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire. But households in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn were banned from socialising together from midnight on Saturday after the Government announced drastic new measures to tackle spiralling coronavirus outbreaks in the three authorities. On Friday, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told residents not to socialise with anyone outside their household from Saturday. Number 10 agreed the tougher restrictions with council bosses, warning that infection rates are still rising despite 'dedicated efforts' to contain the virus. Officials stopped short of imposing full localised lockdowns and ordering businesses to shut, which local leaders warned would have been 'catastrophic' for already-struggling firms. The new rules will not prevent people from going shopping, going to work or attending child-care settings including schools, which are due to reopen from September 1. Social activities both indoors and outdoors can only be shared with people who live together. The number of people who can attend weddings and funerals is recommended to be limited to household members and close family and no more than 20 people. Local restaurants are being told not to allow walk-ins and to only seat people who have made reservations in advance - with a maximum of six people per table. Households in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn will be banned from socialising together from Saturday after the Government announced drastic new measures to tackle spiralling coronavirus outbreaks in the three authorities A Northampton sandwich factory that supplies M&S - where almost 300 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus - was shut down on Friday and all employees and their households must isolate for two-weeks, or face being fined It was also announced that Birmingham is being added to a watch list as an 'area of enhanced support' and Northampton becomes an 'area of intervention'. The Government said a rise in people testing positive for coronavirus in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle was due to 'social mixing', particularly among 20 to 39-year-olds. Leaders across the North West have also slammed the strict coronavirus restrictions, saying they have been imposed without 'detailed guidance' and have caused confusion. Labour leader of Pendle Council Mohammed Iqbal previously told the BBC's Today programme that the restrictions, which the council argued against, had been 'imposed' to 'punish people who have been testing flat out'. He added: 'The Government has announced these tightening restrictions for local people in my area, yet they have not issued any detailed guidance as to how it will operate, who will police it. 'So local people are actually more confused than they were on Thursday evening.' Greater Manchester Police used social media on Saturday to tell people not to call 999 or 101 for clarification about Covid-19 measures. The force were criticised for breaking up a children's birthday party, but Mr Burnham said police were in a 'no-win' situation as they have to enforce the restrcitions. He said: 'It's a difficult one, the police are getting criticised both ways. 'The rules are the rules. I know how frustrating it is for people but if they [police] say they'll turn a blind eye there, then people will say why there and not over here?' The tighter restrictions were announced by the DHSC as holidaymakers scrambled to get home to beat new quarantine measures. Travellers arriving in the UK from Croatia from 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate for 14 days. A spike in new coronavirus cases led the Government to remove the country from its safe travel list. The Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates the R value - the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects - is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week's prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1.0 And a Northampton sandwich factory that supplies M&S - where almost 300 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus - was also shut down on Friday. All employees and their households must isolate for two-weeks, or face being fined. The Department of Health said Health Secretary Matt Hancock will bring in regulations 'to ensure that this self-isolation period is legally enforced' and warned that anyone who does not abide by the rules without a reasonable excuse could be fined. The Government said 41,423 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, an increase of 18 on the day before. What are the new rules in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn? As of Saturday, residents in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn will not be allowed to socialise with anyone from outside of their household, whether indoors or outdoors. Ministers are also advising against using public transport unless it is for essential travel. The numbers of people who can attend weddings, civil partnerships and funerals is being limited to household members and close family and no more than 20 people. Local restaurants are being encouraged not to allow walk-ins and to only seat people who have made a reservation. People are still allowed to go shopping, go to work and attend child-care settings. Advertisement Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The Government also said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 1,288 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 324,601 cases have been confirmed. The news in the North West comes after a senior official warned that Britain could go into a second national lockdown if it sees a rise in cases like Spain. More 'nationwide measures' could be brought in to combat rising infections after the R-rate crept over one for the first time since restrictions were lifted in July. Senior officials said local outbreaks could skew the reproduction number, which needs to stay below one to avoid another rise in infections, but another nationwide lockdown could soon be necessary to curb the spread. Local lockdowns in Manchester and Leicester have already been implemented, with households in Oldham and Blackburn to be banned from meeting in each others' homes from Saturday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said another lockdown was a 'nuclear deterrent' in an interview with The Daily Telegraph last month - effectively ruling out the option of a second nationwide shutdown. But officials are reportedly keen to avoid a situation like Spain, where 142 cases per 100,000 people represents the fastest growing infection rate in Europe. A senior government source told The Daily Telegraph: 'If it doesn't get contained it may be that some things that have been open, you need to think about whether measures need to be taken to reverse things. 'The strategy is to manage this through local outbreak management, but if it moves in the direction of Spain, then clearly you can see what's happening there, and in France, people are making more nationwide measures.' They added that the prospect of national lockdown depended on the 'trajectory' of the spread and how quickly outbreaks can be dealt with. Another source told the newspaper: 'We're looking at a pretty bumpy autumn and winter and that's going to go in the direction of increased cases and increased outbreaks.' The daily case number in the UK is nearly double the tally at the beginning of June, and is likely to increase further once schools reopen in September. In other coronavirus developments in Britain: SAGE warned Britain's coronavirus R rate could now be above the dreaded level of 1 just hours after a Government surveillance study revealed cases had fallen; Britons scrambled to get back from Croatia before new quarantine restrictions came into place after a rise in infections; Britons dashed to book Bank Holiday breaks in Portugal after it was 'green-listed' and hotels slashed prices in a last-minute scramble to fill rooms - but flight costs have risen six-fold; Official statistics revealed coronavirus has been bumped down to become the eighth most common killer in England, in another sign the darkest days of the crisis are behind us; Public sector debt went above 2trillion for the first time in history after the Government was forced to borrow billions of pounds to keep the UK's crippled plc afloat during the coronavirus crisis; Pregnant women and new mothers died needlessly in lockdown after being denied intensive care beds or mental health services, a damning Oxford University report warned. The Figueretes beach on August 17, 2020 in Ibiza, Spain. Almost all Schengen countries recommend not traveling to Spain due to COVID -19 Professor Sir Mark Walport, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), was asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if Britain would ever see another wide-spread lockdown. He said: 'Never is a very strong word. The whole point is to improve the local control, increase the amount of testing, give guidance to avoid that happening. 'But is there a situation where it could get out of control? Well obviously that's possible.' Oliver Johnson, a professor of information theory at the University of Bristol, said: 'The major concern is that R values of this magnitude do not leave a significant margin before the epidemic starts to grow in size again, and raise the possibility that some re-openings may need to be reversed to allow schools to open safely.' Britain has around 11 cases per 100,000 people and just 97 admitted to hospital. But Public Health England surveillance showed case detection in England increased from 5,763 to 6,418 in the week to Aug 16, up 11 per cent. Confusion was sparked about the current trajectory of the Covid-19 crisis in the UK. SAGE has warned that Britain's coronavirus R rate could now be above the dreaded level of 1 just hours after a Government surveillance study revealed cases had fallen. Government advisers estimate the R value - the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects - is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week's prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1. It needs to stay below one or the virus could start to spread exponentially again. But an official report released this afternoon suggested the epidemic is shrinking. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated weekly infections have plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day in England alone - down from the 3,800 last week. Fears of a second wave are high because cases had risen consistently throughout July - but government figures suggested they have started to drop again this week. Top experts warned the rise was down to more testing in badly-hit areas, saying hospital admissions and deaths have not risen in line with infections. Government sources say the spike in cases is largely down to younger people getting infected, who studies have shown face less risk of dying or becoming severely ill from Covid-19. The Office for National Statistics estimates 2,400 people are contracting the disease every day, down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'To prevent a second peak and keep Covid-19 under control, we need robust, targeted intervention where we see a spike in cases. The only way we can keep on top of this deadly virus is through decisive action led by the people who know their areas best, wherever possible through consensus with a local area. 'Working with local leaders we agreed further action [in] Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn. It is vital that everyone in these areas follow the advice of their councils, and abide by their local rules carefully. SAGE FEARS BRITAIN'S R RATE COULD NOW BE AS HIGH AS 1.1 Confusion about the current trajectory of the Covid-19 crisis in the UK was sparked as SAGE warned the reproduction rate could now be 1.1 but a separate Government study found cases had fallen again. The Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) estimates the R value - the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects - is now between 0.9 and 1.1, up from last week's prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 1.0. Experts say the R needs to stay below one or Governments risk losing control of the epidemic and the virus could start to spread exponentially again. SAGE said it had 'lost confidence' the R remained below the danger zone. SAGE said it was 'seeing indications that' coronavirus was resurging in all of the home nations, which has fuelled fears that a second wave of the virus is making its way through the country. In the last week, England's R value crept up from between 0.8 and 1.0 to 0.9 and 1.0, which has pushed up the overall rate across Britain. Miniature outbreaks in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also contributed to the rise. To estimate the R, scientists look at clinical data such as hospital admissions and deaths, as well as behavioural surveys and people's movement patterns. But SAGE warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK - around 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 swathes of the North West of England. SAGE's warning comes on the same day an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report suggested the epidemic was shrinking, adding to confusion about how the virus is currently behaving. The ONS found weekly infections plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day - down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week. Statisticians at the Government-run agency said that while cases had been on the climb since July - prompting fears of a second wave - the epidemic's upward trajectory had now been stopped in its tracks. The ONS bases its predictions on 135,808 swab tests taken over seven weeks, out of which 61 people tested positive for Covid-19. The low number of positive tests means its estimates should be treated with caution. Advertisement 'Our approach is to make the action we take as targeted as possible, with the maximum possible local consensus. 'To do that we are introducing a new process to increase engagement between local leaders, both councils and MPs, with the aim of taking as targeted action as possible. This will allow local councils to focus resources onto the wards which need more targeted intervention in order to drive infection rates down, and gives local people a stronger voice at the table.' The decision to impose more stringent restrictions in Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle comes after it emerged that cases in Oldham had reached 103.1 per 100,000 people during the week ending 13 August. In Blackburn and Pendle case numbers had reached 95.3 and 75.5 cases respectively. The sharp rise in cases is in part due to a major increase in testing led by local councils. The city currently has 30.2 cases per 100,000 and the percentage of people testing positive is up to 4.3 per cent. The new designation means Birmingham will now be subject to additional testing, more locally led contact tracing and targeted community engagement. Rules prohibiting social gatherings in Lancashire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Leicester will now be lifted in Wigan, Rossendale and some parts of Blackburn with Darwen. These areas will align with the rest of England from Wednesday August 26 but the measures will continue to apply elsewhere, with another review scheduled for next week. The Government's new approach to drawing up local lockdowns will see councils in areas of 'National Intervention' tasked with working together in order to propose a plan for a specified area which is experiencing a surge in cases. Local leaders will be expected to strike a consensus between councils and local MPs with areas where coronavirus is less prevalent expected to be made exempt from restrictions. A final decision will then be made by the Joint Biosecurity Centre Gold Meeting which will be chaired by Mr Hancock and the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty. The Government's decision to put tougher restrictions on Oldham, Blackburn and Pendle come after SAGE warned the reproduction rate could now be 1.1. Experts say the R needs to stay below one or Governments risk losing control of the epidemic and the virus could start to spread exponentially again. SAGE said it had 'lost confidence' the R remained below the danger zone. SAGE said it was 'seeing indications that' coronavirus was resurging in all of the home nations, which has fuelled fears that a second wave of the virus is making its way through the country. In the last week, England's R value crept up from between 0.8 and 1.0 to 0.9 and 1.0, which has pushed up the overall rate across Britain. Miniature outbreaks in Scotland and Northern Ireland have also contributed to the rise. Official figures show the city of Birmingham's infection rate has more than doubled over the past fortnight, with around 25 new cases of coronavirus for every 100,000 people up from just 11 in the first week of August The latest growth rate for the whole of the UK is between -3 per cent to +1 per cent. A growth rate between -3 per cent to +1 per cent means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 3 per cent and growing by 1 per cent every day. The most likely value is towards the middle of the range Researchers from King's College London, who run the COVID Symptom Tracker app that is used by millions of Brits, say Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Dundee City and Nottingham should now be monitored closely. The other seven hotspots have already had lockdown restrictions rolled back FRANCE SEES ANOTHER SPIKE IN CASES - AS BRITS SCRAMBLE TO GET HOME FROM CROATIA AND AUSTRIA France recorded another sharp rise is coronavirus cases on Thursday with 4,700 infections - up by a thousand - while Italy has seen its highest daily tally since May. There have also been worrying spikes in Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia - much of it blamed on holidaying Europeans and youngsters enjoying parties in the summer heatwave. Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily tally since May, while France's 4,771 fresh infections was a colossal increase on Wednesday's 3,776 (pictured: a graph of the rolling 7-day average) Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest figure for three months, while France's 4,771 fresh infections was a colossal increase on Wednesday's 3,776. Britons were scrambling to return home from Croatia and Austria last night after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps declared that anyone arriving from the countries must self-isolate for 14 days. British Airways economy flights from Zagreb to London are up at 276 compared to 82 on Monday. Around 20,000 British tourists are thought to be in Croatia. Advertisement To estimate the R, scientists look at clinical data such as hospital admissions and deaths, as well as behavioural surveys and people's movement patterns. But SAGE warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK - around 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 swathes of the North West of England. SAGE's warning comes on the same day an Office for National Statistics (ONS) report suggested the epidemic was shrinking, adding to confusion about how the virus is currently behaving. The ONS found weekly infections plummeted by a third in a week, with 2,400 people now contracting the disease every day - down 37 per cent from the 3,800 the previous week. Statisticians at the Government-run agency said that while cases had been on the climb since July - prompting fears of a second wave - the epidemic's upward trajectory had now been stopped in its tracks. The ONS bases its predictions on 135,808 swab tests taken over seven weeks, out of which 61 people tested positive for Covid-19. The low number of positive tests means its estimates should be treated with caution. One of the Government's top scientific advisers said that, after reviewing the R rate study and ONS report, they think 'this is all probably trending upwards, very gently.' They warned more younger people were testing positive and suggested it was only a matter of time before they began to infect older citizens who are far more vulnerable to Covid-19's nasty symptoms. The ONS' daily infection predictions are much different to the Government's official daily count, released by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) every afternoon. Testing data is collected by the ONS from swab tests sent regularly to people's homes to test whether they are infected with the virus at the time. The people are chosen to be representative of the UK population. The households taking part in the survey were tested for Covid-19 regardless of whether they had symptoms or not. Thousands of people become infected but never request a test and so go unreported in the DHSC's statistics. Going by the official metric, 1,051 Britons are now testing positive for the life-threatening disease each day, on average - which is half of what the ONS predicts. For comparison, the rolling average on Thursday was 1,043 and it had been falling every day since August 15, when the figure reached a six-week high of 1,097. INC means I Need Commission: BJP hits out at Congress after Rafale report Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi's govt over Rafale deal India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Aug 22: Once again Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has fired a fresh salvo at the Narendra Modi government alleging corruption and malfeasance in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from French aircraft manufacturing company Dassault Aviation. Citing a news report titled 'CAG drops audit of Rafale offset deal', the Congress leader said "the money was stolen from the Indian exchequer". He also quoted Mahatma Gandhi in his tweet. "Money was stolen from the Indian exchequer in Rafale. "Truth is one, paths are many." Mahatma Gandhi," Gandhi said in a tweet. EC guidelines fall short of ensuring conduct of polls in 'free, non-partisan' manner: Congress Rahul Gandhi's remark came after a news agency reported quoted top sources to claim that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) denied sharing information related to Rafale offset deals with the federal auditor. The CAG was earlier reportedly considering to audit 12 among the 32 offset deals inked by the French manufacturer with the Indian side. As per the report, the Defence Ministry told the CAG that Dassault would be sharing details related to offset contracts only after three years of the deal. Notably, Reliance Defence of Anil Ambani group had bagged an offset contract as part of the Rafale fighter jets deal. Bihar assembly election 2020: BJP President JP Nadda begins 2-day virtual strategy meet today In the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, Rafale fighter jet deal had become a major political topic with the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi constantly attacking the Modi government accusing it of being untruthful about the Rafale aircraft deal with France. Rahul Gandhi had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of treason and corruption multiple times and alleged that he had acted as a middleman for industrialist Anil Ambani in the deal. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 22, 2020, 12:10 [IST] Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-22 22:51:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on July 13, 2020. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua) EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell reaffirmed his determination to continue to work with Russia, the other remaining participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) and the international community to preserve the agreement. BRUSSELS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has affirmed that the bloc will work to preserve the Iran nuclear deal after the United States sought to reimpose sanctions on Iran. He made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, the EU's external action service (EEAS) said in a press release on Friday. Talking to Lavrov, Borrell reaffirmed his determination to continue to work with Russia, the other remaining participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) and the international community to preserve the agreement. The EU's external action service announced on Friday that a meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPoA will take place in Vienna, Austria on Sept. 1, attended by delegates of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran. Early on Thursday, the U.S. sent a letter to the UN Security Council requesting to initiate the "snapback" mechanism, which allows a participant to the JCPoA to seek the reimposition against Iran of the multilateral sanctions lifted in 2015 in accordance with resolution 2231, adopted by the UN Security Council. Borrell claimed in a statement on Thursday night that the U.S. had lost ground to trigger the "snapback" mechanism as it withdrew from the agreement in 2018. "As coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission I will continue to do everything possible to ensure the preservation and full implementation of the JCPoA by all," said Borrell, underlining that the JCPoA remains a key pillar of the global non-proliferation architecture, contributing to regional security. File picture shows a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission is held in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Guo Chen) The JCPoA was inked by Iran in July 2015 with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, together with the EU. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the JCPoA on May 8, 2018, and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Tehran, despite objections from the international community. No holding back: US President Donald Trump speaks at his campaign rally in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. Photo: Michael Santiago/Getty Joe Biden accepted the Democratic presidential nomination with a call to optimism at a time of fear in the US. It concluded an unusual four days of virtual pageantry in which Democrats portrayed their struggle against President Donald Trump as a battle against a dark force. In a 25-minute speech, the former vice president channelled concern over multiple, simultaneous crises facing the country while urging the American people to choose what he called "a path of hope and light". "The president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger, too much fear, too much division," Mr Biden said. "If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I'll be an ally of the light, not the darkness." He made the remarks from an austere ballroom set with American flags but lacking a crowd, due to the pandemic. In the silence, he outlined his solutions to the pain of those struggling without a job or fearful of losing one. Looking at the camera, he directly addressed those left behind by the deaths of more than 170,000 Americans from Covid-19. His voice rose while speaking about Trump and the response to the pandemic. "He keeps waiting for a miracle," Mr Biden said, never uttering Mr Trump's name. "No miracle is coming." Mr Biden showed a flash of anger when he turned to foreign policy and recent reports that Russia had placed bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan, saying that in his presidency "America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on American soldiers". After emerging atop the most crowded presidential primary in recent history, the former two-term vice president and six-term US senator from Delaware claimed the nomination on his third try, accepting it 33 years after he launched his first presidential campaign in 1987. Over five decades, Mr Biden has travelled to almost every Democratic convention, often speaking but never as the headliner on the final night. This time, with the convention rendered virtual, he spoke from his hometown, inside a nearly empty ballroom just five miles from his house. The only accompaniment came from cars gathered outside, honking in lieu of applauding. "In this dark moment, I believe we're poised to make great progress again. Are you ready? I believe we are," Mr Biden said as he closed his speech by quoting a favourite Irish poet, Seamus Heaney. "This is our moment to 'make hope and history rhyme.'" The speech followed an evening focused on Mr Biden's biography, with videos about his long Senate career, the life of his late son, Beau, and clips from his four granddaughters and two living children. The Biden campaign is bracing for a brutal 10 weeks that are expected to be sharply divisive, with Mr Trump already having spent months mocking Mr Biden and criticising his positions and his family. Republicans will take the national stage for their convention starting on Monday, with four nights to showcase a competing vision for the US. Mr Trump tweeted criticism during Mr Biden's address, and hours earlier, he held an event near Mr Biden's childhood home in Scranton, where he claimed that Mr Biden had "abandoned" Pennsylvania. Mr Biden was only 10 when his father, in search of a job, moved the family to Delaware, a wrenching decision that Mr Biden often cites as he commiserates with the choices facing middle-class workers. "He left," Mr Trump said of Mr Biden. "He abandoned Pennsylvania. He abandoned Scranton. He was here for a short period of time, and he didn't even know it." During the rally, the president painted a dark picture of what would happen if he lost the election. "If you want a vision of your life under [a] Biden presidency, think of the smouldering ruins in Minneapolis, the violent anarchy of Portland, the bloodstained sidewalks of Chicago," Mr Trump said from a building products company in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. "And imagine the mayhem coming to your town and every single town in America." ( Washington Post) President Donald Trump on August 21 said China will own the United States if his Democratic rival Joe Biden is voted to power in the November 3 presidential elections. On the final day of the four-day virtual Democratic National Convention on August 20, Biden, 77, accepted the Democratic Party's nomination as the presidential candidate to challenge incumbent 74-year-old President Trump, a Republican, in the presidential election. Also read: Facebook braces itself for Trump to cast doubt on election results Trump said the biggest thing about his challenger's speech was the issues that he did not talk about, including China. "It's time to reject the anger and the hate of the Democrat Party. We have the biggest election coming up of our lifetime. No party can lead American that spends so much time tearing down America. But, the biggest part of last night's speech was what Joe Biden didn't talk about. He didn't talk about law enforcement. He didn't talk about bringing safety to democrat run cities that are totally out of control and they have no clue," Trump said in his address to the 2020 Council for National Policy. Read more: New poll says Biden leading against Trump ahead of elections "China was never mentioned in any way, shape, or form. China will own our country if he gets elected. They will own our country and we're not going to let that happen. You've seen the intelligence reports. China very much wants Joe Biden to win. That would be very insulting if they wanted me to win. I don't think so," he said. Sushant Singh Rajput's tragic demise has left fans shocked and saddened. There were a few twisted truths in the case and people started a digital protest. They started asking for a CBI inquiry and a few influential men joined the big protest. Former minister Subramanian Swamy appointed lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari to look into the matter. With the efforts of Ishkaran, the Supreme Court has finally given a nod to the plea of millions who were demanding a CBI inquiry. I have asked Ishkaran to look into facts of Sushant Singh Rajput death case & see whether it's a fit Case for CBI investigation. Then accordingly to see justice is done. For Updates follow @ishkarnBHANDARI Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 9, 2020 After the Supreme Court said yes for CBI intervention in Sushants death case, Ishkaran told IANS, "It is a huge victory for the people of India. Our constitution starts with, 'We the people' and the people united in this case. He added, I said on July 1 that this case must have a CBI investigation, I could see that Mumbai police was completely botching up the case. That has been vindicated now by the Supreme Court's judgment where they have transferred this case to CBI. People have been appreciating Ishkaran for not giving up and is still continuing his fight. Here are 5 lesser-known facts about Ishkaran that we all should know. 1. Ishkaran Singh Bhandari was born on May 14, 1984, and did his schooling from Guru Harkishan Public School, New Delhi, in 2002. 2. He got his Law Degree from Amity Law School, GGSIP University. He also holds a degree in International Law from the University of California, Berkley. 3. He has been religiously working towards exposing the corrupt practices. He had a major part to play in cases like National Herald and Sunanda Pushkar Murder case. 4. He was also a petitioner in the Nirbhaya Delhi Gang Rape case and he was quite vocal in putting his opinions that challenged the juvenile justice Act, 2000. 5. His legal views are well-received and appreciated and hence, he has always been invited in many debates on the news channels. He has been a part of more than 500 debates on both Hindi and English channels. We completely support Ishkaran for fighting for Sushant Singh Rajput. * Tsikhanouskaya calls for more strikes * EU calls for criminal case to be dropped * Belarus is close Russian ally bordering with NATO * Europe keen to avert repeat of Ukraine violence By Andrei Makhovsky and Andrew Osborn MINSK/MOSCOW, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Two leading members of a newly formed opposition council in Belarus were questioned on Friday in a criminal case over what President Alexander Lukashenko calls an attempt to seize power, after nearly two weeks of mass rallies against his 26-year rule. More public figures, including an Olympic athlete, came out in opposition to Lukashenko, whose political challengers say he rigged an Aug. 9 election. In the latest act of protest, the streets of the capital Minsk were paralysed on Friday by a motorists' strike, with hundreds of drivers honking horns and abruptly abandoning cars in traffic. The loosening of Lukashenko's grip poses a challenge both for the Kremlin, determined to keep its sway over its most loyal neighbour, and the West, which is sympathetic to a nascent pro-democracy movement but wary of provoking Russian intervention. Two sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters President Vladimir Putin believes Lukashenko will probably cling to power for now, and is content to let him sweat it out. Lukashenko, who has repeatedly vowed to crush the unrest, insisted the crisis would be over soon. "This is my problem, which I should resolve, and we are resolving it," he told workers at a state food factory named after the founder of the Soviet KGB. "And believe me, in the coming days it will be resolved." In a sign of his dependence on Moscow, he also confirmed for the first time that journalists had been brought from Russia to staff state TV, where workers abruptly quit last week in protest against what they described as orders to broadcast propaganda. Two leading members of the opposition Coordinating Council, Maksim Znak and Sarhey Dyleuski, were accompanied by dozens of supporters as they arrived for questioning at the headquarters of the Investigative Committee in a criminal case accusing the council of trying to seize power. Story continues Znak, a lawyer, said on entering that he feared he might be arrested. But when he emerged later, he said he had had "productive discussions" and would get back to work. The council was launched this week with the self-described aim of negotiating a transfer of power. It includes an array of public figures, among them a Nobel Prize-winning author and the ousted head of the country's main drama theatre. The latest local hero to desert Lukashenko was Vadim Devyatovsky, an Olympic silver medallist previously prominent as a supporter, who wrote on Facebook that Lukashenko was "not my president". NOT INTIMIDATED A police crackdown does not seem to have intimidated the protesters and opposition has spread to include strikes at state factories long seen as bastions of support for Lukashenko. Thousands turned out Friday, and much larger protests are expected over the weekend. "I couldn't sit at home," said Tatyana, 45, a medic. "I am not afraid. If you stay home, that means you have to live your whole life in fear." Lukashenko's main opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has fled to neighbouring Lithuania, where she has released a steady stream of video messages calling on her followers to rise up peacefully. On Friday she called for more workers to strike. At her first public news conference since going into exile, the 37-year-old political novice noted that Moscow had not made contact. Belarus has by far the closest political, economic and cultural ties to Moscow of any former Soviet state, meaning Lukashenko's immediate fate is probably in the hands of the Kremlin. The borders between Belarus and NATO are seen as vital for Russia's defence strategy, and the prospect of Moscow allowing a pro-Western government to emerge there all but inconceivable. But Lukashenko is seen in Moscow as erratic and truculent, and has long had a difficult personal relationship with Putin. The two sources close to the Kremlin said Moscow was perfectly content to see him face difficulties. "They'll be happy to wait a while and watch him struggle a bit. They don't like him much, but they still back him," said one of the sources, who regularly speaks to senior government and Kremlin officials. The second source said: "Lukashenko will be critically weakened. You'll be able to make mincemeat out of him. Our guys will definitely use this." The European Union, which has rejected Lukashenko's re-election, called for the case against the opposition council to be dropped. But European officials are keen to avert a repeat of unrest six years ago in neighbouring Ukraine, when a pro-Russian leader was toppled in an uprising and Moscow intervened militarily, precipitating Europe's deadliest ongoing conflict. That has meant a cautious approach, including reassuring Moscow that the West is not trying to pry Belarus from Russia's orbit. "Belarus is not Ukraine: the people there are not seeking closer ties with the EU," a senior EU official told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Gabriella Baczynska in Brussels; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Catherine Evans) Irish church leaders call on worshipers to wear face masks, show 'love for neighbors' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An ecumenical coalition of churches in Ireland called on those attending in-person worship to wear face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Leaders representing the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and the Methodist Church in Ireland issued the statement on Wednesday. The church leaders noted that while neither the Republic of Ireland nor Northern Ireland have mandated face masks, they said it is our responsibility to ensure that our services of worship are safe places for all who join with us. It has become increasingly clear that the wearing of face coverings, in conjunction with hand washing etc., is likely to reduce the spread of coronavirus, thus helping to protect others, they stated. Their use is therefore one way in which we can evidence protection for the most vulnerable, support for our health workers, and practical love for our neighbours. The church leaders went on to say that they join with Christian church leaders all over this island in formally recommending and encouraging the use of face coverings at all services of worship, along with the ongoing maintenance of 2 metre physical distancing. This comes while recognizing that some people are exempted from the wearing of face coverings and that it may not be appropriate for those who are leading from the front during worship, including preaching, to wear face coverings. They advised that worship leaders maintain a distance of four meters from the closest row of the congregation. Signatories of the joint statement include the Most Rev. Eamon Martin, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh; the Most Rev. John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh for the Church of Ireland; the Rt. Rev. David Bruce, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; and the Rev. Tom McKnight, president of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Ireland has recorded over 27,000 cases of COVID-19 so far and 1,775 deaths. A recent rise in cases has forced the country to revert back to restrictions such as reducing crowd sizes indoors and outdoors. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, churches across the world that are holding in-person services have taken various measures to curb infections among attendees. tThese have included spacing out attendees, requiring face masks, barring handshakes, encouraging ill members to stay home, and including extra hand sanitizer. RealClearScience published a report on Wednesday indicating that social distancing measures among Catholic churches in the United States were working in reducing infections. With approximately 17,000 parishes in America typically holding three or more weekend masses and a greater number of daily masses for the last 14 or more weeks over one million public masses have been celebrated following guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus: in sum, follow the three Ws watch your distance, wear your mask, and wash your hands, noted the report. The Good News: for Catholic churches following these guidelines, no outbreaks of COVID-19 have been linked to church attendance, even though we have examples of asymptomatic, unknowingly infected individuals attending mass and other parish functions. The researchers explained that they found no evidence of viral transmission among those who attended Mass that could have led to an outbreak if appropriate precautions were not followed. We also reviewed recent public health and media reports regarding COVID-19 dissemination and found no reports of disease transmission, let alone outbreaks, in a Catholic church following such guidelines, they added. They also cited cases from the Archdiocese of Seattle where COVID-19-positive individuals participated in events such as a funeral and Mass but did not spread the virus to others as they followed safety guidelines (wearing masks and maintaining six feet of distance from others). According to Quantzig, post-COVID enterprises would soon rely on algorithms to make informed business decisions. Evidently, over the past few years, this has become increasingly true, with most businesses leveraging advanced data analytics models and algorithms to effectively manage processes right from supply chain management to customer experience management and marketing. Request a FREE proposalto learn how Quantzig is helping leading businesses adapt their business models to thrive in the new normal. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200822005004/en/ In the wake of the COVID-19 induced disruptions, business leaders have realized that their existing data models and processes must be revamped to cater to the dynamic market needs in the new-normal. However, many factors have impacted this realization. The main reason being that most of the existing business models were designed to work and deliver meaningful insights under normal circumstances. For instance, the customer segmentation models used by companies might prove to be inefficient in analyzing customer behaviors and market needs post-COVID-19. As such, this represents a significant challenge for business leaders looking to drive both customer value and market share post-COVID. While tackling these challenges is crucial for business growth, it could also be seen as an opportunity for the C-suite to reevaluate and re-engineer their core analytics capabilities, business models and processes to better prepare for the next few years of disruption. At Quantzig, we understand these challenges, and to help our clients make the most of the new digital opportunities, we've designed a holistic end-to-end digital transformation solutions portfolio that focuses on merging data-driven insights with technology to drive smarter decisions in the new normal. At Quantzig, we have a cross-functional team that comprises of researchers, analytics experts, and data scientists who assist our clients in implementing advanced data analytics models. Speak to our analytics expertsright away! Why Quantzig? 120+ 1500+ 550+ 15+ Global clients including Fortune 500 companies Comprehensive projects Data scientists and analytics experts Years of experience Here are a few ways the C-suite can adapt their business models and analytics capabilities for a post-COVID world- Evaluate market risks Conduct a needs analysis Build an agile, cross-functional analytics team Identify and tap into unconventional data sources Create an action plan to tackle future occurrences of similar events Identify and remove internal barriers Deploy new operating models to enhance process efficiency These factors predominantly revolve around the need to meet customer and market needs in the shortest possible time frame. Also, it has been predicted that this capability can turn out to be a key differentiator in the new normal post-COVID. Moreover, organizations must adapt their data analytics models to keep extraneous costs low. It is also imperative for the C-suite to re-engineer their data analytics processes now so that they are ready for the 'new normal' and can act spontaneously to changing customer behaviors quicker than ever before. Book a FREE Demoto know more about how Quantzig can help you adapt to the new normal by redefining your business models and data analytics capabilities. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep abreast of the emerging trends in data analytics. About Quantzig Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 55 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200822005004/en/ Contacts: Quantzig Eva Sharma Marketing Manager US: +1 630 538 7144 UK: +44 208 629 1455 https://www.quantzig.com/contact-us Penn State University freshmen move their belongings to their residence hall on the University Park campus on Aug. 18. Freshmen were assigned time slots for move-in due to COVID-19 restrictions. Read more Some students at Pennsylvania State Universitys main University Park campus have not complied with the schools pre-arrival testing for the coronavirus and could soon face disciplinary measures or even be kicked out for the semester, the school said. Some Penn State students, who have returned to statewide campuses for the fall semester, were selected for mandatory testing for the virus before arriving on campus. Those selected were either coming to school from coronavirus hot spots or were participating in welcoming other students to campus. Compliance was very strong among students living on campus because they needed a test to get access to campus housing, the schools vice president told University Park deans on Friday. But a number of University Park students living off campus have not been tested, vice president and provost Nick Jones said, outlining some steps the university is taking to help students get their coronavirus tests. The school will begin discipline processes for those who do not begin making arrangements for testing by 8 a.m. Monday, said the email, which was obtained by The Inquirer. If they dont get tested by Friday, the university may cancel their semester registration, a university spokesperson told The Inquirer on Saturday. The pre-arrival testing is a critical part of the Universitys multi-layered approach to returning to our campuses and mitigating the spread of the virus, the spokesperson, Wyatt DuBois, wrote in an email. The University is providing on-campus testing sites this weekend for students to initiate the testing process. At State College, some Penn State students were seen partying and congregating after move-in, prompting president Eric Barron to warn that the university could shut down in-person instruction if students continue to flout safety guidelines. Other universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Notre Dame, have already done so after their campuses saw virus outbreaks following reopening. Villanova and La Salle are among universities that have issued similar warnings to their students. On Friday, Temple Universitys student government called on the school administration to end all nonessential in-person classes and to close all campus housing, except to students with housing insecurity. The faculty union, the Temple Association of University Professionals, voiced its support. TAUP calls on the administration to listen to the voices of its elected student leaders the people we are all here to serve as well as the union representing the vast majority of its faculty (along with librarians and academic professionals), said Steve Newman, the associations president, in a statement Saturday. Its time to go online before more damage is done. READ MORE: After asking students to sign a coronavirus waiver, Penn State reverses course In addition to the testing, Penn State has guidelines for masks, physical distancing, and continuous surveillance testing. Pre-arrival testing was designed to reduce the number of infected students on campus, and is just one of many health and safety practices that the University is undertaking, Jones wrote. READ MORE: As Penn State students return, the local business community fights to survive The university did not immediately respond to a request for further comment Saturday. Penn State students who were chosen for testing but tell the university they are taking only online courses and are not living in the Centre County region will not be required to complete the test, according to the email. Staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this article. Former Greystones Mayor Stephen Stokes recently completed the Wicklow Way in aid of Greystones Community First Responders. At a socially distant presentation it was announced that 1921.19 had been raised for GCFR. Margaret Duggan, Chairperson of GCFR siad: 'Greystones Community First Responders would like to thank Stephen Stokes for recently completing this sponsored walk on our behalf. 'We are very grateful to receive this money and appreciate the great effort and hard work Stephen put into this fundraiser. We are especially grateful to receive the money as we were unable to hold our annual fundraising table quiz due to Covid-19. This money will go towards the cost of maintaining the public access defibrillators in and around Greystones.' Greystones Community First Responders receive no public funding and must finance everything including PPE. 'I would like to say a big thank you to all those who donated,' said Stephen. 'We had donations from all over Ireland, the UK and even the United States. The money will go directly to saving lives. I'd also like to especially thank family and friends for all their logistical and moral support.' Normally GCFR host two fundraisers per year, but it is now expected Stephen's Wicklow Way walk will be their only fundraiser of 2020. 'I was delighted to give back to people who do so much for the community. The First Responders can get to people in under six minutes. A Loughlinstown ambulance can take 12-15 minutes depending on traffic and if they are available. Those few minutes can be vital. Additionally the costs are significant. Every time a defibrillator is used the pads have to be replaced at a cost 120 + vat. That is why every cent raised is vital.' The Wicklow Way is 131km between Marlay Park, Co. Dublin and Clonegal, Co. Carlow. 'It is an amazing walk, but it can be done in little sections too,' said Stephen. 'We are lucky to be from such a scenic county.' For more information about getting involved in GCFR people can email greystonescfrgroup@gmail.com. Additionally there is a Greystones Community First Responders Facebook page for regular updates. No labour and welfare units in overseas missions for biggest foreign exchange earners View(s): Govt. to shut down these sections in Sri Lankas foreign missions in 14 countries as cost-cutting measure Foreign Relations Ministry will take over the task of looking after more than 1.6 million migrant workers As an urgent cost-cutting measure, the Labour Ministry has decided to shut down labour and welfare sections in Sri Lankan missions overseas, including the West Asian region, and recall the staff. Labour Ministry Secretary U.K. Mapa Pathirana told the Sunday Times the Labour sections were being shut down on a government directive to cut down expenses. Maintaining these labour sections in overseas missions is not profitable to the Government, Mr Pathirana explained. He said the decision would be effective in all 14 countries where labour sections had been set up to look into the welfare and the needs of Lankan migrant workers. The move comes despite last years foreign exchange earnings from foreign employment standing at US$ 6.8 billion one of the highest foreign exchange earners. The labour sections have been set up in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, Singapore and Japan where some 160 officials are employed. Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva summoned a meeting of officials this week at the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) and explained the move to shut down the labour offices claiming that the government was spending more than Rs 900 million annually to maintain them. The minister said the Government had decided to hand over to the Foreign Relations Ministry the responsibility of looking after the welfare of migrant workers. However, Foreign Employment State Minister Priyankara Jayaratne was not present when the Minister explained the decision to the officials. We were not consulted by the Ministry, but we will have to abide by the directive as it is a government decision, SLFEB spokesman Mangala Randeniya told the Sunday Times. The moves came as the SLFEB completed the training sessions for labour officers due to take up appointments in overseas missions to replace officers who will be completing their two-year term. Separate labour sections were set up on a proposal made by the then Labour Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga administration in 1994 after allegations that migrant workers issued were not being properly addressed by Sri Lankas foreign missions. In the 14 foreign missions, the labour sections were in charge of maintaining safe houses for affected migrant workers, addressing their labour issues, obtaining insurance claims and compensation in case of deaths or accidents. Subsequently, the SLFEB started a separate fund to spend on welfare matters of migrant workers. Last year, of some 203,000 Sri Lankans who went overseas for jobs, more than 150,000 went to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE. At present, more than 1.6 million Lankan workers are employed overseas and of them more than one million are in West Asian countries. Police responded harshly to the protests at first, arresting 7,000 people and beating many of them. But the police crackdown only widened the scope of the protests, and now anti-government strikes have been called at some of the countrys main factories, former bases of support for Lukashenko. Some police have posted videos of themselves burning their uniforms and quitting in disgust at the governments response. An aircraft seen on the runway of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Experts are unable to agree on whether international flights should resume along with safety measures as the Covid-19 outbreak continues. The Vietnam Aviation Business Association last week called on the government to resume flights to countries that have contained the pandemic, and allow foreign tourists entry if they meet pandemic prevention requirements. Deputy chairman of the association, Bui Doan Ne, said aviation is a catalyst for economic growth, and there are destinations that have high demand for travel to and from Vietnam such as Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan) and Seoul (South Korea). A gradual resumption would help airlines survive and keep their employees, he said. "The safety of passengers and crew members must be top priority when resuming flights." The International Civil Aviation Organization has provided guidelines for traveling amid the pandemic, and Vietnam should issue its own regulations, he said. Economist Le Dang Doanh concurred, saying resumption of flights would help the tourism and hospitality sectors, which have suffered because of the pandemic, recover. Many foreign business executives also want to travel to Vietnam, and controlling the outbreak must go along with reviving the economy, he said. "The government should gradually restart flights with safety measures." To start with Vietnam could allow three flights a week on one or two routes to assess the situation, and charge travelers quarantine fees, he said. Each province and city could designate three or four hotels for quarantine, while business people with limited time could furnish medical certificates before departure and be tested on landing in Vietnam, Doanh added. Nguyen Si Dung, former deputy director of the National Assembly Office, agreed, saying, "We cannot keep our doors closed forever" and flights should be resumed so that businesses could recover. A spokesperson for budget airline Vietjet said aviation companies have been the worst affected amid the pandemic, and the government should allow regular services to restart to countries that have contained Covid-19. But another economist, Ngo Tri Long, warned it might be too soon to resume flights, pointing out that the lack of strict control over illegal immigration is possibly the cause of the Covid-19 resurgence Da Nang and some countries have seen. Domestic infections of the pandemic has resurfaced in Vietnam since July 25. The countrys Covid-19 tally has risen to 1,009 with 25 deaths. For now only experts and businesspeople should be allowed to enter Vietnam, and international flights should only be resumed when countries stop recording new cases, he added. Of some 64,500 readers who voted in a survey on the Vietnamese edition of VnExpress this month, 78 percent rejected resumption of international flights for the moment. OMSK, Russia (Reuters) - A plane carrying Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny took off from the Russian city of Omsk early on Saturday headed for Germany, his spokeswoman said on Twitter. Gravely ill Kremlin critic Navalny was meant to be airlifted to Berlin to receive medical care after the opposition politician's allies accused the Russian authorities of trying to stop his evacuation. Navalny fell ill earlier this week while flying back to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk, where he had met allies ahead of regional elections next month. He was taken on a stretcher, motionless, from the plane and rushed to hospital after it made an emergency landing in Omsk. (Reporting by Anton Zverev; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by William Mallard) London: Britains future king on Thursday issued a heartfelt plea against religious persecution and rise of populism, warning against going back to the dark days of the 1930s, in his special Christmas message. Talking on BBCs Thought of the Day segment, Prince Charles urged respect for those of different faiths or risk repeating the horrors of the past. We are now seeing the rise of many populist groups across the world that are increasingly aggressive towards those who adhere to a minority faith. All of this has deeply disturbing echoes of the dark days of the 1930s, the 68-year-old royal said in his pre-recorded special Christmas message, aired on radio on Thursday. He added: I was born in 1948, just after the end of World War II, in which my parents generation had fought and died in a battle against intolerance, monstrous extremism and an inhuman attempt to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe. That nearly 70 years later we should still be seeing such evil persecution is, to me, beyond all belief. We owe it to those who suffered and died so horribly not to repeat the horrors of the past. The heir to Britains throne said he had recently met a Jesuit priest from Syria who described the plight of Christians he was forced to leave behind in the country. He said: He told me of mass kidnappings in parts of Syria and Iraq and how he feared that Christians will be driven en masse out of lands described in the Bible. He thought it is quite possible there will be no Christians in Iraq within five years. Clearly, for such people, religious freedom is a daily, stark choice between life and death. The prince said the scale of religious persecution around the world was not widely appreciated and was not limited to Christians, but included many other minority faiths. Whichever religious path we follow, the destination is the same - to value and respect the other person, accepting their right to live out their peaceful response to the love of God, he said. The Prince also spoke about the plight of refugees. The suffering doesnt end when they arrive seeking refuge in a foreign land, he said, and reminded people of how the story of the nativity unfolds with the fleeing of the holy family to escape violent persecution, an apparent reference to Jesus family, who had sought refuge from persecution. Charles will become the supreme governor of the Church of England when he succeeds his mother Queen Elizabeth II. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-23 05:26:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANTIAGO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Saturday 1,926 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for a total of 395,708 cases in the country, with 10,792 deaths. Additionally, 1,058 people are hospitalized in intensive care units, with 773 of these patients on ventilators and 166 in critical condition. Health authorities reported that 29,727 more PCR tests were performed in the last 24 hours, for a total of 2,172,028 tests administered to date. The country's sanitary residences reported that there are 10,439 spaces available to citizens who need them, and that they are currently hosting 5,209 people across the nation. In view of a decrease in cases, the government has implemented a gradual relaxation of social isolation measures in order to reactivate the economy and resume face-to-face work. In recent days, due to the lifting of the quarantine in certain locations, there has been an increase in cases of the virus, although the Ministry of Health claims that it is monitoring the situation and is not yet concerned. 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Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The California School Nutrition Association (CSNA) reached out to Rep. Susan Davis, Congresswoman from San Diego, to draft a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, to use his existing authority to extend waivers allowing schools to provide meals to students during the pandemic. The letter, sent to Secretary Perdue on August 7, was circulated by Rep. Davis among the California Congressional delegation, and was signed by a bipartisan group of twenty-five Members. USDA has issued a number of waivers that allow schools to provide meals using a range of service models so that school children, many of whom rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition, can have access regardless of how schools provide classes. The most effective waivers are set to expire when schools reopen or August 31, whichever comes first. With schools reopening, many children are losing access to school meals. "We are very concerned about how we can serve the children effectively when we don't know where they will be on any given day," said Johnna Jenkins, President of the California School Nutrition Association. "Some of our schools will have children present some days and not others. Some schools will be only distance learning. The counting and claiming requirements for school meals cannot support all of the different ways we need to deliver meals to hungry children. We need USDA to extend the waivers that give us the flexibility needed to feed kids for the whole school year so we can plan, as best we can, and do what we do best." The effort by CSNA has the active support of a broad alliance of education groups and county and city departments of education. Several bills to extend the USDA waivers have been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but the legislative process is slow and cumbersome, and the need for relief is immediate. To that end, CSNA worked with Rep. Davis who sits on the Committee on Education and Labor that has jurisdiction over school meals to address the issue directly with the Secretary whose exiting authority during this national emergency can be used to issue the waivers effective immediately. For additional information contact: Johnna Jenkins, CSNA President 760.749.6748 [email protected] Kristin Hilleman, Chair, CSNA Public Policy Committee Office: 949.234.9501 [email protected] www.CalSNA.org Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE California School Nutrition Association